Easy All Natural Spaghetti Recipe

Spaghetti from scratch is a lot easier to make than most people would imagine.  It's great because it's an easy one to make from 100% local/natural/organic ingredients, and it's even better the day after you make it.  Here's how I make mine.

I collected tomatoes from my tomato plants all week.  I have found that Italian strains of many vegetable species excel in my area.  For instance, Rosa Bianca eggplant, Roma tomatoes, and Italian Rose beans are some of my favorites.  Most of the tomatoes that I used are Roma, but I supplemented with Black Krim and a few others.  I cut each tomato in half and tossed them in a pot on low-medium heat.  In all, I used about 6 cups of halved tomatoes.  I added about 1 cup of water for them to simmer in.  Add seasoning to your taste.  I like to go heavy-handed with whole peppercorns.  I also add a dash of salt and a tablespoon of honey.  Add a dash of balsamic vinegar.  Later on, I'll add fresh herbs.  Cover the pot, and stir occasionally.

I browned 1 pound of ground beef with ground pepper and chopped garlic.  Drain the fat and mix into the tomato mixture.  Turn the heat to medium.  Mix together and mash the tomatoes a bit.  They should liquefy somewhat as you stir in the beef.

Here is where I get kind of creative with my ingredients.  Basically, I just clear veggies out of my fridge and throw them in the pot.  I really like using mushrooms, peppers, squash, and eggplant.  I've even tried beans, which I thought was great, but wasn't very popular with the boyfriend.  Add lots of garlic and fresh herbs.  Oregano, basil, and scallions are my favorites.  Tonight, I used some cubes of pesto that I had frozen in an ice cube tray.  I used 3 cubes of pesto.  (My pesto ingredients were just olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil.)  I like to add about 1 glass of red wine to my stomach while I cook, and 1 more to the sauce while it simmers.

Gradually turn the heat up to medium-high as the pot gets full of ingredients.  Let it simmer for as long as your stomach allows.  The sauces get richer and more flavorful the longer they cook-- just make sure that it doesn't burn as you turn the heat up.  Enjoy with noodles the same night, and make sure to leave enough for lunch or dinner the next day.

I Found Out What Happened to Los Tres Hermanos Grocery

I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia.  When I was a teenager, it seemed as though there was a Mexican grocery store in practically every neighborhood.  Atlanta had many Hispanic communities, so it made sense that these chains of grocery stores were so successful.  I moved out of Atlanta in 2009 to go to college.  I rarely went home during my first year away from my motherland.  Honestly, I didn't start feeling homesick until 2011.  During my frequent visits to Atlanta in 2011, I gradually realized that former Mexican grocery stores were no longer in business.  I always assumed that they had lost their markets or given way to competitors, but I recently found out that there's a more complicated reason for the closure of Los Tres Hermanos groceries.  It involves the Tyson corporation and exploitation of human workers in industrial food manufacturing.  Naturally, I was intrigued.

Steve Striffler explained the history behind Los Tres Hermanos in Chicken: the dangerous transformation of America's favorite food.  To understand why the groceries closed, you must know a little bit about food production in the USA.  Amador Anchondo-Rascon is a Mexican immigrant who slipped the border to pursue agricultural work in California.  Finding season work and high living expenses, he eventually moved to Florida where married and became a US citizen.  In 1990, he began working for the Tyson corporation in Shelbyville, Tennessee.  Shelbyville experienced a boom in its Hispanic population in following years.

Amador opened the first Los Tres Hermanos in Shelbyville.  In addition to selling groceries, he sold illegal documents for immigrants.  Striffler says, "If a town's Latino population is large enough to support a Los Tres Hermanos, then it is almost certain that this sort of store will either provide these kinds of services or know where to arrange for them."   His business was so successful that he became a wealthy man who owned 5 homes, until some of the false documents caught the attention of local authorities.  He sold illegal documents to undercover INS agents.  Subsequently, he cooperated with the authorities and confided that Tyson offered him up to $200 "recruitment fees" if he furnished illegal workers with false documents.  In a sting, a Tyson executive asked Amador and an undercover agent to provide 2,000 illegal Guatemalans with documents.  They were offered either $100 or $200 per head.

According to United States Justice Department, 15 Tyson plants conspired to smuggle and provide illegal documentation for Mexican immigrants.  They exploited the workers' fear of deportation to force them to work intolerable conditions for low wages.  A meat-packing supervisor even expressed that he preferred his workers "right off the bus."  Initially, the senior vice president of the Tyson corporation denied the company's involvement with immigrant smuggling.  Three Tyson managers eventually confessed, and one committed suicide.  Ultimately the case passed without much distinction.  Although the company was caught paying for large numbers of illegals workers (fortified by 3 confessions), the highest levels of management were able to evade the accusations.

Ultimately, small business owners like Amador pay the price for the corruption of the Tyson corporation.  The case and publicity force small businesses to close, an additional grievance on top of the exploitation of immigrant workers.  However, I would be willing to bet that you didn't hear about Tyson's transgressions in the news nor did their business suffer as result of their actions.

St. Catherine's Island

St. Catherine's Island is one of Georgia's barrier islands that sits between the mainland and the open ocean.  It has an enthralling history as it was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before it was colonized.  In fact, shell circles facing the sea are still visible.  The location of the shell circles has a distinctively soothing atmosphere.  Perhaps this is a relic of the people past or maybe it's the reason they selected this space for their ceremonies.  Additionally, St. Catherine's Island is the site of the first Christian church in the United States.

The island is about 50 miles south of Savannah- the drive takes about an hour.  However, the island is only accessible by boat.  Although it's a private island, I was able to tour the entire thing with a salt marsh ecology class.  Staff from the island picked us up and ferried us across before turning us loose on the island with some antiquated trucks.  If you're not lucky enough to get invited on a tour, don't fret.  Although the island is private, its beaches are public.  You may not be able to check out the interior of the island, but you can still enjoy the beaches if you can find a boat to take you to them.  Any one you can get to it, St. Catherine's hosts possibly the most beautiful beach in Georgia.

Possession of the island changed handy many times, especially in the colonial era.  At one point it was a plantation.  It's rumored that student interns are housed in the old slave quarters.  I found the plantation history of the island especially interested because of my interest in both historical and modern methods for producing food.  Remnants of relics like hog ditches reveal time-tested strategies for maintaining crops.

This photograph shows me looking across the marsh with binoculars.  The beaches at St. Catherine's are surrounded by salt marsh dominated by smooth cordgrass.  Wildlife is abundant in the marsh, and contains a number of unique species like diamondback terrapins.  Salt marshes are characterized by vertical zonation which means that species are found in bands of distribution according to the vertical distance from the water.

St. Catherine's has live oak forests beyond the salt marsh.  Within a very close proximity, you can see 3 distinct ecosystems: the marine environment, the salt marsh habitat, and the hardwood forest.

This is a piece of driftwood that I found on the beach.  I thought it had an exceptionally beautiful pattern.  Because the beaches can only be accessed by boat, they are virtually untouched.

Diamondback Terrapins in the News

This morning, the Savannah Morning News featured an article about diamondback terrapins on the front page.  Diamondback terrapins are a protected species of turtle in the state of Georgia, but TERPS (Terrapin Educational Research Program of Savannah) has observed a rapid decrease in their estimated population size.  The article was written by Mary Landers, who met with me and Andrew Neidlinger to collect some information about the turtles and watch us release 4 captive baby turtles.  The article is available online, and includes a video interview with Andrew.  Here's the link for it.
http://savannahnow.com/news/2013-06-23/crossing-us-80-treacherous-trip-savannah-nesting-turtles#.Uch_G9hByjc

It's a fortuitous day for the turtles for sure.  Not only are they in the news today, Andrew, Samuel Peabody, and I collected a dozen eggs from wild females last night.  We will hatch them in captivity, conduct research on them, and release them next summer.  Here is a photo of one of the clutches of eggs.

We collected data from the wild females that we caught, and marked them before releasing them.  One of the females was actually a survivor of a traffic accident.  We could see damage on her shell, but obviously she is continuing to thrive in her natural habitat.  Click on the link above to read Mary Landers's article and watch a video of Andrew's interview.  You might even see me as I release some of the baby turtles.

Guide to Savannah Area Farmers Markets, Part 2: Bethesda Farm Stand

The next market I want to talk about for my Guide to Savannah Area Farmers Markets is a very stark contrast to the Forsyth Farmers Market.  The Bethesda Farm Stand is a totally different pace from the Forsyth market; it's way quieter and more remote.  The Bethesda Academy for Boys originated as an orphanage in 1740.  Now it is a boarding school where kids come for classes and live during the week, but go home on weekends.  One of the school's programs includes an on site organic farm that grows produce, raises free-range egg-laying chickens, and breeds Nigerian dwarf goats.  They use the goats' milk to make soap through a partnership with Nourish.  They sell produce, eggs, soap, and fresh flowers at the farm stand.

Bethesda's prices are reasonable and the quality is exceptional.  Another advantage of visiting the farm stand is that it's usually not too crowded, whereas the Forsyth market is consistently thronging.  At Forsyth, it's nearly impossible to get in and get out quickly with your groceries, but it's easy to shop at your own pace (whether that be in a rush or taking your time) at Bethesda.  Also, you can practically hear the goats and chickens from the stand.  It's refreshing to to be in such close proximity to the source of the food that you're buying.

Another great quality of the stand is that it's in a pretty unique location.  To my knowledge, there are no other markets or organic groceries in this neighborhood.  It's very convenient for people in both Sandly and Southside Savannah.  It's only a 10 minute drive from both Savannah State University and Armstrong Atlantic State University, so it's very accessible to students.  Check out the Bethesda Farm Stand on Thursdays from 3:00-5:30 in the afternoon.  Here's the link.

http://www.bethesdaacademy.org/academics/work-experience/bethesda-farm-gardens/

Why I Killed a Chicken on Friday

I killed a chicken on Friday because I wanted to prove to myself that I really am ok with eating meat.  I recently read a book called Chicken: The dangerous transformation of America's favorite food by Steve Striffler which discusses the commercial methods for raising, butchering, and selling chicken as an industrial product.  After reading this book, I realized that I am uninterested in supporting industrial chicken manufacturers and that I'd rather grow my own or purchase meat from small scale local farmers.  Unfortunately, buying pasture-raised chicken from local farmers can get expensive.  Realistically, I'd like to raise my own.  Before investing in a coop and some birds, I wanted to make sure that I could stomach the process of killing and cooking my own food.

There are many reasons why industrial chicken is less healthy and less humane than free range, organic fed chickens.  Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) certainly don't keep the animals' welfare in mind.  According to Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal Vegetable Miracle, "If you can envision one thousand chickens in your bathroom, in cages stacked to the ceiling, you're honestly getting the picture.  (Actually a six-foot by eight room could house 1,152)"  CAFOs also use methods like antibiotics and hormones to produce plump birds fast.  Operations like these not only exploit the chickens, but also their laborers.  They seem to have neither the animals', laborers', nor customers' safety in mind.

That being said, I love eating meat, especially chicken.  Although the animals obviously have to die to produce meat, I feel better about consuming meat that I know lived a happy, natural existence and died in the least painful way possible.  So I learned to slaughter and dress a chicken from a one year old free range rooster at my job on an organic farm.  He lived with about 300 hens and was the king of the roost until his spurs began growing in.  When his spurs started growing, he became more like the dictator of the roost.  He got increasingly aggressive with both the hens and the people on the farm.  So we decided that it was time to overthrow this dictator rooster.

We put him upside down in a cone and cut the arteries in his neck so he would bleed out quickly.  If you sever the esophagus by cutting too deeply or removing the head, they struggle to breathe while they bleed out and this causes additional pain and panic to the bird.  While he died, I felt a distinct sadness for the animal and the process that I was apart of.  It certainly wasn't a pleasant experience, but it was a respectful and peaceful one.  We'll be cooking him in a coq au vin recipe this week.  After having this experience, I will not stop eating meat, but I will have a greater appreciation for the animals that produce it.

Guide to Savannah Area Farmers Markets, Part 1: Forsyth Farmers Market

If you ask anyone in Savannah about the Forsyth Farmers Market, they'll probably be happy to tell you about the farmers market.  This market is certainly well-loved in the community and is the best known and most widely attended farmers market in the greater Savannah area.  It's popular for good reasons.  The Forsyth Farmers Market ensures that the products it sells area organic and the market does not permit resale.  It also takes place in iconic Forsyth Park, which is both beautiful and historically significant.  It's also a central location- easily accessible for urban pedestrians.  For these reasons, the Forsyth Farmers Market is a natural first in an upcoming installation of posts about this region's markets.

One of my favorite things about farmers markets is how they cultivate healthy communities.  This one is certainly no exception.  In fact, I'd say it goes above and beyond in multiple ways.  In the United States, it is commonly accepted that impoverished communities suffer diminished health as a result of dietary factors.  Even NBC News acknowledges this fact in an article entitled "Living in poor neighborhood can hurt health."  There's the link if ya don't believe me.  There are certainly many causes for poor health in a community, but access to fresh and healthful foods is crucial for maintaining a healthy body.  Impoverished neighborhoods don't often provide access to these types of food, especially for those that walk or ride public transit.

The Forsyth Market accommodates these under-served individuals in several significant ways.  Anyone can purchase directly from the farm stands with cash, but the market also provides a service for those paying with a card.  If you use a regular debit or check card, you get tokens equivalent to the dollar amount that you choose to spend.  If you pay with EBT (essentially the new face of food stamps and other government benefits), you get twice the token value of the dollar amount you spend.  I'm proud to support a market that makes quality food affordable for anyone, despite the caveat of serving luxury organic products.  How's that for cultivating healthy change??

Speaking of cultivation, this market ensures that buyers (anyone who visits the market with money to spend) connect directly with growers.  The market forbids resale.  Resale occurs when a distributor purchases goods from a grower or even another middleman and then sells them to the public.  While this is not an inherently bad method of doing business, it creates a separation between the grower and the customer.  Banning resale makes farmers directly accountable to their customers and keeps the produce local.

Whether you live in the town or visit, the Savannah experience is incomplete without visiting the Forsyth Farmers Market.  Check it out this summer on Saturdays from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm.  You'll love the fresh flavor of local veggies, meat, honey, and more and you'll feel good about supporting the people who grow them.  Plus, look how gorgeous these fresh veggies are!

Here's the link if you want some information about the market directly from the source.
http://forsythfarmersmarket.com/

Some Thoughts on Fashion

I'm not really much of a fashionista, but I love splurging on something cute once in a while.  Honestly though, fashion is one component of our consumer culture that has not lent itself well toward sustainable innovation.  Only occasionally does one see locally produced styles that use local materials.  All too often, a nation-wide trend demands that women update their wardrobes with articles of clothing produced overseas and shipped in.  Some companies treat their employees decently, but far too many of them exploit labor in places with low or nonexistent minimum wages.  This allows them to serve consumers a cheap product, but is unfair to the laborers.  Although the south produces cotton as an important cash crop, it is rarely converted into clothing and sold at stores in the same region where it was grow.  More realistically, the cotton is grown here, shipped overseas, turned into fabric, designed into fashion in New York, and then redistributed to our local Wal Marts.  Not very sustainable, nor practical if you think about it.  With these thoughts in mind, how do I indulge my love of cute clothes without feeling guilty about it?

My talented friend Caroline Sansone has some innovative approaches to sustainable fashion.  For instance, she uses as many repurposed materials as she can get her hands on.  This is less wasteful of labor and resources because her techniques reuse outdated clothes.  Also, she can buy her materials locally instead of having them shipped from across the world.

These shorts are a favorite of her designs.  She can even restyle your old favorite pair of jeans if you send them to her!

Check out her blog and Etsy shop for her creative designs, always with an emphasis on sustainability!  Her style is always breezy and feminine-- perfect for summertime!  I also love her furniture redesigns.

cityofsognidoro.blogspot.com

etsy.com/shop/whydontyouhaveaseat

Enjoy and indulge!

Why Georgia Is Awesome, Part 2

I think we have already established that Georgia has beautiful beaches for both wildlife and people in Why Georgia Is Awesome, Part 1.  People treasure the west coast states for having both mountains and oceans, but I'd argue that we have better swimming beaches and scenic mountains of our very own right here in Georgia.  South of Atlanta, the land seems to flatten out into the low country.  North of Atlanta, it rolls gently into foothills before the steep ascent to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Georgia even contains 75 miles of the Appalachian Trail.  I've had the pleasure of taking numerous beautiful hikes in North Georgia.  While I am a lover of the ocean and enjoy living near it, hiking in North Georgia is definitely my favorite way to spend a weekend during this time of year.  Georgia has both gentle and strenuous hikes suited for any fitness level.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Amicalola Falls is a destination about an hour and a half outside of Atlanta.  It is well worth the trip, and the view from the top of the falls is a must see.  The park here has an 8 mile long access trail to the Appalachian Trail.  The waterfall itself is 729 feet of steeply rushing cascade and you can climb steps to the top.  I highly recommend taking the steps up for the view.  However, they tend to attract a lot of hikers on beautiful weekends.  Make a detour to the approach trail for the AT or hike one of the ridges on your descent to get some peace and quiet.  They tend not to be very crowded.  This is a photo I took about halfway up the fall.

Cloudland Canyon lies just north of Lookout Mountain.  It's about two and a half hours from Atlanta and has miles of waterfall trails.  Some of the trails include steps.  Take the 1 mile long trail to approach a fall with a nice pool.  My little dog loved splashing around in the catchment pool beneath this fall.  Take the longer trail into the gulch to see more great views and to get away from the stairs.  My little dog bounded nimbly down the steps, but my big dog was skeptical of them because they are made of grated metal-- he could see the open air beneath his feet and wasn't such a big fan of it.  Once your off the steps the trail is both beautiful and remote.  Catch the falls after a lot of rain to watch them flow vigorously.  If the weather has been dry prior to your expedition, I suggest hiking the rim.  The views are incredible.

Another favorite of mine is Indian Springs which is south of Atlanta.  According to legend, Creek Indians believed it to be a place of physical and spiritual healing.  I don't know if there's any scientific basis for these beliefs, but it definitely heals my soul to splash around in the springs.  This one is an easy hike and a great swimming spot.  It's perfect for a hot, summer day in Atlanta.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of this spot, but I'm sure you'll find loads of great shots if you search for them.

Happy trailblazing, and just remember that Georgia really does have the best of both worlds-- mountains and beaches in the same state!!

Diamondback Terrapins and the Right to the Road

Diamondback terrapins are a very special species of turtle.  They are probably the only turtles which live exclusively in brackish water.  There are found all along the east coast of the United States, especially along Georgia's coast.  In addition to occupying a very specific niche, they are a very beautiful species of turtle.  The color of their skin can range from powdery white to black, and all shade of blue in between.  Frequently their skin is adorned with unique patterns which can be either speckled or linear.  The shell on their backs, called a carapace is also often patterned.  Terrapins from South Carolina are often distinguished by their red or amber belly shells.

The species is separated into a handful of subspecies.  Members of the subspecies can interbreed, but their natural habitat ranges are so separated that this rarely happens in nature.  The turtles are not federally protected, although they probably should be.  In the state of Georgia, they are a protected species.  Rhode Island denotes them as endangered, and Massachusetts considers them threatened.  Perhaps Georgia, or the United States in general, should adopt more protective measures when it comes to the diamondback terrapins.

The species faced rapid decline during European colonization of the east coast.  They were considered a delicacy and hunted all over their range for gourmet restaurants.  Current threats to their populations are related to habitat destruction.  I work with a student organization at Armstrong Atlantic State University called TERPS (Terrapin Educational Research Program of Savannah) which is concerned with their conservation.  My good friend Andrew Neidlinger is currently running this organization and performing field research on the wild populations of terrapins near Savannah, Georgia.

While degradation of the marshes themselves is a major threat to the turtles, road construction is the most significant cause of their decline in Georgia.  Highway 80 connects Savannah to Tybee Island.  During the summer, this highway carries high volume traffic from Savannah to the beaches on Tybee.  The speed limit on parts of the road is 55, but drivers often speed.  Unfortunately, the peak season for tourism on Tybee coincides with the turtles nesting season.  Females cross from the marsh on the northern side of the road to nest on the southern side.  All too often, they are hit by cars.

The TERPS club has a hotline for drivers to report struck turtles.  If we find a live turtle, we rehabilitate the animal in the lab before releasing him or her to a safer location.  If we find a recent female victim of roadkill, we to see if she is gravid.  Often we recover eggs which we can hatch in our lab.  Last October, we hatched 3 baby terrapins in our lab.  On June 13, 2013, Andrew and I took these 3 babies, as well as another wild born baby whom we recovered and nourished in the lab, to Fort Pulaski to release.  Mary Landers, a reporter from Savannah Now, met us there to learn about our project and the threats to the turtles.  Because the vast majority of baby turtles are eaten rapidly after they hatch, allowing them a 8 months of growth in the lab greatly increases their chance of survival in the wild.

Currently, there is talk of widening Highway 80 to accommodate more Tybee traffic.  The TERPS organization has a suggestion, should this expansion occur.  If the road is expanded, a tunnel should connect the marsh beneath it.  This would give the terrapins a safe way to cross from one side of the marsh to the other to nest.

It is important for the public to know about these turtles and learn about conservation efforts.  Their population has declined rapidly, and their nesting habits are being altered by human interference.  If this species is to thrive, efforts must be made to protect them.  Drivers should not speed on the stretch of Highway 80 that cuts through the marsh, or else they risk hitting pregnant females.  If drivers do hit or see a hit turtle, they can contact the TERPS club to rehabilitate the animal or extract eggs.  Also citizens should be aware that the species is protected, but current population estimates show such a rapid decline that they probably should be considered threatened or endangered.  With this knowledge, the public can support legislature that demands more stringent protection for the turtles.

Here is the hotline number:
912.659.0978.

These are some photographs I took of the turtles at our facility at Armstrong.  The first picture is of one of the babies that we released yesterday.

The next photo is of a juvenile female called Cleopatra.  Her mother was a roadkill victim and we hatched Cleopatra in our lab.  Her clutchmates were released back to the wild.  Notice her striking pattern.  The carapace is marked with concentric lines which can be used to estimate the turtles age.  Each lighter band signifies a year of growth.

The last photo is of a female called Satilla.  She was injured and thrives in captivity.  However, her injury would put her at a disadvantage in the wild, so we chose to keep her in our captive breeding program.  She is currently pregnant and we are hoping to hatch her eggs in the lab!!  Notice that her pattern is more speckled and less linear than Cleopatra's.

Thanks for reading about the terrapins, and please support protection for this species by not speeding on Highway 80, calling in hurt animals, and supporting protective legislation!

Keep an eye out in the Savannah Morning News for Mary Landers's article about the turtles.  You'll see some great photos of the turtles and hear Andrew's expert opinion on their conservation.  You might even see a cameo by me in the article!

How to Make Fish the Easiest and Most Educational Pet You'll Ever Own

People never believe me when I say I've never cleaned my fish bowl.  But I swear it's true!!  And I've had it for almost a year.  When I set up my fish bowl, I was taking a limnology class.  Limnology is the study of inland bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers.  The course inspired me to create my own mock ecosystem in a fish bowl.  I like to think that it had a positive impact on my understanding of the course material, but at the very least, it has entertained the crap out of me and my boyfriend.  I imagine that kids would probably like it a lot too.  Setting up a fish bowl like mine is probably the best way to own a pet if you are either incredibly lazy or irresponsible. 

First things first, your bowl must be in a sunny location.  Ours is next to a west-facing window in our house.  Typically west or south-facing windows will afford you the most light.  Sunlight is crucial for the success of this project.  Fill the bottom of the bowl with rocks or something more creative.  It's important that the plants be able to grow roots into the substrate.  Rocks leave a lot of nice little spaces for them to grow through.  Sand might be too dense, but I haven't tried it.

Next, pick some plants.  I have a bamboo plant, a cutting from a pothos houseplant, elodia, and a couple of aquatic plants that I bought at Petsmart.  These plants will produce fresh clean oxygen for the animals in your bowl.  The animals will not be able to survive without oxygen.  If you look closely at the plants in my fish bowl, you'll see tiny bubble rising from the plants.  This is the oxygen itself.  When you see these oxygen bubbles, you'll know that the bowl is ready for animals.

Snails are the next step.  Snails will clean the algae and debris from the bowl.  Snails also self-regulate their population size.  They will reproduce rapidly and disappear.  This is because they eat each other when there are too many of them.  My bowl has one fish in it.  She's a molly of some type.  Originally we had a guppy also, but the molly ate him.  We didn't want to torture any more fish, so she's the only one.  It's probably not a good idea to have more than two fish unless the bowl is very large with lots of plants.

If you have a sufficient amount of plants, you will literally have to do nothing to maintain your bowl.  Once, I went out of town for a month and my friend who was house-sitting completely forgot about the fish bowl.  The molly didn't get fed for an entire month, but she just nibbled on plants and algae.  We do feed her occasionally (when we remember), but it's certainly not necessary.  Honestly, I think she prefers the vegetation.

 

Anguilla: A sustainable approach to luxury travel

If you're planning an exotic getaway, you should seriously consider the small Caribbean island of Anguilla.  Famed for its crystal clear water and white sand beaches, it's also renowned for its five-star cuisine and resorts.  It's a quiet and remote island with a handful of kickass bars, but is a 20 minute ferry ride from cosmopolitan St. Marten.  You may even share the island with a handful of celebrities.  Scenes of the pristine beaches are featured in a recent Rick Ross music video for "Diced Pineapples."  Check out the video just to see the beaches.

You'll be stunned by the marine life and beaches, but you may also be impressed by the local use of natural resources.  I say "may" because Anguillians don't often brag about their use of green methods and technology.  They don't broadcast it-- they just use the free resources that nature courteously provides in a quiet and respectful manner.  For instance, almost every home in Anguilla collects rainwater and stores it in a cistern.  This is the primary source of water for locals, and they use it year-round.  Furthermore, many homes use solar panels connected to their water tanks for heating bath water.

If you're interested in marine life, luxury, or sustainability, you'll doubtlessly be enchanted by the colorful culture of Anguilla.

Jah bless!

American Roti

If you've ever aspired to make bread but been intimidated by the complex ingredients and directions, I've got a solution worth trying.  I call it American Roti.  Roti is a flat bread popular in southeast Asia, especially India.  It's also a staple in Trinidad.  Different flours are used regionally, but it's a versatile recipe.  Feel free to experiment with different flours.  I make mine with whole wheat flour which gives it a pleasantly coarse texture.  I've also had a version made with corn meal that was very tasty.  I might have to try that next.  Eat it right out of the pan for a snack, soak up sauce from stews and gravy with dinner, or wrap up leftovers in it for lunch.  Here's my recipe:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt

Mix these ingredients in a bowl.

• 2 sticks of butter

Dice the butter in little pieces and mix with the flour mixture.

• 1/2 cup cool water

Drip the water in gradually and knead the mixture until the butter is incorporated.  Wrap it up and let it chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

Break off pieces (you can get 15-20 from this recipe), and roll them out on a floured surface.  If you don't have a rolling pin, you can use a wine bottle and it will work just as well.  If the dough sticks to the pin, flip it and roll the surface that's been in contact with the floured surface.  I like to roll mine to a tortilla thickness.

Fry in a pan and enjoy.

Garden Ecology 101

I got interested in gardening because I wanted to grow food- not flowers.  Flower gardening some how didn't seem utilitarian enough to me until I learned a little more about garden ecology.  I quickly learned that growing food is significantly more complicated than putting a plant in dirt and giving it some water.

Soil is a complex heterogeneous mixture.  This means that it consists of many separate and distinct parts.  It's home to animals, bacteria, and fungi that decompose waste like manure and plant parts.  These little guys are the magicians responsible for turning your kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich soil in your compost heap.

The diversity of life forms in your garden starts in the soil, but also includes both your plants and the animals that interact with them.  Most of the animals that you see in your garden are probably insects; some of them are helpful, but some of them hurt your crops.  When I tried to grow strictly veggies, I definitely had more harmful than helpful insects.  A friend suggested that I include some flowers in my garden, and I was converted.  I now recognize and appreciate the wonders of growing flowers.  They attract the good pollinators like honeybees and the predators that eat the nuisances like aphids.  Plus they look gorgeous and smell delicious.  Best of all, I can still use them for food.  Here are some clever ways to consume flowers:

Roses- delicious in sweet foods like ice cream, can be baked in cakes
Chamomile-smells charming and perfect for a cup of tea before bed
Lavender-also great in tea
Marigolds-flavorful addition to salads
Sunflowers-sunflower seeds, duh!

For me, the bottom line is that gardening is more about growing an ecosystem than one vegetable and flowers are instrumental in this process.  They also make your outdoor space more vibrant and interesting.  And you can cut them to bring inside and make your home lovely and fresh.  Don't forget to stop and smell the roses, or whatever you grow.

Why Georgia Is Awesome, Part 1

Georgia is a seriously underrated state.  The west coast is obviously the popular spot for post undergrads to flock to, what with California and Washington's progressive cannabis legislation and trendy TV shows like Portlandia.  Trends aside, Georgia actually shares many compelling natural attractions with west coast states.  For instance, it too is a state famous for both its beaches and its mountains.  Georgia is charmingly unique and disarmingly diverse in terms of its natural environments.

Georgia's coast is home to the world's most productive ecosystem in terms of oxygen production.  That's right-- Georgia's coastal marshes produce more oxygen per square foot than rain forests.  Salt marshes are environments which are distinguished by the presence of Spartina alterniflora, commonly called smooth cordgrass.  Smooth cordgrass environments sequester pollution chemicals and produces oxygen more efficiently than any other habitat on Earth.

Georgia's coast is protected by a layer of barrier islands which separate the mainland from the Atlantic Ocean.  This is a major reason as to why Georgia has sandy beaches, unlike the west coast's rocky beaches.  The barrier islands also protect coastal cities like Savannah from hurricanes.  Unlike cities in Florida, Savannah is practically never damaged by hurricanes.  Furthermore, the water along Georgia's coast is warmed by the Gulf Stream ocean current.  The Gulf Stream carries warm water from the Caribbean, near the Equator, all the way up the east coast.  The sandy beaches, safety from hurricanes, and warm water make Georgia's beaches prime for swimming.

Admittedly, every state in the USA is charmingly unique.  Georgia, however, is one of the most underrated states and is home to awesome swimming beaches.

Introduction to Callinectes

Hey there!  I'm Cammie Allen, from Atlanta, Georgia.  I live in Savannah, Georgia, where I study marine biology and environmental studies.  I am a victim of wanderlust and have a passion for sustainable food resources, marine ecology, and delicious food.  The purpose of Callinectes is to share ideas about traveling, eating, and living well with respect for the natural world.  The name Callinectes is a Latin word which means "beautiful swimmer."  It is also the genus of a group of crabs which includes the famously delicious blue crab.  Dive in and enjoy!