Christmas Recycling

Recycling gift wrapping, cards and boxes

Recycling your holiday boxes, cards, and even wrapping paper is easier when you take the time to be a little creative. Not only will you be reducing waste and trash levels, but can also come up with some unique designs and creations. If you're not the artsy type, consider using gift wrap and tree trimmings to spruce up a holiday basket for a simple touch. Here are some more easy ways to recycle holiday gift wrapping, boxes, and other gift decorations: Collect wrapping paper squares for scrap booking projects. Wrapping paper works as a great background for scrapbooks, and you can cut out small squares and other shapes for a simple paper collection.

Recycle cards to make gift tags. Printed cards can easily be cut down into small gift tags and even miniature place cards for your holiday table. You can also use wrapping paper cutouts to make your own unique gift tags. Shred it for festive holiday gift baskets. You can use your home office shredder to make up strands of holiday-themed 'stuffing' for baskets and gift boxes. Make homemade place mats. Make your own holiday place mats by laminating sheets of thin cardboard and a collage of your favorite holiday designs. Make some coasters. Put together some cardboard cutouts with a covering of holiday wrapping paper, and seal it with tape or laminate sheets for a tabletop coaster. Line the holiday baked goods cupboard. A simple way to spruce up the pantry, cover the shelves with holiday wrapping paper for instant kitchen decor. Use it to make gift decorations. Empty boxes wrapped in holiday wrapping paper make great holiday accessories around the tree or anywhere else that needs some dressing up. Make your own gift certificate envelopes. An easy way to put your origami skills to good use, a gift certificate presented in an homemade envelope easily adds a creative touch.

Ways to recycle the Christmas Tree

Using a home mulching machine, pine needles from the family Christmas tree can provide a creative alternative to standard store bought mulch. For home gardening, mulching the Christmas tree pine needles will provide a pleasant look and smell to the outdoor garden especially those home gardens and landscapes which are along the edge of a home. In addition to your own personal landscape, also consider donating Christmas tree needle mulch to your local parks and recreations facility for use in public parks.

Firewood:For a home with a fireplace, the tree trunk can be dried out, in the outdoors, and then cut for use as firewood. Offering a pleasant burning scent, the Christmas tree will provide for firewood burning for several days. The key, however, to using the Christmas tree trunk as firewood is to ensure the trunk is adequately dried out prior to cutting and burning. Proper drying will also provide for a beautiful display of colors and scents from within the fireplace.

Kindling:As a further enhancement to home fireplace burning, tree branches can also be dried and used as kindling to improve the longevity of the Christmas tree trunk fireplace burning. Again, the key to use of Christmas tree branches, as kindling, involves the drying process prior to use.

Recycling:For homes not equipped with a fireplace, consider recycling the tree in an effort to provide other families with the pleasant Christmas tree burning experience. Recycling of the Christmas tree can take place through local Christmas tree recycling programs. During recycling, in areas close to lakes, Christmas trees are often disposed through a process of sinking the tree into the lake to provide a fish habitat.

Recycling Christmas Lights

The first is a program through HolidayLEDS.com in Michigan. It is quite simple you just package up your old lights and send them to:

HolidayLEDs.com

Attn: Recycling Program

2500 W. Argyle St.

Jackson, MI 49202

After they receive the lights, they will email you a coupon for 15% off of anything on their website. For more information check out their website HolidayLEDS.com.

Another option is to send them to Christmas Light Source in Texas. By sending them your lights, you can join a force for literacy. Here is how their program works, package up your lights and send them to:

Christmas Light Source Recycling Program

1923 6th Avenue

Fort Worth, TX 76110

They will then send the lights to a local recycling company who will take your lights and recycle the copper, glass and plastic. The recycling company pays a small amount per pound of lights - like the money you get for aluminum cans.
All proceeds from the Christmas lights recycling program will be used to purchase Usborne books that will be donated to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
Since Usborne offers a 50% match on donations, for every $100 in proceeds from Christmas lights recycling, $150 in fun, educational children's books will be purchased and donated to the Dallas/Fort Worth Marine Toys for Tots center.
For more information go to their website Christmas Light Source.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

A wonderful Christmas today. We kept it very simple and focused on the true meaning, family and of course horses.

Pure winter bliss

The snow is plentiful today here at the brook. Only a few more days till Christmas and it will be a white one.

The horses are all out today for a bit. They enjoy the snow. Then back to the cozy barn.

Yesterday I was out finishing up some errands and I stopped at the Alpacas Of Easton farm, http://alpacasofeaston.com/index.html which is about 5 miles north of Stirling brook. I picked up some wonderful alpaca yarn and homemade wooden knitting needles as a gift for my mom. Kate Ziehm who runs the farm with her husband Brian is wonderful. She has lots of products and is a wealth of information on alpacas. I also got some pictures of the animals that the fiber used to make my yarn came from. One yarn is a farm blend. A wonderful brown that has fibers from all the alpaca on the farm. The other is off white from Alison . I love

these animals, they are so adorably cute. The fiber is very soft and warm and knits up into wonderful items.

Christmas at the brook

As Christmas draws near, here at the brook we are getting ready for a festive holiday. The snow came down today and will continue thru Christmas eve. So when I am not outside plowing snow so we can get down to the barn, I am working on getting some cookies made.

My mother sent me up some fresh pecans from Alabama this year, so I am putting them to good use in making some pecan tassies.

Pecan Tassies


INGREDIENTS:
2 cups margarine
4 (3 ounce) packages cream
cheese
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.
In a medium bowl, mix together the margarine and cream cheese until well blended. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture forms a smooth dough. Roll into small balls, and press into the bottoms and sides of tart pans or mini muffin pans.
3.
In another bowl, mix together the eggs, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the pecans. Use a spoon to fill each of the crusts 2/3 full with the filling mixture.
4.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, until shell is light brown, and the filling has puffed up. Cool, and carefully remove from pans.

We also love this Italian cookie. I remember these from when I was a kid. A friend of the family always made these.

Italian Chocolate Spice Cookie


2 cups butter
4 cups milk
12 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease cookie sheets.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and milk. Cook until melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir in the milk mixture by hand until the dough is firm and not tacky. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place onto the prepared cookie sheets. These cookies do not spread much, so you can place them fairly close together.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks. Glaze with a thin confectioners' icing when cool to preserve freshness.

The next cookie is one I had on a trip to Scandinavia. I was staying with the Andersson family this was made as a treat. I begged the recipe to bring home and it has been a favorite to make each year at Christmas.

Chocolad Pinar

2 cubes butter - 1/2 pound, softened
1 cup sugar
2 whole eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
2 3/4 cup flour
Chopped almonds (for topping)

Pre heat oven to 325 degrees.
Get out an ungreased cookie sheet.

Mix butter and sugar. Add 1 egg and beat(or beat egg first then add to butter - I am too lazy to do this and adding it directly works fine.)In a second bowl, mix cocoa powder, baking powder and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Mix well. Divide dough into 6 parts. Roll out each section to 1" wide by however long your baking sheet is.. After you roll, the dough, 3 rolled sections should fit on a normal sized baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg ( this is where you use the second egg) and sprinkle with powdered sugar and chopped almonds.

Bake for about 10 minutes.

Cool on sheet slightly. Slice each portion of dough into individual cookies; cutting on a slight angle makes em look nice.

Ice Storm at the Brook

Rain and then cold and snow has covered us with ice. The generators are up and running and all is well. There will be lots of clean up, as the ice on the trees has caused some major damage. The loud cracking of wood could be heard throughout the night. Trees and tree limbs are everywhere. The horses are staying in the barn. It is too dangerous to let them out on the ice or any place a limb may fall. Inside we are warm and safe. The generator is hooked to the freezer and refrigerator and all necessary appliances are working. So even in this storm life is good.

Pouring candles

Today is going to be cold and a mix of rain and snow. This is a good day to finish up candles I am making as Christmas gifts. I use soy wax and for this pour will be using containers. I purchase most of my supplies from Candles and Supplies located in Quakertown, PA. http://newcart.candlesandsupplies.com/Store/Products/Candles/Home/Default.aspx I have had good results with products purchased there, but just a quick look on the web and you can find many suppliers who are also reputable.

I will using the soy wax. It is clean burning and comes in flakes by the pound. It has a lower melting point and some people even microwave it to melt it.

The soy candle making equipment needed to make soy candles is very basic and you won't have to spend a fortune on supplies. You probably have most of what you need in your kitchen already.

First, you need something to melt the soy wax in. A double boiler is the safest and most effective method for melting wax. Since it uses indirect heat, you won't have to worry about burning the wax. Double boilers are easy to find, and are relatively inexpensive. If you already have one, you can use it to melt your soy wax. You may, however, want to purchase an extra one just for your soy candle making.

The second piece of soy candle making equipment you need is a thermometer. A candy thermometer works best. Since the soy wax melts quickly, you will need to monitor the temperature of the melting soy wax to ensure it doesn't get too hot. Fragrance can be lost to evaporation if it takes a long time for the soy candle to cool. Candy thermometers can usually be purchased at any store that sells kitchen equipment.

Third, you need a vessel to pour the melted wax into the molds. I use a melt pot as shown above.

The following materials are required for making soy candles:
1 pound of soy wax
1 mason jar
1 ounce of fragrance oil
Wax dye
1 cotton wick, for example HTP-105
Soy wax can be found in block and in flake form. The flake form is easier to use.

Using your own mix of fragrances is the secret to make your own special scented soy candles. When buying fragrances, make sure that they are compatible with soy wax. On average you will need one 1 fl ounce of fragrance oil to scent 16 ounces of soy wax.

Dyes come in a different forms. There are dye blocks which made of wax and can be melted with you soy wax. Other forms are concentrated liquids and dye chips.

There are many types of containers, which you can use. You can use a simple Jason jar if you like a country look. Containers for soy candles should be clean, dry and at room temperature. There is is no need to preheat the container.

Put the soy wax in a pan and slowly heat on medium fire until the soy wax is completely melted. Remove from heat. Add the fragrance oil and stir until all the fragrance oil is absorbed in the soy wax. Optionally you can add wax dye according to instructions on label. At this point I let the wax sit till it becomes cloudy. Give it a good stir then pour the melted soy wax gently into the jar and position the wick in the center. Use a clothespin or pencil to keep your wick in the center. When the wax has turned solid you can trim the wick to 1/2 inch.

Winter at the brook

Getting prepared for winter also means to prepare the horses for the cold. Here in upstate New York the winters can be harsh. Here are some tips to insure your horses are prepared.

Adjust Feeding Programs: As pasture quality or accessibility declines consider increasing hay and concentrates.

Help Horses Keep Warm: Horses kept outside need to eat more fodder. Horses produce a lot of heat during digestion. A generous supply of hay helps keep the horse’s internal furnace stoked.

Add Minerals: If your feeding program does not include a mineral supplement consider adding one.

Have Teeth Checked: Make sure your horse’s or pony’s teeth are looked after by an equine dentist. The inability to grind food properly will prevent a horse from getting all of the nutrients and energy it needs--especially if energy needs increase during colder weather.

Prevent Snowballs: If snow packs into your horse’s hooves try smearing the bottom with petroleum jelly.

If You Ride Frequently: Drying a horse out after a workout is difficult. Consider clipping a heavy hair coat. A clipped horse, without natural insulation, will require stabling and blanketing to keep warm.

Add Insulation: Consider blanketing during wet, very windy, or frigid weather. A wet coat looses its loft--like a wet down jacket, and won’t hold body heat. Windy weather pulls warmth away. Some horses are comfortable during very cold weather; some will be more comfortable in a warm winter blanket.

Provide Shelter: Even if your horses are stabled over night, provide them with a windbreak or shelter especially if you are away most of the day.

Banish Bots: Plan to deworm after the first heavy frost. Use a wormer that includes medication to kill bot larvae.

Continue Deworming: Continue a regular deworming program throughout the winter months.

Don't Let Hooves Get Overgrown: Keep you horse’s hooves clipped. Clipped hooves will chip less, hold less snow, and will provide a bit more grip on slippery ground