Welcome to The New Homemaker!

Diary of a New Homemaker
for Friday, February 5, 2010

What's on the needles?

So glad you asked! I've taken up my crafting again in earnest after a couple of years of lackluster inspiration.

Newest Article

Boxed Wine: A Green Option for the Holidays

There are no bottles in these boxes of wine -- just wine and the plastic pouch that holds it. It's a great "green" option for holiday parties. Boxing instead of bottling wine saves half the shipping weight (and associated carbon emissions) and keeps the product fresher longer. Photo: BotaBox.

ear EarthTalk: Apparently boxed wine (instead of bottled) is becoming all the rage for environmental reasons. What are the eco-benefits of boxed wine over bottled?
--Justin J., Los Angeles, CA

With more and more wineries offering organic varieties to lower their eco-footprint, it’s no surprise that they’re looking at the environmental impacts of their packaging as well. The making of conventional glass bottles (and the corks that cap them) uses significant quantities of natural resources and generates considerable pollution. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the process of manufacturing glass not only contributes its share of greenhouse gas emissions but also generates nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and tiny particulates that can damage lung tissue when breathed in.

A Seasonal Taste:

Pointsettia Pointers

ou may have gone out and bought a poinsettia plant or two to decorate with for the holiday season. But now that the holiday is over, what can you do with it? Throwing it away seems so profligate, somehow, but how to keep it around?

Fortunately, it's relatively easy and quite rewarding. It also might make a neat science project for an older child. Plus, you can save tens of dollars every year, and have the satisfaction of saying, "Oh, no, that's the same plant again, sure." Friends and family will think you're a gardening genius.

A Taste of the Family Section:

Herbal Vinegars

f you are like me and your children are like most other children, it will be December 20 before you can blink an eye and then there will be a mad rush for Christmas gifts. Herb-infused vinegars are something you can make right now. There is even an imperative if you live above the Mason Dixon line--beat the first frost. You'll have a stock of homemade gifts ready for the December holidays or as a take-along gift if you're invited to someone else's house for Thanksgiving.

Beth S. wrote, "It was a quick and easy activity and we enjoyed the creative aspects of choosing and labeling the bottles best." She added that her daughter Elissa (11) "thought she could give these to her teachers or to family members who like to cook and experiment with foods. I've got a couple of friends in mind, too."