Food as a Weapon

Did you know that 9 companies control most of what we put in and on our bodies in the US?  It's kind of frightening when you think about it.

Check out the corporate food tree.

Really.  All of those brands go back to those few companies.  That much control over such a huge part of our lives is unnerving.

For this badge it's simple.  Take the control back.

1)  Stop buying off the corporate food tree

2)  Buy whole, unprocessed foods.  Make your own household cleaners.  Make your own skin care.

3)  When you can't buy from small, family owned, preferably local sources and from locally owned stores.

Certified Organic

The Organic on a Budget badge over at the Farmgirl Sisterhood is kind of a joke.  It's more about pushing her baking mix than anything else.  Nothing about learning about the different kinds of organic certification.  Nothing about the different kinds of organic products.  Nothing about joining a CSA or supporting your local Co-op.  And sneakily trying to get your neighbors organic?  Puh-lease.

So for this one:

1)  Learn about the different kinds of organic certification and the different certifying bodies.  What is the difference between between "100% organic" and "Organic"?  In the US what does it take to get the USDA Organic seal?  The CCOF seal?  The Oregon Tillth seal?  Is there an organic certification organization in your state?

2)  What is the difference between organic, cage-free and free range eggs?  The difference between organic, free-range and grass-fed dairy?  Or meat?  What about 4H or FFA meat, is it available in your area and how does it compare?   Is it possible to get organic meat and dairy in your area?

3)  Learn about organic skin care and health care.  Your skin is the largest organ in your body, through it you can absorb a massive amount of chemicals.  Can you go organic there?

4)  Join a local co-op or CSA to support local organic farming

5)  Go at least 80% organic in your home.

Managing a crisis

Keeping calm in a Crisis

This is the one you earn when they screwed up your husband's paycheck, he's home with a broken foot, your car is dead, it's pouring rain, all the windows are leaking, the landlords are around and you have some big medical stuff coming up.  If you can get through all that and keep everyone fed and clothed and calm on half your usual budget and not fall apart then you get this badge.

Meal Planning

So the Farmgirl Sisterhood entries on Knowing Your Food, Recipes, and Organic on a Budget aren't the best.  Knowing your food, eating local, and going organic/unprocessed is great, but there's no need to be a busybody to other people about it.  Compiling your family recipes is a sweet idea...if you have a family. And Organic on a Budget is more about shilling her baking mix than anything.  

Let's see if we can keep this simple and efficient.  According to legend Ethel Kennedy had a three week rotating meal plan.  Let's keep the idea and do her one better.:

Requirements:

1 - Compile a notebook with 24 recipes for dinner type meals (we have salad every day for lunch & my husband is only home for dinner 4 nights a week) 

- Make at least 75% of them Paleo/Primal (No grains/beans/processed carbs)

- Make at least 25% of them with at least six servings

2 - Using this notebook plan 6 weeks of menus

3 - Using the plan create six weeks of grocery lists.

4 - Rotate through the plan twice, for a total of twelve weeks

I'm not the only weird one out there

From the NY Times:  Lifelong (badge) earning

First ten merit badges for preparedness minded adults.  (I like this list)

Mary Yeager's Merit Badges for Women
- Her Merit Badges for Summer
- And a bit more

Hard Science Badges

Merit badges for Nerds

Evenweave work

What's the difference between evenweave work and surface embroidery?  One requires an even grid, one can go anywhere.  The Farmgirl Sisterhood entry isn't bad, but we can go better.

Requirements:


1)  Complete a sampler using every stitch listed in the Victoria Sampler stitch library.  These include evenweave stitches, hardanger, and pulled threadwork.  (For the silk ribbon work see the Embroidery entry.)


2)  Complete the Beyond Cross-stitch series, levels four, five and six.


3)  Complete one large sampler from that site.

Quilting

Finally, one from the Farmgirl Sisterhood has some merit.  Their quilting entry has some depth going there.

I'm going to eliminate the education requirement since most of my friends here already know how to quilt, and the ones who don't live on the other side of the country.

Requirements:


1) Complete one baby quilt, using a simple pattern and tying it together.  There is a minimum of a three hour time commitment.


2)  Complete a larger wall hanging or table square, using a different technique from the one used above and hand-quilting.  There is a minimum of a twenty hour commitment.


3)  Complete a full-sized or larger quilt, using a different technique again, and have it machine quilted.  There is a minimum of a fifty hour commitment.


4)  Enter them all into the county fair.