And the winner is......

The white ceramic compost bin from Cost Plus.

A real bargain at $14.99

Does't it look so cute on my counter?

It ended up being only 0.75 gallons, rather than the 1 gallon it stated on line.  But that's okay, I like the size. Cost Plus had a 1 gallon stainless steel one, but I thought it was actually too big.

And at $14.99, it paid to shop around a little before rushing out to the mall.
{See all the countertop compost pails I researched HERE.}

I've filled it a number of times already and it hasn't smelled yet!  No fruit flies either.  Fingers CROSSED!

For a VERY brief {non-expert} tutorial on composting, click here for my composting 101 post.

Speaking of composting, I did a little January harvesting and here's what came up:

A TON of baby carrots!

Now, let me explain something: the seeds were NOT baby carrot seeds. 

{Did you know "baby" carrots from the store aren't really babies at all? They are just big guys cut to look that way.}

At any rate, these were not meant to be baby carrots, but that's what you get when you plant 200 seeds in a 2 sq.ft. spot and then allow them to be shaded by an over-growth of broccoli rabe!

Next year I'll do a little better spacing...and have some wonderful compost to add.

But we all enjoyed them no matter their size.

YUMMY!

Composting 101

You know, I saw last week in our local college class offerings a class entitled, "Raising Backyard Chickens"!  Remember my obsession with owning chickens and I said I'll wait until spring 2011 to see if I have the time to keep more beings alive?  For now, the chickens are still on the back burner, I'll keep buying my eggs at the store...and now I'm wondering if they have a class called "Composting 101".  I'm SURE they do!  Especially here in Marin, where it's trendy to be eco-conscious. 

If you know me well at all,  you know that I'm a

 "jump right in" kind of gal. 

I do a little internet research, consider myself an expert and GO FOR IT!

I don't have time to take a class and I'm too impatient to read an entire book. I'm too impatient to wait for much for that matter. 

Which is why I'm jumping right in to start my first compost pile today!

Hey, I even put away the ornaments & lights and dragged the tree out to the curb this morning so I could justify starting a new project this afternoon. 

{Pat pat on my own back.}

I read the website from the manufacturer of my new compost bin...ecomposter.

Under their "composting" tab I learned that a good compost pile needs a balance of "GREEN WASTE" and "BROWN WASTE". 

Good Greens to compost:

Kitchen waste

Fruit and vegetable scraps

Egg shells

Old spices

Coffee grounds and filters

Tea bags

Dinner leftovers

Yard waste

Green leaves

Lawn clippings

Flowers

Good Browns to compost:

Stale bread and cereal

Shredded cardboard and newspaper

Wood chips and sawdust

Dry brown leaves

Straw

Some things to keep out of your compost pile include:

Chemically treated wood products

Pernicious weeds

Morning glory

Bindweed

Sheep sorrel

Ivy

Pine needles (DARN! I have a whole Christmas tree to put in.)

Oak leaves

Diseased plants, leaves and stem, especially if the finished compost will be returning to your vegetable garden.

Since our entire back yard is about to float away, we have not a single dry leaf, grass clipping, or plant.  So I raided the neighbor's recycling bin and we started shredding.  The smaller the pieces, the quicker it breaks down. I'm sure at HUGE compost plants, you can put a whole folded newspaper in there and the tractor will mix it up just fine! But for our backyard bin we'll shred.

I even had Sleeping Beauty over to help me shred and fill the bin, lucky me!

Another reason I needed to get this bin filled and out of the house...both my girls could fit in it together. Now at least once it starts to stink, nobody will be inclined to hop in.

I still haven't made it to Cost Plus to p/u my counter top compost bin (you know what else that means? I haven't been to Trader Joe's either and my cupboards are wiped out!)

Too bad there were only 2 bowls filled...my 3 kids fought over who got to toss them into the pile!

Seriously, I never knew garbage could be so much fun and interesting...and, of course, cause fights.

Yay! Our compost bin is officially under way.  My 6 year old son passed up each opportunity to place items into the bin as he wanted to be sure he could be the "spinner" and turn the bin.  After he turned it a few times for a couple of minutes, they all wanted to open it to see if it had turned into dirt yet! 

 I guess I'll need to teach them a little something about patience.

And just like the Christmas tree, the compost bin has found a new home- outside.  Smile.  In 4-6 weeks we should have dark, rich soil to start off this year's garden. I'll keep you posted.

Are you composting yet?

Counter Top Compost Pails

Well, folks, it's official...my newest undertaking is going to be composting!

{After all, one of my blog themes is green living, so this is a good
GREEN New Year's Resolution!}

I received an outdoor compost bin for Christmas {mmm-wa to those who know me well} and am now learning everything it takes to put it to use
(remember my fall garden?)...well this year's spring/summer garden promises not to disappoint with all the great soil I'm about to have.

My 6 year old son calls it the "Death Star".

All I know is that I'd better get it out from under the tree before one of my kids plays hide-n-seek in there, or the dog uses it to hide from the abominable dishwasher.

The first thing I need is a cute counter top compost bin for the kitchen. 
I don't think this bowl is a long term option- we can't afford to have even one bowl out of the rotation.

So...I've started my on line shopping/research for counter top compost bins.  Things to look for include:

Cute factor {Duh!}

Odor-free {is it possible?}

Fruit fly-free {ditto?}

Size {capacity and real estate it will need on the kitchen counter}

Price {don't cha wish that wasn't a factor?}

Ok, so I have limited counter space in my kitchen, not sure if I wanna use up a valuable 10 sq. in. with a garbage can or just try to shove it  fit it in neatly under my sink. But there are SO many cute ones that it could work out just fine to put it on the counter...and who knows, maybe I can buy several for the different seasons...I wonder if there's one with St. Nick's mug on the front? 

Look at these, they definitely fit the cuteness criteria, don't cha think?

"grow" and "simplify"

They are from Uncommon Goods...and they are A-DOR-A-BLE! 
But with a price tag of $60 {ouch}, they aren't really meeting the "price" criteria.  Makes this $32 one from Williams Sonoma look cheap- and that's hard to do at Williams Sonoma!

And the Williams Sonoma one is a tad bigger with 1 gal capacity vs. the approx. 2/3 gal for the Uncommon Goods Cutiepie...that means less trips out to the big bin-
I'm just tryin' to go greener, not exercise too!

Plain white ceramic, as classic as it gets, huh?  It would look great in my black/white kitchen.  I probably can't go wrong with it.  It even comes with an in-lid charcoal filter that absorbs odors (or so they claim).  Filters should be replaced every 4-6 months and cost around $4 a piece.

Or how about Crate and Barrel's version?  $39.95

The Stainless Steel design would also go well in my kitchen.  It holds 1 gallon, like the Williams Sonoma model. 

Now, take a look at this one, also from Crate and Barrel, but it holds a whopping 1.5 gallons of peels, pits and shells. 

You know what that means?...less trips outside to the big bin! 

He's cute, huh, all short and stumpy.

But you know what I'm thinking? 

Less trips to the outside bin = longer time inside sitting on the counter = STINKY BIN & FRUIT FLIES

Ok, moving right along. There's the bamboo route...I'm not a huge fan; plus, it's hand-wash only. Umm, I'll pass!

Find it and it's round sister at Amazon.com.

Sur La Table has two stainless models, and both use 2 filters, humm, does that mean less stink or just more to buy?  Their 1 gallon bucket:

And they also make a 1.5 gallon, which looks to have the same footprint, just a tad taller.  Well well, could be a winner, on sale from $50 to $29.96

Hate to say it, but it's just not quite as cute as the other stainless ones I've seen. Ok, it's out.

Sur La Table also has a white ceramic number on sale right now for just $19.96 (marked down from $40!)  With it's 1 gallon capacity and charcoal filter, it's comparable to the rest.  I think this just might be the one.

I think I need to pop into Sur La Table this weekend.  :-) 
Guess that means I have to go to the mall, sorry kids!

Ooooooooooo, now hold the phone,
look at this little puppy from Cost Plus....$14.99 and includes a charcoal filter.  1 gal capacity.

And their stainless model at $29.99. 

I think I'll hop on over to Cost Plus this afternoon (conveniently located next door to Trader Joe's) to check them out.
Oh snap, I just remembered today is a holiday, are they even open?

Yep, 'til 7:00pm

Alright folks, my money is on the Cost Plus models...leaning towards the white one. 

 Let's see if they meet the criteria:

Cute?  Check {not adorable, but attractive, classic and match my kitchen}

Odor-free? Chhh-e-e-e-ckkk {I'm not sold on any of them being odor-free, but with the 1 gal capacity I will try to hope to take it out before it gets too stinky}

Fruit fly-free? {Ditto-see above}

Size? Check {1 gallon capacity should last 2 days and doesn't take up too much real estate on the counter}

Price? CHECK! {$15 or $29.99...if they don't end up working out, at least I didn't break the bank}

And the bonus, I have my handy dandy Cost Plus World Market $10 off $30 purchase coupon {sign up here to get yours}...so I can pick up some extra filters and maybe some compost bag liners (=less washing of the pail) and save even more moooo-la.

Just keep me away from THIS!

ON SALE at Cost Plus for $199, how can I resist?

I will resist
I will resist
I will resist
I will resist
I will resist
I will resist
I will resist
I will resist
I will resist
I will resist



Ok, seriously, who knew one could spend hours shopping for a garbage can cute little compost bin?

Do you compost? Do you have one of these cute little scrap cans?
Any tips for a composting novice?

Do you have any GREEN resolutions for 2011?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!