by Wonder Worman | Oct 28, 2010 | Red Wiggler World
Have you ever wondered what the “p” and the “H” in pH stand for? Well, I’ll give ya a little science lesson, rather a brief science lesson. The “p” represents potential, and the “H”is for Hydrogen. Basically, in Wonder Worman terms it is a scale used to determine the amount of Hydrogen ions in the substance you are testing. The lower the Hydrogen ions… the substance is more acidic and the higher the Hydrogen ions… the substance is more basic. The ph scale ranges from 0-14. The lower the number = more acidic the higher the number = more basic. If you come up with lucky 7, you have a balanced amount of hydrogens. The substance you are testing is neutral which, by the way, is the ideal environment for Red Wigglers.
I am sure a lot of you remember using the ph strips in Science class! They would turn a really cool shade of blue or red, and then you would check the scale on the canister. Oooh, I loved doing that stuff, and I still do. Instead, I am now using this digital meter called “rapitest” the name reminds me of a home pregnancy test and the probe reminds me of a thermometer among other things, but I won’t go there.
Over the weekend, I tested the pH of one of the bins. I like the fact that I don’t have to compare colors, and I am given a number because lately I have been second, maybe third or even fourth guessing every decision I am making. Looking at “shades” of colors would have be wondering, “Is it a true red? or Is it pink?” My head would be going round and round and round and round.
So here’s what you do….
1) Turn the meter on! See the pretty turquoise button or is it green, or aqua? lol….. It always defaults to 7.0.
2) Put the meter in whatever you are testing and twist it around
3) After about 5 -10 seconds, it should flash and register the reading.
Basically, it’s really simple to operate!
These are Wonder Worman directions. It comes with more elaborate ones.
Well after testing, the bin registered a pH of 6.5! Pretty good. I am going to keep on feeding ’em what I’ve kept on feeding ’em!
Happy Wormin’! Just in case you want to check your pH, click on the handy link below or check your local garden store!
by Wonder Worman | Oct 21, 2010 | Red Wiggler World, Worman Cooks
Holy Moly! I chowed this delicious acorn squash in, uh…., under a minute. More like 20 seconds, seriously. I had this amazingly tasty veggie all to myself. The kids were at school, and my hubby is on a mini vacay! Glad they weren’t here to witness my slurping and totally awful manners!
This super veggie is loaded with bazillion amounts of Vitamin A which is super awesome for your skin. Today, I cooked it in the oven at 400 with about a cup of water in the dish. After 30 min, it was soft and ready to be inhaled. Before the feast, I doused it with 2 teaspoons of brown sugar. In the past, I have added butter and some maple syrup. Today, I skipped out on that stuff. It would have taken too much time to get all that out, and I was starving.
So now these scraps will be on their way to the wiggler bins. Just giving them a tidbit, a little teaser because in the next few weeks, they will be enjoying huge amounts of pumpkins and gords!
by Wonder Worman | Oct 18, 2010 | Red Wiggler World
I just bought this ph meter from Bend in Bloom, one of Bend’s garden supply shops.
I am really excited to test the ph of the compost and castings in the Red Wiggler bin!
More later!!!
by Wonder Worman | Oct 12, 2010 | Red Wiggler World, Worman Cooks
Last night, Carlos and the kids made artichokes stuffed with Italian bread, garlic, parm cheese, parsley, oregano and some vegetable oil. We devoured the delicious goodness! Can’t you tell by the picture!
As I was pigging out, I couldn’t wait to share my scraps with the Red Wigglers. My buddy Kristi makes these often because her sweet daughter LOVES them. I find them often in the Neighborhood Community Bin for the Red Wigglers.
The Red Wigglers love them, and I wrote about them in April of 2009 after my first time feeding them. The post was short and sweet, but this is what it said…
Hey, guess what??? Worms love artichokes! Rotten ones and eaten artichoke skins (I think that’s what they are).
They were all over them this afternoon! Yipee! cause I love them toooooo!
I fed a few of the wigglers last night and will make my way out to the larger bins this afternoon. I’ll sprinkle a layer on top and give them a yummy treat. So next time you have some artichokes, feed the scraps to the wigglers. I didn’t rinse mine to remove any of the stuffing, not there was a lot left after I got through with them.
What I’m trying to say is…Don’t worry if there are remnants of stuffing. Go ahead and feed them to the Red Wigglers. A little bit won’t hurt them. Everything in moderation!
by Wonder Worman | Oct 11, 2010 | Sidetracks
Hey Everyone!!! Meet Bob and Lucy.
Bob is on the left! Lucy is on the right, and my hubby, Carlos, is holding the two!
We just adopted Bob from the pound in Madras on Saturday and bought Lucy from a breeder when she was a pup. She’s 4 now. We think they are about the same age.
I usually brag about my Red Wigglers being the best sidekicks out there, consuming and transforming usable waste into rich, organic compost. Today’s a day to write about Bassets. Basset Hounds are really mellow, loving dogs which make really cute and cuddly sidekicks! I’ve written about wanting to hug a wiggler and thank them for all that they do for our planet. I know that’s gross and not possible. It’s actually rather weird….but hey so am I!
Soooo, I am going to hug my Bassets along with my family and thank them for all that they do for me! I look at these two cuddly, sweet dogs and smile! How could you not??!!!
Here are some books about Bassets! Claude the Dog is a sweet, sweet book about a Basset at Christmas! This was my first intro to Basset Hounds, and I have loved them ever since! I have not read The Hound from the Pound but seeing it reminded me of Bob since we rescued him from the pound! I am sure you can find these at your local bookstore or library, but if you can’t click below!
Have you ever wondered what the “p” and the “H” in pH stand for? Well, I’ll give ya a little science lesson, rather a brief science lesson. The “p” represents potential, and the “H”is for Hydrogen. Basically, in Wonder Worman terms it is a scale used to determine the amount of Hydrogen ions in the substance you are testing. The lower the Hydrogen ions… the substance is more acidic and the higher the Hydrogen ions… the substance is more basic. The ph scale ranges from 0-14. The lower the number = more acidic the higher the number = more basic. If you come up with lucky 7, you have a balanced amount of hydrogens. The substance you are testing is neutral which, by the way, is the ideal environment for Red Wigglers.
Over the weekend, I tested the pH of one of the bins. I like the fact that I don’t have to compare colors, and I am given a number because lately I have been second, maybe third or even fourth guessing every decision I am making. Looking at “shades” of colors would have be wondering, “Is it a true red? or Is it pink?” My head would be going round and round and round and round. 
