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Editor's note: The Fifth Annual National Food Day will be observed Saturday as a celebration of healthy, affordable and sustainable food. In observance of this day, the Tehama County Community Food Alliance is contributing five arti- cles by local writers to pro- mote nutrition in our com- munity. Today's article was prepared by Jean King of King Elliott Gardens who says "growing your own food is like growing your own money." Living and raw foods are foods that contain en- zymes that assist in the di- gestion of foods and known to be the "life-force" or "en- ergy" of food. Living and raw foods also have enor- mously higher nutrient val- ues than the foods that have been cooked and in living foods, the enzyme content is much higher. Although living produce is necessary for optimal health it can be quite ex- pensive to purchase from the store or market each week. Growing your own fruits and vegetables is the best way to ensure a regular supply and when you grow your produce from kitchen scraps it is also the most economical since there is no cost to you. Since so many fruits and vegetables can be re-grown you can save at least $100 a month by planting kitchen scraps on your kitchen win- dow sill or in a greenhouse. Root vegetables like car- rots, beets, parsnips, and turnips as well as lettuce, celery & onions can be re- grown from those ends you would normally cut off & throw away. Put the left- over ends in a bowl with about an inch of water and over the course of about four days, mist these with water. Once roots start to grow, take these and plant them in rich soil. If grow- ing space is limited you can place low-cost contain- ers like buckets or plastic bottle bases above one an- other and garden vertically. Be sure to drill drain holes and place gravel in the bot- tom before adding soil and plants. You can also stretch your food budget by saving seeds for replanting next year, such as sunflowers, tomatoes, peppers, pump- kins, peas and beans. Al- most any non-genetically modified plant with seeds can be dried and stored for planting in next year's gar- den. Cooking with bean sprouts gives your dishes a bit of extra flavor and a burst of nutrients. Take about one tablespoon of beans and put them in a bowl, add a little water and allow these to sit overnight and then rinse them. Keep doing this until new growth occurs and then just allow them to grow as big as you want. Microgreens offer an- other opportunity to gar- nish and enrich your food at very low cost. These are a variety of edible imma- ture greens harvested with scissors between 10 and 14 days after germination, when the plants are about 2 inches tall. In general, mi- crogreens contain consider- ably higher concentrations of vitamins and carotenoids than their mature plant counterparts. The stem, cotyledons and first set of true leaves are all edible and are often used as fancy garnishes for soups and main courses, salad ingre- dients and sandwich top- pings. You can save money in just a few weeks growing microgreens. If you wonder where to begin, start with a small clean container placed on a sunny windowsill. Mi- crogreens need about four hours daily of direct sun- light to thrive. Plastic take- out dishes and disposable pie plates work well, as do clear fruit or salad boxes. If your chosen container doesn't have built-in drain- age, poke a few drainage holes in the bottom. Then, prepare to plant: 1. Cover the bottom of the container with an inch or two of moistened potting soil or mix. Flatten and level it with your hand or a small piece of cardboard, taking care not to over-compress the soil. 3. Scatter seeds evenly on top of the soil. Press gen- tly into the soil using your hand or the cardboard. 4. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. Dampen the surface with a mister. If you prefer, you can skip this step and instead cover the container with a clear lid or plastic wrap until the seeds are sprouted. 5. While waiting for sprouts to appear, usually within three to seven days, use the mister once or twice daily to keep the soil moist but not wet. 6. Once seeds have sprouted, remove the cover (if you've used one) and con- tinue to mist once or twice a day. Depending upon the type of seeds you've selected, your microgreens will be ready to harvest about two to three weeks after plant- ing. Look for the first set of "true leaves" as a sign of readiness. Then grab your scissors and snip the greens just above the soil line. To serve, wash the micro- greens with water and dry with paper towels or a salad spinner. Harvest the living greens and serve them im- mediately for the freshest flavor, and add to soups, salads, sandwiches or main dishes. Store remaining cut microgreens in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. To learn more about these techniques and other helpful tips please join us at noon this Saturday at the Galactic Garden Cen- ter on Antelope Boulevard in Red Bluff as we cele- brate National Food Day. We are sponsoring a free all ages class with no reg- istration required. Whether you join us or not I hope you find this information help- ful save money by growing your own nutritious food. The Tehama County Community Food Alliance is a community project initiated by Tehama Together to enrich the lives of the residents of Tehama County. Tehama Together is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization located at 332 Pine St. in Red Bluff. Phone 527-2223 to obtain further information about the Community Food Alliance or Tehama Together. FOODDAY Growyourownlow-costfreshfood I'll never forget the time I asked one of my young piano students what he wanted for Christmas. It was a ge- neric ques- tion, a pleas- antry. I wasn't look- ing for make, model and serial number, but that's what I got. He whipped out a 60- page list from his book bag. I gulped, checked to see if this child was seri- ous (he was) and quickly proceeded with his music lesson. Somehow I think that most of us have a bit of that kid in us. We want it all. And every bank and credit card company out there is affirming the no- tion and willing to make it happen. In time, however, we reach the maximum level of satisfaction. And the more we attempt to in- crease that level, the more difficult it becomes to re- tain a sense of fulfillment. More becomes less as our feelings of satisfaction di- minish. By the looks of some of our closets and garages, we've been doing a pretty good job of trying to get it all. But how much of it satisfies? What portion of what we have is actually contributing to the quality of our lives? The secret to living the life you love is the abil- ity to identify the point of maximum fulfillment, the point of "enough." More than enough will not in- crease your happiness; in fact, it begins eating away at your sense of sat- isfaction. It's the money you don't spend that will ultimately allow you to live the life you love with money in the bank, bills paid, no debts, a paid- for home and a healthy retirement plan. All of those things contribute to feelings of peace and security. There is no doubt that money plays a major role in the determining the quality of our lives. Still, we have seen that once our basic needs are met, more money will not necessarily bring more happiness. It's not how much money you have, but what you do with it and the decisions you make about where it will go that can lead you to do extraordinary things with an ordinary income. Get in touch with your internal satisfaction "me- ter." Doing this will be very revealing. Rate your possessions. How much satisfaction do they give you? If you consider every- thing in your life, rating its level of satisfaction will teach you a lot about your- self and your current sit- uation. I am so excited to let you know that my new- est book has just been re- leased. I'm asking you to get a copy of "Live Your Life for Half the Price" (available at www.every- daycheapskate.com) as soon as possible. This book has the right infor- mation, motivation and encouragement to help you shift your energy from treading financial water to achieving financial free- dom. It's specific, too, with tricks, tips and unique strategies to cut costs in every spending category. For 24 years I've been helping people get out of debt so they can stop spending all that they earn. Thousands of suc- cess stories can be directly connected to personal de- cisions to live on less — to stop spending everything they make. I would love to one day tell your story! Living your life for half the price does not mean giving up what really mat- ters. Spending less than you earn is the way to have and do those things that will let you live the life you love. I hope you will grab this opportunity to finally stop living beyond your means — regardless of your income level or cur- rent financial situation. Get the book now, while it's available for half price (it's a promotional offer and probably won't last long). You're about to discover that you can do more with what you have — more than you dream possible. Ready to take the chal- lenge? I can't wait to get started. Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE How to live the life you love on your current income The 11th annual Cir- cle of Champions Awards event honored five indi- viduals and organizations who have made a differ- ence in the lives of the de- velopmentally disabled in Tehama County. The event was staged by the Tehama County Coordinating Council for Developmental Disabili- ties to honor those who make Tehama County a better place for the hand- icapped. More than 100 people attended the event which was held at the Red Bluff Elks Lodge on Oct. 13. Those in attendance were the developmentally dis- abled, family members, friends and professionals who work with them. Honored at the dinner were Barbara Tippetts, who is an outstanding care provider; Jody John- son, who volunteers time to organize local Special Olympics events and Ja- net Garrett, who coordi- nates transportation ser- vices for North Valley Ser- vices. Also honored was the Red Bluff Fire depart- ment, represented by Chief Ray Barber, and consumer Jarod Anderson. Each recipient received a plaque from Chair- woman Judy Ferrrell. The plaque said that the recip- ient "has made a differ- ence for people with dis- abilities." The program for the evening was provided by the Tehama Country Vis- itor Center. Staff members Terri Bauer and Donella Worthington showed a video about the operation of the center. Anderson shared his pride in work- ing at the center. In attendance were prior Circle of Champions honorees Carmen Enerson Walker, 2005; Anne Read, 2007; Verdine Mertens, 2010; Julie Lyford and Dale Garrett, 2011; Judy Fer- rell, Paulette Minges and Sherry Drake, 2013 and Laurie Schlottman and Di- ane Crisel, 2014. Coordinating council honors person who makes a difference COURTESYPHOTO Circle of Champion honorees show off the awards they received for their outstanding work with the developmentally disabled. Pictured, from le , are Jody Johnson, Jarod Anderson, Janet Garrett, Barbara Tippetts and Ray Barber. HONOREES The Catherine McAu- ley Circle, a women's do- nor group at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, re- cently voted to fund a new non-invasive heart moni- tor to help heart patients. This technology, called an ultrasound cardiac out- put monitor or USCOM Monitor,usesultrasoundto assist physicians in quickly and accurately assessing a patient's condition and de- termining if the patient is experiencing a cardiac or vascular abnormality. It canbeveryhelpfulwithpa- tientswhoexperienceheart failure or sepsis. The circle meets over lunch three times a year, contributes $1,000 each as a membership dona- tion, and selects a project at the hospital to support with their combined dona- tions. Over the past three years, the group has do- nated $70,700 to fund the hospital's courtyard reno- vation, a bladder scanner, a LifePak15 monitor for the ambulances, and a gli- descope for the Emergency Department. At the October lun- cheon, Catherine McAu- ley Circle members learned about three projects the hospital needs. The other projects included a new Isolette for newborns and a major upgrade to the OB courtyard and garden. "We thank all the mem- bers of the Catherine McAuley Circle for their contribution to the hos- pital," said Kristen Gray, development officer at SECH for Mercy Founda- tion North. "This won- derful group of women truly makes a difference to our community and to the helping SECH offer the best health care possible in this area. The new USCOM Monitor will really help our patients." Catherine McAuley was an orphan who by happen- stance became an heiress in 1824 and used her in- heritance to help the poor, sick and uneducated in Ireland. She established the Sisters of Mercy, who eventually created St. Eliz- abeth's Community Hospi- tal in Red Bluff in 1907 and assumed responsibility of Mercy Medical Center Redding in the late 1940s. The Sisters also took on Mercy Mt. Shasta. Circle members are business people, individ- uals and employees. Each cycle of giving starts at a luncheon in June. Women interested in joining the circle may call Gray at 529- 8016 or write to Kristen. Gray@dignityhealth.org. HEALTH Wo men 's g ro up f un ds new non-invasive heart mo ni to r fo r ho sp it al Mary Hunt PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. Thankyou! STOVEJUNCTION The TheNorthState'spremiersupplierofstoves 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Over 25 years of experience Tues-Sat9am-5pm• ClosedSun&Mon Now Carrying! GreenMountainGrills & Accessories Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties Open7Daysaweek:4amto10pm (530) 727-6057 •DozenDonuts (mixed) $8.99 "The best donut in town!" Baked Fresh Daily SeniorDiscount BreakfastCroissantSandwich Sausage, Ham or Bacon Includes sm. coffee, or any other drink $ 4.99 218 S. Main Street, Red Bluff Smog Check (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) 527-9841 • 195 S. 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