Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

We are down to the wire now and your last few days of Christmas shopping are slowly going away. But you still have a list and of course they are the hardest people to buy for.

Here is a few suggestions for those hard to buy for people left on your list.

• Dinner and a movie (great for a single person, or friend you want to treat)
• Coupons for kids - 1 hour of game time with mom, get out of chores free etc...
• Bake a batch of someones favorite cookie and deliver it with a bow
• Donate to their charity in their honor
• Offer free babysitting cards - perfect for the new parents
• Host a game night complete with lots of goodies to eat and drink
• Give a gift to a favorite magazine
• Enroll and pay for a one year membership to the local farm co-op

If you get creative, you will find lots of gift ideas just around the corner. Gifts do not have to be big, expensive off the shelf items. We all have too much of that laying around our houses anyhow. Put a little thought into it and you'll be amazed at the response. Maybe you will even start a new tradition.

Green Ideas for Christmas

Going Green With Your Christmas Tree

What is that you say? Christmas Trees are green? Sure they are in color. But what is the best way to be "green" with your Christmas Tree? Some believe that having a fake Christmas tree is the greenest way to go. After all, you can reuse it year after year. These trees may be green for awhile and you may enjoy the easy clean up and freedom from watering, but after a few years these pvc green wanna-Be's end up in the landfill anyhow.

Well that is one strike already for those!

Let's look at fresh Christmas trees. From a lot, or from your local forest, some people can not stand the idea of cutting down a living tree. Let alone removing it from the forest. Truth is there are a few green ways to make this living tree a better choice. After the holidays, you can mulch the tree and place it around your garden beds. You could also cut up the wood and let it dry for summer camp outs. Trim the branches and use for slippery winter walkways or donate your tree to the local boy scout chapter and they will recycle it for you.
You get to enjoy a tree in your home for a few weeks, and you save maybe a larger tree from being cut down for the purpose of wood chips.

It's maybe not a strike, but still it's not the best option.

So what is the number one way to keep your Christmas Holiday Tree green?

Go to the local nursery and purchase a beautiful fir tree or whatever tree you would like to decorate. Sure it costs more, but many of us around the country pay just as much for a tree off a lot at Christmas time.
Take your living green Christmas tree home, and keep it indoors for a few weeks. Decorate it, enjoy it, water it! When Christmas is over take your living green tree outside and prepare it for planting in your back yard. Instant landscaping, and a beautiful tree that will grow and bring you many memories of Christmases past. Imagine the yard you will have in just 10 years. If you don't like the thought of spending your New Years Holiday digging a hole, donate this living tree to your local parks and recreation department. They will plant it and you will be bringing a beautiful tree to your town.

It really is the greenest way to celebrate this year.

Things to do with Coffee Grounds

Do you have too many coffee grounds? Want to get a free used coffee grounds from Starbucks but not sure what to do with them. Well, here we have a few cool and fun ideas that will stretch those precious coffee grounds and help you around the house too.

• Sprinkle around house plants
• Use coffee grounds like you would ant deterrent. Throw coffee grounds around the foundation of your home and keep ants from getting in. It is said ants won't cross them. Well....we still don't have ants.
• Mix coffee grounds with your favorite body wash to add a micro abrasion therapy for your skin.
• Place coffee grounds in all your garden beds to keep cats from using it as their personal liter box.
• Bathe your dog with coffee grounds and water. It is said to repel fleas.
• Add a bowl of used coffee grounds to your freezer or fridge. It will help absorb odors.
  
• Place used coffee grounds in cotton bags and keep in closets to absorb odors.
• It's always nice to keep some coffee grounds in the kitchen. Run through the garbage disposal or use on your hands after cutting onions.
• Coffee is a great hair rinse too!
  

The Toddy

I'm in love with my new coffee maker. It's a cold brew Toddy. I found mine on craigslist, so it was a bonus score.

If you haven't heard of the Toddy, it is a cold brew coffee system. You soak a pound of coffee in about a gallon of cold water for up to 12 hours. Filter through it's reusable filter pad, and you have a gallon of coffee concentrate. Just 2 ounces of coffee concentrate to 6 ounces of boiling water and you have a perfect cup.

Oh but there is more to this fabulous coffee. It is less acidic for those you have trouble with regular coffee. Because it uses a cold process no hot water touches the actual grounds releasing the bitter oils. Full flavor with out the oils.

According to the directions, you use the coffee once, and throw the grounds away. However, I found that my grounds were still full of flavor, so I drained it, and poured in another gallon of cold water and let sit for 12 more hours. Yup, just as good as the first batch.

Another sweet fact, instead of throwing those coffee grounds away, mix them into your composter, add a couple tablespoons to your house plants, or mix it in a couple of gallons of water and water those outside plants and gardens. There are Fabulous results being reported all over on this wonderful natural fertilizer.

Fall Clean Up

Ah, the beauty of fall. The leaves turn orange and yellow and red. The holiday season is just around the corner and do you hear it.....the neighborhood is quiet. Yes, we love fall around here. Here where I live, the leaves are on the tree for less then a week after they start changing. We go from summer to winter in no time. The simple beauty of fall gives way quickly to the clean up of fall.
Raking, piling, raking some more, sweeping and doing it again tomorrow since the neighbors leaves blew into your yard.

I learned this year that instead of raking up and bagging all those leaves, we could just run the lawn mower over them on the mulch setting. This seems like an easy way to feed our lawn and save labor. If you have too many leaves to leave on the ground, rake a few and place them on top of your garden beds. Give a little turn and you will have beautiful soil in the spring.

The key to leaving the leaves on the grass for the winter is if you can still see grass blades you are fine. So, mulch away.

Green Ideas - Soda Bottle Solar Lights

What a great inventive idea. Why this was invented for 3rd world countries, I bet we could find wonderful green uses in our own homes. A great recycled use for those bottles.

Go Green - Plant a Tree

Plant a tree or two around the southern exposure of your house and you will eventually appreciate the few degrees of coolness the shade provides. Not only will you have more shade around your house but you can run your air conditioner up to 40% less due to the shade the trees provide.

Having trees around your home also helps keep your yard cooler by counter acting the island effect that can happen in urban neighborhoods.

Another great benefit is all the wonderful oxygen hanging around your house because of those trees. Tress take our carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. What a great deal for us!

Go Green - Share a ride

A wonderful way to save on gas, wear and tear on your vehicle and emissions is by sharing a ride with a fellow co-worker or neighbor.

This information site at Marc.org can help you see just how much money and emissions you can save by changing a few habits.

A great Emissions Calculator Here!

Shoe Polish - Organic Style

It's true the banana might be one of the more versatile fruits. Eaten plain, mixed with yogurt, in your cereal or atop your ice cream sundae you will find bananas have so many uses. We have told you before about the bananas amazing ability to clean house hold plants on this blog before. Here. But did you know it works as a fabulous shoe polish too. The potassium in this yellow fruit rivals the potassium found in commercial shoe polishes.
To polish your shoes, first make yourself a banana smoothie. Don't throw away the peel. Then, while you're enjoying that smoothie, take the peel white side up and polish your shoes just like you would with a commercial polish. When you have covered your shoe with this glorious organic compound, take a soft rag and buff.
Easy as...well....banana pie. Enjoy!

Go Green - Fix Water Leaks

It doesn't take much to usually fix a leaky faucet. Not much money and not too much time. Usually a leaky faucet has to do with a failed washer. They are quite easy to fix. Here is a video showing you step by step how to fix a leaky faucet.



Not sure how much water your actually wasting? I found this great website that will tell you just how much water your wasting per day, per year and so on. It will take you less then 60 seconds to get the information needed to show you how much water you could be saving if you fixed those leaky faucets. Head on over to Water Science for Schools and see just how much water you could save.

Go Green Today

Buy Local Produce and Reuse Bags

Spending your dollars at your local farmers market or road side stand not only gives you more for your money, it saves on emissions from delivery trucks and keeps your money going right back to produce more local fruit and veggies. 

Since we started buying local and tasting the difference we make the extra effort to keep our dollars local.

Green Ideas for Back to School

It's getting close to that time of year again. The kids are nervous the parents excited. Back to school comes quickly especially when your having fun. We want to teach our kids to be kind to our environment and back to school is a perfect time to practice what your preach.

When looking for clothing there are two options. You can head to your second hand store and purchase clothing at deeply discounted prices, therefore reusing items already made. It's about as green as you can get with clothing. The other green option is to look for clothing that is made from 100% organic cotton. Cotton is a renewable resource and organic means it's been treated with as much care as possible to the environment.

Don't like using second clothing? Or maybe your child is dead set against it? Add a little trim and lace to the jeans or ribbons to the shirts. Get your child to help you and they will love wearing the new creation.

When it comes to school supplies, choose the recycled versions over the new ones. Refillable pens over throw away ones and crayons over markers.

Make a list and check it twice. Don't buy duplicates of things that will work perfectly fine. Have fun and get creative. Then come back and tell us how you went green this back to school season! 

Building a Rain Water Collection System

We had the pleasure of exploring a 1910 one room school house that was being re-purposed for small living along with green living. One of the first things I noticed was their rainwater collection system. The owners had put a ridged metal roof on the old schoolhouse and had a gutter system attached to rain water collection barrels. Since this old schoolhouse is on the high desert, rain water is a precious commodity. It was perfect brilliance.
The property had an underground cistern for fresh water, but no other water for the landscape or simple chores. I just fell in love with this little school house not only because of the history but because it fits so well with the tiny house living and green living.




Making a rain water collection system is easy and inexpensive. As you see in the video below it does not take much rain to fill some pretty large containers. Perfect idea for areas like the one room schoolhouse where a thunderstorm might be the only rain for weeks.

Essential Oils for Cleaning

Lately I've been on a cleaning kick. Well, more like making my own cleaning products and then seeing how well they really work kick. I have to say I'm impressed most of the time.

My favorite cleaner this week is used in the kitchen for grease and those finger prints that get all over everything.
You will need :

32oz spray bottle
2 teaspoons of liquid castile soap (or you can melt down a little fels naphtha)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup of lemon juice (dollar store)
4 cups of water
15 drops of CSE (citrus seed extract) found at health food stores
10 drops of essential oil, lime, lemon or orange
2 teaspoons of borax (found in your laundry section)

While at first the cost might seem higher for the first output, after a while you will see how long each of these ingredients lasts. The oils are a little more spendy right away, but will last a very very long time. In my opinion it's worth getting the liquid castile soap too as there are many other uses for it that I am finding and you can save your Fels Naphtha soap for making home made laundry soap, which I also LOVE.

Amazon has a great starter kit of essential oils for around 30.00. It usually comes with the basic oils. Here is my list of essential oils you should start collecting as they are the basis of a good many cleaning products.

Beginner Cleaning Oils
Citronella
Citrus like lime or lemon or orange
Tea Tree
Wintergreen

Not too bad right? I love the final cost of my cleaning products and I know they will not harm me or my family while I'm cleaning. Plus they smell great and are safe of our environment while also being eco savvy..

Controlling Kitchen Pests

Kitchen pests might be one of the most annoying things to try and rid yourself of. Once those little buggers have found their way in its difficult to deter them. Add your children to the mix and your options just dropped down to a few.
We have had ant problems and moth problems in the recent months and both were more then annoying. We thought a few moths had gotten into the house from letting the dog in and out but soon they were everywhere. We did our best to kill everyone we saw but within weeks they just multiplied. Then we had ants coming in. The first place I went was my pantry. While the ants were not in the pantry I did find the moths. Oh the moths! They were in everything. We had to throw out at least $100 worth of food, anything that was open or clipped shut had moths in it. Everything but canned food was thrown out. It was a hot mess.
We scrubbed, we bombed, we sprinkled cinnamon and cloves and slowly we gained back control of our pantry.

Since then I have learned the power of peppermint and citronella essential oils. These wonder oils, or so I call them drive the pests away and are safe to use in your houseful of children and pets. They smell wonderful to us, but ants, centipedes, earwigs, silverfish, moths and mice hate it!. That just makes me love it even more. These two oils are very inexpensive and just a few drops applied once a month around your kitchen, pantry or where ever the little buggers are hanging out will deter them from coming back.
Quick, easy and safe way to get those kitchen pests packing.

Safe Rinse Aid in Your Dishwasher

Ever wonder why you need a rinse aid in your dishwasher? How come mother never had to use a rinse aid? Well, it really is just a time saver. It chemically reduces the surface tension of the water, allowing it to run off the dishes while it is in drying mode. This then reduces water spots. Here are two important things to know.

1. You can wipe off water spots easily therefore eliminating the need for a rinse aid.
2. Go ahead and fill that cup up with water after it's "Clean". Guess what, it bubbles up doesn't it. ICK! Those chemicals are still on the cup. Does your glass of water ever taste funny? Yup, chemical residue.

So, if you just have to have a rinse aid, plain white vinegar will help. But if the water spots really bother you, just give the glasses a quick wipe with a clean cotton towel and save your health and the environment.

344 Square Feet 24 Rooms

Green Buildings Hazardous to Health?

Late last night I was reading the fox news website from my pandigital while trying to fall asleep. I came across this headline and thought how in the world can green buildings be hazardous to your health. Interestingly enough it's only concern is that houses are being built so "energy efficient" that the air inside the home might become toxic.

This is more about homes in general I think vs. "green houses".
Houses today are being built tight so that the cost of heating and cooling costs less. Have you ever heard your mom say, "shut the door, we are not trying to heat the whole neighborhood?" However, now that our houses are so air tight and our workplaces are air tight, we do have concerns about the inside air pollution. No, we are not talking about the air pollution put out by our boys after they have eaten beans. We are talking about air conditioning units that might harbor mold spores, or heating units that blow dust, mites and germs around. With air tight homes, we do not get that fresh air exchange.
My suggestion, open the windows as often as you can and enjoy the fresh "green" and free air that blows through your house. Fresh air is not only good for your house, it's good for you too. That and it doesn't hurt to keep those filters cleaned and replaced.

Wave of the Future? I-House

A trip out of town led us by a manufactured housing sales office. As we drove by we were struck by this tiny little house sitting by itself and this funny slanted roofed house. Were they manufactured? Are they storage sheds? We just didn't know.
Since Jeff and I had been discussing tiny houses, we thought maybe they had caught on and the smaller one was a tiny house. Our interested was piqued for sure.

Home a few days later, and sitting in front of my computer I Googled the sales website and found out exactly what it was we saw.  It is called an I-house. Exciting I hear you say? Well, really it is. A little bit of research and I'm pretty impressed.

The I-house is a "green" inspired manufactured home meant to waste little space while adding all the touches of "green" to the house. Bamboo floors, energy saving appliances, lots of windows, solar panels, outdoor living areas, space saving design and even a way to collect rain water to water your plants or reuse in the garden.

Now, if your looking for a green house on a small budget, tiny houses is still the way to go. While this modern home may require more "green dollars" up front, it does look to be a combination of the best of tiny houses and green living.

While just the I-home starts around 75k, a home with the flex space and all the "green" choices can run you up to $150k. Not to bad if your looking to build a new home or already own land. Fully customizable with as many flex spaces as you need or want. There is even rumor of the I-House 2.0. You can check that out at Clayton's Homes. com
It could be the wave of the future!

Tiny Houses

The latest in living green, is living simply. For awhile my husband and I have been researching Tiny Houses and love the Tiny House Blog
We dream of debt free living on a piece of land. We have three children at home right now but those days are slowly coming to an end. The thought of simplified living with only the things you really need, in a modern space saving house appeals to us.

The following story was first shown on Tiny House Blog, but it inspired me so much I just wanted to share with all of our readers too.

Enjoy and Dream!

Leaking Toilet Test

Are you pretty sure your toilet is leaking, but can tell for sure? Could it be condensation dripping or is there a crack? Here is a simple way to find out.

Add 10 drops of dark blue or red food coloring to the tank and leave it for one hour.

After one hour check the toilet bowl for any coloring. If colored water has lead in to the toilet bowl, then you need to replace the tank ball. 

If the colored water has lead from what seems like under the toilet where the floor and toilet meet, you need a new wax ring.


If the water is leaking from the water tank, you may see the actual water dripping or see water around the back of the toilet, but not  necessarily running from under the toilet. Carefully inspect the tank for cracks. You can empty the water out by flushing and then turning off the water at the wall. Replacing a new tank is not hard, but sometimes finding the right brand is.

Look What I Found! Strawberries

 

What a delight to grow your own strawberries. After a wet Winter and Spring, we were weeding some of our yard and got a big surprise.  It always amazes me what joy it brings to me and my children when we get to pick our own food from our property. Now, not enough for strawberry shortcake, but enough for a delightful sigh from everyone.

The Power Of The Ocean

Brookings, Oregon 2011

COOS BAY, Ore. — Oregon companies have won contracts to help develop wave power on the Oregon coast.
The World newspaper in Coos Bay reports that American Bridge Manufacturing in Reedsport and Sause Bros. in Coos Bay have won contracts related to the manufacture and deployment of wave energy-generating devices for New Jersey-based Ocean Power Technologies Inc.
After the device, called a PowerBuoy, is deployed and tested off the coast near Reedsport later this year, Ocean Power plans to construct what it says will be the first commercial-scale wave power station in the nation.
The project would consist of as many as nine additional PowerBuoys and infrastructure for a grid, subject to regulatory approvals and additional funding.
American Bridge will manufacture the subsurface floats and tow-out fixtures that are part of the PowerBuoys' mooring system.
Sause Bros. will tow the buoys from the final assembly site in Portland to Coos Bay, then position and install the buoys, mooring lines and anchors at the Reedsport site.
Oregon Iron Works of Clackamas will assemble the PowerBuoys' electronics and power take-off, and Cascade General of Portland will assemble the buoys and put them into the Columbia River for towing to the coast.
Ocean Power Technologies says its contracts so far with Oregon companies for the project total $6 million.
___
Information from: The World, http://www.theworldlink.com

Earth Day 2011 Family Activities

Earth Day 2011 Family Activities

Check out this site for some great family Friendly Earth Day Activities
Take you kids to a farmer's market--
Your local farmer's market provides an opportunity to learn about food that is grown in your area. Talk to growers who are providing high quality food that has not been picked long before it is ready and shipped thousands of miles from field to supermarket. Learn about what varieties of food crops grow best in your location.
So many of us live completely separated from and unaware of where our food comes from. Reconnecting to the natural foods available to us and getting our kids to realize that good food does not necessarily come in a brightly colored boxes on a store shelf can be a worthwhile endeavor.
You may discover fresh foods that you have scarcely heard of, but don't shy away from trying something new. Many of us have never tried kale or kohlrabi, but the growers selling these wonderfully tasty and nutritious foods will often be more than happy to provide preparation advice.

Bring your fresh food home and prepare a meal as a family. You can also plant your own garden and bring your produce to your local farmer's garden. Set up a booth and teach your kids the value of money, hard work and keeping it green.

The Newest Adventure Of A Lifetime...Will You Sign Up?

 

For thousands of years,

the human race has spread out across the Earth, scaling mountains and plying the oceans, planting crops and building highways, raising skyscrapers and atmospheric CO2 levels, and observing, with tremendous and unflagging enthusiasm, the Biblical injunction to be fruitful and multiply across our world's every last nook, cranny and subdivision.

An invitation.

Earth has issues, and it's time humanity got started on a Plan B. So, starting in 2014, Virgin founder Richard Branson and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be leading hundreds of users on one of the grandest adventures in human history: Project Virgle, the first permanent human colony on Mars.
Sign Up and Learn More Here

Newest Kinding Mission

On KIND Tuesday, April 5, give a flower (or a whole bouquet) to someone who helps keep the planet clean and green. This could be your garbage man, a neighbor who recycles, someone who takes public transportation, a local gardener, a hybrid car owner - anyone you’ve seen taking steps toward bettering our environment.

Sign Up for the Mission

A Day At The Oregon Coast

A Day At The Oregon Coast Part 2

It's Almost Springtime

The rushing waters, the beauty of nature, it is so wonderful to think of being out in nature. I can't wait for it to warm up so that we can take advantage of this world that has been created for our pleasure.

Should You Ditch or Fix Your Old Appliances?

A great little video that gives you a bit of information on making the greenest choice for your appliances.

Students Trade Spring Break for Work on Florida Trail

American Eagle Outfitters and the Student Conservation Association (SCA) today announced their annual Alternative Spring Break program. The program’s goal is to provide the ultimate educational and work experience to a new generation of conservation leaders from across the U.S.
Sandy beaches, sunny days and endless nights lure thousands of college students to central Florida every Spring Break. This year, 60 students are blazing their own trail to Orlando, where they will build a new section of the Florida National Scenic Trail.
“American Eagle Outfitters customers care about the environment, and offering ways for them to get involved makes sense for our brand,” said American Eagle Outfitters Foundation Director Marcie Eberhart. “SCA’s leadership in youth engagement and conservation stewardship ensures this initiative will benefit the Florida National Scenic Trail and all who hike it.”

Read More: Students Trade Spring Break for Work on Florida Trail

Skippy Peanut Butter Recall

We all love Peanut Butter. What do you have in your cupboard? Jif, Skippy or Natural? If you have Low Fat Skippy, please be aware that Skippy is issuing a recall for some of it's peanut butter. If you love the full fat version, you should be safe. For more information, please see the official page at Skippy.

Becoming & Staying Debt Free: Gasoline Prices: How High Will They Go?

Becoming & Staying Debt Free: Gasoline Prices: How High Will They Go?: "It should be no surprise to anyone that gas prices are up. In fact one news site even said they were up 26.7 cents per gallon over last week.Now that is a significant jump. One that will truly effect prices of everything that we buy. GasBuddy.com says that the average price of a gallon of gas today is $3.211 here in Austin, TX and $3.352 nationally. Compared to a year ago when gas was $2.545 here in Austin, TX and $2.695 nationally. This weekend I have seen some stations as high as $3.35 here in Austin. However, we will focus on the current average price rather then the highest. That is roughly a 67 cent jump over last year and 26 cents of that was just in the past week."

Friday Fun

Department of Energy to cut solar costs by 75 percent- Can We Really Do That?

The U.S. Department of Energy said on Friday it will spend $27 million on a new effort to reduce the costs of solar power by 75 percent by the end of the decade in a bid to make the renewable power source as cheap as fossil fuels.

 

Energy Secretary Steven Chu dubbed the program a "sun shot" that was patterned on President John F. Kennedy's "moon shot" goal in the 1960s that called for the United States to land a man on the moon.

 

Chu said cutting the cost of installed solar power by 75 percent would put the price at about $1 per watt, he said, or about 6 cents per kilowatt hour.

 

"That would make solar energy cost-competitive with other forms of energy without subsidies of any kind," he told a conference call.

 

Costs for to install photovoltaic solar panels, which turn sunlight directly into electricity, currently run above 22 cents per kilowatt per hour, although federal grants and state incentives can trim that to below 15 cents for large projects.

 

Many U.S. solar industry advocates have long complained that the Chinese government's support of its solar companies has enabled its companies to take market share from U.S. manufacturers.

 

For the rest of this story, please visit The Mother Nature Network.

What Can I Use Cornstarch for Besides Cooking?

Cornstarch has so many uses. I wanted to share a few unusual ones with you.

Cornstarch:

• Doggy Needs  A Dry Bath?   Don't have time for a trip to the groomers? Try rubbing cornstarch in your pups coat and brushing it out. It will do for a quick freshen up.
• Separate Marshmallows....ever find that bag in your cupboard that you thought you'd have to throw out? Try This: At 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the bag and shake.  Should shake them loose.
• Sprinkle on Your Carpets...to freshen up before you vacuum
• Remove Grease from Kitchen Walls. Sprinkle cornstarch on a soft clean cloth and rub on the spots.
• Say Goodbye To Pests  Make a mix of 1:1 Plaster of Paris and Cornstarch. Spread it into crevices where pests, especially roaches enter. This mix will make them go away!

A Place of Serenity

Where is your place of Serenity? Do you have one?
Do you have a place you run to when things get heavy or stressful?
My favorite place to go is straight into nature. It is there that I find peace and stillness.

No Fresh Tomatoes? What Can We Do With Canned Tomatoes?

We love our Organically grown tomatoes. We use them all summer. We didn't have enough to can this year so I was wondering what our options were with canned versions from the grocery store. I found a simple Chili Recipe that uses canned tomatoes. I was doubtful about the taste, but I have to say, it wasn't too bad.

Here is my Chili Recipe with Canned Tomatoes.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cooked, boneless chicken thighs

2 cans Fire Roasted Canned Tomatoes

3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

2 (4 ounce) cans canned green chili

peppers, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

5 (14.5 ounce) cans great Northern

beans, undrained or any white bean

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or colby jack