You may or may not know this about me, but I scrimp and save and sacrifice so my daughter can attend a private school. I do this because year after year I evaluate the situation: the benefits she (and I) receive from her attendance there and the financial cost to me. The cost/benefit analysis continues to favor her staying at her school.
The environment is nurturing and thoughtful. She learns things without realizing she's learning. The school instills a love of learning and cultivates curiosity in the children. The 5th grade teacher she has for main lesson has been her main teacher for four years now. This dedicated woman knows my daughter and knows our family dynamics.
One of the ways that I have been able to continue sending Kayla to this school is by contributing money to the scholarship foundation and getting a dollar for dollar Arizona state income tax credit. Every year I ask people I know to do the same because once I raise $1500 which goes to a general fund, every dollar over that goes directly to paying my tuition bill!
I think tax credits are wonderful because I know where my tax dollars are going. In this case, my state income taxes are going to provide scholarships for families to attend the Tucson Waldorf School.
Please consider making a tax credit contribution to Arizona Waldorf Scholarship Foundation this year. When you file your 2010 state income tax return you can get a credit for the exact amount you contributed (up to $500 filing singly or $1000 filing as a married couple). Be sure to not file an EZ form which does not allow for this tax credit.
One great thing about this credit, unlike the ones for installing solar panels, is if you have over paid your taxes you will get a refund. So, it literally costs you nothing. You can even use PayPal and/or charge it (and earn points). Follow this link and please make your contribution for The Chevas Family. Any amount is appreciated.
Thanks and please contact me with questions. Please also pass this on to friends.
-Deanna Chevas
d.chevas@gmail.com
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Shift The Way You Shop
Arizona is about to embark on an experiment to see if it can replicate the findings of an economic study in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
As the study by Civic Economics has proved, if all of the households in Tucson alone shifted 10% of our existing purchases from non-local businesses to Local Independents (locally owned and independent businesses) we would see thousands of new jobs created and millions of dollars of new economic activity. And all this can begin to happen as soon as people start shifting and without the use of one taxpayer dollar.
On October 1, 2010 Local First Arizona will launch a campaign called Shift Arizona with a press conference at Maynard's Market at 10 am.
After this, it is up to the citizens of Tucson and the entire state of Arizona to choose to spend a portion of their budget at local businesses. Individuals can make a pledge and see the impact of their shift at the new website, ShiftArizona.com.
Get out there Tucsonans and Shift! There is a friendly county by county competition already underway with Springerville in Apache County leading the state in percentage of residents pledging to shift. Crazy, huh?! Watch the competition unfold here.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Another (Local) Shopping Excursion
The other day I realized my household is down to 3 of the set of 6 wine glasses I bought last year at one of those big-box housewares retailers. I said perhaps I'd plan a trip there soon as we were in need of flatware as well.
Blessed be my finance who said, let's go to Table Talk. This is a locally owned housewares store. I kind of gave him a hard time about how much more we'd have to spend to get the same quantity. Also, I kind of like buying cheapo wine glasses because I am clumsy. Anyway, I knew he was right, that we should at least go to Table Talk. And, I knew it would be a much more enjoyable shopping excursion.
The local store did not disappoint. Firstly, the service was great from a warm greeting and offering of coffee to the demo on how to use my new knife sharpener.
Next we found a great sale on cookware sets. We debated the virtues of each and thought about our needs. In the end we realized buying a set wasn't necessary, since we only really need 2 or 3 pieces. So, we bought one small frying pan to try out and left the store with our needs satisfied and our pocketbooks none the worse for wear. We made a commitment to pop in there from time to time to build our new kitchenware collection bit by bit. In this way, we end up with great products at good prices that will last and we feel good knowing a lot more of our hard earned money stays in our immediate community.
Blessed be my finance who said, let's go to Table Talk. This is a locally owned housewares store. I kind of gave him a hard time about how much more we'd have to spend to get the same quantity. Also, I kind of like buying cheapo wine glasses because I am clumsy. Anyway, I knew he was right, that we should at least go to Table Talk. And, I knew it would be a much more enjoyable shopping excursion.
The local store did not disappoint. Firstly, the service was great from a warm greeting and offering of coffee to the demo on how to use my new knife sharpener.
Next we found a great sale on cookware sets. We debated the virtues of each and thought about our needs. In the end we realized buying a set wasn't necessary, since we only really need 2 or 3 pieces. So, we bought one small frying pan to try out and left the store with our needs satisfied and our pocketbooks none the worse for wear. We made a commitment to pop in there from time to time to build our new kitchenware collection bit by bit. In this way, we end up with great products at good prices that will last and we feel good knowing a lot more of our hard earned money stays in our immediate community.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Ratatouille
This is another reprint from my personal blog, from August 1, 2010
I followed Alice Waters recipe for Ratatouille tonight. I love her The Art of Simple Food. It is my first go-to cookbook and almost always has what I need.
It came out so tasty! Even my eleven-year-old daughter said it was yummy. At first she was really not into it. We talked a bit about that. I asked her, Is it the flavor or the texture? She took a bite with some buttered rosemary bread. A look of bliss came over her face. She said, hmmm, it’s actually quite good, it’s yummy! She said the favor was good, it was the texture that she didn’t care for.
We ended up having a very interesting discussion about the origin of food and how it’s cared for while growing and how fresh it is when brought to the table. Because we got the vegetables that were in our dinner tonight from the farm down the road, we were able to experience the amazing freshness of just picked vegetables. Because my daughter spends time at the farm helping the farmers pick and weed and wash pests away with onion water, she can appreciate what she’s eating even if she doesn’t like it.
I remember having a moment like that when I was a kid. I asked my mom if onions were good for me. Because she said yes I decided I would eat them without complaint because they were good for me.
I cannot say enough about the benefits of getting fresh produce from a nearby grower.
I followed Alice Waters recipe for Ratatouille tonight. I love her The Art of Simple Food. It is my first go-to cookbook and almost always has what I need.
It came out so tasty! Even my eleven-year-old daughter said it was yummy. At first she was really not into it. We talked a bit about that. I asked her, Is it the flavor or the texture? She took a bite with some buttered rosemary bread. A look of bliss came over her face. She said, hmmm, it’s actually quite good, it’s yummy! She said the favor was good, it was the texture that she didn’t care for.
We ended up having a very interesting discussion about the origin of food and how it’s cared for while growing and how fresh it is when brought to the table. Because we got the vegetables that were in our dinner tonight from the farm down the road, we were able to experience the amazing freshness of just picked vegetables. Because my daughter spends time at the farm helping the farmers pick and weed and wash pests away with onion water, she can appreciate what she’s eating even if she doesn’t like it.
I remember having a moment like that when I was a kid. I asked my mom if onions were good for me. Because she said yes I decided I would eat them without complaint because they were good for me.
I cannot say enough about the benefits of getting fresh produce from a nearby grower.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Saturday morning CSA pickup
This is a reprint from my personal blog from July 31, 2010
I just got back from the CSA farm where I picked up a wonderful share of summer vegetable. Let me just plug this for a minute. River Road Gardens is a beautiful biodynamic farm tended by two very dedicated and extremely hardworking and loving people: Jon and Emily. I feel so blessed every time I pick up my share of the crop.
Today Emily told me how much trouble they are having with vermin. There are lots of critters in the field trying to eat up all the food we humans have paid for. This is one trick about growing crops without poison. But, they are committed to poison-free growing. I didn’t feel like the voles got my food. I came home with a big bag of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, basil, onions and amaranth! I’ll do a bit of research on that one. I have only ever had amaranth inside baked goods.
So, this week I will make Ratatouille for the first time. What goes with it? Good crusty bread I am thinking.
Stay tuned for a delicious meal...
I just got back from the CSA farm where I picked up a wonderful share of summer vegetable. Let me just plug this for a minute. River Road Gardens is a beautiful biodynamic farm tended by two very dedicated and extremely hardworking and loving people: Jon and Emily. I feel so blessed every time I pick up my share of the crop.
Today Emily told me how much trouble they are having with vermin. There are lots of critters in the field trying to eat up all the food we humans have paid for. This is one trick about growing crops without poison. But, they are committed to poison-free growing. I didn’t feel like the voles got my food. I came home with a big bag of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, basil, onions and amaranth! I’ll do a bit of research on that one. I have only ever had amaranth inside baked goods.
So, this week I will make Ratatouille for the first time. What goes with it? Good crusty bread I am thinking.
Stay tuned for a delicious meal...
Saturday, September 4, 2010
How to cook with all those CSA treasures
Cook What You Have is a new blog by River Road Gardens that highlights individual vegetables from the biodynamic farm. Need to know what to do with all that eggplant or peppers or squash? Check out this blog.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Summer Bounty
Check out what I picked up from my farmer yesterday! Jealous? Join the River Road Gardens CSA. Coming home with this amazing selection of beautiful food biodynamically and organically grown by people who love what they do and work incredibly hard makes be do a little jig every other Saturday (I split a share with a friend).
In addition to these lovely squash, garlic, eggplant, sweet and hot and peppers, I was given a huge bunch of basil and a few pounds of perfectly ripened tomatoes.
I will attempt to make sauce with all these beautiful tomatoes. I borrowed a food mill from a friend and will try something I have never done. After that I will try turning all that basil into pesto (another thing I have never done). It's a food adventure in my kitchen today!
Some hours later....
I made the best damn pesto! I loosely followed Jamie Oliver's recipe.
I will attempt to make sauce with all these beautiful tomatoes. I borrowed a food mill from a friend and will try something I have never done. After that I will try turning all that basil into pesto (another thing I have never done). It's a food adventure in my kitchen today!
Some hours later....
I made the best damn pesto! I loosely followed Jamie Oliver's recipe.
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