Apples

Apple juice seems to be a common staple for kids, but have you ever looked at the label...have you ever really read where the juice comes from? Organic and non organic apple juice sold in the US often comes from other countries such as Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Argentina, Chile, Turkey, Brazil, and/or China. Have you ever wondered how long ago that apple juice was made, under what conditions, and how much of it is actually apple juice, rather than water or some form of sugar? On top of all of that, the following article points out that it also contains arsenic:

http://www.slashfood.com/2010/03/19/apple-juice-contains-high-levels-arsenic/

Your best bet is to get yourself a professional grade blender (Vitamix or Blendtec) and a juicer (Omega, Green Star, Jack Lalanne, Breville, or break the bank with a Norwalk). That way you can purchase the produce yourself (hopefully from local sources) and enjoy it without added water, sugar, preservatives, dyes, etc. Nothing beats a home made cup of juice or smoothie.

Cheers!

Salt

Apparently salt has a lot more uses than I could ever imagine, some of them quite natural like:

Repair walls.
To fill nail holes, fix chips or other small dings in white sheet-rock or plaster walls, mix 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, then add enough water (about 5 teaspoons) to make a thick paste. Use the paste to fill the holes.

Deter patio weeds.
If weeds or grass grow between bricks or blocks in your patio, sidewalk, or driveway, carefully spread salt between the cracks, then sprinkle with water or wait for rain to wet it down.

Check out the following article to find out more wonderful ways to use salt.

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/46-smart-uses-for-salt-2270681/

Be sure to check out the links below the article to find out uses for beer, baking soda, and white vinegar.

Plastics - Midway Atoll

PBS highlights photographer Chris Jordon's documentation of the effects of plastic on the Midway Atoll near the Great Pacific Garbage Island.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/environment/an-ocean-of-plastic/2686/

And here is a link to the Midway project website for more information:

http://www.midwayjourney.com/

Documentaries Worth Watching

Here, in no particular order, is a list of documentaries I think are worth watching. Some of them are available online for free while others can be viewed via Netflix. A Delicate Balance can be seen online for $5 US.

1. Food Fight - http://www.foodfightthedoc.com/foodfight.html

2. Dirt - http://dirtthemovie.org/pages/all-about-dirt

3. A Delicate Balance - http://www.adelicatebalance.com.au/

4. Fresh - http://www.freshthemovie.com/

5. Killer at Large - http://killeratlarge.com/main.html

6. King Corn - http://www.kingcorn.net/

7. The Garden - http://www.thegardenmovie.com/

8. The Power of Community - http://www.powerofcommunity.org/cm/index.php

9. The Real Dirt on Farmer John - http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/realdirt/film.html

10. The Future of Food - http://www.thefutureoffood.com/

11. Food Stamped - http://www.foodstamped.com/

12. Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers - http://www.lesblank.com/more/garlic.html

13. The Price of Sugar - http://www.thepriceofsugar.com/

14. All In This Tea - http://www.allinthistea.com/index.html

15. Fast Food Nation - http://www.foxsearchlight.com/fastfoodnation/

16. Processed People - http://www.processedpeople.com/

17. Food Matters - http://www.foodmatters.tv/

18. Gasland - http://gaslandthemovie.com/

19. Notes on Milk - http://www.pbs.org/pov/notesonmilk/index.php

20. Good Fortune - http://www.pbs.org/pov/goodfortune/

21. The Clone Farm - http://www.vbs.tv/newsroom/clone-farm

22. TOXIC: Garbage Island - http://www.vbs.tv/watch/toxic/toxic-garbage-island-full-length

23. Thirst - http://www.pbs.org/pov/thirst/

24. TOXIC: Imperial Valley - http://www.vbs.tv/watch/toxic/toxic-imperial-valley-1-of-2

25. TOXIC: Gulf - http://www.vbs.tv/watch/toxic/toxic-gulf-full-length

26. Super Size Me - http://www.hulu.com/watch/63283/super-size-me

Happy Green Living!!!

Recycling in the Garden

While prepping my seeds to germinate, I took a look at my recycle bin and found several containers I could use as sprouting pots instead of buying some at the store. Some of the items I found useful were egg cartons (especially paper ones because the whole thing can go directly in the ground), plastic rice cracker trays, yogurt and sour cream cups (with holes poked in the bottom for drainage), and tomato containers.

It has been fun watching the honeydew, cucumber, acorn and spaghetti squash sprout in the makeshift containers. Still waiting for the jalapenos, tomatoes, peppers, basil, chives, and my favorite...cilantro.

If you don't have the time or space for a garden in your yard, a great way to reduce excessive packaging and benefit your body with fresh produce is to check out your local farmers market (don't forget to bring your own bag), or better yet, join a local CSA.

Happy planting!!!

Mammalian Excreta, BPA, and Other Gross (Sometimes Toxic) Things to Consider Avoiding

In this day and age, with our stores filled with pretty packages it is easy to get caught up in the convenience of purchasing readily available items without thinking about what actually goes into them.

Do you buy diced tomatoes instead of dicing your own? Canned peaches? How about chicken noodle soup? Frozen pizza? Spaghetti sauce?

Did you know those cans are lined with BPA? Do you know the regulations that exist allowing an acceptable amount of fly eggs, rat hairs, mammalian excreta, mold and more to make its way into those pretty prepackaged items lining the shelves? Sure sometimes not knowing is easier, but when it comes to the food you eat, you can never be too careful...the food you consume is what keeps you alive and helps to determine how much time you will enjoy on this Earth.

Run on over to the FDA's site and check out the USDA's Defect Levels Handbook for a glimpse of what they call "levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods that present no health hazard for humans." They may not be hazardous, but they definitely are gross!

Take a good look at your local store. The fresh produce is usually on one side, while the frozen produce line the other side....and everything in between is mostly pretty packages of junk. Try sticking to the outer sections and you will provide your body with the kind of nutrients it was meant to refuel with and avoid the junk that will gunk it up.

Check out this New York Times Op-Ed piece The Maggots in Your Mushrooms for more on what is in the food you eat...my favorite part of this article: "In case you’re curious: you’re probably ingesting one to two pounds of flies, maggots and mites each year without knowing it, a quantity of insects that clearly does not cut the mustard, even as insects may well be in the mustard. "

Homemade Potpourri

If you are a potpourri fan, but would like a less toxic and more environmentally friendly way to enjoy the lovely scent without shelling out tons cash and disposing of excess packaging...make some of your own.

Fill a little pot halfway with water, add essential oils of your choice, a mixture of spices, and/or get creative with dried flowers or citrus peels, then turn the stove on to low heat and let it simmer. For gifting and making it look a bit prettier, make a sachet with a piece of cheesecloth, add the ingredients and tie it off with some string. Just be sure to check the pot often as the water evaporates to avoid a fire or burning the pot. Add more water as necessary.

One of my favorite potpourri recipes for this time of year is: a few dashes of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and a splash of vanilla. I especially like warming up a pot of this before entertaining guests and to help clear out the awful smell of something burning in the oven. Cinnamon, whole cloves and vanilla sticks work well too.

For those of you, especially pregnant women, who tend to feel a bit stuffy, a few drops of eucalyptus and peppermint oil can work wonders. Bring the water and oil to a boil, remove from heat, drape a towel over your head, hover over the pot and inhale the steam. It is an affordable and natural treatment that can be very beneficial.

Play around with scents you enjoy or do an online search for "homemade potpourri" or "homemade potpourri sachet" to find many more ideas/recipes.

Happy Green Living!!!