So here is the challenge…ready for it?…no more water bottles!! Last year I focused so much on plastics, I’ve come really far…still use some, but probably only 10% of what I was using. So this year my goal is to reduce my water bottle consumption. EWG just came out with a great investigation they did on water that is sold in bottles. As you can imagine, most is not much better than tap, but some was worse containing disinfecting byproducts, pestisides, & even pain medication?! I can’t drink tap it’s just nasty to me, but I am super happy with the taste of my water filter in my carafe. My goal is to use that & refill my glass water bottles when water bottles are needed. I had already made this change, but cheated nearly daily (totally a water bottle addict). Obviously there will be times when filtering my own isn’t an option or bringing glass won’t work, but for the most I think it’s doable. How about you? Will you take the pledge?
Category Archives: food
will you?
books for 2011
A few ECO books that caught my eye, I really wanna get em’ this year. Some I’ve looked through or read, some had me at the front cover, & some have been recommended by lovely peops, either way I want them all! What books are must haves for you this year?
[If getting ECO clean is your deal this year, Planet Home is a great resource]
[Eco-Chic Home, was recommended by Simply Grove, and I love Emily, so I know the book will be fab!]
[If your skin is your ECO plan this year, The Little Green Book of Beauty, looks fun]
[For the ECO kids in your world, check this Little Helpers book out]
[For the kitchen, Urban Pantry, I love the name, the idea & the kitchen]
[I love Scandinavian anything and crafting ideas, Scaninavian Stitches is a DIY love]
[For the garden lovers, The Organic Herb Gardner, anyone can grow herbs!]
I love, love, love books…one of my fav gifts to give and to get. Let me know your new favs!
hello
Aww it’s been so long since I’ve posted?! My grandfather passed away and that was the main reason for the time away + birthdays + holidays. I love a new year. I am still working on my version of a modern farm table, I had a few(naughty boards that refuse to be level) problems?!, but I think were on the home stretch this week. We decided to keep our old chairs from our previous table, so we’re painting them. It seemed like the best options since I’m not sure what I was wanting quite yet and this option was pretty budget friendly too. Next, I just need to find a light that would go nicely above the table. I am also re-finishing & reupholstering two gorgeous mid century arm chairs, I actually loved them before, but they were too rustic for the husb so I conceded to make them a clean modern version of the original. I hope you had a fun holiday and have fresh vision for the new year. Would love to know what projects you plan to tackle, lifestyle improvements your going to make, or just any news that is new for you this year…drop me a comment!
[ps: a few organic images that inspire me for the new year]
[images obtained here, here, here, here, here, here, & oh whew..here!]
lil rolls in glass jars
I saw this image and recipe at Simple Bites and instantly knew I had to make these! Since I’m still out of town I decided to share the recipe before I make it. I also plan on trying to use my large baby food jars to bake in. You can also do single serve pumpkin pies if you want something unique and delish! Ahhh I love the holidays….
So go here to get the recipe for these darling rolls!
you may never eat this again
I posted this on FB, but was too good or disgusting actually to not post again on my blog. Please people don’t eat this stuff!
Yes, this is your chicken nugget before it’s a nugget, smile, you’ve eaten it and survived! Here’s what’s going on in this photo:
Okay, you couldn’t pay me to eat chicken nuggets, but so many of you feed this to your kids?! Jamie Oliver in his food revolution is uncovering all kinds of nasty that the FDA allows. We really need a food revolution, but let’s face it, we must do our homework and use common sense. More information here & a great/sad video here. Wake up America, were killing ourselves!!!
i ate too many
Deceptively small, seriously smooth, and completely addicting is what I would say about these fall morsels. After eating waaaaay too many, I knew I must share this recipe. I love seasonal food! So, if you need something to smell up your home in fall style, try these, but trust me, don’t eat more than 2 
ICED PUMPKIN COOKIES
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (i added this, but the recipe did not call for it)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix up: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork or spread.
- To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed to make it more drizzle friendly.
better late than never….
September is ovarian cancer awareness month, I’m almost late, but definitely wanted to give a bit of info on the disease that takes way too many lives. In America 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year and 15,000 die, that is a terribly high rate. Early detection is SO vital, unfortunately your routine yearly or bi-yearly exam does not test for this disease. A blood test is the only way and you must ask for it, unless your practitioner thinks you have enough symptoms they won’t offer it. I pray that changes, with so many diagnosed & the death rate so high, I think we should be tested right along with our yearly pap.
Here are some early warnings signs, that may save your life:
- Abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating
- Urinary urgency
- Pelvic discomfort or pain
- Persistent indigestion, gs or nausea
- Unexplained changes in bowel habits, such as constipation
- Changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to urinate
- Loss of appetite or quickly feeling full
- Increased abdominal girth or clothes fitting tighter around your waist
- Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
- A persistent lack of energy
- Low back pain
- Changes in menstruation
I know some of these are common, but if you have quite a few of these symptoms, please get checked. Also I wanted to mention a few nutritional things you can do to lower your risk of ovarian cancer:
- Maintain a normal body weight throughout your life
- Workout 30 minutes per day
- Avoid sugary drinks
- 80% of your diet should be plant based
- Limit your intake of red meat, choose lean cuts and avoid processed meat
- Keep your salt intake to a minimum
- Limit your alcohol consumption
- Breastfeeding your babies for at least 6 months can drastically reduce your risk
Hope this helps, be healthy, be wise, and please add this blood test to your yearly check-ups.
the little darling's party
Stella’s birthday was amazing, the best part was celebrating her life. A life so wanted for so many years, a wonderful, but hard pregnancy & then she arrived to us still born. Thank God for miracles and midwives, it took 2 rounds of CPR and they finally had a weak heart beat and shortly after she breathed her first breath. It was the longest 5 minutes of my life and the most painful experience I could imagine. The next few months were beautiful, life changing, & stressful as we watched her every breath. It’s in the these time you find your strength, your love for those in your life who lived the moments with you, and the complete reliance on God. So, to say this day was special would be a massive understatement, it will forever be cherished and a constant reminder that God is faithful. Sweet Stella your loved beyond what we can express, what a joy to get to love you.
[the sweet treat table, couldn't resist the pink, just felt precious like her]
[these darling cupcakes were made by my amazing mom & cupcake liners purchased here]
[dark & milk chocolate bars with Stella's scripture and birth date on the backside ]
[the only semi-healthy thing on the table]
[Rice crispy lollipops, I don't think there's an ounce of nutrition in them, but they are SO addicting]
[the little darling's birthday chair, custom made hat by mom]
[a few appetizers, the best was the bacon-peach pinwheels my mom in law made, super delish!]
[in a pinch I used my two large jars for drinks, I really like how it worked in the end]
[a few more custom hats for our guest]
[milk glass and caramel corn, a sweet little pair for the guest tables]
[she was a doll, she even kept her hat on while she ate]
[she loved her 1st sugar, too much I think]
[her little exhausted stares were sure signs of a good party]
Well there you have it, our perfect little day. It was hard to choose photos as I loved so many, but I hope I posted enough to make you feel how precious and beautiful the day was.
oh tomatoes!
The harvest feels like it is just beginning around here for tomatoes, with the cold weather early in the summer it took awhile for those little red yummies to arrive…I know, some are orange & yellow, but my favs are the red ones. I’m making and canning fresh tomato sauce this week as my BIG project, I had a few issues with the first batch, but thanks to my mom’s help I got the sealing thing down ( i think i’m the only one that finds it hard to seal a self seal canning jar?!).
The above picture is a simple, but delish & beautiful appetizer you can use with your cherry tomatoes. I stuffed with fresh mozzarella instead of going Asian this time around.
Happy last days of summer, I know it’s September, but I’m pretending since it’s still sunny & warm
treat, don't trick – go organic!
Who doesn’t LOVE a bag full of candy? I thought when I was older my sweet tooth would diminish, nope, it just got refined, but still going strong! This year I really want to pass out something semi-healthy. Here are some options I found from Baby Zone:
- Chocolate. Several bite-sized options have king-sized kid appeal: Bug Bites: small organic squares from Endangered Species Chocolates in milk or dark chocolate. Each square contains one of 48 different endangered species trading cards, and 10 percent of profits go to animal and conservation causes.
- Cookies. Barbara’s Bakery offers carry bags of organic animal cookies, in chocolate chip, oatmeal wheat-free, vanilla, and vanilla-fruit-juice-sweetened. The website offers online purchasing.
- Popcorn. Hand out individual microwave popcorn packs from Newman’s Own Organics Pop’s Corn.
- Hard Candies. Organic Candy Company sells bags of organic Sour Fruits Hard Candies in cherry, lemon, pineapple, and orange. The website offers online purchasing.
- Lollipops. Candy Tree sells bags of seven lollipops in organic orange and organic lemon flavors. The website offers online purchasing.College Farm Organic Naturepops are available in Citrus Blast, Tropical Treat, Cheery Cherry and Wild Berry.
- Snack Bars. Any number of individually-wrapped organic options exist: Earth’s Best makes organic Whole Grain Bars for babies, just the right size for a Halloween tidbit, in Apple Blueberry, Peach Banana, Pear Raspberry, and Carrot Raisin. There’s a retail directory available on their website.
- Fruit Leather. Organic chewy fruit is available from Stretch Island in apple, grape, raspberry, strawberry, mango, cherry apricot, tropical, and blackberry. The website offers an online store.
- Beverage Boxes. Knudsen, and Santa Cruz Organic both offer small juice boxes for kids; EdenSoy offers small boxes of soy drinks (original, carob, and vanilla flavors). Edensoy has an online store. The Whole Kids line at Whole Foods Markets includes small boxes of organic juices and soy drinks.
- Gummi Bears. Let’s Do Organic! sells Classic, Jelly and Super Sour vegan gummy bears. Offered in four individual packets per box. The website offers an online store.
On holidays or birthdays I don’t make a big deal about organic or even healthy too much, I figure a few days a year I let my kids just have fun and not worry, but I think it would be awesome to hand out to other kids some candy or treats that are organic, it kinda makes a statement…I like that.
Pure organic living is something I'm passionate about. Keeping my family healthy naturally is something I completely enjoy, not just in what we eat, but in our home & surroundings as well. Join me in the organic journey!
