Natural drain cleaner

To naturally clean drains...

• Pour about a cup of baking soda into the drain
• Follow with about a cup of white vinegar (Warning, this will fizz up like crazy)
• Wait about ten minutes and pour boiling water down the drain

BBQ Red Bean Burgers

Normally I'm not one for veggie or bean burgers, but these were super good!!! Jillian Michaels from Biggest Loser posted a recipe on facebook awhile back and I had been wanting to try it for awhile. Well, as with any new and strange recipe, I put it off, put it off, and put it off. It was on my menu for about 4 weeks but I kept skipping it. I finally tried it tonight! I made some changes so I will post below how I made them. They were great!

BBQ Red Bean Burgers

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 minced onion
• 2 chopped and seeded tomatoes
• 1/2 minced jalapeno (I only used half since I'm feeding kids. If I was to make it for myself, I'd use 2 jalapeno's probably)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 3 cups organic kidney beans
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce ( I use Trader Joes BBQ sauce, YUM)
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 4 whole grain buns, toasted (I used Ezekial buns)
  
  
  Toppings: (any, all, or none)
  jack or cheddar cheese, organic of course
    lettuce
  slices thick tomatoes  
  avocado
  bbq sauce
  onions
  
  
•  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion, tomato, jalapeno, garlic and chili powder; sauté 5 minutes.
• Using fork or potato masher, coarsely mash beans in bowl.
• Combine with onion mixture, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce and egg white.
• Shape mixture into 8  1/2-inch-thick patties.
• Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill
• If grilling, oil the rack or spray grill rack with nonstick spray, then fire up coals to medium heat.
• If pan-frying, heat a little olive oil over medium heat.
• Place patties on grill or in skillet and cook until golden brown and heated through, about three minutes per side. (I did them in a skillet. I did them three minutes on each side, twice.)
• Place burgers on buns.
• Top with any of the above toppings or use your imagination!

Chicken noodle soup

Tis the season for Chicken Noodle Soup! And there's nothing better than making it with organic ingredients!

Chicken Noodle Soup

4 quarts chicken broth (I used Pacific's organic free range chicken broth)
1 lb of chicken (I used thighs)
5 carrots peeled and sliced
5 stalks celery, chopped (reserve leaves)
2 onions, diced
1/2 ts ground pepper (more or less to taste)
1/2 ts salt (more or less to taste)
pinch of thyme
1 ts lemongrass paste
3 bay leaves
1/2 ts garlic powder
1 pkg of organic egg noodles

Boil chicken in chicken broth until cooked through. I boiled them for an hour because I walked away and went and did something else. It by all means doesn't need that long, but it was pretty tender. Pull out the chicken and shred or dice, and throw back in the pot. Add the rest of the ingredients except the pasta and celery leaves. Simmer for an hour, or low boil for 30 minutes until carrots are tender. Meanwhile cook pasta in another pot, drain, and set aside. Once the carrots are tender, throw in the celery leaves and cook for a few minutes. Fish out the bay leaves. Dish out the pasta into the bowls and pour soup on top. For an added kick, sprinkle in some cayenne for a sinus clearing! This made approximately 6 big bowls. It could easily be doubled, tripled, or halved as needed. This is a very forgiving recipe! Enjoy!

Plastic

Since the "BPA scare of '08" the general public has been more aware of the plastics they use. Think about it, do you really want to ingest plastic. Ick, plastic? Some plastics leach into the foods they come in contact with. Here is a basic list of the types of plastic. Flip over your plastic bottle and look at the recycling symbol on the bottom. That number is the type of plastic you're dealing with.

#1 PETE, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) Transparent. Soda, water bottles, cooking oil, medicine bottles. Generally safe to use, do NOT reuse. Usually recyclable.

#2 HDPE (high density polyethylene) Sturdy, harder plastic. Used in storage containers, milk, and detergent bottles, etc. Safe. Recyclable. 

#3 PVC (polyvinyl chloride) used for plastic wrap, detergent, and cooking oil bottles.Increases the risk of birth defects and hormone-related cancers. Production is hazardous to workers and the environment. Not safe. Not recyclable.

#4 LDPE (low density polyethylene) Flexible plastic. Bags, wraps. Not for reuse. Somewhat safe. Not recyclable.

#5 PPE, PP (polypropylene) Pliable plastic. Squeeze bottles, reusable food containers, etc. Safe. Recyclable.

#6 PS (polystyrene) Used in rigid take-out containers and foam meat trays. Can leach styrene when heated, a possible endocrine disruptor and carcinogen. Not safe if heated. Not recyclable.

#7 Other (usually polycarbonate) This was used in baby bottles (most have been banned since BPA became known about publically) Five gallon water jugs, reusable water bottles. It can leach a hormone disruptor called bisphenol A (BPA). Worse when heated. Stay away from this plastic at all costs! Not safe. Not recyclable.

Tips to avoid plastic leaching in your food:
-Heat up food in glass or ceramic containers
-Store food in the refrigerator in glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or PVC-free plastic wrap
-Do not use plastic containers for anything that leaves a residue that will have to be scoured. Scratches in the containers cause more leaching.
-Don't cover hot food with plastic wrap, let it cool first.
-Wash plastics by hand as much as possible. The dishwasher heats up the plastic, making more likely to leach, and causes scratches, causing more leaching.
-Use wax paper, butcher paper, #5 reusable sandwich container, or #4 plastic bags for sandwiches.
-Use a water pitcher made of #2 or #5 plastic, glass, or stainless steel
-Use #4 freezer bags, or glass labeled "freezer safe". Always let food cool first!
-Do not store food in plastic containers labeled 3, 6, or 7 ever.
-For dry food storage, use #5 plastic containers, or glass, or stainless steel.

How to make mayonnaise!

This is the best mayonnaise I have EVER had! I never met a mayonnaise I wanted to eat by the spoonful until I made this one!

2 eggs (see note below)
1 tsp dry mustard (you can use more for taste if you wish)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar because we like it, use whatever you like)
2 TB lemon juice, usually about half a lemon
sprinkle of paprika
1 cup oil (more if necessary to thicken more) ( I use light olive oil, evoo is very strong!)

Blend all ingredients except oil in a blender until mixed. IMPORTANT: if you have a vitamix, use setting 6. Use the lowest setting only on a regular blender!

As you are mixing the ingredients in the blender, pour oil in a thin stream through the lid while blender is going. Keep slowly pouring until some of the oil floats on the surface. If mayo is still runny (though it will thicken when chilled) scrape the sides and start again adding more oil.

Note: Please be advised that the eggs are raw in this recipe. Use of organic farm fresh eggs is highly recommended. Commercial eggs have a very high rate of Salmonella. Farm fresh organic free range eggs have a very low rate of Salmonella.

Groceries

I'm often asked how much I spend on groceries. So here it is....At this time, living in NY (organic food prices are pretty high), I spend anywhere from $160-200/week on groceries for a family of 5 (the baby doesn't eat food yet). That does not include the $20/week I spend on 4 gallons of raw organic milk. Plus we only eat meat a few times a week. Eating more meat with greatly increase the cost of groceries. So for the sake of your colon, and your wallet, eat more vegetarian meals! Also, our eggs are "free" from our chickens. Though the cost of chicken feed, bedding, accessories...they are far from free.
I have been surprised lately to hear that many families spend $200/week buying non-organic groceries....that made me feel great!

Rocky the Rooster

I cannot believe I'm being bullied by a rooster. What does this have to do with organic and natural living...well they're organic free range chickens of course!
So we have this rooster, Rocky. He's beautiful. But in the last few weeks he's made me his prey. Why? I have no idea! I walk outside and he makes a bee-line for me. He'll get about 10 feet away and stop and pretend he's eating, pecking at the ground. Meanwhile I can see his beety little eye staring at me. He'll fluff up his neck feathers, come a little closer to me, stop and peck at the ground some more. This goes on and on until either I walk away (um, I mean run...yes I run from a chicken) or he gets close to enough to actually attack me. He throws himself at my leg and before he can do any damage I boot him and run.
Often I'll look up from what I'm doing and I'll see him standing outside the side door staring in at me. It's just seriously creepy!
Earlier today, the chickens were roaming around the yard and I went out to collect eggs from the coop. There were a couple dozen so it took me a few minutes. I step out of the coop and who is standing about 5 feet from the coop door? Rocky! Augh, seriously, how did he even know I was out there! He starts doing his "I'm about to attack you" dance (pecking, looking, fluffing feathers, getting closer, etc) So I head off into the woods. Then I realize I don't want to try to jump over a creek holding two dozen eggs. So I lure Rocky one way and then run around a tree and go the other way. As I'm heading over the bridge, I turn around, and he's actually RUNNING after me. Granted, I can run a heck of a lot faster than a rooster, but that really freaked me out! Yes I got safely back in the house without him actually attacking me, this time.
To quote Rachael Ray "If I had to actually go out and catch them and do you-know-what to them, I'd be a vegetarian" Totally my motto...but Rocky is very close to becoming dinner!

Amazon store

I have created an Amazon store where I have products that I have tried and tested. In the organic journey it is a bit intimidating with all the products out there. I have tried many that I have hated. Now I have compiled products that Amazon carries that I recommend.

http://astore.amazon.com/naturalando0c-20

Go Organic

Go Organic!


Your biggest challenge will be reading labels and understanding them. This is the hardest thing to get used to. Start with a few items to look out for and as you get used to spotting those, add a few more...eventually you'll be able to scan an ingredient list and know right away if it's ok to eat. Start with partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup.

Changing your life is a hard thing to do for most. Take it slow if you need to.
This is the order I recommend you start with:
-Drink pure water with no chlorine or fluoride.
-Start with buying organically the produce highest in pesticides. Download
a handy guide to pesticides here www.foodnews.org
-Buy organic meat and dairy
-Buy organic/natural (but read the label) packaged foods. Packaged
foods should be kept to a minimum...but we all know in this day and age
it is hard to avoid.
-Personal Care Products. This is a really hard one but well worth it. Most
mainstream personal care products have carcinogens in them.
Deodorants have aluminum in them. Check the "Ingredients to Avoid" list.
Some brands I like: Burts Bees, Jason, Alba, Avalon Organics (check label
though), Castille Soap, Eco Bella (make-up)
-Cleaning Products. Commercial cleaning products are absolute poison!
They kill brain cells, even if they are just sitting in the cupboard waiting to
be used. They harm your lungs. They are very dangerous, and how many
people actually use gloves when using them?
7th Generation makes great cleaning products. I personally like to make
my own which is very cost effective and extremely safe.
-Avoid all medications. Use herbal and homeopathic "medicines". A great
book everyone should have is "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"


If you are driving along in your car and your oil light comes on you can
either unplug the oil light, or get an oil change...both things will make the
light turn off but obviously only one of those options is good for the health
of your car. Taking Tylenol for a headache is like unplugging the oil light.
It takes care of the symptom, not the cause.
-Do NOT use a microwave. Microwaves mutate the genetic composition of
food...you are what you eat =) They also put out electromagnetic waves.
Check out the warnings that come with microwaves that most people
don't bother reading.
-Avoid Genetically Modified Foods (GMO's).
Contains insecticides and pesticides which kill insects, so what are they
doing to you?
Attacks organs
Causes cancer
Causes viral and bacterial illnesses


Below is a basic list I made previously. These are in no particular order of importance. But all should be done eventually to live an organic life. Most are repeats of the above information.




-Read labels! Please visit our list of ingredients to avoid. Your best bet-if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it!

-Know your body care products. Most deodorants have aluminum in them which can lead to many health problems, including Alzheimer's. Shampoo's and anything that lathers may have sodium laurel sulfate. This is a cancer causing substance...as are parabens.
Castile soap is a good alternative. This can be used as shampoo, body wash, and even a veggie wash. This is great to take camping because it is so versatile. You can find Castile soap in a variety of scents.

-For Women - Don't buy mainstream cosmetics. They contain cancerous and harmful ingredients. You are putting these chemicals in dangerous areas - your eyes, mouth, nose. Think about lipstick and how you can lick your lips all day and ingest it. Know what's in your makeup, read labels. Brands such as Burts Bees seem to generally be safe, but still check the label. Many health food stores have a nice a selection in safe cosmetics.

-Avoid dyes in food and medicine. One major problem with them is they cause hyperactivity in children.

-Avoid these "Whites":
Bleached white flour
White refined sugar
White iodized salt

-Avoid pasteurized dairy products. This isn't always the easiest thing to do, but well worth it. See our article on pasteurization.

-Avoid all hydrogenated oils. This is on our "Ingredients to Avoid" list, but well worth mentioning on it's own. Read our article on "Hydrogenation".

-Eat an abundance of raw fruits and vegetables. This is the best way to get a variety of live vitamins and minerals. Your body will thrive on raw food.


- Only eat organic meat, produce, and dairy products. Sustainably grown is good, if it's a reputable farm.


-Steaming vegetables is the best way to cook them, it retains the
most amount of vitamins. Though raw is always best.

Go Green!

Help me Go Green!
Where do I start?

Start with one item at a time or dive right in and change your life!

1. Buy local, buy organic
Supporting local farms helps everyone. Buying organic reduces toxins put into the environment and your body.

2. Compost
Start a pile in your yard. Or buy a fancy composter. Either way, your scraps are not filling landfills.

3. Turn off lights and electrical equipment not in use. Save money, save electricity. Don't leave chargers plugged in when not in use, they continue to drain energy.

4. Recycle
Check locally what you are able to recycle. Go the extra mile with items you can't recycle locally and save them to turn in on a trip out of town.

5. Reuse
Save and reuse containers. If plastic, make sure it's a plastic that can be reused without leaching. Check our article on types of plastics. Glass containers are best to reuse, no leaching and easily can be put in the dishwasher. Reuse for crafts: cardboard, egg cartons (chicken farms will gladly take these as donations also), tp/pt rolls, containers for holding supplies, magazines/ads for collages, paper can be reused for doodling, baby food jars can be used for a ton of things...almost anything can be used for crafts with a little imagination, or a google search =)

6. Fires - burn right
Learn how to properly make a fire for minimal smoke being let off into the air.

7. Drive less
Combine errands into one trip.

8. Don't carry excess baggage
The more you carry in your car, the worse your gas mileage.

9. Buy from bulk bins
Save packaging...and may also save you money.

10. Don't pollute your own environment
Use green cleaning products. Simple vinegar and water is a great all-purpose cleaner. Go one step further and add a spoonful of Borax and a couple drops of tea tree oil for even more cleaning power. You can save a lot of money by making your own cleaning products. But you can also buy green cleaning products like Seventh Generation and Ecos.

11. Don't buy individually wrapped snack bags.
Buy a big box and divide it out yourself into reusable containers.

12. Use renewable energy
Building a new house? Think solar! Or, if available, hydro-electric power. Many states will give you a refund for part of the price of the system.

13. Eat free-range and organic meat
It's better for the environment and your health. Commercial farms pollute the air, ground water, and surrounding areas. They are dirty. Animals are raised inhumanely. The animals are given unnatural diets. They are given hormones and antibiotics. All of which ends up in the meat you eat and in turn it ends up in your body.

14. Print only what you need
You can save files and documents on your computer, they don't need to printed and waste paper. Use double sided printing when you do need to print.

15. Laundry - Use cold water and line dry.

16. Buy used - ebay, craigslist, freecycle, thrift stores

17. Use rags for cleaning instead of paper towels. Use wet washclothes for cleaning off kids faces and hands after a meal.

18. Use cloth grocery bags