ѕєα's posts with tag: organic
 I came across this article today.......its food for thought when deciding how organic you want to go. I personally am wary of any of the big corporations promoting an organic line. If you read the Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollen you will know what big corporations are doing to our food. I would suggest buying as local as possible to minimize the trucking food in issue and support your local farmers. Big farmers are struggling today.....and are controlled by these corporations. Ill be moving to Oregon soon and I see there's a movement up there to buy local stuff from local people and even the grocery stores are starting to do that. Support farmers markets too as this is something that's been going on forever and should be encouraged and continued. Just be sure its local produce. We have many out here but some of their stuff is trucked in, just like the grocery stores so talk to the people you buy from. Those that grow are proud of their stuff!
6 Myths About Organic FoodAll organics aren't created equal. Here's what's hidden behind the labelBy Sarah Z. WexlerMYTH #1: ORGANIC FOOD IS ALWAYS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
Organics don't contaminate soil and groundwater with pesticides and chemicals like regular farming does, but there's a surprising downside: Since organic farming is only about half as productive as conventional farming, it requires far more land to produce the same amount of food. Dennis Avery of the Hudson Institute's Center for Global Food Issues estimates that modern high-yield farming has saved 15 million square miles of wildlife habitat, and that if the world switched to organic farming, we'd need to cut down 10 million square miles of forest. Less-productive farming could also lead to even less food for the world's undernourished.
MYTH #2: IT'S MORE NUTRITIOUS.
Studies keep flip-flopping on this: One found more vitamin C in organic tomatoes than in conventional ones; another found more cancer-fighting flavonoids in organic corn and strawberries. But other studies haven't found organics to have a nutritional edge. What makes the biggest difference in nutrients is how long produce sits on the shelf. Spinach, for instance, loses about half of its folate within a week.
MYTH #3: IT TASTES BETTER.
Nobody has been able to tell the difference except in one study of apples, where organics came out ahead. To get raspberries that taste raspberrier, buy produce that's locally grown, is in season, and hasn't been sitting on the shelf too long. Let's face it: Nothing is at its best when it's flown halfway around the world and waxed, then has to spend a week in the grocery store.
MYTH #4: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AS CAREFUL ABOUT WASHING IT.
All produce, whether purchased from a grocery megachain or your local organic farm, is susceptible to nasty bacteria, such as E. coli (the news-maker that's also been known to kill people). Soil and runoff water that's contaminated with E. coli-harboring animal poop can get onto produce — particularly melons, lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, spinach, and green onions, since they grow close to the ground. Your best defense: Wash everything thoroughly under running water.
MYTH #5: YOU'RE SUPPORTING SMALL FARMS OR ECO-COMPANIES.
General Mills owns the Cascadian Farms brand, Kraft owns Back to Nature and Boca Burger, and Kellogg's owns Morningstar Farms, to name a few conglomerates basking in organics' glow (and dough). And with such high demand (in the past year, the market for organic milk outstripped the supply by 10 percent), these giant companies are importing organic ingredients as cheaply as possible — often from other countries. Whole Foods sold roughly $1 billion in produce last year; only about 16 percent was locally grown. So with all the CO2 spent in transport, some organics have questionable eco-virtues.
MYTH #6: IT'S BETTER FOR YOU.
Not if it's organic chips, organic soda, or organic cookies. Cane sugar is still sugar and fried chips are still fried, no matter what kind of compost was or wasn't heaped onto the potatoes. Sorry!
WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT ORGANIC FOOD
IT'S MORE HUMANE.
Much of the country's organic milk and meat comes from small farms, where animals are often given more space to roam than those at larger factory farms.
IT MAY REDUCE YOUR RISK OF GETTING MAD COW.
Organic meat can't have any animal by-products in its feed, which is a primary contributor to mad-cow disease.
IT'S GETTING EASIER.
Companies like Kellogg's and Kraft are rolling out organic versions of their cereals and mac and cheese, so it's hassle-free to convince kids and boyfriends to eat it. And with discount superchains like Wal-Mart (the country's number-one seller of organic milk) slashing the organic markup to 10 percent (it's usually 20 to 30 percent), organics aren't just for the Whole Foods elite.
HOW "ORGANIC" IS IT?
Products labeled "organic" must consist of 95 percent organically produced ingredients, but products that contain only 70 percent organic ingredients can use the phrase "Made with organic ingredients." Read carefully.
.Others who have Herbal blogs today .....
Check out Grandfatheroaks blog list today http://tinyurl.com/3c5ksr
He has several blogs listed for herb organizations, magazines and pain relief and stress relief. He always has tons of good things.
kathyinozarks has all about Dandelions today http://tinyurl.com/33c76w
Heidi has all about Fenugreek http://tinyurl.com/2lteys
RochelleR has Herbed Chicken Legs http://tinyurl.com/38poy2
As I wander around Multiply I see lots talking about going nuts doing their Spring cleaning. People still do that? I wish I had the energy you all do cuz this house really needs it! So for today's Herbal Thursday I thought Id gather some organic cleaning recipes for you. I started to go green awhile back. I purchased some essential oils in bulk from Ebay. I bought lg. bottles of ones I knew Id use alot, like orange and tea tree. You want to make sure they are pure essential oils not diluted oils. Many diluted oils are mixed with non organic oils. Its best to buy pure then mix with the oils you want.
I also bought bulk baking soda from Costco and keep some in the bathrooms and some under my sink. I like to make a mix of baking soda and the orange essential oil when I'm doing a good cleaning of the kitchen. Orange will disinfect and make the kitchen smell good. You can use lemon too but since I have a lemon tree I just use those when I need them. I use this mixture as an all purpose cleaner for my ceramic topped stove and tile counter and even my butcher block. I am also in love with those Eraser type foam bars altho I don't think they are very natural. But since I'm getting older here and scrubbing is getting harder, Ive had to compromise a bit. I figure abrasive chemical cleaners are worse than those.
Lemons are good for lots of things tho .......you can scrub a pot with lemon and some salt to get it clean. And I put lemon peelings and even sometimes a whole lemon from my tree down my garbage disposal. It disinfects it and makes it smell good. I often save the skins from whatever I'm making and throw them down there.
I make a lavender linen spray for when I put fresh linens on the bed. Just seems to smell so nice when you snuggle in at nite. But I also will spritz it around the room. Lavender helps you sleep at nite.
I like to dry flowers and herbs from my yard to use as potpourri. Ill put a few drops of essential oils on a cotton ball or even mix it with a bit of baking soda and toss it together. Ill make different scents for different rooms. I love lavender or rose in my bedroom and bath. I like orange in my kitchen and in the other rooms Ill make a seasonal one. Spring its nice to have rose or Lilac. Fall I like spice and orange. Christmas its evergreen/orange/spice. Summer for me is definitely roses. So here are some recipes Ive found and a good link to tons more for this weeks Herbal Thursday.
Microwave Cleaner
Ingredients:
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar
6 drops lemon essential oil
Instructions:
Mix ingredients to make a paste. Apply to interior of microwave with a sponge. Rinse and leave door open to dry for 15 minutes.
Wash the glass turntable by hand. This recipe will get rid of food odors...great for getting rid of that popcorn smell.
Hard Floor
To clean hard floors, add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to a bucket of water. Then add 5-10 drops of lemon, pine, spruce, If the floor is especially dirty, add several drops of dish washing soap. This will clean even the dirtiest floor.
1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water
5-10 drops lemon, pine, spruce
Liquid castile soap if needed
Floor Cleaner
Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water. Add 10 drops of lemon oil and 4 drops of oregano essential oil. Oregano oil has powerful antiseptic properties!
1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water
10 drops lemon oil
4 drops oregano oil
Carpet Freshener
To make a carpet freshener, add 16-20 drops of essential oils to a cup of baking soda. Mix well and place in a covered container overnight so that the oil can be absorbed. Sprinkle over your carpet the next day and then vacuum the powder up.
1 cup baking soda
16-20 drops essential oils
Vacuum Cleaner
You may also saturate a disposable cloth or tissue with several drops of essential oil and place it into the collecting bag of your vacuum. This will diffuse a pleasant odor as you clean.
If your vacuum collects dirt into water, simply add a few drops into the water reservoir before cleaning. This refreshes both, the carpet and the room.
Homemade Soft Scrubber
1/2 cup baking soda
Liquid Castile Soap
5 drops Lavender essential oil and/or 5 drops Tea Tree essential oil
Place the baking soda in a bowl. Slowly pour in liquid soap stirring constantly, add liquid soap until the consistency resembles frosting. Add the essential oil (oils) if desired. Scoop the creamy mixture onto a sponge, scrub the surface, and then rinse.
If you add a little pure vegetable glycerin to the baking soda, the mixture will stay moist for a long time in a jar with a tight lid.
Basic Wood Cleaning Formula
This formula is for well-used furniture. The vinegar works to pull dirt out of the wood. It doesn't leave an oily residue because the little bit of oil keeps the wood from drying out. It will store almost indefinitely in a lidded jar.
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap
5 drops jojoba or olive oil
Combine the ingredients in a bowl. Saturate a sponge and squeeze out the excess. Wash surfaces of tired and dirty wood. The vinegar smell will dissipate soon. Dry with a soft cloth.
Lavender & Tea Tree Spray Cleaner
1 t. borax
2 T. white vinegar
2 c. hot water
1/4 t. Lavender essential oil
3 drops Tea Tree essential oil
Mix all ingredients together and stir until dry ingredients dissolve. Pour into spray bottle for long-term storage and use. Spray as needed on any surface except glass. Scrub and rinse with a clean damp, cloth.
Rosemary Deodorizer & Disinfectant
6 drops Rosemary
6 drops Grapefruit
4 drops Lemon
2 ounces purified water
Combine oils and water in a 2-ounce glass spritzer bottle. Shake well before each use and spray liberally into the air. This spray will combat odors and kill infectious organisms. During cold and flu season, add 2 drops of Eucalyptus. The blend works well in a diffuser also without the water.
Carpet Cleaning
"We used 10 drops of Lemon Essential Oil for each gallon as we cleaned our carpets today. It was amazing how it brightened up the rug and helped pull stains out....and what a fresh smell! We got daring and decided to use Lavender Oil for the bedroom and it was great! I also noticed that by having the Lemon in the solution, there was not a problem with foaming in the dirty water."
This site has tons of cleaning recipes
http://tinyurl.com/2trbdd The Happy Slobs Guide to Housekeeping
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