Orange Vinegar Spray

Obviously, I did not come up with this brilliant idea, but I do want to rave about it! If you eat oranges and like all natural cleaners, this is simply the easiest thing to do. Simply throw your orange peels in a jar with white distilled vinegar and let it sit for at least 2 weeks. *The longer you keep it "brewing," the stronger the citrus scent will be. 

Transfer the scented vinegar to a spray bottle. I personally buy the oh so stylish Cassabella line, b/c I'm classy like that. You can buy them here.

Mosquitos are back in full swing

I just stepped outside for 4 minutes to water my plants and was full on attacked by mosquitoes!

Unfortunately, Texas did not have a winter this year which is great if you want your annuals to last ALL year long, but not so good for the bug population. I saw a water bug last night too and oddly enough had a dream about it a few nights earlier (I have mad fear of water bugs). So after my attack, I of course quickly ran inside to make my trusty mosquito repellent, but needed some serious relief from my bites. Yes of course it's an essential oil. Sweet loving lavender. Just dab each bite with a drop or two for instant relief. On the agenda this week: making a mosquito trap with yeast and sugar water. I am taking them down!! Tutorial to come!

How to get rid of roaches...naturally of course

I think I should just rename this blog, "Vinegar and Baking Soda."



Spring came and went in Texas, but the roaches stayed to play house. I loathe them with all of my heart. Not only are they ugly, they carry all kinds of nasty diseases. It doesn't matter how clean you keep your house, once they have invaded, it's all over. My sweet mother-in-law suggested that I use boric acid, but after doing research, it's not exactly as non-toxic as it claims to be. I have a sweet dog and cat and didn't like the idea of them getting into it. So as usual I turned to baking soda and Borax. Just sprinkle either one (or both) near the problem areas. I tested both separately and found that adding a little bit of sugar to the baking soda helped.

5¢ Produce Wash

I can't always buy organic produce, it's not necessarily a cost issue, it's supply. I make pickles at least once a month and have never been able to find organic pickling cucumbers. I'm ok with that, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to wash the insects, chemicals and bacteria off first. Not only are conventionally grown products covered in herbicides and pesticides, think about all of the hands that have been molesting them throughout their life (organic is no exception to handling). From the field, to the warehouse, to the grocery store...that's a lot of hands! According to WebMD, 2 out of 3 Americans don't wash their hands. Ewww. Bacteria (Listeria, Salmonella and E. Coli) may be lurking on your fruits and vegetables, whether they are organically grown or conventionally grown. So let's talk about the cheapest wash available.

What you need:
Large pot or bowl
3 TBS Baking Soda

Fill your pot 3/4 full of water and mix in the baking soda. Add produce and make sure it's completely covered. Let stand for 10 minutes.



You can also give produce an extra scrub (especially if it's conventional).



*Some people use vinegar for a veggie wash, but I don't like the idea of that seeping into porous produce.

*Don't soak mushrooms! They will soak in all that water and loose flavor, just give them a good rinse and scrub.

Progress

The only thing I really want to say in this blog post is....yeah!!!

All Natural Mosquito Repellent

What you need:
Empty bottle - this recipe is for a 1/2 quart bottle

Ingredients:
3 TBS olive oil (keeps skin from drying out)
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol (helps mix adhere to skin)
10 drops each of geranium, citronella, and cedar wood

The ingredients cost about $25, but the oils will last long enough to make at least 8-10 batches. It's kind of like taking money out of one pocket, and putting it into the other one. If you are on a budget, you can replace the geranium with 5 extra drops each of the citronella and cedarwood.



Combine all ingredients and fill the bottle with distilled or filtered water. Shake well before each use.

Composting for the not so scientific minded/wanna be hardcore gardeners

OK. Composting to me is quite simple. Have a good mix of carbon rich nutrients from browns (dead leaves) and nitrogen rich nutrients from greens (kitchen scraps). I know there is a hardcore science behind it all, but ladies, who has time for all of that?? So I am going to provide the most simple guide to getting a healthy compost going.

First, pick your location or container. I live in a condo, which means that I am not only limited on space for a full grown compost pile, I also have to load up my recyclables and take them to the local recycling center myself. Gold medal anyone? If you have a yard, you should be good to go with an outdoor pile. If you are living in close quarters like myself, container composting is the way to go. Setting up outdoors is easy, just pick a spot in your yard. You can contain it with chicken wire, 2/4s, or concrete blocks, but none of that is really necessary. For container composting you can use any "bin" available, but you need to make a small adjustment. Take your sweet drill (I'm sorry if you are a member of the adventure club and don't have a drill, we need to talk) and cut several holes on the bottom and top of your container. I would say anywhere from 10-15 small holes on each side, depending on the size. I use a metal trash can from IKEA (b/c it's cute) but you can use any plastic bin or can as long as it has a lid.



So let's keep it simple. Once you have set up your bin, there are three things your compost MUST have. Water, sun, and air...just like a plant. How cute!

Here are some things you can compost:

Kitchen scraps (duh!)
Lint from your dryer
Vacuum contents
Tea bags/coffee filters
Shredded newspaper
Paper napkins, towels, and bags
Dog and cat hair (there's plenty of that going around in my house)
Any old junk from the pantry (stale cereal, chips, crackers). If it's flour based, you're good. This includes old moldy bread and pasta.

Here are some things you CAN NOT compost:

Dog and cat poop (unless your animals are vegetarian)
Meat/dairy products

Why can't I compost poop??

In a nutshell (b/c serious gardeners will tell you there is a scientific formula for composting these things) salmonella and maggots DO exist.. did you hear that? Yeah, so just don't do it. OK?

Here we go. Throw your approved composting materials in the pile/bin, cover with dead leaves, and continue the process. Keep your pile aerated by mixing it up as much as possible. It's good to keep an extra bin for dead leaves to cover your scraps every time you toss. Make sure your compost has the three main ingredients: air, sun, and water. Use common sense. If the compost is too wet and full of too much decomposed matter, (and gnats are taking over your lungs every time you open to aerate) add brown. If it's too full of browns and isn't doing much, you need more greens.

Simple enough??? Ghetto composting has worked for me, and you can always get more educated about it, but seriously I composted this in 3 months. It's not that complicated.

Make Your Own Home Cleaners

I know this picture is beyond disturbing. When I taught the natural cleaner class, I made a joke about my experience with oven cleaner feeling like I spent the night at Chernobyl. Ultimately this is not a joke, it's reality. I can not stress the importance in taking a stand for your family. Sitting on your rump, eating bon bons, and waiting for corporations to get green will get you nowhere.

Consumerism has created an obsession with the all mighty dollar, and in return, we have completely bypassed the health and well-being for the people of our world.

90% of our exposure to chemicals happens in the home. These toxins do not leave your body ( I don't care how many detox programs you undergo). Toxins make a lovely home in your cells and just keep building up over time.

All purpose cleaners often contain ammonia, a strong irritant that has been linked to liver and kidney damage. I can not tell you how irritating it was to research natural home cleaners and see ammonia in their recipes! Ugh! Common household cleaners can cause chemical burns and emit toxic fumes that harm the respiratory system. Chemicals commonly found in homes are linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities. Cancer is the #1 cause of death in children and #2 in adults. Learning disabilities are on a rampage right now....we need to blame something right??

Here is a list of the Top 12 Hazardous Household Chemicals:

Air Fresheners - Don't let the commercials fool you. Most air fresheners interfere with your ability to smell by disabling your nasal passages with an oil film or a nerve-deadening agent. Common chemicals in air fresheners include formaldehyde (a highly toxic known carcinogen) and phenol (which can cause hives, convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma, and even death).


Ammonia is a volatile chemical that can damage your eyes, respiratory tract, and skin.


Bleach is a strong corrosive that can damage the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. NEVER mix bleach with ammonia, as the fumes can be deadly.


Carpet and Upholstery Shampoos generally contain highly toxic substances like perchlorethylene (a known carcinogen that damages the liver, kidneys, and nervous system) and ammonium hydroxide (a corrosive that irritates eyes, skin, and respiratory passages).


Dishwasher Detergents - Most of them contain highly concentrated chlorine, which is the #1 cause of child poisonings.


Drain Cleaners commonly include lye (which can burn skin and eyes, and the esophagus and stomach if ingested), hydrochloric acid (a corrosive eye and skin irritant that damages kidneys, liver, and digestive tract), or tricholoroethane (eye and skin irritant and nervous system depressant).


Furniture Polish is highly flammable and can cause skin and lung cancer. It often contains phenol as well as nitrobenzene, which is an extremely toxic chemical that's easily absorbed through the skin.


Mold and Mildew Cleaners often contain sodium hypochlorite (a corrosive which can lead to fluid in the lungs) and formaldehyde (a highly toxic, known carcinogen). To clean mold and mildew safely - and to prevent it from coming back - use M-1 House Wash and M-1 Sure Cote Sealant.


Oven Cleaner contains lye (sodium hydroxide). Lye is often used to dissolve roadkill dumped in landfills; that can't be healthy.


Antibacterial Cleaners often contain triclosan, which is absorbed through the skin and linked to liver damage. Antibacterial soaps may also contribute to the development of drug-resistant bacteria.


Laundry Room Products may contain sodium or calcium hypocrite (a highly corrosive agent that can irritate the skin and eyes), hypochlorite bleach (a corrosive that can burn the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract). If exposed to other chemicals, hypochlorite bleach may form chlorine fumes that could be fatal.


Toilet Bowl Cleaners may contain hydrochloric acid or hypochlorite bleach.

Here is a list of recipes for making your own cleaners:




All Purpose Cleaner:
1/2 Cup Vinegar
2-3 Cups of water (depending on the size of your bottle)
1 tsp of biodegradable dish soap
10-15 drops of essential oil*

*Tea Tree Oil and Lavender are the most commonly used oils and both are antibacterial, I also like using an orange or lemon oil to boost the scent.




Oven Cleaner:
1 cup of baking soda

Sprinkle the baking soda on the bottom of the oven and spray with water or the all purpose cleaner. Let it sit overnight, then use a spatula to scrap up the nastiness. You may need to go back over the area with all purpose cleaner, as it can leave a white residue.

Shower "bleach":
1 part hydrogen peroxide
1 part water

Spray down your shower and leave overnight or for an hour or two
Rinse

All Purpose Floor Cleaner (hard woods too!)*
1 part vinegar
1 part water
5 -10 drops of your favorite essential oil for a nice scent and extra bacteria killer

Rust:
Mix cream of tarter and water until it forms a paste and take it to town on that rust

Toilet:
1 cup of vinegar
1/2 a cup of baking soda

Pour the vinegar around the rim of the toilet and let sit for 15 minutes
Flush
Sprinkle toilet with baking soda and scrub

Window, mirror and stainless steal cleaner:
Club Soda

I came across countless recipes for windows, then read that club soda was all you need. I thought it was a joke, seriously it is not! This stuff works! Again, if you want the antibacterial properties or scent, use essential oils.

*If you have marble surfaces or floors, do not use vinegar! Although seriously what is this 1975??

The Fight for Tomatoes

Remember a couple of years ago when BPA was discovered in baby bottles and the country went all bat shit crazy?? Well, I am so happy to report that this issue has been resolved, and mothers can sleep soundly. No, I lie you can't. BPA is not just found in plastic, it is used throughout the canning industry, and most dangerously in canned tomatoes. BPA is lined in the aluminum, and the acidity of tomatoes causes a reaction, or better yet contamination. I just came across these sites, where some hardcore bloggers did some serious research.

Body Earth
The Soft Landing


I am beyond disturbed by this for two reasons.

1: BPA has been linked to breast, prostate, and testicular cancers, obesity, elevated rates of heart disease, diabetes, liver abnormalities, reproductive problems and reduced sperm count, and problems with brain function and mood disorders.

2. Since learning of gassed tomatoes, I have gone strictly to organic canned tomatoes for my marinara batches.

Ugh! I can't win. Gone are the days of canning massive amounts of inexpensive organic tomato sauce! On the other hand, picking tomatoes before they are ripe and pumping them with gas, just doesn't sit right with me either. The sun needs to do it's job, that's where the flavor comes from. I know that there are no health concerns (at the moment) for ethylene, it just seems wrong. I get it, ethylene is naturally found in plants...blah blah blah. But is it really necessary? Can't I just buy an unripe tomato and let it ripen on my counter? Or buy a can of organic tomatoes without the threat of cancer?

You Are What You Eat

I can not express the importance of knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown. I am exceptionally anal when it comes to meat and dairy products. I have read every food book available, The Food Revolution, The Omnivores Dilemma, Mad Cowboy, Diet for a New America, etc. It became an obsession to the point of cutting out all meat and dairy from my diet. But as much as I highly respect that cruelty-free lifestyle, I am a carnivore. I love meat, eggs and cheese, but now I know what to look for when buying these products.

Let' talk eggs. Without making any of you fine ladies throw up in your mouth, I will keep this as PC as possible. Chickens are born, boy chicks are thrown away (literally), females have their beaks cut off (this prevents them from plucking themselves or other chickens to death) they are pumped full of antibiotics and hormones to grow so large that their legs break (b/c they naturally can not carry the weight), they are kept in disgusting conditions, are starved to force their bodies to lay more eggs, and most never see the light of day. Pretty shitty life right??

What to look for when buying eggs:

”Cage-free” does not mean the hens are treated humanely. They may still be pumped with antibiotics and hormones, along with suffering from debeaking.

Certified Organic is your best choice (although there are still some inhumane practices allowed). The birds are uncaged, and are required to have outdoor access. They are fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides.

Want something better? Visit your farmer's market. Most local farmers raise their chickens on a small scale (enough to make eggs to sell locally only). Having a fresh egg is really mind blowing. The color is bright orange and the taste far exceeds anything you buy on the grocery store shelf.

What to look for when buying milk.

This one is very simple. ORGANIC!!! Again the cruelty involved in dairy farms is atrocious. To keep a steady supply of milk, cows are repeatedly impregnated. Several times a day, dairy cows are hooked by their udders to electronic milking machines that can cause electrical shocks, and painful lesions. People get really offended when I mention pus in milk, but seriously it's there!! Do you really want to drink milk with growth hormones that most industrialized nations have banned? Don't get me started with that one. Thanks for looking out USDA!!

Buying Meat:
This one's a toughy. I have found that buying meat from reputable businesses (Whole Foods, Central Market) is a safe bet. Farmer's Markets are also great too. How great is a steak from a happy cow that's been grazing on grass it's whole life? Spend a few extra bucks and get something you can feel comfortable feeding yourself and your family. Food is not an area to skimp on. Read labels!! Investigate! I recently discovered this gem of a product and I am hooked.
Seriously their Hot Soppressata is so addictive! And they make hot dogs! With ingredients you can pronounce! I went online and love what they stand for. And isn't that what it's all about?? A true Mission Statement??