Farmers Market

It is the season for farmers markets. Here is a link to find one in your area. They are a great place to find in season, local produce and other goods. They are so fun, check them out.

http://www.localharvest.org/

Packaged Vegatables

Did you know??? When you buy pre-cut and pre-packaged vegetables, they are treated with CHLORINE!?! They have to be treated with something once they are cut because their protective skin is off and they will turn a scary color. But CHLORINE, really, there must be a better way. CHLORINE, the stuff that they put in pools to decontaminate the pee, the same stuff that burns your eyes if you don't close them under water and the same stuff that ruins your swim suit. So why put it in our bodies? I don't get it. From what I read they wash it after words so it is not harmful, but it still just doesn't seem right. But the good news is there is an easy solution. You don't have to buy prepackaged ones. They are cheaper un-packaged and cut anyway.

Organic Baby

It can get so expensive to give your baby organics. I was unable to nurse my baby past 6 months and organic formula is RIDICULOUS. I passed in that department but fed him organic solids when ever possible.
Conventional Gerber baby food is around .50 a jar.
Organic Gerber is about $1 a jar.
It is a pretty steep jump but I found a way to make organic baby food cheaper than even conventional. I made my own.

It was so easy and so fun. All you really need is a food processor and something to store it in. I used ice cube trays and empty baby food jars.
Using this websight,
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com
and this book I found great information.

The book is around $13 new and $5 used (on Amazon). I borrowed mine but I will definitely buy my own copy next time around. It is a great investment. It has an index in the back that goes through every fruit and vegetable. It tells you when your baby is ready for it and how to prepare it. Most vegetable you have to cook but a lot of fruits are ready to be mashed and eaten. Our favorites were banana and apple sauce. I just buy unsweetened applesauce. They are cheapest things to feed him. If any one wants a further lesson I will be happy to help. It is really fun and not at all as hard as it sounds.

*To save even more money, only buy organic when they are on the dirty dozen.*

My thought on recycling-

Happy Earth Day to you!

With the research that I do for fresh living I am bound to hear and read info on recycling. So here are my thoughts. I am so for it but not for the earthy, Birkenstock, peace sign reasons. We cannot deny that it is great for the earth. When you love and appreciate something, you should take care of it. But the main reason I recycle is the resourceful reasons. I am a very frugal person so it does not make sense to me to throw something away when it can still be used by someone else. However I am so frugal that I don't pay to have a can at my house. I deliver my own or find a nice neighbor who has room to spare. Enough said.

Spring Cleaning

It is just as important to take caution with the things in contact and inhaled by our bodies as with those put into our bodies. I have asthma. Every time I would clean I would have trouble breathing. It is because conventional cleaning products have harsh chemicals and odors that are hard on our respiratory system. Here are some safer home remedies that can replace a lot of things in your cleaning cabinet. Don't get me wrong. I do have some conventional products, but I use my homemade remedies as much as possible and I have enjoyed the switch.

Instead of this,

Try this.


The recipe:
Mix in a spray bottle:

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water

In the kitchen, use vinegar-and-water spray to clean countertops, lightly soiled range surfaces and mopping your floors. It is a natural deodorizer, taking away the odor, not covering it. Don't worry, the vinegar smell goes away after it dries.

In the bathroom, use vinegar spray cleaner to clean countertops, floors, mirrors and exterior surfaces of the toilet. It dissolves soup scum and hard water build up. In some tough cases it is also helpful to use staight vinegar.

Undiluted white vinegar

Use undiluted white vinegar to scrub the inside of the toilet bowl. Before you begin, dump a bucket of water into the toilet to force water out of the bowl and allow access to the sides. Pour undiluted white vinegar around the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush to remove stains and odor. Use a pumice stone to remove any remaining hard water rings.

Clean shower heads that have been clogged with mineral deposits with undiluted white vinegar. Place 1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar in a plastic food storage bag, and secure the bag to the shower head with a rubber band. Let stand for 2 hours to overnight, then rinse and buff the fixture to a shiny finish.

Add one cup of undiluted white vinegar to the laundry rinse cycle instead of commercial fabric softener. White vinegar softens clothes and cuts detergent residue--a plus for family members with sensitive skin.

Where ever you use this,

Replace it with this.


Baking soda's mild abrasive action and natural deodorizing properties make it a powerful replacement for harsh commercial scouring powders. Put baking soda to work in your organized home:

Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge to tackle grimy bathtub rings, scour vanities, or remove food deposits from the kitchen sink. For tougher grime, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to the tub or sink, and allow to stand for 10 to 20 minutes. Dirt, soap scum and deposits soften and are easier to remove.

Slow-running drains? Keep bathroom drains running freely by pouring 1/2 to 3/4 cup baking soda into the drain, and dribbling just enough hot water to wash the solution down. Let stand for 2 hours to overnight, then flush thoroughly with hot water. The deodorizing effect is an added bonus! [Do not use this method on blocked drains.

Switch this

With this.


Furniture Polish Recipe
Mix in a sprayer bottle:

1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice

Shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry.

Happy Spring Cleaning to you!

Sunflower Market

If you have not been acquainted yet, let me be the first to introduce you to The Sunflower Market. Their slogan is "serious food......silly prices", and they do not disappoint. Yesterday I went there and I bought:
8 Organic Fuji Apples
2 Bags of Grapes
3 Mango
3 Pears
10 Kiwis
1 Celery
Coming to a grand total of $9.12. No Joke!!
Their adds run from Wednesday to Wednesday and that is the best day to go because the prior week and the current week sales overlap. If you take a reusable bag or just your own plastic bag, they give you 10% off your entire purchase. There is one in Murray and Orem, and also stores in Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Texas. It is a bit if a drive for me but so worth it. Click here to view this weeks add.

Mac & Cheese

Toddlers and Mac & Cheese go hand in hand. When my son got to the table food age I went to the store to find an organic option. I easily found one but it was priced at nearly $4 a box. Needless to say, he was not introduced to mac that day. After checking around, I found Wal-Mart offers the leading brand in organic mac. It ranges in price from .97-$1.19 depending on the day. I have also found it is a common sale item at the health food store, for around $1.30.
There are several different variations from noodle shape to cheese color. I have bought most of them and they are all toddler approved.

This company offers a wide range of kid type food. I always buy them at Wal-Mart because it's the cheapest. They don't offer everything there but of what they do, it is by far the best priced.
Here is a link to their web sight to view other products.

The Dirty Dozen

Buying organic can get really pricey. So I think it is important to spend it where it counts. The fertilizers and pesticides that are used in some conventional produce can be harmful to ingest and cannot be washed off because they are often absorbed into the food. The EWG (Environmental Working Group) suggest that the following be bought organic every time.
peaches

apples

bell peppers

celery

nectarines

strawberries

cherries

pears

imported grapes

spinach

lettuce

potatoes

Of coarse it is the stuff we eat most often so, as always, apply where you can.
Good news though onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mango, asparagus, frozen sweet peas, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and papaya are the "cleanest". So they are fine to buy conventional if you have to choose.

The Name Game

Before I have you all fooled that I am so clever, I may as well let you in on where the name if my blog came from. Meet this gal.

Her name is Sara Snow and she has a show on Fit TV called.......Get Fresh with Sara Snow. This is where I get most of my info and where I will be getting most all of my content for this blog. So I copied her title, sue me, but I do it to give props to where I get my info. If you have Fit TV I suggest you tune in. (or maybe not because my blog will be useless to you then)She has good info and it is generally easy to understand. She talks alot about organics and green living. Some of it is a bit extreme for me at this time but I apply it where I can.

What the heck does all this mean

To be organic produce it must:

Be grown in a field
Free of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers (synthetic pretty much means chemicals and not so great for the body)
And have been following these guidelines for at least 3 years


Organic meat, eggs and dairy means

Animals cannot be fed antibiotics or growth hormones
and fed an all organic diet


When it comes to your packaged products, here is a breakdown of the termanology.

"USDA 100% Organic"Means just that. Everything used in this product is organic.
"USDA Organic"
Means at least 95%of the ingredients are organic.
"USDA Made With Organic Ingredients"Means at least 70% of the ingredients are organic.

When something says all natural it means:

No added artificial coloring
No artificial ingredients
Minimal processing