Healthy Home
Gardening
Have been thinking about gardening lately ... when I was a kid, my parents had a HUGE garden, my mom canned and summers were awesome with all the fresh fruit and veggies we ate. But, I also remember all the hours and hours we spent weeding the garden, picking off thousands of potato bugs, and just all the general upkeep something like that can be.
I know the benefits of gardening your own fruits and veggies are numerous, especially with all the pesticides used in modern day farming ... but with my schedule and having two kiddies 5yr and younger, I just don't have the time to tend a large garden the way it requires. However, I have decided that I want to grow a few veggie plants in a couple extra planters that we have laying around. Should be a little easier to manage than a larger garden 
Here's my first 'baby', a tomato plant:
And, I'm welcome to suggestions for the other two planters too!!!
Sleep ...
So, I've been thinking about sleep lately ... ALOT ... because I haven't had much of it the last few weeks ... my body and mind are tired ... and I need some time to regroup and get back on track to be helpful to all of you, my faithful readers
And with that ... I'll do my best to get some good info to you on Friday ... but if not by then, definitely Monday.
Happy Thursday!!
To buy organic ... or not to buy organic ... that is the question??
Received this article in our weekly newsletter from our chiropractor's office ... this is definitely helpful information for those of us who are trying to eat better, more organically, but are on a rather tight food budget, have several mouths to feed or just gasp at the prices of organic produce. I'm definitely gonna give this a try on my next grocery shopping trip ... will let you know how it works =) Be sure to visit www.foodnews.com for a downloadable PDF version of the list.
12 Foods You Don't Have To Buy Organic and 12 You Should
Environmental Working Group (EWG) (www.ewg.org)
The Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org), a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health, produces the Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce. It is based on the results of nearly 43,000 pesticide tests.
Organic fruits and vegetables are by definition grown without the use of pesticides. But some find the expense of organic foods prohibitive.
Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories in the Guide to Pesticides, the following twelve foods had the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown. Consequently, they are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume.
12 Foods You Don’t Have to Buy Organic:
* Broccoli
* Eggplant
* Cabbage
* Banana
* Kiwi
* Asparagus
* Sweet peas (frozen)
* Mango
* Pineapple
* Sweet corn (frozen)
* Avocado
* Onion
The Environmental Working Group also determined the foods with the most pesticides.
Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories tested, these had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy organic versions - or to grow organically yourself.
12 You Should Always Buy Organic:
* Peaches
* Apples
* Sweet bell peppers
* Celery
* Nectarines
* Strawberries
* Cherries
* Lettuce
* Grapes (imported)
* Pears
* Spinach
* Potatoes
Why should you care about pesticides? The EWG points out that there is a growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can have adverse effects on health, especially during vulnerable periods such as fetal development and childhood.
A few other notes from the EWG: Nectarines had the highest percentage of samples that tested positive for pesticides (97.3 percent) followed by peaches (96.6 percent) and apples (93.6 percent). Peaches had the highest likelihood for multiple pesticides on a single sample: 86.6 percent had two or more pesticide residues.
Also keep in mind that maintaining your family's health is not the only reason to choose organic food. Pesticide and herbicide use contaminates groundwater, ruins soil structures and promotes erosion, and may be a contributor to "colony collapse disorder," the sudden and mysterious die-off of pollinating honeybees that threatens the American food supply. Buying or growing organic food is good for the health of the planet.
Sources:
•FoodNews.org Printable Shopper’s Guide
www.foodnews.org
Homemade Green Remedies
Came across this video on a friend's blog ... some wonderful ideas for homemade, green, earth-friendly remedies ... giving options to help stay away from the nasty chemicals contained in so many products we use on a daily basis. I'm definitely impressed, considering that this info comes from a medical doctor!! Let me know what you think
Sneaky Additions
Recently, my kids have been eating lots and lots of french toast, pancakes, eggs and bacon ... essentially, breakfast at dinner time. And, since their hunger is usually NOT patient, I've been using ALOT of pancake mix ... yes, I could be a better mother and whip up homemade pancakes, but in the 10 minutes it takes to measure and mix the ingredients, I have two 'starving' kids pulling on my legs wondering if it's ready yet.
So, I got to thinking and experimenting with adding some extra 'healthy' ingredients to the batter, without significantly changing the flavor ... 'cause that wouldn't go over very well, either!! Here's what I came up with ... and yes, I know there's many other healthier ways to do this, but I'm not an ultra-health nut, so this works for me and gives peace of mind knowing my kids are not eating complete junk when they want pancakes or french toast every night for a week 
Pancakes:
-- Prepare your pancake mix according to the directions for one batch
-- Add 2/3 cup oatmeal (regular or quick cooking) ... mix and then add 1/2 pkg frozen cooked Butternut Squash (about 1 cup), thawed and 2 tsp. ground cinnamon ... if using regular oats, it's best to let batter to sit for about 5 minutes to allow oats to soften; if using quick oats, it doesn't matter
-- Cook up the healthier yumminess and feed to kids (well, husbands too) ... the pancakes will have a slight yellow-orange hue, but the flavor really isn't changed.
French Toast:
-- Whip up eggs, milk and vanilla extract like normal
-- Add 1/2 pkg frozen cooked Butternut Squash (about 1 cup), thawed and 2 tsp. ground cinnamon ... mix well ... the squash may tend to sit on the bottom of the bowl, so make sure to mix every so often
-- Cook some delicious and healthy breakfast ... feed to your family ... and they'll never know the difference!! Well, these may have a slight yellow-orange hue as well, but the taste remains relatively unchanged.
Yumminess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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