I found this on Pure Natural Diva, and thought it important to share here. It is a presentation by EWG (Environmental Working Group) of chemicals found in the blood of 10 Americans. The 10 are a representative sampling in The Human Toxome Project. Take a few moments to watch the videos. The cost was $10,000.00 to test each sample. Who could do that? Not many of us, but the results were very interesting!
Dear Cookie:
For your sake, I am sorry that you have met your demise. However, if you remember, I warned you. I told you that you were only for a small fraction of folk, and that, especially in this downturned economy, you were in danger of extinction. For my sake, I am less than thrilled that you replaced the remainder of my subscription with a substitute magazine called Lucky. Lucky me!
Dear Lucky:
If I were still purchasing all the wares that the commercial retail market has to offer, you might almost be the magazine for me. Where Cookie was for someone so NOT me with its offerings of $300.00 blazers for my four-year-old and $50.00 hair bows for my toddler and all manner of decadence, you appear on the surface to offer something closer to functional simplicity. However, upon closer inspection, you also mostly offer the same ridiculously priced decadence that Cookie tried to peddle.
In short, no fashion magazine is going to be right for me these days. I am not a slave to fashion or consumerism, and am much more concerned with the state of our economy and the people with no food, shelter, or employment to care about reading magazines that do not teach something useful. So, you can also keep your monthly periodical to yourself.
Maybe you could send me Organic Gardening, Backwoods Home, Wilderness Way, Clotilde, and Knit1 instead.
Regards,
Recently, I ran across a blog called Wild About Nature, and the post of the day was about a grain called Teff. I thought I was pretty well informed about the many different types of grain in existence, but it turns out, there are gaps in my knowledge. Such is always the case (since one cannot possibly know everything)! Luckily, I love learning. And now I have an entry for "what I learned today."
Teff is also known as Lovegrass, Annual Bunch Grass, or Warm Season Annual Bunch Grass and is said to have been domesticated in Ethiopia about 4000–1000 BC. It is grown primarily as a cereal crop in Ethiopia. It is also ground into flour and used in flatbread (injera), eaten as porridge, or to make home-brew alcoholic beverages. The grain is considered good forage for livestock, and the straw fibers are used to reinforce mud and plaster used in construction. Teff can be used in many recipes, such as pancakes, hushpuppies, cookies, and muffins. (Teff Factsheet)
Teff is one of the smallest grains in the world, measuring about 1/150th the size of a grain of wheat. It is a gluten-free grain, and packs a pretty nice nutritional punch. According to Marilee's Teff page: "One cup of cooked teff contains 387 milligrams of calcium (40 percent of the USRDA, which is more than milk), 15 milligrams of iron (100 percent of the USRDA and twice as much iron as wheat and barley) and is high in protein as well as fiber. A rich source of boron, copper, phosphorus, zinc."
Teff can be purchased from Bob's Red Mill at approximately $4.00/pound. (Visit Marilee's Teff page for other purchase information.) It is relatively expensive, considering that you can purchase organic whole wheat flour from Bob's Red Mill for about $1.29/pound. If you have to follow a gluten-free diet, it might be worth a try.
The positives: high in nutrition, unaltered from its ancient state (to my knowledge), non-gmo, REAL FOOD
The negatives: it is definitely not local to anybody in the U.S., relatively high price
I am not sure this grain will be on my shopping list anytime soon because I want to eat more locally than sourced from Ethiopia, but I will tuck it away in my pocketful of knowledge in case I ever need to change that position.
If you want to read more about Real Food and ways you can be a food renegade and enjoy Fight Back Fridays, visit Real Food Media. You don't have to consider yourself a "Food Renegade" but I kind of like the term. Leave me comments about your food thoughts!
Sometimes I just go bumbling around the internet searching for topics that interest me to see what I might find to share. Last night, I searched YouTube for "sewing" and "nature" together.
I found this wonderful video on freehand sewing machine embroidery. The piece is called "The People Tree" and WOW! I am impressed.
I am still just attempting to draw with thread. Here is someone who clearly has a pretty decent grasp! I'll let you know how that goes for me...I have some ideas up my sleeve. Mr. Nature, Amilia, and I are collaborating on some original embroidery patterns. To be sewn by hand. Or maybe by machine?
I have not shared a Change The World Wednesday with you in some time, but I like the one that begins today, so I am forgoing Word Wednesday this week to...Change the World.
The challenge, as it comes from Reduce Footprints:
This week, "plan an oven- and stove-free day, and no cheating and going out to eat! Have sandwiches, cut up fruit, veggies with dip, leftovers from a previous dinner that you can heat in the microwave**. Plan ahead and make a pasta salad you can eat cold for a few days. Have hummus, feta cheese, and spinach on a pita or wrap. There are tons of healthy, delicious meals you can have without having to turn on the stove! As an added plus, many of the meals are quick and easy to prepare!" **I'd like to bump up What A Card's challenge ... how about including microwave-free, as well.
As for me, I have not used a microwave in about 7 years, and I agree with omitting any microwaving as well. I personally believe them to be hazardous to our health, but if you are a user, give it up on the challenge day.
I think I am going to try to make Saturday my day for this challenge. I'll share how it goes!
Recently, I ran across a free pattern for small knitted hearts at MochimochiLand. My idea was to knit them to donate to the Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy shop, so I emailed the pattern designer for permission. She graciously gave permission for me to use her free pattern(s) in connection with charity donations [with proper credits, of course].
Sadly, Craft Hope's shop stopped taking donations for a time, as of January 20, and I was not fast enough. I may still be able to donate to the HeartsForHaiti charity Etsy shop, however. All their proceeds also go to Doctors Without Borders and their relief efforts in Haiti.
So, I wanted to share MochimochiLand with you. I thought you might like the blog where you can see a tiny dino, tiny corn, and a tiny tube of toothpaste. Or the shop where you can purchase patterns for many more adorable toys and stuffies. Like this super cool [and slightly macabre] snake and mouse (pattern available for $5.00):
Or, the free patterns area where you will find several really fun patterns to tempt you to your needles. I have mastered the hearts, and now will attempt the snail family. I just might have to take on the snake and mouse soon as well.
This is not a sponsored post or a review post because I have not received anything in return for posting and I have not yet experienced doing business with Hometown Seeds. I will receive a packet of survival seeds for sharing the link to Hometown Seeds survival seeds, and I have been offered the same 10% off purchase as offered to my readers (details below). At this time, I cannot express an opinion about this company one way or another.
However, I received an email offering myself and my readers 10% off the total cost of any order between 01/21/2010 and 02/28/2010. All you have to do is choose your items, then enter coupon code thanks upon checkout. I was encouraged to share this offer with my readers, so I am sharing.
Here are the categories they offer on the site:
Survival Seeds
Annual Flower Seeds
Perennial Flower Seeds
Garden Vegetable Seeds
Herb Seeds
Wildflower Seeds
Miscellaneous Seeds
Best Sellers
The survival seeds package consists of 16 varieties of non-hybrid seeds. My search for "heirloom" yielded results for Bonnie Best tomatoes and Cimarron Romaine lettuce.
I do like their GMO disclosure policy. Here it is from their site:
Hometown’s Safe Seed Pledge
"Seeds are the core of our business and vital to life on our planet. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. We pledge that we will not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds. We are not confident in the safety of GMO seeds and therefore will not sell them to our valued customers. We believe they are being released for public use prematurely. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds."
Spring is fast approaching, and it is time to get your planting underway. One of the first things a gardener, balcony gardener, or patio farmer needs to know is what plants to plant. In order to choose what plants will do well where you live, you need to know some basic facts about the hardiness of the plants you wish to grow.
From the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening:
Hardiness is the quality which enables plants to survive the climatic conditions of the particular area where they are to be placed. When gardeners speak of a "hardy" plant, they usually mean one which will survive the winter. But the term can also be applied to plants native to a cold climate which will survive the heat of a more temperate climate. Gardeners quickly learn from experience that the degree of hardiness of a given plant can vary greatly according to local conditions. There are many variables...
So, you must know the hardiness of the plant, but that only gives you half the story. Next, you must know in what "hardiness zone" you live. And, even when you know that, you still must "keep in mind that local variations such as moisture, soil, winds, and other conditions might affect the viability of individual plants." (Arbor Day Foundation Hardiness Zone lookup by zip code) If you live outside North America in a European country, you can check the Europe Hardiness Zone Map and select your country. The European map is offered by Garden Web.com.
I live in Zone 7b to almost 8, so I need plants that will do well in zones 7 and 8. Some information breaks it down even further, and I often choose to find plants that will grow in zone 7b and 8a. (The Garden Helper.com) Now I can look in many places, including the National Gardening Association, to find out what plants grow in zones 7 and 8. Once you know your zone and some basic information about plant hardiness, you will need to know how to read a seed packet. If you know this, you will find great ease and enjoyment in selecting your seeds and perusing the seed packets on the shelf.
My personal opinion is that one should always look for heirloom seeds and keep them stocked! I explained this preference last year in a post offering information about types of seed. Now, I am off to plan my garden, inventory my seeds, and make a list of seeds to acquire. Indoor seed sowing is just around the corner!
I have never made a quilt. I was determined to give it a try. In November, I made a top, cut a bottom, and cut borders for the Craft Hope quilt project. Then I sent it unsewn because I didn't want to mess it up, and there was an option to have it finished by the donee, Margaret's Hope Chest.
I shared this on my sister blog yesterday, but I think it is so important that I want to share here today as well. I have been wondering what I might do to help in Haiti. Having been hit with unemployment by this economy, I do not have funds to send. I have been told by former president Bush to "just send your cash" instead of any blankets or water. (Yahoo news story; Obama, Bush, Clinton)
So, that leaves me aching for those hurt by this tragedy, with no way to help. Today, Craft Hope has provided me with an answer. Craft Hope has opened an Etsy shop called Craft Hope for Haiti, and this shop is run completely on donated items. The full proceeds of sales from this shop will go to the Doctors Without Borders Haiti relief effort.
In just 24 hours, the Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy shop had 162 sales and raised just around $4,000. At the time of this posting, the shop is up to 346 sales and climbing! That is a wonderful statistic, and I hope to help keep it growing. In addition, Craft Hope has added a section in the Etsy shop called "kid craft," so if you know any crafty kids who want to get in on helping the Haiti relief effort, here is their opportunity.
I have turned the badge into one that you can grab and share. Find it in my top right sidebar.
Sometimes I find things that I want to share with you, but they are already written so well elsewhere. Today, I am going to share with you some links to stories that got me thinking today. Some got my blood boiling. Some gave me hope.
Dr. Mercola: Why Haven't Fruit and Vegetable eaters been told about this toxic overload?
Happy Tot Baby Food Recall
However, if you go to the HappyBabyFood.com website, you will not find anything about a recall on their homepage. So, if you didn't find out about this from some other source, and you didn't know to click on the News tab in the navigation bar, and if you didn't look at the right sidebar while you were there, you woudn't know about the recall. Luckily, I have no babies at home and do not use this product. I would be making my own baby food from scratch at home if I did still have babies here. Thanks to Non-Toxic Kids on Twitter for sending out this information for me to find.
Feeding Your Family: Cheap and/or Green from PlasticLess.com
Doctors Without Borders lending aid in Haiti
I am wondering what might be my best way to help those in the disaster in Haiti. There are many places to send money, but I will be doing some further investigation into which I think is the best place to give. Yesterday, TripAdvisor.com sent out an email list of charities helping in Haiti. Here is their list:
The American Red Cross
Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 (billed to your phone)
The United Nations World Food Program
The Salvation Army
Action Against Hunger
Project HOPE
Partners in Health
I have a secret! But it will not be revealed for a couple of weeks. I have been asked to review an item that I am super excited to review. With spring arriving in 64 days, it is the time of year that I begin to itch with impatience for planting, gardening, and all manner of outdoor enjoyment.
I have begun to sort through seed packets and catalogs and gardening books. I have begun to mentally assemble my assortment of pruning shears and hedge trimmers. I have been thinking about fixing the bridge that we neglected to fix last summer. I have been planning an expansion to the chicken coop. We have talked with the neighbors about placing new posts for the row of mailboxes.
I have been thinking about sprucing up my entrance gate with some nicer house numbers. And, every day, I have been wondering what I might do with a particular item to breathe into it some new life. Enter the promo team with an email that says "Hey, would you like to review one of those?" How did they know I was in the market for finding just that item?
There is a Danish word, Hygge, that defies direct translation, but means warmth, comfort, coziness, fellowship, and simplicity. It does mean these things, but it doesn't ONLY mean these things, and it is said that even the sum of these words cannot completely convey the meaning. VisitDenmark.com gives its pronounciation as "hooga" though it is said that it also defies pronunciation by any but the Danes.
More than a word with a meaning in English, hygge embodies a state of being. It is described as the feeling you have when you are with your best of friends and family, huddled around the warmth of a mid-December fire on overstuffed sofas with a dram of Glogg in hand. Soft music is playing in the background and you are sharing stories and toasts by candlelight.
Having experienced hygge firsthand, I must tell you it is a wonder to behold. I look for it in every nook and crannie of this life, and have decided to embrace it wherever and whenever it presents itself. In these mugs at a local coffee shop, a little hygge was lying in wait. The rustic, forged iron fork lent a little. The carrot zucchini bread did its part. We were content.
...always invites my senses to explore and my mind to dream. I don't know if it is so with everybody, but those of us who are packrats (okay, hoarders)...nay, FANCIERS of things are drawn to aged goods like rats to the flute.
Yesterday, I ran across a box of old papers next to a box of old photographs in the "junk" store. I am always fascinated by old used postcards, old letters, old photos, and other items of a personal nature. In the same manner, I have enjoyed non-fiction personal narrative books, like Pepys' (pronounced Peeps) diary.
In this box of papers, I found an envelope from The First National Bank of Ashland, Oregon containing a statement and several canceled checks. What fun to be afforded a glimpse into the world of 1936 personal finance. The study of history in itself was always frightfully dull to me, but artifacts showing a snapshot of the history of a person I can see in my mind make it ever more interesting.
This person had more money in his bank account than I have at times had altogether in lean times. He had a wife (some of the checks are signed by "Mrs.". He had people in Colorado (the back of the canceled check above bears a Colorado stamp). Items that were also in the junk box included a letter from someone in Colorado, a marriage announcement in Oregon, and a high school report card. These ranged in time from 1919 to 1936.
From these items, I can construct a life and a past and a future and all manner of life events for this person. My dormant writer's mind is intrigued. Writing a fictional account of the life of this "character" would take me to an in-depth exploration of the history of 1900 through 1940 that would, in that context, be anything but dull. History teachers take heed: You could have had me if you had only produced a letter, a locket, a ribbon-tied stack of recipes...
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