Unique fruits and vegetables

I'm not sure if this would be accepted in this country maybe if we call them unique fruits and vegetables. But this is what normal food looks like. I remember the first time I saw a perfectly round tomato I was shocked they looked so round. Having eaten tomato from a plant  made me think that the grocery store got the ruts off the plant... LOL Now those tomatoes are call heirloom tomatoes. And are more per pound.




 

I finally got a new car!

I did it. Well I kinda had too... I have been driving my old car for over 10 years. I had been saving money for a down deposit having no car payments... so when the old girl was having problems where the body shop had no idea what was happening... I knew she was tired and falling apart.

 I can't afford a hybrid. So I got a new Kia Soul. A nice little compact SUV or is it a crossover? LOL But it gets 30 MPG combined. And yes it has a MPG meter on the dashboard. I am getting between 28-30 MPG. Doing the happy dance. I am still get use to the driving but felt safe during the snow storm I had to drive threw the other night on my way home.

So Disappointing!

H.R.933 passed!? The same bill that is been nicknamed monsanto-protection act. President Obama signed in the bill.... even after 250,000 people sending the message to him to veto.... Many members of Congress have received $7,450,434 from organizations that use GMO..........Senator Roy Blunt a member of the Appropriations Committee, has received $70,592 from the PACs of these organizations. Read the numbers at Mother Earth News...

Start at 1:20 for the info not all the news intro stuff...

 

Made In the USA

A quote from Diane Sawyer and Nightline I heard the other night:


"The average American will spend $700 on holiday gifts and goodies this year, totaling more than $465 billion, the National Retail Federation estimates. If that money was spent entirely on US made products it would create 4.6 million jobs. But it doesn't even have to be that big. If each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during our holiday shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs."

While buying our hliday gifts we should look to see where that item is made. Why wouldn't Americans want to buy $64 on something made in the USA?.  To help keep and get jobs in this country

 Made in America companies that I have found.

For the Foodie:
 Pyrex
Nordic Ware
 All-Clad
KitchenAid Appliances

Kids Toys
 Holgate Toys
K'NEX
 Crayola 

                                                                                    Decortating or Hostess Gifts:
                                                                                    Yankee Candles

So any more you know of? Share the knowledge

Green Tuesdays

Green America is starting a grass roots campaign that is asking after the Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday madness to shop for the environment and local business.  Calling All Tuesdays in December Green Tuesday.

 It's been said that the trend  for this years shopping is the local business shopping.  Etsy  is blogging that Cyber Monday was the biggest selling day they have had!  My local news is reporting that the area "craft shows" and pop up local artist shops are having great sales increases this year.  The local shops are doing great!

My co-worker and friend has sold out many of her shows that even surprised her.   As it is needed.  She depends on the money she makes at the shows for her holiday shopping.  But she teased me that it is more work, she has one big mess in her living room cause she had to make more stuff for the next day...

It's great to hear how people are getting it and buying from their local stores and small business or artist.  It's also kinda heart warming to hear the sales of t-shirts with our city are up too. Could it be the money is tight could it be that  they rather buy something from someone close to them.  OWS? That people are sick and tired of sending their money in a big box store that CEO make so much more that the average person?

Whatever the reason it is good to see that local businesses getting what they deserve!

Right! Corn Sugar sounds so much better.....

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has petitioned the FDA to change the name of High Fructose Corn Syrup to Corn Sugar.  They want to clear up any misbelieves that the product isn't natural.  For it is made with corn hence the name corn sugar.  But the forget to tell you that it is chemically altered and zapped into the product. It isn't even 100% fructose it can be a high as 58% glucose..

  HRCS  (High Fructose Corn Syrup) sales are at a 20 year all time low....  Now the new ad campaign is to change the name and even more commercials on TV a brand new website  Sweet Surprise dot com.... Where they have some experts telling us that the sugar is natural and the body doesn't know the difference - even after studies show that it is. With links to diabetes in study from Rutgers University as well as obesity as a  Princeton Study shows.   Mercury in the product also according to the Ethicurean  The heavy metal blamed for autism and many brain disorders See they use caustic soda is to separate corn starch from the corn kernel. See the caustic soda is made in industrial chlorine plants that where the mercury becomes part of the HFCS. FDA and USDA knew about this and did NOTHING! But here is a site that has a list of the worst and the top of the list Oatmeal to go......

Yes, HFCS  is ok in moderation..  but truly look at your labels and you will see that many items have HFCS in them.  The diabetes study shows that just adding the compound found in tea can off set the effect  in diabetics.....  Many people also say the obesity study could be wrong due to the fact the subjects could be also eating high processed foods, with additives. preservatives and colorings. Yea that can't help the cause either, so that is more reason to cut down on all of them!!

Sales of items that have labels of Contains No High Fructose Corn Syrup are popping up all over the place. Log cabin syrups, ketchup's, both Heinz and Hunts, many things even the throw back  sodas! So I think that the public is catching on.....  I also hope if the FDA agrees with the name change that most consumers will  catch on to that too... Guess No corn sugar isn't as strong sounding as  No  High Fructose Corn Syrup! 

What do you think? A name change fair?  Have you cut back eating htings with HFCS?

1 Year Old!!!

Oh no not my baby or grandbaby, it is well yea my baby, my blog! Turning shades of Green is now 1 year old!! YEA!

When I first started this blog I did fall into the trap of .... HAVE to have tons of followers... must have tons of readers..... But you know that takes way to much time... trying joining  different groups like Mom Bloggers Club which is where I found many blogs to follow myself! And many of you wonder  followers came from. I learn about blogging and found some great tips. Being on different social sites joining the groups on the site to try to get more followers, it felt like more of a chore and then it hit me.... do it for myself for they will come... LOL.    I added a banner of my blog to my social web sites and things like that... ok if they come and start to follow they want to read my info!

I started to see my blog as a journal of sorts. A place where I can type my mind. A place where I could find other moms with the same drive I have. Many green moms out there, does my soul some good. But stopped worrying about the numbers.  Began to enjoy the ride, the process of what I want to say, to read my blogs I follow to comment where I can.

Now it just so relaxing/ I find  myself saying to myself wow I think I should write a blog about this....  Not worry about how many followers I have.  But what I can put down into words for those who want to read my blog. AND not worry if they read every single blog.  Like me they read what is interesting to them.

 Come join the party!!

Black Tea and Green Tea

I have been trying to cut down on my pop drinking. I used to drink 2 or 3 cans a day. Plus I really don't drink very much water. I don't like the taste of water. I know water isn't suppose to have a taste and I do live in the city. So I have been drinking more tea. I mix green and black tea.

We have heard that green tea is a anti-oxidant that is good to drink for our health but the same is said about black tea! Fact is that green tea is just slightly higher in anti-oxidants! Green tea fights bacterial infections and black tea fight viruses. Cover all the bases for things that way. It is cough and cold season.

Benefits I learn about both black and green teas:

caffeine isn't overstimulating to the heart
increases concentration
raises the HDL cholesterol levels (that the good kind)
relieve diarrhea
Fights tooth decay
Helps open airways for asthmatics
Raises your metabolism rates to aid in weigh loss
Reduces Stress

Plus they believe and are doing studies on the affects of both teas on cancer cells. They are believed to help blood clots from forming to cause strokes and heart attacks. Help suppresses the Cox-2 gene that triggers inflammation, says research at Rutgers. This they believe will help arthritis.
Not too shabby, for a cup of tea.