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.




 

Join the Green Blog Hop

Check out some Green blogs with this linky blog hop. It was started by Eco-Friendly and Frugal

But the rules are ... hey they are easy...

1. Add your name... simple! It's ok if it past Friday. It open for the whole week

2. Visit as many blogs as you can/want/ have time for....

3. Post a blog about it, ok you don't have to do that but then we are bloggers right? I had to blog about something I have written a blog in a while...

My carpet is gone....

Well years of stains from spills from crazy teens (after they were pre-teens)  and animal accidents having been driving me crazy about my carpet in the living room..... Part of my birthday present Miss Animal Rights and Tech was to rip up the carpet. See they did Miss Animal rights bedroom... and found realy nice hardwood floor... BUT I told them that seeing how I saw the floor when we drilled the hole for the cable for the TV.

      Carpet is most of the time made of nylon, acrylic, polypropylene, or polyester, and is frequently backed with synthetic SB latex, polyurethane, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The backing or padding is made with SB latex containing  the toxin styrene—considered to to be a  carcinogen. Plus the VOC-containing adhesives that they help tack the carpet down to the floor with.... it's not the healthiest thing to replace.  Plus the carpet holds the dust, dirt and pet dander.  (plus more then just their hair.... You know they keep using the accidents spots cause they can smell it..)... The cleaners that are toxic we use to try to remove the stains  can be overpowering. They leave a residue and some can effect your pets and children.   Plus the stains come right back. All that and they don't disappear?


Oh yea I got one of those $1,000 machines that where suppose to clean the carpet  better than any other machine... They shampooed  my carpet and said if I just keep using their machine the stains will be cleaned.  Because they said regular machine just grind the dirt in. WELL it didn't work and I am glad I didn't pay the extra for the carpet shampooing  tray.... Most carpet holds the dirt and grime cause it is in the padding.

So the green person in me had to find out where I can recycle this.  I found a site that can help you find a center... Carpet America Recovery Effort  is a site to check. The first place to start if you are buying new carpet is the dealer they may recycle your old carpet.

I now have large rugs I use to cover my floors.  You can just throw the rugs in the washing machine and better cleaning.... Sometimes you don't need to wash you can just hang on the line outside and beat the dirt out... I loved doing that when I was younger....

It feels cooler in here but it could just be me cause I don't look down at the stains and the cream colored carpet that has so many discolored spots that make me crazy...... LOL

Now it just the rugs that get balled up from the crazy animals running threw the house........... the four legged too.....

Water water....

AH that special water is harder to get rid of... But I am researching recipes on line... But I find some interesting sites including this Web MD page that states that the company is being sued for ahem false claims for being "healthy."

BUT They say it has vitamins that help you stay healthy. I tell them about this page and the fact that Web MD says "it is just soda without the bubbles...."

So really would you save calories or sugar if you made tea? I had to look... I found a conversion calculator that would tell you how many teaspoons,  tablespoons or cups from how may grams on the label in that water we will call X water.. X water has 2.5 servings per bottle. Now the nutrition label says that it contains 13 grams of sugar.  The conversion calculator calculated that equals 6.849 teaspoons of sugar for 20 ounces of X water. And how much sugar do you put in a cup of tea? Almost 7 teaspoons? Wow.....

125 calories for X water


Green tea=0 Sugar= 15 per teaspoon (2 teaspoon= 30)


Or better yet here is the calories for sugar:

Sugar (Serving size)	Calories
Table Sugar, 1 level teaspoon (4g)	15
Table Sugar, 1 heaped teaspoon (6g)	25
Table Sugar, 1 cup	770
Table Sugar, average (1 cube)	25
Icing Sugar, 1 average tablespoon (12g)	48

hummmm...

Oh yea better for you cause it has vitamins, take a vitamin with a meal it adsorbs better.....
X water - does deserve the extra X's now does it??? 

Add lemon juice there some vitamin C
Add fruit juice and more vitamins...
Ok might add more calories too
Let see with adding a 1/2 cup of pineapple juice it is adding 60 more calories but 10 more grams of sugar: but that is natural sugar not processed sugar which is easier for your body to digest.

BUT 30 + 60= 90 for fruit green tea.
X water remember has 125.....

My Green Cleaning outline

Acetone stuff we use to remove finger nail polish.

Formaldehyde used on dead people.

Parabens it some times has the prefixes methyl-, ethyl-, butyl-, or propyl. They are know to mess with hormones causing miscarriages, trouble getting pregnant, babies development or other hormonal problems.

Turpentine  strong smelling stuff that removes paint.

Paradichlorobenzene a strong pesticide

Phosphoricacid that is used in fertilizers.

Fragrance 1 product can have up too 800 fragrance
additives. -most people get contact dermatitis nasal allergies.
synthetic fragrance - numb your sense of smell.
suspected carcinogens and hormone disruptors linked reproductive disorders

Triclosan – anti-bacterial chemical antibacterial and antibiotic resistance,
kills good, super bug

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate ( SLES)

#1 reported to the Food and Drug Administration for association with
scalp irritation, stinging eyes, and tangled, split, and fuzzy hair
Skin irritation and rashes

Debate with effects on human exposure -
cancer, hormone displacer, damaging to the immune system,

The Basics

Baking Soda- deodorizes, mild abrasive

Vinegar- deodorizes, removes soap film,

Kills mold and mildew

Lemon juice- bleaches and lightens

Borax- kills germs

Salt- antibacterial and cuts grease

soap- veggie based or castile based

Kitchen:
Eco-friendly dish-soap
Baking soda
Salt greasy mess- pans
Scrub pans and dried on mess add baking soda
(careful too much- white film)

Window cleaner
2 tsp of lemon
16 oz water
add a teaspoon of soap and you have a kitchen cleaner...
Halved Potato dipped in salt- remove rust stains from pans.
Oven cleaner- baking soda paste – leave over night

Bathroom

Cleaning the Toilet
Vinegar or Borax
Add to water and scrub with toilet brush
salt on rust stains - squeeze a lime or lemon over them, let sit for several
hours and wipe off.
Baking Soda paste for the tub
Tea tree oil: for mold and mildew add to vinegar/water solutions
White vinegar : removes soap scum + kill mold and mildew.
Household Cleaner 1 6 oz.
2 tbsp vinegar
3 tsp borax
Fill bottle almost to top with hot water add the borax and vinegar.
OR
1 cup of water
1 cup of vinegar
Pour into spray bottle. Good for lightly soiled counters and surfaces
lavender, clove, and tea tree oil (an excellent natural fungicide) — that are
very antiseptic,

Spot cleaner
Hydrogen Peroxide
Apply to spot let dry repeat if needed. Great for blood stains on clothes.
Club Soda with a little soap let sit for a while then rinse threw.


Drain Cleaner :
baking soda followed by vinegar or lemon juice
Boiling water
Clogged stand water
washing soda – follow with baking soda cleaner
Good for Fighting hair clogs
A snake!


Air Fresheners

cause- Asthma allergies

Instead use:
Fresh flowers or plants
Lavender sachets
diffusers -pure essential oil
herbs
Baking soda
Clean!
.
Air breeze
1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vinegar (or lemon juice), and 2 cups hot
water in a spray bottle - spray air to remove odors

Laundry:
Lemon juice: whitening of clothes +sun
brighten white: ½ cup borax or washing soda
½ cup of vinegar to your rinse water. Removes soap residue

Odors and Stains
Spray full-strength distilled white vinegar on underarms and collars
oily spot mix Borax and warm water and let it sit—20 minutes for a light,
fresh stain, and two hours for a heavy, set stain—

Vodka
treat poison ivy
vodka and a teaspoon of sugar to the water - flower vase
insect repellent straight up!
A shot to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo - shinny hair
Mold - let sit for 15 minutes
tooth ache

The companies On top:

Method
Seventh Generation
ECOS (earth friendly products)
Dr. Bronners  

Money is green!

Can it be? Is the money we spend not only green in color but also green as in eco-friendly? SO when I heard the comment that our money is green; that the government uses eco-friendly ways to make money I had to google this to make sure this is true. This is what I found.

The Us Mint was the first place there was just general information. So I found the site for a company that had received the very first contract to produce the paper for our money. Crane and Co. Looking on their site I found that they indeed use eco-friendly ways to produce our dollars!

Currency paper is composed of 25% linen and 75% cotton. Red and blue synthetic fibers of different lengths are distributed throughout the bill. Prior to World War I the fibers were made of silk. Now we use a polymer fiber to make it harder for counterfeiting.

This is the ways that Crane and Co. use eco-friendly ways to make our dollar bills:

Cotton ginning waste. After ginning and combing there is fibers left over but not the quality for clothing. They are mostly the fiber that are attached to the cotton seed called linters. Million pounds of linters are used and saved from the landfills each year. Plus the linters are 100 percent pure alpha cellulose. That in turn equal a minimum of waste product.

Textile cuttings:. After cutting the fabric cotton broadcloth textile companies will have yards of scraps that aren't usable in garments. For centuries this is how our paper was made. From cotton rags where the source for paper fiber. It was in 1860 trees where used as paper fiber.

Water based inks. Made with vegetable oils and lower vapor pressure solvents. Low VOCs.
Crane & Co. who prints most of the paper money in circulation also has energy eco-friendly ideas. They use steam from a local waste-to-energy facility that they themselves started in 1984. This would have been over 2 Million gallons of gas per year. Not bad!

The waste is used for compost and added to topsoil.

Green? I thought I was being Lazy and/or Frugal!

It is everywhere.. the evening news, some of our favorite shows on TV, magazines and on line; hints to help you go green. The simple ways you can save energy and reduce your carbon footprint.

Many of them I do out of the way I was raised. My parents grow up on farms. Way Way Way long time ago. They learned to conserve water just because they had to get it from the pump out in the back yard. If you used all the water you had to go pump more. They raise their family that way. Conserving helped with the bills and of course left more disposable income. Pinching pennies as my dad called it.
I can hear them now:

Turn off the lights if you are done in there.
You have been in that shower long enough Young lady
Shut the refrigerator door!
Shut the door you are letting all the heat out!!
Are you done watching TV? Turn it off.

So I been told that paying my bills on line is green, huh I thought I was being lazy. I don't have to find a place to park. Stand in line forever some days.... Then be greeted by a very bored sounding teller. I want to say I am sorry my deposit is boring you.

Making things from scratch. I could make a cake cheaper than they want at the store and MINE taste better. The other half will not be thrown away because it sat on the counter for two days.

Eat one vegetarian meal a day will help cut carbon emissions. Ok so I have a vegetarian daughter so to make 2 different meal would be not worth it at times. I really do like pasta without meat and vegetarian chili.

Grow your own food. I'm trying to do that, I have a couple little green tomatoes and a pepper... Free food!

The microwave and crock pot are energy savers. I love using my crock pot! It cooks slowly and makes the food so tender. I can home from work and my food will be done. How easy is that. The microwave is good for quick snacks and defrosting. 60 seconds away from a hot snack.

Run only full loads. First off I don't have a dishwasher but I think I make sure it was full before washing them. My luck I forget one glass or fork and have to start the cycle over!! Laundry isn't hard to have a full load, ask any mom. Just keep your teen-ager away from washing that favorite pair of jeans by themselves!!

Did think that the things you do to save money really had a green shade to it? I guess I am a dark shade of green then I thought..........

Speaking of Back to School

Center for Health, Environment & Justice released the PVC-Free Back-to-School Guide. There is a smart pocket sized guilde to print out to take to the store with you..
.

They tell you that bad news happens in 3's so don't buy PVC.
I thought when I was reading this leaves of 3; leave it be!!
Humm it is summer I guess you know where my mind is.

Any packages with 3's on them use for craft supplies or to hold odd and ends if you have any. Or recycle them.

With all being said about the plastic containers that would leach phthalates or BPA . Just a reminder that phthalates or BPA causes damage to humans. It is been linked to birth defects, hormonal imbalances and cancer. So many green sites are on side of removing all plastics. I however found at the Good Housekeeping site where they tested the plastic containers for levels phthalates or BPA and out most of the plastic containers didn't leach. They have the recycling number 5 in the arrows. They used spaghetti sauce to test them. We know how spaghetti sauce reacts to plastic... Truth is I wouldn't reheat food in them cause I fear melting the plastic but will take food to work in them, now I just feel better about my choice.

Seems like many of those old notebooks from the last year school year didn't get many pages removed. When my daughter was younger we would make them new again by getting stickers. Even the stickers I pay more than I would just to have a sticker was still cheaper than a new notebook. Or markers and stickers. Saying like "Too cool for school" was written on her notebooks became her favorite ones. When she hit middle school she would reuse them without the stickers knowing we would have more money for clothes, which to a pre-teen was more important.

Carolina Pad Give away- Go green fro back to school

At Clueless_Momma's Guessing all the way site she has a great give away just in time for back to school. Hey some of the schools in Cleveland start next week.
Carolina Pad has a green line the Sasquatch Collection Notebooks and dividers have made out of recycled paper. That is 80 % of the paper is recycled product. Pencil clutches are polyvinyl free.

Ok my first thought was that of many green companies that the only I would be able to get these notebooks was to order on line. Nope there are at many popular stores in my home town and your hometown. Places like Target, Staples, Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Walgreens. Yes one Idea book is on my shopping list.

Plus check out the other product line called the Kendall Kollection . It may not be green but it does have a big heart. The line was developed for the 2 year old cousin one of the signature designers that was fighting leukemia. It helps raise funds and awareness for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
The cousin luckily is now 6 and is in remission.

So check out Guessing all the way to enter for a Carolina Pad giveaway.
Good Luck!!!!

Green your cleaning products

Why?

What's wrong with the cleaners at the store?

I wanted to find cleaners that were good for the environment. The fact that I get contact dermatitis from many cleaning products is the strong driving force for me to find new ways to clean my home.

Just an Idea for why it is dangerous to use these cleaners here is some of the things that are in your cleaners right now:
Acetone you know the stuff we use to remove finger nail polish. Formaldehyde the stuff they use on dead people. Parabens it some times has the prefixes methyl-, ethyl-, butyl-, or propyl. They are know to mess with hormones causing miscarriages, trouble getting pregnant, babies development or other hormonal problems. Turpentine the strong smelling stuff that removes paint. Paradichlorobenzene is in our cleaners and it is a strong pesticide and we use it in our bathrooms! Phosphoric acid that is used in fertilizers. Fragrance Yea that's not good cause 1 product can have up too 400 fragrance additives. Fragrance is what most people get contact dermatitis from. And nasal allergies.

Then the things that we really have no idea what the heck they are but can cause cancer, liver damage, kidney, brain, nerve damage, depression, or hormone problems are: Diethanolamine (DEA), D-limonene, Methylene chloride. Ethoxylated nonyl phenol, Monoethanolamine, Sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate (wow say that three time fast..), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Toluene and Xylene. That is just from our homes and the cleaners we use there. Many chemicals these cleaning products are the same as what they use in industrial settings.

The effects on the environment is whole other web page! But this is human contact threw the home that scientists are concern about prolong exposure can have on us all.

The basics

Must haves for every home

Baking Soda- deodorizes, mild abrasive
Vinegar- deodorizes, removes soap film,
Kills mold and mildew
Lemon juice- bleaches and lightens
Borax- kills germs
Salt- antibacterial and cuts grease
Liquid soap- veggie based or castile based
Fels-Napa soap- stain remover (even blood)

Store bought cleaners are expensive and green products are even more! I have used the basics most of the time for cleaning. When I was out of work due to a medical leave and had government assistance for food, I found more ideas. I had little money to send on cleaning products.

Some of my recipes are from the women in my family or my friends. But most are tried and used in my home. If they are being tried out for the first time I will let you know.

General cleaning recipes

Scrubbing powder

Baking soda with a little soap works great on scrubbing anywhere. Just be careful with the baking soda it will leave a white film if using to much. Can be used to freshen cutting boards

Salt is good if the surface is greasy (meat grease, oil products) Help break down the grease to be easily cleaned with soap

Household cleaner 16 oz. bottle

2 tbsp vinegar
3 tsp borax

Fill bottle almost to top with hot water add the borax and vinegar.

OR
1 cup of water
1 cup of vinegar

Pour into spray bottle. Good for lightly soiled counters and surfaces

Window cleaner
2 tsp of lemon
16 oz water

add a teaspoon of soap and you have a kitchen cleaner...

Spot cleaner
Hydrogen Peroxide
Apply to spot let dry repeat if needed. Great for blood stains on clothes.
Club Soda with a little soap let sit for a while then rinse threw.

Cleaning the Toilet
Vinegar or

Borax
Add to water and scrub with toilet brush