Sproutman’s Basic Sprout Bread
Soak 1 cup of hard wheat in a jar for 8–10 hours. Sprout in your Sproutbag for 2 days. Examine the seed for the shoot. The shoot is short, thick, and grows in the opposite direction of the hairlike roots. In order to achieve the desired consistency, the shoot must be the length of the […]
Halloween: The Organic Way
Halloween is truly a kid’s holiday—good friends, creative costumes, fun-filled parties with spooky themes, and candy. Lots of sugary candy! Too many sugary treats in your kid's possession and the inevitable arguments that ensue over this treasured trove can be a parent’s worst food nightmare. This Halloween doesn’t have to be so scary. Upgrade your […]
Earth-friendly Halloween Tips
Here are a few tips to help make your Halloween a little easier on the environment. Make your own costumeA visit to your local thrift store can provide a variety of used clothing and accessories for trick-or-treating costumes. Bring the children and let them create their outfits using what's available. Resist the urge to buy […]
Cool School Lunches
As you know by now, all parents have a different idea of what is healthy food and what is not. For years, you have had the opportunity to hand select and monitor what your child eats for lunch. Now it is time to test their ability. It is only natural for your child’s eyes to […]
Homemade Baby Food: A Fresh Start to Healthy Eating
Introducing solid foods is a very important step in your baby’s development and well-being. In fact, studies show that babies who are fed nutritious, healthy diets grow into stronger kids and better-adjusted eaters than those who are fed poor diets. Many parents don’t realize that making baby food at home is a simple and economical […]
Birds Prefer Organic
Organic farms in Great Britain attract more wildlife than nonorganic farms. A study funded by the British government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reported that organic farms in the UK had 109 percent more wild plants and 85 percent more plant species than did nonorganic farms. The farms attracted an average of 32% […]
Beware of Pesticides
If you still are not convinced about the wisdom of buying only organic food, you may wish to take a look at the latest studies on the world’s best-selling agricultural chemical, Roundup®. Roundup is the brand name for an herbicide whose main ingredient is glyphosate. According to a report in the June 2005 issue of […]
What is the Slow Food movement?
The Slow Food movement was founded in Italy in 1986 by Carlo Petrini and is an international association that works to combat the standardization of food and wine around the world. According to the Slow Food movement’s mission, “Slow Food believes the enjoyment of excellent foods and wines should be combined with efforts to save […]
Are all organic foods healthy?
Although I believe that organic foods are healthier than their conventional counterparts, not all organic foods are health supportive. In fact, my local health-food market has entire aisles dedicated to cookies and potato chips. When buying processed, packaged organic foods, it is still important to read labels as any processed foods may be loaded with […]
Is it okay to buy imported produce when fresh fruits and vegetables are not in season in my area?
While it is exciting to find bright, shiny nectarines in the middle of February, out-of-season fruits and vegetables may be more heavily sprayed and treated for more-consistent results and to survive shipping long distances. If the produce was not grown in the U.S., there is also a possibility that it was treated with a chemical […]
The Pumpkin and Friends
The pumpkin: a harbinger of happy times and one of the most welcome signs of fall. Pumpkins appear stacked up and rolling in various directions at farm stands, or may debut along with other squash at farmers’ markets. And, they will always mark the season's spookiest holiday, Halloween disguised grimaced or gawking on doorsteps across […]
Home Care: Tips from MaryJane Butters
Make Your Carpet SafeGood news: You can seal the carpet in your house with a three-step process using products that form a barrier to prevent outgassing. Carpets are built with nasty things like formaldehyde and 1,1,1 trichloroethane, which release an alphabet soup of unpronounceable compounds, most of which challenge your immune system. Many of these […]