What's On the Outside

So I've been thinking that not only are we exposed to chemicals and pesticides by the food we eat but also by what we put on our bodies. So I've been working on switching out some of the other products that we use in our home too.

I bought some toothpaste called Toms of Maine. It tastes a little different...probably because it doesn't have the sweeteners and random chemicals in it...but it is approved by the ADA so we'll keep trying that and see if we like it. I also found some deodorant that they make. It seemed a little sticky for the first hour but then it was good.

I also got a new conditioner Yes To Carrots. It smells good and feels good! They have cucumber and tomato too!

I also bought the 7th Generation Free & Clear detergent and Arm & Hammer dryer sheets...these smell sooo good I may switch to them before the Bounce is gone!

Every little bit helps!

Do It Yourself

If you can't find the organic produce that your looking for then grow it yourself! I thought I'd try a container garden. Unfortunately with all the rain we got last month my cucumber and eggplant plants got drowned. But our red pepper plant is doing well with 6 peppers growing on it!

I also thought I'd try that Topsy Turvy tomato plant grower. We do have 1 small tomato growing but the plant doesn't seem to be doing so well. It's only growing on one side so I'm thinking that maybe the way we have it hanging isn't right. I also got a strawberry plant and some seeds but nothing grew. I had some cilantro growing, but Bodie, the big black dog, peed on it and killed it! So I'm thinking I'll go ahead with a garden plot in the Fall and see if we can get some broccoli and cauliflower for winter.

Locovore???

So the whole local vs organic thing really makes me think...can I do both? Some of the local farmers are just not certified organic because of the process/hoops they'd have to jump through but I'd have to talk to them about their practices to find out and the farmers market has been too crowded for me to feel comfortable doing that. Also, I'm sure they wouldn't mind talking to me, but really who am I to question their farming practices? I need to get the guts up to chat with them, but I want to do a bit more research so I don't sound so "green" (haha) when talking with them.

Anyway, I was reading a cookbook I found at the library...Big Green Cookbook by J. Newgent. In it she talks about "food miles" and how far your food has to travel (up to 1500 miles) and the impact that has on the environment. She claims that our food system could be responsible for up to 1/3 of the greenhouse gas emissions and food production actually makes up most of that...that's a lot! She gives some suggestions for things we can do to cut down those miles and therefore reduce our food's mileage.

By switching from using "meat and dairy to using chicken, fish or eggs one day a week it can reduce emissions equivalent to driving 760 miles a year. Switching to veggies one day a week is like cutting 1,160 miles a year out of your driving." That's a big deal. She's not advocating cutting them out all together, just one day a week...and it could help that organic grocery bill too!

So I'm thinking this is a plus for the whole "locovore" movement (eating locally grown foods). Not only does it reduce gas emissions but it helps to boost the local economy and literally puts your money where your mouth is. It shows that you support the sustainable farming practices of the local, organic farmers and helps to boost this way of farming and eating. I know where I'm going tomorrow!

Greenling Basket

This week we got the Local & Farmstead box from Greenling. It had lots of yummy things and this gigantic watermelon.

Evan got to try his first bites of watermelon.

Connor was mad that he couldn't hold the entire watermelon and only got these little bites.

We also got blueberries, peaches, cucumbers, carrots, chard (not sure what the heck to do with it), parsley, kaiser rolls, Fireman 4 mustard, garlic, cherry tomatoes and butter beans. They also give you at least one recipe for each item...2 of them happened to be margarita recipes..ever had a cucumber or watermelon margarita?

I've liked all the boxes I've gotten from Greenling. I just can't decide what box to get next...I like them all!

Helpful Hints

I was chatting with a friend and she told me some organic or hormone-free brand names to help me locate the items I was looking for. This really helped and I thought I could pass it along...also then I'll have it online so if I need it when I'm out I can find it.

Cheese -This was actually a hard one for me to find because at Target or HEB there's sooo much cheese and with 2 screaming kids in tow it's hard to read all the labels to see if it's organic. I did have more luck in the cheese section at the front of both stores though instead of the shredded cheese section at the back. Tillamook, Organic Valley (good cheese sticks) and Central Market Organics are some brands to look for. I also got some rbST free fresh mozzerella which is very good.

Butter - Challenge butter... rbST free

Snacks - Annie's...has fruit snacks, cheese snacks, pretzels, cereal and mac & cheese all shaped like bunnies!

Milk - We buy Central Market or Horizon, but may need to change this soon. I think they use the same CAFO cattle lot practices as other big name brands, but I'm not sure what our alternatives are right now and I'm not feeding the boys raw milk. So I need to do more research on this one!

Yogurt - My boys love Stoneyfield, but again I need to watch this company since it's getting big and may be resorting to commercial practices. Marci recommended Wallaby and Fage, but we haven't tried those yet.

Bread - I've tried some Sprout's organic multi-grain which was awesome, but not real kid friendly. I've been buying the Archer Farms brand at Target, but need to check them out. I found a Nature's Own Whole Wheat loaf that says it was made with organic flour so we'll try that out. I had some organic tortillas delivered in a Greenling basket.

Meat - I've found some called Laura's at Target, but I have generally been buying the chicken and beef at the farmers market where I'm sure it's grass-fed and supports local farmers.

Coffee- has been kind of difficult to find. Marci said she found Ruta Maya at Costco and I looked online and it's $2 cheaper at their store..so we may take a ride soon and get a bunch to last a while. The key here is to look for organic, shade grown and Free Trade certified. I figure going with Ruta Maya makes it local too so it hits all the good points!

Cleaning supplies - Still trying to use them all that we already have...there's always Mrs. Meyer's and 7th Generation. Clorox also has "green" brand that is 99% green that I've been using.

Please let me know if you have any other brands that you like that I can add to my list. I've found having the name brands has helped me cut down on some of the hit-or-miss of trying to find organic products that we all like.