Lately, I seem to have lost sight of my dreams and even began to think that it was too late; that I was too old to begin something new. Balderdash! So, for my own benefit I am now revitalizing my dream by putting it in writing...
Gardening is one of my passions, and each year I add something new -- a new vegetable, experiment with a grain, more herbs -- all chemical free. My dream is to be able to have the room to grow enough vegetables, grains and herbs to meet the needs of my family. I want a "farmette"! What is a farmette? It's my name for a little farm, a backyard farm with room for gardens, some chickens, a goat or mini-cow -- organic food. I don't need acres of land or a big house. A cabin and small barn (or large shed) on one half or even a third of an acre will do. I have it all pictured in my mind. This is my dream and it will happen!
Meanwhile, I continue to read Mother Earth News and plan my homesteading experience...
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Summer Infant Presents Baby Product as Organic, but Fills with Poison
New Moms Beware! Creating a toxin-free environment is one of the best things you can do for a newborn. It is also one of the most difficult. Now, 21st-century Moms must not only learn how to take care of her baby, she also must become part scientist, part detective and may end up needing a psychiatrist!
My daughter has spent untold hours online researching baby products in an effort to find organic, chemical-free substitutes for the baby items standardly sold in stores. IT'S NOT EASY - and everything is more expensive. She placed her baby registries online with Buy Buy Baby and Amazon organic baby. The selection is very limited - virtually nothing is available in regular retail stores. Family and friends did their best to order online, but when she opened the Natures Purest Playard, she broke down in tears - why? Because Summer Infant, the manufacturer, touted this item as organic, but lied about the materials used in this product. The baby mattress is made with POLYURETHANE! How dangerous is polyurethane to your baby? Read from this report in the journal, Archives of Environmental Health:
"...For example, some crib mattresses are constructed of polyurethane foam enclosed in vinyl covers. These plastic products are made by combining highly toxic chemicals together to form the final material. During the sleep process, the child's every breath pulls in air that is literally inches away from the petroleum chemical materials used in the manufacturing of the bed itself. This process begins at birth and continues day after day during the child's critical development periods. With each breath, these chemical molecules are pulled across the child's airways and then transferred to the blood from deep within the lungs..." . Read full report at: http://www.chem-tox.com/beds/frame-beds.htm
Summer Infant, however, has done a good job of CYA.
All of Summer Infant's advertising concentrates on the Natures Purest Collection. Natures Purest, a company based in the United Kingdom, has a superb line of organic cotton baby products. They are USDA certified organic.
Unfortunately, Natures Purest did not make the mattress.
In fact, the mattress is not even mentioned in any of Summer Infant's product descriptions.
Summer Infant is lying to consumers and has absolutely no concern at all for your baby. A lie is a lie whether you say it or hide it -- and Summer Infant hid the fact that the mattress included in the Natures Purest Playard is pure poison.
My daughter has spent untold hours online researching baby products in an effort to find organic, chemical-free substitutes for the baby items standardly sold in stores. IT'S NOT EASY - and everything is more expensive. She placed her baby registries online with Buy Buy Baby and Amazon organic baby. The selection is very limited - virtually nothing is available in regular retail stores. Family and friends did their best to order online, but when she opened the Natures Purest Playard, she broke down in tears - why? Because Summer Infant, the manufacturer, touted this item as organic, but lied about the materials used in this product. The baby mattress is made with POLYURETHANE! How dangerous is polyurethane to your baby? Read from this report in the journal, Archives of Environmental Health:
"...For example, some crib mattresses are constructed of polyurethane foam enclosed in vinyl covers. These plastic products are made by combining highly toxic chemicals together to form the final material. During the sleep process, the child's every breath pulls in air that is literally inches away from the petroleum chemical materials used in the manufacturing of the bed itself. This process begins at birth and continues day after day during the child's critical development periods. With each breath, these chemical molecules are pulled across the child's airways and then transferred to the blood from deep within the lungs..." . Read full report at: http://www.chem-tox.com/beds/frame-beds.htm
Summer Infant, however, has done a good job of CYA.
All of Summer Infant's advertising concentrates on the Natures Purest Collection. Natures Purest, a company based in the United Kingdom, has a superb line of organic cotton baby products. They are USDA certified organic.
Unfortunately, Natures Purest did not make the mattress.
In fact, the mattress is not even mentioned in any of Summer Infant's product descriptions.
Summer Infant is lying to consumers and has absolutely no concern at all for your baby. A lie is a lie whether you say it or hide it -- and Summer Infant hid the fact that the mattress included in the Natures Purest Playard is pure poison.
Monday, July 12, 2010
It's been many months since I've posted thoughts here, but that's not to say I haven't had any thoughts! So much has happened -- I moved to north Jersey, Andover, up in Sussex County. I found a job, worked my &%# off for four months and then was laid off. Such is life. But still "life is good" -- I'm going to be a grandmother in one short month, which is the best thing that has happened in my life since my daughter was born. This is why I moved from the Jersey shore up to the mountains and farmlands of northern N.J. This is where I belong.
Yes, this is where I belong, despite the fact that I no longer have a place for my garden. I now live in a condo, on the second floor, with no discernable yard space. Since I had been planning to move, I replanted most of my perennials in pots and brought them with me. They looked very nice arranged outside my front door and along the side of the building, but wait. I forgot about the deer.
My herbs, for the most part, were safe, but the Bee Balm and Black-Eyed Susans were demolished. Score 1 for the deer, but I was determined to have a garden. So I found tomato fencing and chicken wire -- started my vegetable seeds inside -- trimmed some of the bushes in front to make room for more plants -- Success! It's not exactly the kind of garden I'm used to growing. It's a lot smaller, but I have pole beans, cucumbers and even a pumpkin plant growing beautifully behind the fencing. Now I just hope the deer don't discover how easy it is to push the fencing over!
Yes, this is where I belong, despite the fact that I no longer have a place for my garden. I now live in a condo, on the second floor, with no discernable yard space. Since I had been planning to move, I replanted most of my perennials in pots and brought them with me. They looked very nice arranged outside my front door and along the side of the building, but wait. I forgot about the deer.
My herbs, for the most part, were safe, but the Bee Balm and Black-Eyed Susans were demolished. Score 1 for the deer, but I was determined to have a garden. So I found tomato fencing and chicken wire -- started my vegetable seeds inside -- trimmed some of the bushes in front to make room for more plants -- Success! It's not exactly the kind of garden I'm used to growing. It's a lot smaller, but I have pole beans, cucumbers and even a pumpkin plant growing beautifully behind the fencing. Now I just hope the deer don't discover how easy it is to push the fencing over!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Amaranth, Deer Meat, and De-Befuddling My Mind
Each year I like to experiment with a new crop -- this past gardening season I was very excited to work with Amaranth, which is a plant that was widely cultivated by the ancient Native Americans living in the southwest, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America. It's an amazingly nutritious grain that contains not only vitamins and minerals, but protein, too. So, I was browsing through an organic seed catalog last year, when I "discovered" that Amaranth could be grown in New Jersey! Can you imagine? Well, it turns out that it's not so hard to imagine because Amaranth is also known as Pigweed and growns wild throughout much of the northeast. The grain can be used whole in cereals and salads or ground into flour for use in baking. In addition, the leaves can be picked and used as salad greens or as a cooked vegetable that tastes like spinach, but contains three times as much calcium and niacin plus carotene, iron, vitamin A and C.
I quickly ordered seeds and waited for my crop to grow. I think of the backyard gardening as the antidote to "corporate" farming, which replaces the natural nutrients, tastefulness, and healthy aspects of our food with chemicals, additives, growth hormones, pesticides, and other poisons. So you can imagine my confusion when I hesitated to eat the leaves of the Amaranth plants I had grown from organic seed in my chemical-free garden! What's going on here? Well, I'll tell you...
While standing at the counter, looking at the plate of steaming red leaves, I pondered my reaction. I thought about the time someone put a plate of venison in front of me. It had a lovely brown gravy and smelled delicious. However, it was difficult to get that first forkful of food into my mouth. My stomach was queasy, chewing was agonizing, and swallowing almost impossible. Although not as dramatic, after all a plant is not Bambi, the reason for my discomfort was clear -- my poor brain was still wrapped up in sterile food packaging. The sight of a food not normally grown in my garden caused a small trauma, a befuddlement. Once I realized the danger of falling for corporate brainwashing, my defiance kicked in -- I ate the Amaranth leaves and de-befuddled my mind! And, by the way, Amaranth leaves do taste just like spinach.
Unfortunately, the grain harvest was not as successful as the leaves. Amaranth needs 90 to 100 days to grow, and my mistake was not planting the seed early enough. The grains were so tiny I had to use a magnifying glass and tweezers to find them, and then it was impossible to separate the grain from the plant material. Disappointing, but I learned a lot from Amaranth last year -- and, in 2010, I look forward to an abundant, healthy, and delicious Amaranth harvest.
I quickly ordered seeds and waited for my crop to grow. I think of the backyard gardening as the antidote to "corporate" farming, which replaces the natural nutrients, tastefulness, and healthy aspects of our food with chemicals, additives, growth hormones, pesticides, and other poisons. So you can imagine my confusion when I hesitated to eat the leaves of the Amaranth plants I had grown from organic seed in my chemical-free garden! What's going on here? Well, I'll tell you...
While standing at the counter, looking at the plate of steaming red leaves, I pondered my reaction. I thought about the time someone put a plate of venison in front of me. It had a lovely brown gravy and smelled delicious. However, it was difficult to get that first forkful of food into my mouth. My stomach was queasy, chewing was agonizing, and swallowing almost impossible. Although not as dramatic, after all a plant is not Bambi, the reason for my discomfort was clear -- my poor brain was still wrapped up in sterile food packaging. The sight of a food not normally grown in my garden caused a small trauma, a befuddlement. Once I realized the danger of falling for corporate brainwashing, my defiance kicked in -- I ate the Amaranth leaves and de-befuddled my mind! And, by the way, Amaranth leaves do taste just like spinach.
Unfortunately, the grain harvest was not as successful as the leaves. Amaranth needs 90 to 100 days to grow, and my mistake was not planting the seed early enough. The grains were so tiny I had to use a magnifying glass and tweezers to find them, and then it was impossible to separate the grain from the plant material. Disappointing, but I learned a lot from Amaranth last year -- and, in 2010, I look forward to an abundant, healthy, and delicious Amaranth harvest.
Monday, December 7, 2009
An American Christmas "Not Made in China"
I'm on the prowl for gifts that are simpler, greener, and Not Made in China. To my surprise, not only can I find nice items, but I've even found them at discount and dollar stores. For example, Garanimal brand children's clothes are made in Bangladesh and Healthtex children's clothes are made in Vietnam. These are adorable and affordable! I've found beautiful holiday towels made in India and ceramic mugs, plates, and a teapot manufactured in Poland (towels and teapot found at Christmas Tree Stores).
Pets are a big part of my family, and since so many of the dog treats and toys are made in China, I recently began making homemade cookies. So, I was extremely happy to find a small American company that makes toys for pets. Every item from PurrfectPlay is made from organic, chemical-free, fair trade materials. Go to www.purrfectplay.com for more information.
Gift ideas that really appeal to me are organizations that are "people and planet friendly". These companies are not only environmentally correct, but benefit the local community as well. One of my favorites is The Women's Bean Project, which is a non-profit organization based in Colorado that helps women break out of the cycle of poverty. Go to www.womensbeanproject.org for more information and to place an order.
World-wide there are thousands of organizations similar to the Bean Project, many of which can be found at econsciousmarket.com. Every product includes the locality, vendor profile, who benefits, listing of the product components, plus - 10 percent of every purchase is given to a charity OF YOUR CHOICE! I'll be doing a lot of shopping here!
Naturally, I am shying away from any toys made in China because you just never know just how much lead or other toxic chemicals are being used in the production of these toys. I definitely want any toy I purchase to be made in the USA where production regulations are stringent (which is why so many companies are manufacturing their products in China!). Amazon.com has done an incredibly good job in finding toymakers in the USA. Go to www.amazon.com; toys & games; made in USA. There are 667 results!
The two listed below I personally checked out:
American Plastic Toys, Inc.
www.americanplastictoys.com
800-521-7080
Manufactured in the U.S. since 1962. More than 100 different toys made with safe plastics; polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene, and lead-free paint.
Cardboard Design
www.cardboardesign.com
201-867-0005
Choose from full sized spaceship, teepees, playhouses and more for imaginative play. Toys, furniture, home decor made in the USA of recycled, chemical-free cardboard.
Since I live near a small town shopping district, Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, I try to support our local businesses as much as possible. When I go into a store, I specifically ask to be shown product lines that are Not Made in China. I've found many nice gifts locally and feel that I've also gifted myself by creating An American Christmas "Not Made in China". My wish is that all of you enjoy the same gift!
Pets are a big part of my family, and since so many of the dog treats and toys are made in China, I recently began making homemade cookies. So, I was extremely happy to find a small American company that makes toys for pets. Every item from PurrfectPlay is made from organic, chemical-free, fair trade materials. Go to www.purrfectplay.com for more information.
Gift ideas that really appeal to me are organizations that are "people and planet friendly". These companies are not only environmentally correct, but benefit the local community as well. One of my favorites is The Women's Bean Project, which is a non-profit organization based in Colorado that helps women break out of the cycle of poverty. Go to www.womensbeanproject.org for more information and to place an order.
World-wide there are thousands of organizations similar to the Bean Project, many of which can be found at econsciousmarket.com. Every product includes the locality, vendor profile, who benefits, listing of the product components, plus - 10 percent of every purchase is given to a charity OF YOUR CHOICE! I'll be doing a lot of shopping here!
Naturally, I am shying away from any toys made in China because you just never know just how much lead or other toxic chemicals are being used in the production of these toys. I definitely want any toy I purchase to be made in the USA where production regulations are stringent (which is why so many companies are manufacturing their products in China!). Amazon.com has done an incredibly good job in finding toymakers in the USA. Go to www.amazon.com; toys & games; made in USA. There are 667 results!
The two listed below I personally checked out:
American Plastic Toys, Inc.
www.americanplastictoys.com
800-521-7080
Manufactured in the U.S. since 1962. More than 100 different toys made with safe plastics; polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene, and lead-free paint.
Cardboard Design
www.cardboardesign.com
201-867-0005
Choose from full sized spaceship, teepees, playhouses and more for imaginative play. Toys, furniture, home decor made in the USA of recycled, chemical-free cardboard.
Since I live near a small town shopping district, Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, I try to support our local businesses as much as possible. When I go into a store, I specifically ask to be shown product lines that are Not Made in China. I've found many nice gifts locally and feel that I've also gifted myself by creating An American Christmas "Not Made in China". My wish is that all of you enjoy the same gift!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Pole Beans, A Fun, Healthy, and Chemical-Free Treat
It's the second day of November, and I just picked a whole bowlful of homegrown, chemical-free pole beans! And there's still more to come unless we have a hard frost. Pole Beans are my very favorite vegetable to grow in my backyard garden. From the moment I push them into the dirt, I'm assured of a bountiful harvest that continues throughout the summer and well into autumn. It doesn't matter where I plant them; they flourish in the ground or in a large flower pot. As long as they are in the sun and, of course, planted after danger of frost, pole beans have never disappointed me! They are delicious, nutritious, and their big, bold leaves look beautiful whether climbing up a fence in a yard or up a trellis on a balcony -- definitely a great plant for apartment or condo dwelling gardeners!
For years I planted the Red Runner, which has attractive red flowers as an added bonus. When I couldn't find this variety, I chose Kentucky Wonder. Both of these grew well and tasted good, right off the vine. It's amazing how big the beans grow, but I learned not to wait too long -- the bigger they grew, the coarser and stringier they got and the less enjoyable they were to eat (that's where the string in String Beans comes from).
This year I tried a new variety of pole bean -- Italian Pole Beans, which I ordered online from "Seeds of Change" (www.seedsofchange.com), a company dedicated to sustainable, organic agriculture. Italian Pole Beans contain all the other attributes that I love in pole beans -- plus when left to grow to maximum size, they are even more tender and incredibly delicious. And they are stringless! Pole Beans -- a truly healthy and magical food!
For years I planted the Red Runner, which has attractive red flowers as an added bonus. When I couldn't find this variety, I chose Kentucky Wonder. Both of these grew well and tasted good, right off the vine. It's amazing how big the beans grow, but I learned not to wait too long -- the bigger they grew, the coarser and stringier they got and the less enjoyable they were to eat (that's where the string in String Beans comes from).
This year I tried a new variety of pole bean -- Italian Pole Beans, which I ordered online from "Seeds of Change" (www.seedsofchange.com), a company dedicated to sustainable, organic agriculture. Italian Pole Beans contain all the other attributes that I love in pole beans -- plus when left to grow to maximum size, they are even more tender and incredibly delicious. And they are stringless! Pole Beans -- a truly healthy and magical food!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
My New Coffee Mug - "Not Made in China"
Finding items "Not made in China" is a daunting task; it's even harder to find things "Made in the USA". Don't get me wrong, if an item is manufactured in the USA, it doesn't guarantee safety, but it's a good start!
So, for many reasons, I am determined to rid my home of things Made in China, and also to resist buying anything new that is Made in China. This is my mission! As I look around my home, I see that it is a major undertaking.
The first step is a difficult, emotional separation - Replacing my COFFEE MUG - The mug I've used for years to start each day with a morning coffee meditation. (OK, so I had to envision all those toxins leaching out of the cracks into my coffee before I took action.) After searching through all big and small stores, I realized that there were NO ceramic mugs Not Made in China. However, I did find glassware that is made in the USA, so that is what I bought.
Subsequently, I replaced all my plastic "glasses" with Luminarc glasses, Made in the USA. Libby and Anchor Hocking are two other US glassware manufacturers. Plus all of the items were very inexpensive!
So, for many reasons, I am determined to rid my home of things Made in China, and also to resist buying anything new that is Made in China. This is my mission! As I look around my home, I see that it is a major undertaking.
The first step is a difficult, emotional separation - Replacing my COFFEE MUG - The mug I've used for years to start each day with a morning coffee meditation. (OK, so I had to envision all those toxins leaching out of the cracks into my coffee before I took action.) After searching through all big and small stores, I realized that there were NO ceramic mugs Not Made in China. However, I did find glassware that is made in the USA, so that is what I bought.
Subsequently, I replaced all my plastic "glasses" with Luminarc glasses, Made in the USA. Libby and Anchor Hocking are two other US glassware manufacturers. Plus all of the items were very inexpensive!
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Condo Garden 2010
Small section of last year's backyard garden.
