tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482086398428550992024-02-19T08:35:24.417-08:00Intentional LivingJoin the Machek family on their journey toward a more sustainable and self-sufficient homesteading lifestyle. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-41705186890958429652013-08-07T15:55:00.000-07:002013-08-07T15:55:38.030-07:00Homemade Herbal Healing Salve<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Homemade Herbal Healing Salve</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our garden has provided us with an abundance of healing flowers this summer. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to use these flowers to make a healing salve, which will preserve the amazing healing properties of these plants in an emollient blend of oil and beeswax that can be used on minor cuts and bruises. The process is incredibly easy, and is a great introduction to salve making. First, let's look at the ingredients we will be using.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthTYDGesnFX2YYuAaus1zi1qlbMzwD55OX2dedDbHNX2QLgemxlDv3Ax8wX_OWulnz10aqz-CH7IaFDLGRKraY8OOf_GNhelhI3BokvaUrcRY5SJUtKtOFd9Lyl2p_ZgKug9o5zSyAS3X/s1600/CIMG2816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgthTYDGesnFX2YYuAaus1zi1qlbMzwD55OX2dedDbHNX2QLgemxlDv3Ax8wX_OWulnz10aqz-CH7IaFDLGRKraY8OOf_GNhelhI3BokvaUrcRY5SJUtKtOFd9Lyl2p_ZgKug9o5zSyAS3X/s1600/CIMG2816.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Calendula</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">An incredibly versatile and aesthetic plant, calendula is a great addition to your garden. Not only is calendula edible, it has also been medically proven to have topical anti-inflammatory properties [1]. The healing properties are so effective, in fact, that it was found to be superior in reducing the occurrence of acute dermatitis in patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer [2]. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBWUWjJzXE4xyo5xONvfY4nyJxQiTy83nOkl-O42MwsGLtEokk5bkDfGrU03DqOaRYapBgYCkfWhU0f7crQfwQIqwnvOaIoOCALtYQ2pE4iFZ5s_-3ymPvHbXkOQ63oIIjdO7-dZozFJA/s1600/CIMG2818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBWUWjJzXE4xyo5xONvfY4nyJxQiTy83nOkl-O42MwsGLtEokk5bkDfGrU03DqOaRYapBgYCkfWhU0f7crQfwQIqwnvOaIoOCALtYQ2pE4iFZ5s_-3ymPvHbXkOQ63oIIjdO7-dZozFJA/s1600/CIMG2818.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Borage</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A beautiful and exotic addition to any garden, borage is another one of my favorite "medicine cabinet" plants. Also an edible plant, borage has been scientifically proved to aid in wound healing time [3]. It has also shown anti- parasitic properties in mice infected with a parasitic protozoa [4]. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsoCZn8f-4HfmDUZ16h0t7uXufHUyMZOcC-5GDuoUsfHXXsALWtUjBTOl1x_FYy6btQI3-LGfzK4sBch8qE7mXSnO_hUSD1nPjFtDk_jPnvmo2V2AM8h9DB9tNi0jeHswHcxXW3lHcEYX/s1600/CIMG2821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsoCZn8f-4HfmDUZ16h0t7uXufHUyMZOcC-5GDuoUsfHXXsALWtUjBTOl1x_FYy6btQI3-LGfzK4sBch8qE7mXSnO_hUSD1nPjFtDk_jPnvmo2V2AM8h9DB9tNi0jeHswHcxXW3lHcEYX/s1600/CIMG2821.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lavender</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I don't think I can really give justice to the multi-faceted benefits of lavender. Aside from being a hardy, gorgeous plant in any landscape, lavender has been known to be used for centuries as an emotional and physical healer. Lavender, too, is edible (notice a theme, here?) and I've had so much fun exploring new ways to cook and bake with these delicate flower buds. Lavender also, as you may well know, has the amazing aromatic ability to calm. Scientific studies have also indicated lavender as an effective healing agent in postpartum women healing from episiotomies [5]. There is even a study that has shown various lavender oils as having antimicrobial effects against the antibiotic-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) [6]. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RczwhnKcpnsz15IDlbJEOAVBXULf7iC1SnRHij8-se4H3HLIHHuJUq_XU1iM9leoWDakO9oqlJrRl6aDqSESIS_BNTc04mmH31SWDRuZqljPhbt1F6mQh7ZUt-bgCvpeHJYFJGs1bHjG/s1600/CIMG2823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RczwhnKcpnsz15IDlbJEOAVBXULf7iC1SnRHij8-se4H3HLIHHuJUq_XU1iM9leoWDakO9oqlJrRl6aDqSESIS_BNTc04mmH31SWDRuZqljPhbt1F6mQh7ZUt-bgCvpeHJYFJGs1bHjG/s1600/CIMG2823.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honey</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm surprised that I didn't find out about the benefits of honey sooner in life. Among the many useful medical applications of honey are wound healing properties [7], aiding in burn wound recovery [8,9], and antibacterial properties against MRSA [10]. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4OVGW08h3W2Q_Rf0eaTBdp1udeBVbk-Af6mha_BLK8I9TM7aSyctQXjK6nEyHq75p9pPE3N-h_v1C5f00-Wp1jDl4NGeHQaOiJ-HPGZDgHBOD61BrjvQEo4oRSkSPKi-9v0geD4WhL12/s1600/CIMG2825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4OVGW08h3W2Q_Rf0eaTBdp1udeBVbk-Af6mha_BLK8I9TM7aSyctQXjK6nEyHq75p9pPE3N-h_v1C5f00-Wp1jDl4NGeHQaOiJ-HPGZDgHBOD61BrjvQEo4oRSkSPKi-9v0geD4WhL12/s1600/CIMG2825.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Olive Oil</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Up until creating this post, I thought that olive oil was merely a substrate in which to derive the beneficial properties of the herbs. I was pleasantly surprised to find in my research that the olive plant has free radical scavengers (anti-oxidant) properties [11]. Olive oil also contains anti-inflammatory compounds that have been compared to those of ibuprofen [12]. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdbNM7ltfEN2aF1eCSaMgCxqCbxvyi5Z5royLHX6CUPym1DcZjAUpUz25ex0DIGuQGSi12_fBjTNnuTOSiTKYDaqqkVrMoaV-6n2iG1KgHIdhKSqbs03M1npzMYc1ukVvH22wvnd3X079/s1600/CIMG2826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdbNM7ltfEN2aF1eCSaMgCxqCbxvyi5Z5royLHX6CUPym1DcZjAUpUz25ex0DIGuQGSi12_fBjTNnuTOSiTKYDaqqkVrMoaV-6n2iG1KgHIdhKSqbs03M1npzMYc1ukVvH22wvnd3X079/s1600/CIMG2826.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Beeswax</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was surprised yet again during my research to find that beeswax not only serves as a thickening and solidifying agent in this salve, but it also has been shown to successfully manage cases of dermatitis and psoriasis [13].</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Step 1: Making An Herbal Oil Infusion:</span></u></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjquDsxjSyCU2xR8isrzI727b1x_SHajebCXBDcFEkIDSOw-RdT2JblsIDBuhuVcUJw5QZoIpf54EwVCWO5v6ik6y0t8e_4ps5plPa7OL65yPSQ6gt3aItEzWfiC3CiEYIFJJqKd0H6oXn/s1600/CIMG2786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjquDsxjSyCU2xR8isrzI727b1x_SHajebCXBDcFEkIDSOw-RdT2JblsIDBuhuVcUJw5QZoIpf54EwVCWO5v6ik6y0t8e_4ps5plPa7OL65yPSQ6gt3aItEzWfiC3CiEYIFJJqKd0H6oXn/s1600/CIMG2786.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is by far the easiest part of the whole process. You will need olive oil, a clean jar, and either a whole bunch of dried herbs or a pair of scissors and some fresh garden herbs. In this salve I want to use the three herbs I used above, but feel free to do your own research and include other healing herbs. Some other plants that would serve as excellent components of this healing salve include rose hips, plantain, arnica, cayenne, oregano, or oregano.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISnojugVLBk8fQ89p3677GlVmCxHD3wHU4yLHTmhVqU2PjW8LIFZT_9kjIgrtSv_IAzEIgprIn8Cs2WkJjo8YhuqWD-zNuG8ED73cR_v3rNv8h-FjxZTatF-gRG5jwMmL1L67lRLQJcr6/s1600/CIMG2790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISnojugVLBk8fQ89p3677GlVmCxHD3wHU4yLHTmhVqU2PjW8LIFZT_9kjIgrtSv_IAzEIgprIn8Cs2WkJjo8YhuqWD-zNuG8ED73cR_v3rNv8h-FjxZTatF-gRG5jwMmL1L67lRLQJcr6/s1600/CIMG2790.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you are using dried herbs for this step, simply fill the clean jar 2/3 full with herbs. You can use equal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">parts of each herb, or more of one and less of another, whatever you chose. Leaving space at the top allows the dried herbs to expand during the infusion process. If you are using fresh herbs, cut them preferably the morning you are ready to make your oil infusion. Next you want to break up the flowers very thoroughly, because the more surface area of the plant that is exposed to oil the better an infusion you will get. Some people even prefer to lightly mash the herbs in a mortar and pestle before hand, but it's not entirely necessary. Again, you can use any amount of each of the three herbs as you would like, When using fresh plants, fill your jar all the way full with herbs.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmhZxKDI-u7vwsNB9AEQeH4ezgBjiJ8ZrDDkINF6DgXLHLluyd1qaLVbNVfxSaG1wEfLPMimgaQh1fvp4gf6QuprMb-pTTRsgkEvk-IHdgCOd2_mKMyFUL8QAMYwzuxxpRiRAZz9LMDsI/s1600/CIMG2792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmhZxKDI-u7vwsNB9AEQeH4ezgBjiJ8ZrDDkINF6DgXLHLluyd1qaLVbNVfxSaG1wEfLPMimgaQh1fvp4gf6QuprMb-pTTRsgkEvk-IHdgCOd2_mKMyFUL8QAMYwzuxxpRiRAZz9LMDsI/s1600/CIMG2792.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once you have your herbs in the jar, fill the jar with olive oil. Using a wood spoon, gently push down the herbs to get out all the air bubbles. This assures that no mold will grow in the oil, and that all of those excellent healing properties are extracted from your plants. V<em style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">oilà, you are done! Allow the oil to infuse for 3-4 weeks. Some people suggest putting your oil in a window sill, under the assumption that the heat of the sun will aid in the extraction process. Other folks suggest keeping it out of the sun, because the healing properties of these plants are very delicate, and will degrade when exposed to light. I took a middle-of-the-road approach and kept it on my counter, out of direct sunlight. </em></span><br />
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Step 2: Making An Herbal Healing Salve: </span></u></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvOo4BxMRZlM_nxu1p8fDuPnU54x9K7ixhv86OgdVTp4uExxFr6NFtJJWUnugSZl5NYKD72YngOC4mjKbhHrnC8omxBS8YuY4I7DiA3gkDFW0ml1jq7dXZ1d2GCet6J5BHji8UyslWcRn/s1600/CIMG2831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvOo4BxMRZlM_nxu1p8fDuPnU54x9K7ixhv86OgdVTp4uExxFr6NFtJJWUnugSZl5NYKD72YngOC4mjKbhHrnC8omxBS8YuY4I7DiA3gkDFW0ml1jq7dXZ1d2GCet6J5BHji8UyslWcRn/s1600/CIMG2831.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once your oil has had time to infuse, it's time to make your salve. You will need the following items: a double boiler, a measuring/pouring cup, a wood spoon, a spatula, a whisk, cheese cloth, a clean jar, 1/2 oz beeswax, 1/2 cup infused herbal oil, 1 Tbsp raw honey (optional) and any essential oil you may want to add if you'd like (I used lavender in this one.) An adorable little helper is also recommended, but not required. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just as a side note, you can make a number of homemade salve recipes really easily and with a number of different oils, as long as you stick with the beeswax: oil ratio of:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>1 cup oil(s) : 1 ounce beeswax.</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This ratio will allow you to use any combination of oils in your salve, in any amount you chose. So, let's get started!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibeUNRI0KEt-L20FHO3Evxni_ewqQroWngfQmH2fvUvQFltDRFaRvQrBQlmtBOGgx3E75eK19B3_yZA8uY8ryzECtabwXlx0jNRqjT_d1vvc3FwfoXKxyEsmNlta6lx-H4eA_i91WoLSa1/s1600/CIMG2833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibeUNRI0KEt-L20FHO3Evxni_ewqQroWngfQmH2fvUvQFltDRFaRvQrBQlmtBOGgx3E75eK19B3_yZA8uY8ryzECtabwXlx0jNRqjT_d1vvc3FwfoXKxyEsmNlta6lx-H4eA_i91WoLSa1/s1600/CIMG2833.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before you begin melting and mixing anything together, get your jars clean and dry and ready for filling. Once the salve is ready to pour, you have to act quickly, as it hardens fairly fast once removed from the stove. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To make the salve, first strain out your infused oil through cheesecloth or a sheet of muslin cloth. I prefer to strain it out right over the measuring cup I want to use. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make sure you really squeeze out all those oils from the herbs. This will ensure that you're getting all the really beneficial healing properties out of those flowers. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsFGDp4koYEcjdZsgM1qd171s3es-LPo1HqKWzCXjYNEYKFyxvKE24dllYsKE_aGmhTtOA2v0VZMzqLnJ8TAuBZM8VfoKgDY_C8z93engymYdbzZX16UFeI6qyDWPUko8IHIF9HXzRlYh/s1600/CIMG2835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsFGDp4koYEcjdZsgM1qd171s3es-LPo1HqKWzCXjYNEYKFyxvKE24dllYsKE_aGmhTtOA2v0VZMzqLnJ8TAuBZM8VfoKgDY_C8z93engymYdbzZX16UFeI6qyDWPUko8IHIF9HXzRlYh/s1600/CIMG2835.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next, combine the infused oil, beeswax , and about a table spoon of raw honey (if you're using it) in a double boiler. Heat over medium until the three ingredients are melted together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At this point, I switched to a whisk. The raw honey tends to sink to the bottom, so if you are using honey a whisk may be the best way to incorporate all your ingredients.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once your ingredients are all melted together, transfer the mixture into a pouring cup. This is the point at which you would stir in any essential oil you chose. The amount is up to your preference. I used about 10 drops of lavender oil in this salve recipe. Keep in mind that you must work quickly here, because as soon as you take the mixture off of the heat it will start to set up. If your mixture does start to harden, no worries. Just scrape it back into the double boiler and reheat it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once your essential oil is all mixed in, pour your salve into the clean jars. Let cool with the lid off. Secure the lid tightly once cooled. Ta-da, you're done!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Check it out, your very own homemade herbal healing salve!!!!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOobDQqtuyARnhQ8WkfibxjiPT3ORUmPrM2BIqMUgLNOWY4BHCN2IjOQDGP4vFA5Ew9X7u5Dz-SyyUOaIgrwCMAHten60N2eXkbMqIgCDvXWVuRM-lZYNeXRkMrh3TRq6aTEz-aSDIzeXx/s1600/CIMG2846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOobDQqtuyARnhQ8WkfibxjiPT3ORUmPrM2BIqMUgLNOWY4BHCN2IjOQDGP4vFA5Ew9X7u5Dz-SyyUOaIgrwCMAHten60N2eXkbMqIgCDvXWVuRM-lZYNeXRkMrh3TRq6aTEz-aSDIzeXx/s1600/CIMG2846.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;">This size jar will last our family for well over a year. Pour into smaller containers for the perfect holiday/birthday gift. Great for sensitive skin. It worked wonders on my son's diaper rash. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTxYW-mG66zvWIy7txlZNBDjXXAYSbL8pB0mZn5cmvkBIGdPC7iME9_xu1ZSIXCgg0p1Lxl6JkIvxxp5IyQMYg9O0UL74mnqrQ05-FNiLHr8ChLSST4MC_jxoPpCJxpFAd7VJQASftyI5/s1600/CIMG2845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTxYW-mG66zvWIy7txlZNBDjXXAYSbL8pB0mZn5cmvkBIGdPC7iME9_xu1ZSIXCgg0p1Lxl6JkIvxxp5IyQMYg9O0UL74mnqrQ05-FNiLHr8ChLSST4MC_jxoPpCJxpFAd7VJQASftyI5/s1600/CIMG2845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTxYW-mG66zvWIy7txlZNBDjXXAYSbL8pB0mZn5cmvkBIGdPC7iME9_xu1ZSIXCgg0p1Lxl6JkIvxxp5IyQMYg9O0UL74mnqrQ05-FNiLHr8ChLSST4MC_jxoPpCJxpFAd7VJQASftyI5/s1600/CIMG2845.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Store in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight. This recipe is shelf stable, and should last over a year if stored properly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Studies</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[1] R. Della Loggia, A. Tubaro, S. Sosa, H. Becker, St. Saar, O. Isaac. "The role of triterpenoids in the topical anti-Inflammatory activity of <i>Calendula officials f</i>lowers." Planta Med 1994; 60(6): 516-520. Copyright Georg ThiemeVerlag Stuttgart. New York. July 31, 2013.<a href="https://www.thieme-connect.com/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2006-959562"> https://www.thieme-connect.com/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2006-959562</a></span></div>
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<li class="contributor" id="contrib-1" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="border: 0px; display: inline; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="name" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">[2] <a class="name-search" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/search?author1=P.+Pommier&sortspec=date&submit=Submit" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">P. Pommier</a></span><span style="font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: 0.2em;"><a class="xref-aff" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/22/8/1447.short#aff-1" id="xref-aff-1-1" style="border: 0px; color: #581858; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0.2em;"></a></span>, </li>
<li class="contributor" id="contrib-2" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="border: 0px; display: inline; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="name" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="name-search" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/search?author1=F.+Gomez&sortspec=date&submit=Submit" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">F. Gomez</a></span><a class="xref-aff" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/22/8/1447.short#aff-1" id="xref-aff-1-2" style="border: 0px; color: #581858; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0.2em;"></a>, </li>
<li class="contributor" id="contrib-3" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="border: 0px; display: inline; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="name" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="name-search" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/search?author1=M.P.+Sunyach&sortspec=date&submit=Submit" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">M.P. Sunyach</a></span><a class="xref-aff" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/22/8/1447.short#aff-1" id="xref-aff-1-3" style="border: 0px; color: #581858; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0.2em;"></a>, </li>
<li class="contributor" id="contrib-4" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="border: 0px; display: inline; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="name" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="name-search" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/search?author1=A.+D'Hombres&sortspec=date&submit=Submit" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">A. D'Hombres</a></span><a class="xref-aff" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/22/8/1447.short#aff-1" id="xref-aff-1-4" style="border: 0px; color: #581858; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0.2em;"></a>, </li>
<li class="contributor" id="contrib-5" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="border: 0px; display: inline; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="name" itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="name-search" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/search?author1=C.+Carrie&sortspec=date&submit=Submit" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">C. Carrie</a></span><a class="xref-aff" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/22/8/1447.short#aff-1" id="xref-aff-1-5" style="border: 0px; color: #581858; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0.2em;"></a> and</li>
<li class="last" id="contrib-6" style="border: 0px; display: inline; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="name" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="name-search" href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/search?author1=X.+Montbarbon&sortspec=date&submit=Submit" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">X. Montbarbon</a>. "</span></li>
<span style="line-height: inherit;">Phase III Randomized Trial of</span><span style="line-height: inherit;"> </span><em style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Calendula Officinalis</em><span style="line-height: inherit;"> </span><span style="line-height: inherit;">Compared With Trolamine for the Prevention of Acute </span><span style="line-height: inherit;">Dermatitis During Irradiation for Breast Cancer." Journal of Clinical Oncology; 2004; 22(8); 1447-1453. Copyright American Society of Clinical Oncology. July 31, 2013. </span></span></ol>
<a href="http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/22/8/1447.short"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/22/8/1447.short</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[3] Mohammad Reza Farahpour and Amir Hossein Mavaddati. "Effects of borage extract in rat skin wound healing
model, histopathological study."Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 6(5), pp. 651-656. Copyright Academic Journals 2012. July 31, 2013. </span></div>
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<li class="author" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; display: inline; font: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-color: rgb(215, 214, 214); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: black; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mohsen Abolhassani</span><span style="border-bottom-color: rgb(215, 214, 214); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; font: inherit;">.</span> "</li>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2;">Immunomodulatory Properties of Borage (</span><span class="a-plus-plus" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2;"><em>Echium amoenum</em></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2;">) on BALB/c Mice Infected with</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2;"> </span><span class="a-plus-plus" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2;"><em>Leishmania major." </em></span><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: black; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Journal of Clinical Immunology </span><span id="date" itemprop="datePublished" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; display: inline; font: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">June 2011</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">, </span><span id="volume-range" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; display: inline; font: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Volume 31</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">, </span><a href="http://link.springer.com/journal/10875/31/3/page/1" id="issue-range" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">Issue 3</span></a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">, </span><span id="page-range" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; display: inline; font: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">pp 465-471. July 31, 2013. <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10875-010-9502-6">http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10875-010-9502-6</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[5]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
<li class="slider" style="border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 3px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">Katayon Vakilian,</li>
<li class="slider" style="border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 3px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mahtab Atarha</li>
<span style="background-color: white;">,</span>
<li class="slider" style="border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 3px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">Reza Bekhradi</li>
<span style="background-color: white;">,</span>
<li class="slider" style="border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 3px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;">Reza Chaman. "</li>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2;">Healing advantages of lavender essential oil during episiotomy recovery: A clinical trial." </span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. </span><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: center;">Volume 17(1);</span><span style="line-height: 16px; text-align: center;"> Pages 50-53: February 2011. July 31, 2013. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.ctcpjournal.com/article/S1744-3881(10)00038-1/abstract">http://www.ctcpjournal.com/article/S1744-3881(10)00038-1/abstract</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #403838;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">[6] </span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px;">Sibel Roller, Nina Ernest, and Jane Buckle. " </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">The Antimicrobial Activity of High-Necrodane and Other Lavender Oils on Methicillin-Sensitive and -Resistant</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"> </span><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Staphylococcus aureus</i><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">(MSSA and MRSA)" </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px;">The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. March 2009, 15(3): 275-279. doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0268. July 31, 2013. </span><a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2008.0268?journalCode=acm">http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2008.0268?journalCode=acm</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[7] <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">S. E. E. Efem. "Clinical observations on the wound healing properties of honey". British Journal of Surgery, 75: 679–681. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800750718. July 31, 2013. </span><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.1800750718/abstract">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.1800750718/abstract</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[8] M. Subrahmanyam. "Honey impregnated gauze versus polyurethane film (OpSiteR) in the treatment of burns — a prospective randomised study." British Journal of Plastic Surgery, Volume 46(4) 322-323. doi:10.1016/0007-1226(93)90012-Z. July 31, 2013. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/000712269390012Z">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/000712269390012Z</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[9] M. <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Subrahmanyam. "Topical application of honey in treatment of burns." British Journal of Surgery 1991, 78: 497–498. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800780435, July 31, 2013. </span><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.1800780435/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.1800780435/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[10] S. Natarajan, D. Williamson, J. Grey, K.G. Harding, R.A. Cooper. "Healing of an MRSA-colonized, hydroxyurea- induced leg ulcer with honey." Journal of Dermataological Treatment. 2001, Vol. 12 (1); 33-36. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">doi: 10.1080/095466301750163563. July 31, 2013.</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #3366cc; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://informahealthcare.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/095466301750163563" style="color: #3366cc; text-decoration: none;">http://informahealthcare.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/095466301750163563</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">[11] Francesco Visioli, Giorgio Bellomo, Claudio Galli. "Free Radical-Scavenging Properties of Olive Oil Polyphenols. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 1998. Vol. 247 (1); 60-64. July 31, 2013. </span><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006291X98987356">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006291X98987356</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[12] Elizabeth A. Miles, Pinelope Zoubouli, Philip C. Calder. "Differential anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic compounds from extra virgin olive oil identified in human whole blood cultures" Nutrition, 2005. Vol. 21 (3); 389-394. July 31, 2013. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900704003004">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900704003004</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[13] Al-Waili, Noori S. "Topical application of natural honey, beeswax and olive oil mixture for atopic dermatitis or psoriasis: partially controlled, single-blinded study." Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2003. Vol. 11(4); 226-234. July 31, 2013. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229903001201"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229903001201</span></a></div>
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<b>Here is the process we did to double dig our garden bed.</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqK4kox2V2uW0DQXWtAr8K9YJ6Qy9ldfKwTK10EqHyVPv15ORc_Dt7jazatQacHH9GcwfmpeR_3LM5gHaqgsspURe4IbrMDhLul7eRheTd0Y8uPQ8ZIm5ndjGDDh4EODOoCf2tAmfJR0cA/s1600/CIMG2450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqK4kox2V2uW0DQXWtAr8K9YJ6Qy9ldfKwTK10EqHyVPv15ORc_Dt7jazatQacHH9GcwfmpeR_3LM5gHaqgsspURe4IbrMDhLul7eRheTd0Y8uPQ8ZIm5ndjGDDh4EODOoCf2tAmfJR0cA/s320/CIMG2450.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the first row dug of our garden bed. Notice the cover crop. Allow 2-4 weeks for your cover crop to breakdown before planting.</td></tr>
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1. Dig out the first row one shovel blade deep and place the soil in a wheel barrow. Use a garden fork to break up the subsoil in the trench. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3p3JAXQnhfCBTNjDUfOe_eSjteckVTCbNHAaAcyPhBG7xbeGrLTbNc7RKVaXzvgxTkYBdWk-7Jl15J0GgXbZeMrPBCJiK-br2ZooVnRartZCOvEEBc8bu1V8NdFuzUsvwD6QnzMcAWip/s1600/CIMG2451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3p3JAXQnhfCBTNjDUfOe_eSjteckVTCbNHAaAcyPhBG7xbeGrLTbNc7RKVaXzvgxTkYBdWk-7Jl15J0GgXbZeMrPBCJiK-br2ZooVnRartZCOvEEBc8bu1V8NdFuzUsvwD6QnzMcAWip/s320/CIMG2451.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the first row of soil from the garden bed.</td></tr>
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2. Place amendments at the bottom of the trench you forked.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPI3MboMS2KeYcxRZ1AEVAfFJ5u7PJG2gQvLnpCp-SVZoa_c_qoqhjT_VPSrocGgbNTdHPJEJs53TEgMDyXz1f8SrZBKSvyWNlFSyCjjyyRrEh7aXdSaxfafjlmujmpRG3xCeWpWLbsbN_/s1600/CIMG2452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPI3MboMS2KeYcxRZ1AEVAfFJ5u7PJG2gQvLnpCp-SVZoa_c_qoqhjT_VPSrocGgbNTdHPJEJs53TEgMDyXz1f8SrZBKSvyWNlFSyCjjyyRrEh7aXdSaxfafjlmujmpRG3xCeWpWLbsbN_/s320/CIMG2452.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I amended this bed with sulphur and gypsum to bring down the pH and some Rabbit manure for fertilizer</td></tr>
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3. Turn the soil from the second row on top of the first row you amended. Repeat breaking up the subsoil with the garden fork and amending and turning the next row on top of your amended trench and so on down the line.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZGmbnO8LXuP4nrHijcBlxjPedxABrOjtEmlQyHj5RIZMkRUG0YossN9FNlW1XsU0k0EkVw3miEg5986RApKSJpQqck_Kd8K09BF-ErbgQrqesktBYF93vQc5PQbATKOeC_FBOvYisGje/s1600/CIMG2453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZGmbnO8LXuP4nrHijcBlxjPedxABrOjtEmlQyHj5RIZMkRUG0YossN9FNlW1XsU0k0EkVw3miEg5986RApKSJpQqck_Kd8K09BF-ErbgQrqesktBYF93vQc5PQbATKOeC_FBOvYisGje/s320/CIMG2453.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the second row that has been forked and amended, ready for row three to be turned on top.</td></tr>
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4. When you have forked and amended the last trench, use the soil from the first row you placed in the wheel barrow to fill the last trench.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr51p2P5kA4SiwkvIInYrO0GqDl7kxH4gCX7a_dFsBmoa1qZnH-hLGdMAgx1JwH5rxWZDP_h7kS11cXfwEqDFJ2V7Q1I2hyphenhyphenZsgz9sshxGqYZZPjikcvpN9k5QN2P1z10HVzPwGg8V5b3jK/s1600/CIMG2454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr51p2P5kA4SiwkvIInYrO0GqDl7kxH4gCX7a_dFsBmoa1qZnH-hLGdMAgx1JwH5rxWZDP_h7kS11cXfwEqDFJ2V7Q1I2hyphenhyphenZsgz9sshxGqYZZPjikcvpN9k5QN2P1z10HVzPwGg8V5b3jK/s320/CIMG2454.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the whole bed turned.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIzZBdNf9-tcTs6xZ5p6vEs0MqhX9pXj613eJ0dYF4ldIjjNaOut9YkJTl9fP1Kl5PxYgG09DlYvGzAX4OtkIfbWIf7Jvt0b5q77KxQ02ejhOpZo-4PNagQoPfdhlBMG7Gj6u3g60gsmA/s1600/CIMG2458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIzZBdNf9-tcTs6xZ5p6vEs0MqhX9pXj613eJ0dYF4ldIjjNaOut9YkJTl9fP1Kl5PxYgG09DlYvGzAX4OtkIfbWIf7Jvt0b5q77KxQ02ejhOpZo-4PNagQoPfdhlBMG7Gj6u3g60gsmA/s320/CIMG2458.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We added a fence around the bed to keep the wee ones from unripe picking sprees and trampling rampages. </td></tr>
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We reclaimed the wood for these fence posts, along with many more, from the dump for two bucks! We weaved some of the green branches I recently pruned from the apple trees in and out of the posts to make a nearly free fence.<br />
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Double digging is especially important where you are planting root crops to aerate the soil so the root veggies don't have a hard time going straight down into the soil. We planted one row of beets, three of orange carrots, three of scarlet carrots, and three of Harris Model parsnips.<br />
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Happy gardening from the Intentional Living community! Feel free to comment, post pictures and descriptions of what Intentional Living projects you are doing on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/IntentionalLivingCommunityAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-87925726489445664392013-03-24T17:40:00.000-07:002013-03-24T17:42:25.131-07:00Taking the Buffs under our wing.We just got our chicks today! Take a look at the little cuties. We decided to get the Buff Orphington breed of chickens because they have the reputation of being the "Labrador Retrievers" of chickens. Meaning they are just about the sweetest, most good nature chicken you can get. This is important to us since we have a youngin' that we want to interact and learn from the chickens. They are also great layers of yummy brown eggs.<br />
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We bought eight chicks since that is the maximum our city will allow. That should also be plenty of eggs for breakfast and any baking we need to do. We have a pretty simple set up. A large box is the shelter, we have a simple feeder with organic starter crumbles, water dish (change everyday), heat lamp, and approximately three inches of pine shavings for bedding.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgherQ8VWwga5n9u1YmMDbpzXeHWzdtSXRN759eCmZm3iiBamM8Qd7mybp-EqO4n5LMimGF_bIuBvJU9H906X7cB_48XwH4pQ0jKBoHpeIhXjLUbD9xQjgTjzFNUGWSDndvz2OUe39dxU54/s1600/CIMG2439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgherQ8VWwga5n9u1YmMDbpzXeHWzdtSXRN759eCmZm3iiBamM8Qd7mybp-EqO4n5LMimGF_bIuBvJU9H906X7cB_48XwH4pQ0jKBoHpeIhXjLUbD9xQjgTjzFNUGWSDndvz2OUe39dxU54/s640/CIMG2439.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple elements: box, heat lamp, feeder, organic starter crumbles, water dish, pine shavings, chicks.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7h_WDj7foBIVBQ2Z0YPdq7VbafZ51wh8ZQd7Bwkh6aeqYIeTeWRcll8r1hLhHP_tbl9L7MrXy4lhhk-7iffDi8i-rbbVKFtxC9O9QOktpYORwuCvTixmS7Q3SeJIvqQ9ZwEWpt0RXvv3/s1600/CIMG2442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7h_WDj7foBIVBQ2Z0YPdq7VbafZ51wh8ZQd7Bwkh6aeqYIeTeWRcll8r1hLhHP_tbl9L7MrXy4lhhk-7iffDi8i-rbbVKFtxC9O9QOktpYORwuCvTixmS7Q3SeJIvqQ9ZwEWpt0RXvv3/s400/CIMG2442.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a sip of water.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpN7GmXr_oeot4U8Djn7u6QtvYQVaffAffpsbC83vg7TmAWCAJGAFmnukEurPKsFPmRyj1RtFO0VmGUCcEuYxgEH432H7CHk5OLXKIAbQy4fzReU8Rdaumx614f1CtZdW-WhGUIBDJkV7/s1600/CIMG2444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpN7GmXr_oeot4U8Djn7u6QtvYQVaffAffpsbC83vg7TmAWCAJGAFmnukEurPKsFPmRyj1RtFO0VmGUCcEuYxgEH432H7CHk5OLXKIAbQy4fzReU8Rdaumx614f1CtZdW-WhGUIBDJkV7/s400/CIMG2444.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buff Orphingtons have a pretty classic chicken look.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHP80LseHOP5zjxSuw5NMuqYljctYVDXzFiXy4dI7TsrwnNAMc-54LgbywsWRdUQ8jXDAvuglUmfQM-BDGfzy9K_Ab0GIQ1J6m7gxvkVQvQ_I_gurRm4rmFhTkBVT2JJpfd9BlFuAUvQbj/s1600/CIMG2446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHP80LseHOP5zjxSuw5NMuqYljctYVDXzFiXy4dI7TsrwnNAMc-54LgbywsWRdUQ8jXDAvuglUmfQM-BDGfzy9K_Ab0GIQ1J6m7gxvkVQvQ_I_gurRm4rmFhTkBVT2JJpfd9BlFuAUvQbj/s400/CIMG2446.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These Buffs are about 3-4 days old.</td></tr>
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Be sure to check back to see the follow up posts to watch these pretty little ladies grow up and the process we undertake of raising these beauties!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51RGgeGmHjuoJnBvZZmXJqE6c3ITdeQ1xlb38xfFzob3Lj-65lxG9S8clw70jhuow-l2f3r_BMYZp4pWt4pUoPs9KU_4CE7bMavfOoAvJpVEvLtdmg2ykfeLfcYTl3Q8EL-YZe0BTlptN/s1600/CIMG2449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51RGgeGmHjuoJnBvZZmXJqE6c3ITdeQ1xlb38xfFzob3Lj-65lxG9S8clw70jhuow-l2f3r_BMYZp4pWt4pUoPs9KU_4CE7bMavfOoAvJpVEvLtdmg2ykfeLfcYTl3Q8EL-YZe0BTlptN/s640/CIMG2449.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now isn't that cute? Be sure to check up on the chickies. :)</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-91600119223543856352013-03-13T10:46:00.001-07:002013-03-13T10:47:18.112-07:00Cold Frame from Reclaimed Materials<div style="text-align: left;">
I had some old windows from a buddy that I wanted to make into a cold frame to grow some of our veggies and starts in. I have been seeing the earthen-sided green houses on facebook and I got the idea of making the back wall of the cold frame out of hay bales. I figured it would be cheaper than buying a bunch of wood and framing the back. Plus when the hay gets wet it will give off some heat, much like compost does. So I started out with three hay bales long and and two high. I also put in some scrap pieces of wood to make little shelves in between the bales. You can see the board across the top, that is what the windows will rest on.</div>
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All the wood you see on this project has either been reclaimed from the local dump or dismantled from pallets. Next, I made the angled side frame.</div>
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Here is the side frame I made. This view would be the inside of the cold frame. I made a notch in the angled board so the long window support piece can rest right in there.<br />
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Take a look at the notch in the wood for the window support piece to rest on.<br />
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Next I took pieces of wood from pallets and lined them up against the frame, penciled the angle on the back, and then I cut each board for the perfect fit.<br />
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This is the mock up side view. Not too shabby, eh? Colter man is always willing to help the cause. His little face says "You see your precious windows over there? They are dying to meet my hammer!"<br />
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Instead of digging out and leveling the whole area I just dug it out where the frame would rest.<br />
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Checking the level to see if my digging efforts are actually making it level.<br />
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Here is what it looks like with all the windows on. Notice the support board on the bottom that the windows are resting on. <br />
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From this angle you can see that I toggled the opening of the windows so that the furthest left and right windows are open from the top and the two middle windows open from the bottom. This is for access. We figured we wouldn't be able to reach into the high pane of the middle windows anyway.<br />
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You can see here that the windows slide up and down and this is really important for temperature control. I put a thermometer in there after I finished and the temperature quickly soared to over 100 degrees. I was briefly able to mess around with it and was able to get it to hold around 80 degrees which is perfect for seed germination. There will definitely be some experimenting going on with how much to open the windows to control the temperature. I fried some of our starts already in the frame not watching the temperature. Ooops! Solar gain is quite the powerful force!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-81667393268337224502013-02-25T12:47:00.001-08:002013-02-25T12:49:11.442-08:00Organic Crock Pot Apple Butter<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a killer crock pot apple butter recipe that we've adapted from various other recipes. This apple butter is a definite crowd-pleaser. It's also a great introduction to preserving fruits if you've never jarred before, for a couple reasons. For one, this recipe does not require the addition of pectin, as apples contain a high amount of pectin (for those of you unfamiliar with pectin, it is used as a thickening agent in jams and jellies). Second, it's one of those wonderful stick-in-the-crock-and-forget-it recipes that make cooking oh so simple. I cannot tell you how delicious this apple butter is on top of fresh warm pancakes, or smothered over vanilla ice cream. Yum!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">First off, you want to chose your apple variety. The main goal in choosing your apples is to have a balance of sour and sweet. We've got a couple different varieties of apples in our backyard, and one of them is probably a Granny Smith (based on the green freckled skin and glass-pane like flesh). This is a great apple variety to use in apple butter, because it adds a nice tart note to balance out the sweetness of the butter, and also adds some stability to the mix. We paired the Granny Smith with a sweeter apple variety (we're not exactly sure what it is, but it tastes to me like a Pink Lady) to balance out the tart flavor of the Granny Smiths. You could certainly use one or the other, just make sure to adjust the amount of sugar you add depending on what variety you chose. If you plan to use all Fuji apples, for example, you would want to cut back on the amount of sugar, as Fuji apples are very sweet. If you were to use all Granny Smiths, you would want to add more sugar to balance out all that tart flavor. In this recipe we've mixed Granny Smiths with Fujis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Supplies</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">Crock pot</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Corer/peeler/slicer, or just a peeler and a knife</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Immersion blender </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">One large stock pot</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Jar lifter </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">7-8 half pint jars with lids</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Ladle</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">5 1/2 lbs apples, peeled, cored, and chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">4 cups white sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">2 tsp ground cinnamon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/4 tsp ground cloves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/4 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Optional:</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/4 tsp ground ginger</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1/4 tsp ground nutmeg</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Squeeze of lemon </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Let's get started! First off you want to wash your apples. Run them through a corer/peeler/slicer- like this one. If you don't have one of these contraptions, you can also just peel your apples and cut off the flesh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then chop your apples.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cT3eXVchm6ycwSRL80Nm6hBYIWtanFoynuE_Wch7-YP_NImSfxf6djIFXjFyy8v3c5kIITJokNX_qBm1PnX_mRvmEcnJZdyQy2Rf84AJqp8gVuW4xegFkRiEIuDzFHh1M8T5Bqb555fM/s1600/CIMG2298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cT3eXVchm6ycwSRL80Nm6hBYIWtanFoynuE_Wch7-YP_NImSfxf6djIFXjFyy8v3c5kIITJokNX_qBm1PnX_mRvmEcnJZdyQy2Rf84AJqp8gVuW4xegFkRiEIuDzFHh1M8T5Bqb555fM/s1600/CIMG2298.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Throw your apples into the crop pot, and add the sugar and spice blend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjih05TEJRlvroFQoY-_cLOiaQHPh8JSir7ApIQdaA7JtM6W2t44355ljPguxidICl6EYZ2OUwKzQwsEwlZrd0Kw75yDymGmvHjydkdEfJt36kBzbbNdOXVtXnejgVqcTBcBFaTUwPc0z9u/s1600/CIMG2303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjih05TEJRlvroFQoY-_cLOiaQHPh8JSir7ApIQdaA7JtM6W2t44355ljPguxidICl6EYZ2OUwKzQwsEwlZrd0Kw75yDymGmvHjydkdEfJt36kBzbbNdOXVtXnejgVqcTBcBFaTUwPc0z9u/s1600/CIMG2303.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cover and cook on high for one hour.Reduce heat to low and cook several hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Uncover and continue cooking on low for 1 hour. Puree with an immersion blender until the mixture is a smooth consistency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OxLny7npkG8umlo9jEk0SzNm7DFfiuD48ZWvRYCTOkL-ydej8mgodDsXNYCj6mwAPW3x4N8E8yDqmcZwdh8aUofHgYWanx3yhiut_PEe9dwg090vgVuks0xR18eWH4_Lbhh6QRqEVGAz/s1600/CIMG2309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OxLny7npkG8umlo9jEk0SzNm7DFfiuD48ZWvRYCTOkL-ydej8mgodDsXNYCj6mwAPW3x4N8E8yDqmcZwdh8aUofHgYWanx3yhiut_PEe9dwg090vgVuks0xR18eWH4_Lbhh6QRqEVGAz/s1600/CIMG2309.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jar your ingredients. For those of you that have never done this before or need a refresher, here are the basic steps...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wash your jars, and sterilize them in boiling water. I put them in a boiling water bath for a few minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Once your apple butter is ready to pour, get your jars all in a row. Ladle the apple butter into the jars and leave 1 inch of air space. This allows the air inside the jar to expand and prevents the jars from breaking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Place the lids on the jars and tighten them "fingertip tight," meaning just as tight as you can get them with just your fingertips. Don't really cram them on there. This allows air to escape from the jars while they process in the boiling water bath.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Process the jars in a boiling water bath.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Allow them to boil for the amount of time indicated here on this chart:</span></div>
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Time in a Boiling Water Jarring Pot</span></b></span></div>
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</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 89.6pt;" valign="top" width="119"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1-1,000ft</b></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 89.6pt;" valign="top" width="119"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1,000ft-6,000ft</b></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none double solid none; border-width: medium 2.25pt 1pt medium; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 89.65pt;" valign="top" width="120"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Above 6,000ft</b></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 38.85pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black; border-style: none solid solid double; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt 2.25pt; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 179.2pt;" valign="top" width="239"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Half-Pints or Pints</b></span></div>
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<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 89.6pt;" valign="top" width="119"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5</b></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 89.6pt;" valign="top" width="119"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10</b></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none double solid none; border-width: medium 2.25pt 1pt medium; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 89.65pt;" valign="top" width="120"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">15</b></span></div>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 38.85pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black; border-style: none solid double double; border-width: medium 1pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 179.2pt;" valign="top" width="239"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quarts</b></span></div>
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<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid double none; border-width: medium 1pt 2.25pt medium; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 89.6pt;" valign="top" width="119"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10</b></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid double none; border-width: medium 1pt 2.25pt medium; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 89.6pt;" valign="top" width="119"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">15</b></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color black black -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none double double none; border-width: medium 2.25pt 2.25pt medium; height: 38.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; text-align: center; width: 89.65pt;" valign="top" width="120"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">20</b></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Pull the jars out of the boiling water and immediately tighten the lids. This creates the airtight seal between the rubber lip of the lid and the glass jar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyc31ZxvRiwe5iI7sPRgQY90reYX3rYlvndTva1HCb6R3Zjvactem6gfwGcXq1oqNZWaC_WpPuEn5Q-5aOzmS8PvV2IUl2QgH6SKeGRob_0FRFbbZIKWKuXzTn5eNMozXck9q_ZylZ9tZs/s1600/CIMG2319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyc31ZxvRiwe5iI7sPRgQY90reYX3rYlvndTva1HCb6R3Zjvactem6gfwGcXq1oqNZWaC_WpPuEn5Q-5aOzmS8PvV2IUl2QgH6SKeGRob_0FRFbbZIKWKuXzTn5eNMozXck9q_ZylZ9tZs/s1600/CIMG2319.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cover your apple butter jars with a towel and let them come down to room temperature overnight. At this point you may hear your jars popping, which is the sound of the air inside the jar compressing due to the rapid decrease in ambient temperature. If you don't hear the popping sound, don't worry. Sometimes we don't hear it at all. The most important thing is that all the jars are sealed and the lids are flat (not popped up) in the morning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Congratulations, you have just made some delicious apple butter! What's your favorite application for this delicious treat?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-54665907260464925602013-01-30T18:08:00.000-08:002013-01-30T18:10:50.654-08:00The Machek Family Smoked Salmon By Dan Machek<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nh6mATlYvebBq-pvzAR8u9hmyzYqkBDZrk-yAlRlH27awJl0NYotbDmCSceJtjiQqs563q4w6Y1AsXAGEx4adA8V63uKGgipAsINNtKDhW8nhIuKOOhSNny-7fYDuDYmr-Ihl8Mn_NHM/s1600/CIMG2251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nh6mATlYvebBq-pvzAR8u9hmyzYqkBDZrk-yAlRlH27awJl0NYotbDmCSceJtjiQqs563q4w6Y1AsXAGEx4adA8V63uKGgipAsINNtKDhW8nhIuKOOhSNny-7fYDuDYmr-Ihl8Mn_NHM/s400/CIMG2251.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese, Sriracha, and Cilantro on a wheat cracker.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9w7e3uTR_0XL2aKfzFewnqofd8sN9e-Yig-TFAYMUUkg1vhe1_02XEYtRRc1FbD7An_n1aWHhbwBLyN-H6ZiCCDXNUJbV2iYGqKBmTl7YjFuIW7tBxuxyjONOQJwL1dX7VBv8LC-DLkn4/s1600/DSC00670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9w7e3uTR_0XL2aKfzFewnqofd8sN9e-Yig-TFAYMUUkg1vhe1_02XEYtRRc1FbD7An_n1aWHhbwBLyN-H6ZiCCDXNUJbV2iYGqKBmTl7YjFuIW7tBxuxyjONOQJwL1dX7VBv8LC-DLkn4/s200/DSC00670.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacramento River Chinook Salmon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My dad and I usually go salmon fishing in the Sacramento River every fall. This fall we caught three
salmon. We ate all of the good quality meat, and the meat that didn’t look as
dark we saved for smoking. There are many different ways to smoke salmon. Some
people like varying levels of saltiness and moisture. Our recipe is not as
salty as most, and is very moist. I’ve traveled all over Alaska
and lived on the Pacific
Coast, and I’ve tried
many different recipes for smoked salmon. I still think that our family recipe
is the best (but maybe I’m just slightly biased).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are a couple basics to smoking salmon: Plan your time
out. Smoking requires a chunk of time at home to carry out all the processes
and tend to the smoker. You want to make your brine the evening before you plan
on smoking so you can soak the meat overnight and have plenty of time the next
day to do the smoking. You also want to soak your wood for at least one hour,
if not soak them overnight. To achieve the particular moistness of this recipe
you will want to smoke your salmon for approximately two and a half to three
hours. Some people do it longer to achieve a drier, more jerky like
consistency. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgnz4pETAc7XOo5w56_Dcq6YkZqsWmP3A5UMVTp0itsrY4EAy_0EDRaiD0pNFEg4nj2PcQK97lFZb6d2s04LFXxftcPFhoZ-B2mOxffFsndTJIhzvsGxmIeQSPSLU8Sb_Iywb09eAlZF2/s1600/CIMG2229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgnz4pETAc7XOo5w56_Dcq6YkZqsWmP3A5UMVTp0itsrY4EAy_0EDRaiD0pNFEg4nj2PcQK97lFZb6d2s04LFXxftcPFhoZ-B2mOxffFsndTJIhzvsGxmIeQSPSLU8Sb_Iywb09eAlZF2/s400/CIMG2229.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple wood trimmings from the back yard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So first you want to make your brine and allow it to cool. This is
what you will soak the salmon in before you smoke it. Brine gives saltiness and
flavor to the meat, and helps retain moisture. Then you smoke the salmon. The
smoking process is generally a slow one, and is done over low heat (the
proverbial “low and slow”). You
want to be around 150 degrees for the first two hours of smoking and then
around 200 degrees for the last hour or so to make sure it is cooked
through. For smoking fish, alder and
apple wood are generally the preferred types of wood. Brining and smoking
salmon is a way to preserve the meat while lending wonderful flavors. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqL5NCSGnj8Krutbv9m3cG3DFI0yAai3xlPU1VrWnKdtgrsOytmXB9zESPPDt5CHtDR1NpletHh0cuGYbe5w-M4fk1BAlQh_vYh-_e2Yc3HkRhy0vbwAC18lSmu0w1IkVfzNvbJ090ILZV/s1600/CIMG2244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqL5NCSGnj8Krutbv9m3cG3DFI0yAai3xlPU1VrWnKdtgrsOytmXB9zESPPDt5CHtDR1NpletHh0cuGYbe5w-M4fk1BAlQh_vYh-_e2Yc3HkRhy0vbwAC18lSmu0w1IkVfzNvbJ090ILZV/s320/CIMG2244.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It took me a little while to get it to hold at 150 degrees.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Items you will need:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Salmon meat- as much as you’d like to smoke</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Smoker or barbeque</div>
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- Metal tongs</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Charcoal </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Charcoal tower</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Paper for starting charcoal</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Alder or apple wood chips (soak minimum of one hour)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Bucket of water to soak chips in</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsbefmIWdhuFfADZQm96dROi0NVqJZYSJzXDGNPeoM6e8cnGoJbpUPW1bkcmHk3OEuFinbW9SPjo_YM0keZSKehxBOC1NvVGLO0OZaX0bfJ4bnNu8v59tv2pGke6ICiRg0JtcDa89FF6q/s1600/CIMG2226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsbefmIWdhuFfADZQm96dROi0NVqJZYSJzXDGNPeoM6e8cnGoJbpUPW1bkcmHk3OEuFinbW9SPjo_YM0keZSKehxBOC1NvVGLO0OZaX0bfJ4bnNu8v59tv2pGke6ICiRg0JtcDa89FF6q/s320/CIMG2226.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brine ingredients, the crunchy granola version.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Cooling racks</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Paper towels</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Four trays worth of ice cubes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- An approximately 8-quart pot</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Oil for greasing grill</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Thermometer </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brine ingredients:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- 4 quarts water</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- 1/3 cup salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- 1 cup packed brown sugar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- ½ cup soy sauce or tamari</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- 2 tsp garlic powder + extra for topping after brining</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- 1 Tbsp cracked black pepper + extra for topping after
brining</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- 1 ½ tsp hickory liquid smoke</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Four trays worth of ice cubes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Optional other spices: onion powder, ginger, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brining directions:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">First
off, you want to start making your brine in the evening so that you can
brine your salmon overnight. Once you are ready, bring 4 quarts of
water to a boil in an approximately 8 quart pot. Take off the heat as soon
as it boils. Add all ingredients except ice cubes and stir until the salt and
sugar have completely dissolved.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Add
ice cubes to pot to begin bringing down the temperature. The goal is to
get the liquid down to room temperature so you can put the meat in without
cooking it at all. I then put my pot outside because it is really cold out
and it makes your refrigerator work overtime to bring down the temp and
that’s no good on the wallet or for the environment.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Once
your liquid has come down to room temperature you may place the meat in
the brining solution. Brine overnight.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">You
can either soak your wood overnight, or for a minimum of one hour
the morning of the smoking.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">The
next morning take your meat out of the brine, place it on drying racks,
and pat all sides dry with paper towels. Let air dry for one hour.</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Smoking directions:</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-t-VMTdi48fB5Gx0042WWwz_XUPGenaczw-cWww5QM-WLNNTLdk8khfh9DTLKH-bKA04Yi9GsZ6MAEh5_LfWSq5jXCWJ2-6rq4PmvLG9tR10khMJSbT7EJbeZkzmyrFt1L3UwU1D3-ceK/s1600/CIMG2230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-t-VMTdi48fB5Gx0042WWwz_XUPGenaczw-cWww5QM-WLNNTLdk8khfh9DTLKH-bKA04Yi9GsZ6MAEh5_LfWSq5jXCWJ2-6rq4PmvLG9tR10khMJSbT7EJbeZkzmyrFt1L3UwU1D3-ceK/s320/CIMG2230.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brined Salmon with garlic powder and black pepper.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">If you
are using a smoker with a charcoal heat source, start your coals
approximately twenty minutes before your salmon is done air drying. If you
are using a smoker with an electrical heat source, start the heat right
when your salmon is done air drying.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Once
your salmon is done air drying liberally coat each piece of salmon with
garlic powder and large cracked black pepper. Now your salmon is ready to
go on the smoker. Oil the grill so your salmon doesn’t stick and place
salmon on the grill. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Put
your coals to one side so you have an indirect heat source and spread them
so they are barely touching. You can put a handful or two of wood chips on
the coals, then put the grill with the salmon on the smoker.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Adjust
the air intake and output down. Closing down the intake and output cuts off the oxygen and hinders the coals from burning too hot, thus lowering the temperature. Opening up the intake and output allows more oxygen in and makes the coals burn with more intensity, raising the temperature. makes the
temperature. This is where an internal
thermometer really helps. Smoking salmon is different every time with
different outside environmental conditions and with each smoker. You need
to pay close attention to the temperature and preemptively start a new
batch of coals so they are ready when the first batch burns down. The rule
of thumb is you will need a new batch of coals for every 45 minutes of
cook time. After about the initial 15 minutes of cook time, start your
second batch of coals if it takes approximately 30 minutes for the coals
to be ready. I am using natural charcoal chunks which burn way faster than
your average compressed charcoal briquettes you get at the store. You
basically need to play this step by ear, keeping a vigilant eye on your
thermometer.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">I was
cramped for space so I was extra sure to place the thicker fillets toward
the heat source and the thinner fillets farther away. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
want to be around 150 degrees for the first two hours of smoking and then
around 200 degrees for the last hour or so to make sure the meat is cooked
through. If you are concerned, the internal temp should be 165 degrees. In
total it should take approximately 2 ½ - 3 hours to finish smoking. Be
sure to poke the fillets to check the firmness if you think they are
getting towards being done. Over cooking will lend a very dry product. If
you think they are done, check the largest piece, and then pull them all off if
it is done. You are looking for a flaky but still moist consistency. Allow to cool on racks to room temperature before packaging
and storing. I store my smoked salmon in zip-lock bags in the refrigerator.</li>
</ol>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgQImhuuJqCD7IYsjAOgzWOWLLxtooguULT8lQLA4eWkjllm9zVTSK76NYmZh6xRiADAnTDWU-9Gsyo4e6vFUKtCuX_rRHzuop-R8_bB8haxFYQkkTbV3O28EBpb53G1gk023t4DsEISv/s1600/CIMG2248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgQImhuuJqCD7IYsjAOgzWOWLLxtooguULT8lQLA4eWkjllm9zVTSK76NYmZh6xRiADAnTDWU-9Gsyo4e6vFUKtCuX_rRHzuop-R8_bB8haxFYQkkTbV3O28EBpb53G1gk023t4DsEISv/s320/CIMG2248.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Smoked Salmon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-44520405737125717732013-01-28T12:55:00.002-08:002013-01-28T12:55:19.006-08:00Airing Out Some Dirty Laundry By Katie Machek<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As promised, I’ve decided to
compile a section dedicated solely to laundry. As much as I want to write about
more philosophical, substantial matters, I’ve decided another practical blog
post is in order. It has also been on my mind since I posted the “Top 5 Natural
Cleaning Ingredients” spiel, so I thought I’d get it out to you all while it
was still <i>fresh</i> in my memory. It’s a <i>dirty</i> job, but somebody has to do it!
Between the two-year-old, the dog, the husband who works out in the muddy snow,
and our family’s insatiable desire to play outside (rain or shine), you could
imagine that we do a lot of laundry in this house. Naturally, it’s something
that we deal with on a daily basis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When we adopted the sustainable
lifestyle, we started looking at our piles of clothes a little differently. We
realized that buying carton after carton of laundry detergent was really taking
a toll on our wallets- and the environment. After all, how many laundry
detergent cartons can you really reuse? We also started to question exactly
what was in these store-bought laundry detergents that made them so special,
anyway. Remember the “Dirty Secrets Test” commissioned by the Women’s Voices
for the Earth (WVE)? After reading this study, we were disappointed (albeit not
surprised) to find out that we were paying for ingredients like 1,4-dioxane (a
known carcinogen) in our supposedly “gentle” laundry detergent. Bummer! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Admittedly, what really got us on
the crunchy granola laundry train was the birth of our son. Long before he was
born, we decided we were going to use cloth diapers instead of the conventional
disposables. This would reduce our environmental impact and save us hundreds
(seriously, <i>hundreds</i>) of dollars. The
caveat, aside from the fact that we would now have to deal hands-on with poop,
was that these diapers would not absorb liquid as effectively if they were
washed with detergents that contained fillers and oils. These fillers and oils
would clog-up the fabric of the cloth, and liquid would wick out of the diapers
and onto who ever was cradling our little one. “Now what?” we thought. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9A5Ak_TBXfBoyoo1BN12Ef9aga0cK-w0bo7mXEuVidqVXEN6Rh_4VS76jfNib8XoTuNP1z_90zvO9J-h75Pe9hpPOwixi4rm9DJ0ydJJ_bnjFo4zm1i2_yuqw3gAZJ72Md8WcrtwBRlz/s1600/CIMG2170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9A5Ak_TBXfBoyoo1BN12Ef9aga0cK-w0bo7mXEuVidqVXEN6Rh_4VS76jfNib8XoTuNP1z_90zvO9J-h75Pe9hpPOwixi4rm9DJ0ydJJ_bnjFo4zm1i2_yuqw3gAZJ72Md8WcrtwBRlz/s1600/CIMG2170.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">After some research (and some help
from my older sister, who pioneered the whole cloth diaper movement for our
family) we came across the amazing soap nuts that I’ve mentioned before. Just
as a refresher, soap nuts are the fruit of a tropical plant. They contain
saponins, which act as surfactants that will help wash away dirt and grime. As
a laundry cleaner they are especially gentle and mild, making them perfect for
newborn baby clothes and cloth diapers or for anyone with sensitivities to
detergents. These amazing little nuts can be bought by the bag online or at
your natural health food store. Most are sold in a nifty cloth bag, along with
one or two small muslin bags. They are incredibly versatile and easy to use. As
an application to laundry, there are a couple ways we use them in our home.
First, you can just put a few nuts in one of those little muslin cloths they
give you and toss them in the laundry. You can remove them before the rinse
cycle if you wish, but we usually leave them in the entire laundry cycle and
have not noticed a difference yet. I suppose that removing them before the
rinse cycle would make them last a little longer. Do try to make sure you
remove them from the laundry load before you switch over to the dryer. This
will allow you to reuse one bag of soap nuts over and over- usually 3-5 times,
depending on the size and soil level of the laundry load. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another way we harness the cleaning
power of these little nuts is by making a decoction of the nuts and using it as
a liquid laundry detergent. This liquid can be used in top loader and front
loader machines, although you may want to use a little less liquid in front
loader washing machines. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations for how much
liquid detergent to use per load. For time’s sake, I’m going to copy and paste
the recipe I provided previously for this liquid soap nuts solution:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Multi-Purpose Soap Nuts Liquid</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-size: large;">4 cups Water</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-size: large;">8-10 Soap Nuts</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Place water and soap nuts into a medium pot and
cook over medium high heat, until the mixture reaches a rolling boil. Reduce
heat and let simmer until the mixture has reduced by half. Let cool. Mash the
soap nuts with a potato masher, and strain the liquid into a container. Store
this solution in the refrigerator, as the liquid is perishable. The liquid can
also be frozen into ice cube trays, if you want to make a few batches at a
time. I also like this method of preserving the liquid because it eliminates
the need to measure out the liquid- just pop in a couple of these cubes to your
laundry and you’re good to go. You can see here that we are using a 2:1 soap
nut to water ratio. Feel free to up the ante (i.e. 3:1 or 4:1) if you feel as
though you’d like a more concentrated cleaning solution. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This liquid laundry detergent
worked perfectly for us for over a year, with no problems. That is, until we
started introducing solid food to our son’s diet. It was at that point that we
had, well, let’s just say a bit more <i>substance</i>
to deal with. I noticed that his diapers were coming out of the wash dirty and
smelly, and it didn’t seem to matter if we were meticulously rinsing them out
before we put them in the wash. I had a feeling that the soap nuts weren’t
really cutting it anymore, but I didn’t’ really have a solution besides the
store bought diaper-friendly detergents that cost an arm and a leg. Granted
these detergents are very safe to use and effective at cleaning, they are incredibly
expensive- often costing over $10 for a 50oz carton. That may seem like a lot,
but one of those cartons is enough for about 30 loads of laundry. Considering
how much laundry we do, we would be using over a carton a month. After doing
some research I noticed that many people have come up with a basic laundry
detergent powder recipe that I have found cleans just as well as the store
bought laundry detergents I’ve used in the past. And the best part about it is
that it is safe and cost-effective. Look around online and you’ll find many
variations of the same basic recipe. Here’s my favorite:</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9siC_bOMy9jTrYKFpe2LEO5ZZPmrfTtq_HhxDSvb6zsq-MckhnEJgLpq2GtfK1Z4fRT8G9qG2UgmT9y6iKrQF_X8bdP6hhm2vzf-dHgYOr20jGAFHW1Pq30mwVcbR2t9ruqFd3qOepcQ_/s1600/CIMG2221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9siC_bOMy9jTrYKFpe2LEO5ZZPmrfTtq_HhxDSvb6zsq-MckhnEJgLpq2GtfK1Z4fRT8G9qG2UgmT9y6iKrQF_X8bdP6hhm2vzf-dHgYOr20jGAFHW1Pq30mwVcbR2t9ruqFd3qOepcQ_/s1600/CIMG2221.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You will need: a cheese grater, baking soda, borax, a small bar of soap, a measuring cup, a food processor (optional) and a cookie sheet </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Powder Laundry Detergent</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-size: large;">2 Cups finely grated bar of soap </span></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 Cup Borax</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 Cup Baking Soda</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 Cup Washing Soda</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMpjmw9KTgEFnOH3bJVtcMy9FKsA31AX-qvQfb8rgzniLS23Kx-T32HAuaHGy9cSzmqyicABATCK5YOT1k00kjl7iB3eqzSQNkInBK1JUEHHv3hXN4WB0EhAmzzRGQ9lhfg0Tcgv9gRA1/s1600/CIMG2202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMpjmw9KTgEFnOH3bJVtcMy9FKsA31AX-qvQfb8rgzniLS23Kx-T32HAuaHGy9cSzmqyicABATCK5YOT1k00kjl7iB3eqzSQNkInBK1JUEHHv3hXN4WB0EhAmzzRGQ9lhfg0Tcgv9gRA1/s1600/CIMG2202.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grated soap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciCR4EjxFKxOtGBEk6HXqdHtKitCv_CNbMRI_7Jc72SDmzozVEAqxUKP-kgLbUgAhItOFj5Ios_Q0GQkBIPEz5smRrhibRQ9zTDJfY11FGbkdTeKu1lRPIWv3zK2-mPieF7bO4FknyeXh/s1600/CIMG2213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciCR4EjxFKxOtGBEk6HXqdHtKitCv_CNbMRI_7Jc72SDmzozVEAqxUKP-kgLbUgAhItOFj5Ios_Q0GQkBIPEz5smRrhibRQ9zTDJfY11FGbkdTeKu1lRPIWv3zK2-mPieF7bO4FknyeXh/s1600/CIMG2213.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Powdered soap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Chose any bar of soap you’d
like, although I’ve noticed that most folks prefer a soap that is free of dyes
and fillers. I use an all-natural coconut soap made locally, but I’ve seen
others like fels-naptha, ivory, or Dr. Bronner’s. What ever soap you chose,
grate it with a cheese grater and run it through a food processor until it is
finely powdered (note that I use a natural coconut soap that doesn’t leave a
residue or fragrance in our food processor). Then simply add all ingredients
into a large container and shake well. Use 2 Tbsp per normal size load, 3 Tbsp
if the laundry is especially soiled or you are doing a large load. If you want
to make a bulk amount of this detergent, just follow the ratios of all the
ingredients. I find that this is the best way to do it, since I don’t like to
deal with cleaning my food processor very often.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background-color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis91ACQsrWbE8N9guzEgETIePZ_MAXVHoA7TP9SjJ1P2fUmegyfnH8aIHpBCTuWg_TKPTRjkswqekbm0qLifJGlGOxPevHnWz4s88_8omVso3cyxRkhMV6LDL_ViQ3RqgM2J2Q5P_Ylwxm/s1600/CIMG2219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis91ACQsrWbE8N9guzEgETIePZ_MAXVHoA7TP9SjJ1P2fUmegyfnH8aIHpBCTuWg_TKPTRjkswqekbm0qLifJGlGOxPevHnWz4s88_8omVso3cyxRkhMV6LDL_ViQ3RqgM2J2Q5P_Ylwxm/s1600/CIMG2219.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final product</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">You keen observers out there may
be wondering where that box of washing soda is on the photo above. Well, you’ll
be happy to know that you don’t necessarily need to go out and buy a box of
washing soda, that is if you have enough baking soda at home. The reason being is
that you can make your own washing soda at home by baking baking soda- and no,
that’s not a typo! You may be wondering how this all works. Anyone remember
balancing chemical equations from chemistry class? Let’s get nerdy! The
chemical formula for baking soda- or sodium bicarbonate- is NaHCO<sub>3</sub>.
The chemical formula for washing soda- or sodium carbonate- is Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>.
A balanced chemical equation representing
the conversion of baking soda to washing soda looks something like this:</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">2 NaHCO<sub>3 </sub>(s) →
Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3 </sub>(s) + H<sub>2</sub>O (g)+ CO<sub>2 </sub>(g)</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As you can see, when heat is
applied to the sodium bicarbonate, water and carbon dioxide are released. The
solid that remains is sodium carbonate, or washing soda. Pretty neat, huh? It’s
pretty easy to accomplish this, too. Simply measure out how much baking soda
you will be using, pour it onto a cookie sheet, and bake at 400º for about 30
minutes. It’s a good idea to stir around the powder every so often while it
bakes, especially if you are baking a lot at once. You will notice that the
washing soda is a much finer powder than the baking soda. </span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikp0X5S_P2VJ5Y61Y7IuPwY8lavx4NlFh0M7ffj-siHGrQ6-NgaLzWtx7Onw8oD8DnUNRSL-BQnYhuldh0Wa061vXgwslun22J11stev2rIpduSkhN3yRIpBRnAY3mgslseUx0abonzX7z/s1600/CIMG2216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikp0X5S_P2VJ5Y61Y7IuPwY8lavx4NlFh0M7ffj-siHGrQ6-NgaLzWtx7Onw8oD8DnUNRSL-BQnYhuldh0Wa061vXgwslun22J11stev2rIpduSkhN3yRIpBRnAY3mgslseUx0abonzX7z/s1600/CIMG2216.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade washing soda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There you have it, a laundry
soap that is fun to make, safe to use, effective at cleaning even dirty
diapers, and costs less that 10¢ per load (as opposed to over 30¢ per load for
store-bought detergents). As for my container and scooper of choice, you ask?
I’ve recruited a reused animal cracker container, and a scooper that came with
my husband’s protein powder. So, it is between the soap nuts and our homemade
laundry detergent that we have all our laundry cleaning needs covered. But
wait, not so fast! What about stains? What about weird odors? I’ve got a couple
more tricks up my sleeve…</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Vinegar</u>- for removing funky smells and grass
stains, or to rinse out any remaining soap from your laundry after the wash
cycle, add about ¼ cup vinegar to a rinse cycle. Your clothes will come out
fresh and clean.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Hydrogen peroxide</u>- to remove blood and ketchup
stains, or those stubborn armpit stains, dab some hydrogen peroxide onto the
stain before the wash cycle and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Remember to spot test
any fabric you will be applying hydrogen peroxide to as it can bleach certain
fabrics</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Bar of soap</u>- to spot-treat stains when they
happen, I keep the leftover nubbin of bars of soap handy. Just dip the soap in
water and rub onto the stain. Throw into your dirty laundry and while the
clothing sits in the hamper the soap works away at the stain. When you wash
your clothes the stain will be removed. </span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Links</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 6pt 0in; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This is the “Dirty Secrets Test” commissioned by the
Women’s </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 6pt 0in; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Voices for the Earth.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 6pt 0in; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.womensvoices.org/science/fact-sheets/dirty-secrets/">http://www.womensvoices.org/science/fact-sheets/dirty-secrets/</a></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 12pt; margin: 6pt 0in; page-break-after: avoid;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A helpful blog
post regarding soap nuts, along with a modified version of the powder detergent
above, using soap nuts.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.crunchybetty.com/the-mother-of-all-soap-nuts-recipe-resources">http://www.crunchybetty.com/the-mother-of-all-soap-nuts-recipe-resources</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-39873773975911122972013-01-27T18:45:00.000-08:002013-01-27T18:47:22.014-08:00Fact or Fiction: Organic Is Always More Expensive Than Conventional<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">While shopping at one of our favorite grocery stores (Holiday Market), we noticed a price-comparison chart they had on display in the produce section. The produce being compared were conventional fruits and veggies from Ray's and Safeway and organic produce at Holiday Market. It would actually be cheaper to buy the organic items listed from Holiday than to buy their conventional equivalents at Ray's or Safeway. Just goes to show you that organic isn't always more expensive than conventional food- but it is always healthier! Special thanks to Holiday Market in Palo Cedro, California, for their ongoing support of local and organic farmers. </span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsorAfNuI8VXnhEtyErF_PMuKEXwHbqRurNwyRrqCBq6ogy-i3xrYu9iIfowlsgdvaNaUAaJa1EaFZ-Q7_rm6effJqXi5Znwq0P7HWpswpA8pb8v9e_Rbqy5s1FCL71izGsNmoNTNNw1g/s1600/CIMG2205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsorAfNuI8VXnhEtyErF_PMuKEXwHbqRurNwyRrqCBq6ogy-i3xrYu9iIfowlsgdvaNaUAaJa1EaFZ-Q7_rm6effJqXi5Znwq0P7HWpswpA8pb8v9e_Rbqy5s1FCL71izGsNmoNTNNw1g/s1600/CIMG2205.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_625322173"></span><span id="goog_625322174"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-37953263058734662832013-01-19T10:17:00.002-08:002013-01-19T10:17:35.934-08:00Homemade Thick Crust Pizza Dough RecipeHere is my favorite homemade pizza dough recipe. This is for all of those folks that like the "Chicago" style thick crust. It takes about an hour and a half to complete this recipe. It makes two medium to large size pizzas. Say hello to my bubbly little friend. It always helps to have a pizza stone but you can do it on a cookie sheet if need be.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzmo82RDRuYho0uyWZfSPZSawYv-jL0XZO0IxFtWh-nUxbW472zs8vNb0Qwm2ohimVWNjH4T2oNpJqB-ykXZJsz2YnedF1ylS5B9OcX3ialH6BnD96YS2EXxoeCogP4SZKrzbrE-190_y/s1600/CIMG2182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzmo82RDRuYho0uyWZfSPZSawYv-jL0XZO0IxFtWh-nUxbW472zs8vNb0Qwm2ohimVWNjH4T2oNpJqB-ykXZJsz2YnedF1ylS5B9OcX3ialH6BnD96YS2EXxoeCogP4SZKrzbrE-190_y/s320/CIMG2182.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
- 2 1/4 tsp. Yeast<br />
- 1/2 tsp. Brown sugar<br />
- 1/12 Cup ~110 degree water<br />
- 1 tsp. salt<br />
- 2 Tbsp. High heat oil<br />
- 3 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and brown sugar with the warm water. Sit 10 min.<br />
<br />
2. Stir in salt and oil into water. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of flour. This will make a very wet and sticky dough.<br />
<br />
3. Incorporate your remaining flour a bit at a time by flouring the surface you are kneading your dough on until your dough is no longer sticky.<br />
<br />
4. Oil your large bowl, put in your kneaded dough, cover with a damp cloth, and put it in a warm spot. Let the dough double which takes approximately one hour. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.<br />
<br />
5. Take your dough out, punch the dough down in the center, separate it into two, and form them into balls. Let the dough relax before rolling them out.<br />
<br />
6. Top your pizzas and bake for 15-20 min.<br />
<br />
Notes:<br />
<br />
-If you are baking with a pizza stone and needing to transfer your prepared pizza dough to the stone, you will save yourself a lot of headache by using cornmeal to help the dough slide off whatever you are preparing your pizza on and onto your pizza stone intact. We prepare ours on the back of a cookie sheet and acts like a pizza peel (the big wooden paddle you see pizza makers use). Be sure to use organic cornmeal to avoid eating GMO corn that makes its own insecticide. <br />
<br />
- We topped our pizza with a little spaghetti sauce, some mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan cheese. I added some shallots and garlic I caramelized with a little brown sugar and ACV, mushrooms, red bell pepper, and capers. Yum!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-49788191252470764502013-01-16T23:10:00.000-08:002013-01-17T18:53:06.484-08:00Food for thought Part II<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: large;">---> Why I try to eat food and
consume products that are organically grown as much as possibly and stay away
from conventional and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). There are many reasons why to avoid conventional food, too many to go into here. So I will talk about
my main concern, pesticides. Also, what you can do to avoid harmful chemicals
and turn your food consumption into something that benefits your life and the
environment around you and your family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pesticides:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are a myriad of pesticides registered and used on
croplands. Glyphosate is one I take issue with due to its widespread use. Glyphosate,
the active ingredient in the popular herbicide Round-up ™, is the number one
used herbicide by volume in the world [i],[ii]. <span class="st"><i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i></span><i> </i>(Bt) is a soil-dwelling bacteria that
possesses a protein which acts as an insecticide. For this reason, scientists
have isolated this protein and inserted it into the DNA of many different food
plants, including potatoes, cotton, and most notably corn. Both glyphosate and Bt are widely used in
creating and maintaining genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that are used as
agricultural crops, such as GM corn and GM soy. Agricultural crops are being
modified to be Round-up resistant and to produce the Bt toxin. Since these
plants are producing the Bt toxin and being sprayed with Round-up, there is
surely an interaction between the two chemicals. In a study printed in the Journal
of Applied Toxicology, the Laboratory of Biochemistry of the University of Caen
examined the toxicological effects of glyphosate and (Bt) toxin on human cells.
In particular they looked at the singular effect of various Bt toxins on human
cells and the synergistic effects of the interactions between Round-up residue and
the Bt toxin. They found that one of the two Bt toxins studied, at
concentrations of 100 parts per million, caused cell death. Also, that Round-up
tested alone in concentrations of 1 to 20,000 parts per million (ppm) killed
human embryonic kidney cells, and Round-up at concentrations as low as 50 ppm,
levels far below agricultural dilutions, induced cell death. The combined
effect of the two substances delayed apoptosis, or programmed cell death [iii].
Programmed cell death sounds bad, but in fact it is one of many mechanisms that
cells possess to exterminate problematic cells (i.e., cells that are dividing
uncontrollably, one of the defining characteristics of cancerous cells.) The Oxford journal of
Carcinogenisis states that:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“<i>it is now clear that
some oncogenic [tumor causing] mutations disrupt apoptosis, leading to tumor
initiation, progression, or metastasis. Conversely, compelling evidence
indicates that other oncogenic changes promote apoptosis, thereby producing
selective pressure to override apoptosis during multistage carcinogenesis.
Finally, it is now well documented that most cytotoxic anticancer agents induce
apoptosis, raising the intriguing possibility that defects in apoptotic
programs contribute to treatment failure.</i>” [iv]</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddIR9scKFNnGuqFMN_oFMgOjhT9hP5F5wlVvD3Iy0_I04kZ-nMA1kDjNU7Lb2oKFK76N6c_LcNYNcC52fqaaNGIGOhxlrJI9lHAuFeofeO_vMrxjU-5xVJ_uY71y1ZpIFwW_MR3Zps1rJ/s1600/roundup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddIR9scKFNnGuqFMN_oFMgOjhT9hP5F5wlVvD3Iy0_I04kZ-nMA1kDjNU7Lb2oKFK76N6c_LcNYNcC52fqaaNGIGOhxlrJI9lHAuFeofeO_vMrxjU-5xVJ_uY71y1ZpIFwW_MR3Zps1rJ/s200/roundup.jpg" height="200" width="162" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The study about the toxicity of Round-up and Bt toxin comes
five days after a study that describes how Round-up is many orders of magnitude
more toxic to human DNA than we previously thought. Their study reported that
Round-up diluted to concentrations 450 times below what is used in commercial
agriculture is toxic to human DNA cells [ii]. This is <span style="color: black;">most
likely due to the presence of the surfactant polyoxyethyleneamine that
is used in the Roundup formula. This surfactant may dramatically enhance the
absorption of glyphosate into exposed human cells and tissue [v]. Here are some
of the other issues surrounding Glyphosate and Bt toxin that I don’t really
have the space to go into now. Some are articles with links to multiple studies
and official documents and some are the scientific studies themselves. Keep in
mind that it is not easy to support the hypothesis that these pesticides have
certain effects on humans because no one wants to be tested on and you can’t
exactly inject a baby with this stuff and watch what happens. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0RKnyFy-ufZQhRZKzsKfIYDwYk53_n6dQAVYa-f17JDCGaPBvXgP5H-hN8kV2Jai_uK1or3UZrjjkO4KWic-nFo2_ccOqB4JypHPb7tlNUKAMqvh17cGjVRuzG-9hX3V7kNuoYrzbANq/s1600/KellogsBt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0RKnyFy-ufZQhRZKzsKfIYDwYk53_n6dQAVYa-f17JDCGaPBvXgP5H-hN8kV2Jai_uK1or3UZrjjkO4KWic-nFo2_ccOqB4JypHPb7tlNUKAMqvh17cGjVRuzG-9hX3V7kNuoYrzbANq/s1600/KellogsBt.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Some of the
issues that come to mind: </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">1.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">Bt toxins are killing
our intestinal flora and possibly causing obesity and mental health problems:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://healthimpactnews.com/2011/how-gmo-foods-are-destroying-your-gut-flora/">http://healthimpactnews.com/2011/how-gmo-foods-are-destroying-your-gut-flora/</a>
</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">2.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">Monsanto Products such
as Glyphosate, Bt toxins, DDT (still used around the world), Endosulfans, HCH are causing human infertility and birth
defects.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">a. Birth Defects Caused by World’s Top-Selling
Weedkiller, Scientists Say. Look for the links to four separate studies
conducted on this issue in this article:<span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://naturalsociety.com/roundup-causes-birth-defects-scientists-say/">http://naturalsociety.com/roundup-causes-birth-defects-scientists-say/</a></span></span></span></div>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> b. Persistent Organic Pollutants Could Lead to
Birth Defects in Half of All Newborns:</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://naturalsociety.com/persistent-organic-pollutants-birth-defects-half-newborns/#ixzz2IA1vv0Vf"><span style="color: #003399;">http://naturalsociety.com/persistent-organic-pollutants-birth-defects-half-newborns/#ixzz2IA1vv0Vf</span></a></span></span></h1>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Here
is the study linked with the previous article: </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Association%20of%20selected%20persistent%20organic%20pollutants%20in%20the%20placenta%20with%20risk%20of%20neural%20tube%20defects"><span style="font-weight: normal;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Association%20of%20selected%20persistent%20organic%20pollutants%20in%20the%20placenta%20with%20risk%20of%20neural%20tube%20defects </span></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></h1>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">c. Exposure to this chemical is linked to birth Defects:</span></span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://naturalsociety.com/more-evidence-linking-pesticides-to-birth-defects/">http://naturalsociety.com/more-evidence-linking-pesticides-to-birth-defects/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Here is the Report linked with the
previous article: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/57277946/RoundupandBirthDefectsv5">http://www.scribd.com/doc/57277946/RoundupandBirthDefectsv5</a></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">3. Bt toxins may be responsible
for honey bee colony collapse disorder (CCD)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1708896/wik-bee-leaks-epa-document-shows-it-knowingly-allowed-pesticide-kills-honey-bees">http://www.fastcompany.com/1708896/wik-bee-leaks-epa-document-shows-it-knowingly-allowed-pesticide-kills-honey-bees</a></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">4. Bt toxins may be responsible
for Monarch butterfly disappearance: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-4598.2011.00142.x/full">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-4598.2011.00142.x/full</a>)
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">5. Bt toxins reduce soil fertility:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/04/13/us-usa-gmos-regulators-idUSTRE63C2AJ20100413">http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/04/13/us-usa-gmos-regulators-idUSTRE63C2AJ20100413</a>
</span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jwIZxA2ercd9E1RTEjJ2WCaq8CNIulCwsDnPt02Z0OOgvA5r_Y5H9-CqgUmCWpckOraIQpzHNssm9AYDF-_S7qPyHh59BozN8MsOcC2qFTC5q_4yPpdcaFPx3Z4-jAiNEYrpmH1QNblI/s1600/angrygopher.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jwIZxA2ercd9E1RTEjJ2WCaq8CNIulCwsDnPt02Z0OOgvA5r_Y5H9-CqgUmCWpckOraIQpzHNssm9AYDF-_S7qPyHh59BozN8MsOcC2qFTC5q_4yPpdcaFPx3Z4-jAiNEYrpmH1QNblI/s1600/angrygopher.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">
Survival of the fittest comes to mind when thinking about Round-up
resistant plants and the creation of super-weeds. Farmers spray their
fields with Round-up to get rid of pesky weeds that would other wise
crowd out their crops if not otherwise dealt with. In the process of
spraying, a minute portion of the weeds survive the spraying. The weeds
that survive are able to procreate and pass on their genes that were
able to survive to the next generation and so on. Superweeds resistant
to Round-up pose a real threat to farmers. Instead of heading natures
warning that this whole deal may be bad news, Monsanto and other
companies like Dow and Dupont are proposing to introduce GM plants that
are 2, 4-d resistant to the world. If you are not familiar with 2, 4-d
it is half the chemical make up of Agent Orange, the chemical defoliant
used by the US government in the Vietnam war. Vietnamese and US veterans
are still suffering today from the effects of Agent Orange. 2, 4-d has
been linked to Non-hodkin's lymphoma in humans, birth defects,
miscariages. Just ask the folks in Denny, CA how that went down when the
Forest Service decided to spray 2, 4-d on clear cuts adjacent to the
creek that gives Denny its water. I learned about that one in my
political science class. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"> Atrazine
used to be the number one used herbicide in the world, that is until glyphosate
came onto the market. Now it is number two, but arguably the most widely used
in the United States.
The endocrine disrupting capabilities of this chemical is staggering. I look to
the in-depth work of one of Cal Berkely’s finest, Tyrone Hayes, for further
explanation on the subject of Atrazine. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Hayes is near and dear to my heart
because he came and spoke on this subject of the endocrine disrupting effect of
atrazine on frogs and at Humboldt
State while I was
attending college. </span> </span>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfExAJzNA6K2zxM75HA-zXwGqNGR2ArihigjTsPt6PSSY7DGr3fDyEbJrM0ya6KkevleF2ExCmC2DSZGePVfnwjcINolK59GIXOtAonJ2Z7Z-1ogGKS8PryQhXXUu6c8YRacyQiDncROr/s1600/tyronehayes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfExAJzNA6K2zxM75HA-zXwGqNGR2ArihigjTsPt6PSSY7DGr3fDyEbJrM0ya6KkevleF2ExCmC2DSZGePVfnwjcINolK59GIXOtAonJ2Z7Z-1ogGKS8PryQhXXUu6c8YRacyQiDncROr/s1600/tyronehayes.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The current findings of his study and others before
him suggest that atrazine inhibits testosterone and induces estrogen secretion
in frogs, producing hermaphroditic frogs. This is essentially what an endocrine
disruptor does, if you are not familiar with the term. Endocrine disruptors are
substances, not already found in the body, that interfere with the synthesis,
secretion, transport, binding, or other actions of hormones in the body. They
can have devastating effects such as cause cancer, fetal abnormalities,
miscarriages, etc. They can also have more subversive effects that may go
unnoticed such as causing learning disabilities, decreased fertility, low sperm
count, and hermaphroditism. Here is an excerpt from one of his studies </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“the effects on the
gonads in the current study were produced at 0.1 ppb, which was more than 600
times lower than the dose required to induce aromatase in human adrenocortical
carcinoma and placental choriocarcinoma studies and 30,000,000 times lower than
the dose required to produce reproductive effects in rats. The current data
raise new concerns for amphibians with regards to atrazine. Effective doses
(0.1 ppb for the production of hermaphrodites and 1 ppb for reduction in
laryngeal size) are ecologically relevant. The recommended application level of
atrazine ranges from 2,500,000–29,300,000 ppb, the allowable contaminant level
for atrazine in drinking water is 3 ppb, and short-term exposures of 200 ppb
are not considered a health risk. Atrazine can be as high as 21 ppb in ground
water, 42 ppb in surface waters, 102 ppb in river basins in agricultural areas.
This common contaminant could be a contributing factor in amphibian declines
due to reproductive failure.” </i>[vi]</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyKVbOpH8DqcKJ7911S0VrK-ySzOTSzo5MHwiOfJiYqCHkqwaA-JvObJXXKWEe7zbYWCMLksaxhpTgea-NKMcQ_qTybNGEQYuBL0hSDX7zGCmE6Jh6kNlQyVM3Pt2uSMpSshtXjCmtCJc/s1600/atrazinefrog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyKVbOpH8DqcKJ7911S0VrK-ySzOTSzo5MHwiOfJiYqCHkqwaA-JvObJXXKWEe7zbYWCMLksaxhpTgea-NKMcQ_qTybNGEQYuBL0hSDX7zGCmE6Jh6kNlQyVM3Pt2uSMpSshtXjCmtCJc/s1600/atrazinefrog.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is where the precautionary principle kicks in for me.
You have got to be thinking that if it can happen to frogs and rats, why not to
humans? Well it can, my friends. Atrazine’s endocrine-disrupting effects have
been shown in fish, amphibians, and reptiles; the induction of mammary and
prostate cancer in laboratory rodents; and correlations between atrazine and
similar reproductive cancers in humans [vii]. Unfortunately, I have just
mentioned three of the most widely used pesticides. There are many more out
there used, along with all of the other nasty industrialized chemicals that are
allowed to be introduced into the environment. The best thing to do is inform
yourself about these chemicals and learn how you can reduce your exposure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttbMH82bzQ6uo4NbO0U3-wNpckE0psRBVnF0yEX1zS1IFeQB8iqaEN4obFDu92G4xJq_FEdyaReinjRAZvQ8TYkK8FfV-w7VAKK7ZT4bV3IX2oNW1Vj2Uo_1noQa08dqYQHquiAW4xxrM/s1600/atrazineleopard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttbMH82bzQ6uo4NbO0U3-wNpckE0psRBVnF0yEX1zS1IFeQB8iqaEN4obFDu92G4xJq_FEdyaReinjRAZvQ8TYkK8FfV-w7VAKK7ZT4bV3IX2oNW1Vj2Uo_1noQa08dqYQHquiAW4xxrM/s1600/atrazineleopard.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>What you
can do</u></b><b>.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>-</b>Remember that you vote on these issues three times a day. That is,
the money you are spending on food in effect is a vote of what you want present
and available on the market. If you and others start buying more organic food,
the market responds to provide that need. If people continue to buy
conventional/gmo foods, then that choice is what will be represented and
available on the market. <br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">-As of now eating organic is not
enough. According to an article in the German Ithaka Journal, a German
university study found “significant concentrations of glyphosate in the urine
samples of city dwellers. The analysis of the urine samples apparently found
that all had concentrations of glyphosate at 5 to 20-fold the limit for
drinking water” [viii]. We need a moratorium, no a ban, on the use of inorganic
pesticides such a glyphosate. Tell your State and Federal congressman to at
least label if not ban GMOs and their associated pesticide use. For more
information on how you can get involved check out these websites:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">- The Just Label it Campaign
that lets the FDA know that you want your food labeled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.justlabelit.org/">www.justlabelit.org</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">-The Label GMOs website is a
place to get information and get involved in direct action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.labelgmos.org/">www.labelgmos.org</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">-The Occupy Monsanto website
where you can get involved in direct action, or donate to the cause.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://occupy-monsanto.com/">http://occupy-monsanto.com/</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Grow your own food when
possible and use organic gardening techniques, such as Integrated Pest
Management (IPM).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">IPM:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Like most of life’s endeavors, start with prevention. Then monitor your
plants. When you notice a pest in your garden, try to identify it as specifically
as possible. Read up on the lifecycle and habits of the organism to better
understand how to control it. For example, it is very helpful to know that Spider
mites have a seven day life cycle. Your final stage is to begin controlling the
pests. Start from the most safe and effective alternative and increase in
intensity if need be. If I encounter Spider mites, knowing their life cycle I
know to spray with a solution of diluted Neem oil every seven days until I
don’t see them pop up any more. Neem oil is extracted from a plant and is very
safe to use. Indians use neem leaves (also know as curry leaves) in many types
of curries and is one of the best substances to use for skin care. Stay tuned
for more on the many applications of neem in our herbal medicine section to
come. Understand that whether or not you use harsh chemicals or natural
pesticides, you will still lose about the same amount of your crop to pests.
Plant accordingly. According to a thirty year study conducted by the Rhodale
institute, there was no significant difference in the crop yield between
conventional and organic agricultural practices <a href="http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/fst30years" target="_blank">http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/fst30years</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"> - Prevention: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Crop rotation
helps reduce the accumulation of pests i.e. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“keeps pests guessing.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Select
pest-resistant varieties and native plants. Native plants </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">have evolved to deal with the
stressors of your particular</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">climate and also are beneficial to native wildlife.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Planting pest
free rootstock. Check the starts and rootstock </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">you get from your local nursery,
they often have pests.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Mulching reduces
weed growth and gives plants room so </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">pests can’t easily be transferred to your crop.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Companion
Planting: planting certain plants with others can </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">help keep pests away and or
encourage beneficial insects that </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">can prey on pests. For example, planting
marigolds with </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">tomatoes. Here is a companion planting chart:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_55/companion_planting.aspx"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_55</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_55/companion_planting.aspx"><span style="font-size: large;">/companion_planting.aspx</span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Control: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Encouraging beneficial insects that will prey on pests such as </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">praying
mantis, lacewings, and lady bugs. Grow composite </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">and umbel type flowers that have nectar for beneficials to </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">feed on. Learn to identify egg sacs and transport beneficials to </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">garden space.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Row covers and physical barriers are the garden’s body </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">guards. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Trapping: we have a problem with earwigs so we take old </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">cottage cheese containers, poke holes in the lids big enough </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">for them to fit in and put
a mixture of oil and soy sauce in the </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">container. They are attracted to the
saltiness of the soy </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">sauce and get trapped in the oil. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">-Neem and other non-specific (and hopefully organic) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-indent: 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">pesticides.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Look forward to more topics on
the associated practices of organic and conventional agriculture and why it
should influence the food you buy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Works Cited:</u></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">[i] <cite><span style="font-style: normal;">water.epa.gov/.../Archived-Technical-Fact-Sheet-on-Glyphosate.pdf</span></cite></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><cite><span style="font-style: normal;">[ii] </span></cite>Verena J Koller, M. Fürhacker, A. Nersesyan, M.
Mišík, M. Eisenbauer, S. Knasmueller 2012. Archives of Toxicology. Cytotoxic
and DNA-damaging properties of glyphosate and Roundup in human-derived buccal
epithelial cells.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><cite><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></cite></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><cite><span style="font-style: normal;">[iii]</span></cite>R Mesnage, E Clair, S Gress,
C Then, A Székács, G-E Séralini 2012. Journal of Applied Toxicology.
Cytotoxicity on human cells of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac Bt insecticidal toxins alone
or with a glyphosate-based herbicide.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">[iv] Scott W. Lowel, A. Lin 2000. Oxford Journal of Carcinogenisis. Apoptosis in
Cancer.</span></div>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">[v]
H. de Ruiter, M. Verbeek, A. Uffing 1988. Pesticide Formulations Chapter 5, pp
44-45. Mode of Action of a Nonionic and a Cationic Surfactant in Relation to
Glyphosate.</span></span></h1>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">[vi]
Tyrone Hayes, A. Collins, M. Lee, M. Mendoza, N. Noriega, A. Stuart, A. Vonk
2002. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Hermaphroditic,
demasculinized frogs after the exposure to the herbicide atrazine at low
ecologically relevant doses.</span></span></h1>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;">[<span style="font-weight: normal;">vii] WuQiang Fan, T. Yanase, H.
Morinaga, S. Gondo, T. Okabe, M. Nomura, T. Komatsu, K. Morohashi, T. Hayes, R.
Takayanagi, H. Nawata 2007. Environmental Health Perspectives. Atrazine-Induced
Aromatase Expression Is SF-1 Dependent: Implications for Endocrine Disruption
in Wildlife and Reproductive Cancers in Humans.</span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">[viii] http://www.ithaka-journal.net/herbizide-im-urin?lang=en</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-74445759883892137302013-01-11T11:28:00.001-08:002013-01-11T12:33:12.306-08:00Food for Thought by Dan Machek<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</div>
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It was a
particular lecture by one of my wildlife professors at Humboldt State University, that spurred me to
take a hard look at what food I decided to eat and how it affected wildlife,
ecosystems, and ultimately our world as a whole. He mentioned an interesting
point that in terms of protein, it takes more land to produce the equivalent
amount of animal protein than it does to grow the same amount of vegetable
protein. Bottom line: there would be less land consumption and healthier
ecosystems if America
backed off of their overly-consumptive portions of meat and relied more heavily
on vegetable proteins and smaller portions of meat. This fact really hit home
for me. As a kid growing up in Elk
Grove, California, I
watched field after field of wide open land converted to shopping malls and
subdivisions. At one point in the early 2000’s Elk Grove was the fastest
growing city in the nation. The concept of land consumption was and is very
real to me. Those expansive fields represented freedom, learning, and
imagination. I quickly realized that at the rate humans were consuming
resources, there wouldn’t be much land left for my children to experience the
deep connection with nature I was able to develop. It was very apparent that land
consumption had the potential to be a very negative, destructive thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgEFn53pzwLFwCfDQQ1jyNH_my_6OJyKE0wm0alUDK4x5oTPv6AHs1T41SY8paXR6FwRr-hsWUmUXFV7XQd8A3cuQmZVZc_7MK_A1KhDYtrSckCdlyz5zj_LuDjdRTVq64XCA9UYBUjZa/s1600/Fall+2012+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgEFn53pzwLFwCfDQQ1jyNH_my_6OJyKE0wm0alUDK4x5oTPv6AHs1T41SY8paXR6FwRr-hsWUmUXFV7XQd8A3cuQmZVZc_7MK_A1KhDYtrSckCdlyz5zj_LuDjdRTVq64XCA9UYBUjZa/s320/Fall+2012+007.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colter at Hunter Orchards Organic Farm in Grenada, CA. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
My professor
had also mentioned that as folks in the field of wildlife, if we are espousing
to the world that we need to care about the well-being of wildlife and
ecosystems, then our life decisions (such as our choice in food) ought to reflect
the moral axioms of our career. Practice what you preach, basically. Listening
to that lecture inspired me to do my own research into how my choices in food
affected the well-being of the planet, and I quickly realized how
industrialized agriculture is compromising ecosystems and our health. Through
my research, I have come to realize that one of the largest ways we can help
reduce our negative impact on the planet and positively impact our personal
health is through our choice in food. The reason being, there are massive
amounts of energy required to grow, maintain, and transport food to our tables,
especially when we are talking about large-scale industrialized agriculture. Full
disclosure, this extensive research into the practices of this type of
agriculture led me to be a full on vegetarian for six years; however, I am on
occasion eating organic or otherwise environmentally conscious raised meat.
That is what I try to talk to people about, not stressing out about being a vegetarian,
but rather practicing moderation and being aware that our choice in food has
profound personal and environmental impacts. I wanted to talk about the impact
of our choice in food first because I personally believe this is the most
available way for people to reduce our negative impacts on the local and global
scale. One of the goals of intentional living is to eventually turn food
production and consumption into a process that benefits the planet and our
personal health. </div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqbHzR3GD8GJo8qcuI7DwqnbHPX6AlGqrbNL0GPHpCtF2Ntxg9uAerK6fSjGCpU-eNAYaUSg2PK5MKe4I42M1TNhylu1EkU9kN_5XRP0NaIszSrAf2IbZJSe7jz9rwsX1l_b6KLIGqjOY/s1600/CIMG1883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqbHzR3GD8GJo8qcuI7DwqnbHPX6AlGqrbNL0GPHpCtF2Ntxg9uAerK6fSjGCpU-eNAYaUSg2PK5MKe4I42M1TNhylu1EkU9kN_5XRP0NaIszSrAf2IbZJSe7jz9rwsX1l_b6KLIGqjOY/s320/CIMG1883.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colter next to the Mini-bell peppers and rosemary.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: .5in;">
I’ve laid out
some subject matters that I think are of dire importance and that we will most
surely talk about again. In writing this, I realized I am taking on a little
more at one time than is appropriate for a post. So here is the outline of what
you can expect from future blog posts. We will definitely cover the importance
of eating organic foods, since all foods fall under the umbrella of either
organically produced or conventionally produced. In our following posts we will
talk about the choice of eating meat and other animal products. We will also
talk about some of the positive things our family is doing to help reduce our
consumptive footprint and benefit the ecosystems around us through food
production and consumption. So here is the trailhead to the path we have chosen
to living with ever increasing positive intention. Come and join in on the
journey!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8qgiM0jtB5K2bCJYatJkGlI2CMXCP30Srd13HLmCQ-Bgx8dERVR4gk6GwyBuDVrMSsiTNFXGnHD4BvPKeaee5gCK42pwmJrJUeOy7FPOi3lPTDSGR1s9p532MKa9ikKNO85IOl2p_B3h/s1600/CIMG1846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8qgiM0jtB5K2bCJYatJkGlI2CMXCP30Srd13HLmCQ-Bgx8dERVR4gk6GwyBuDVrMSsiTNFXGnHD4BvPKeaee5gCK42pwmJrJUeOy7FPOi3lPTDSGR1s9p532MKa9ikKNO85IOl2p_B3h/s320/CIMG1846.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
<u>Organic vs. Conventional and GMO
foods- </u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-Integrated pest management vs.
pesticides</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-Organic vs. inorganic fertilizer</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-Biodynamic vs. monoculture</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-Energy input</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-GMOs and associated
agricultural practices</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Our ultimate ideal: eating
local and growing our own food. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will outline some of the organic gardening
projects we have in the works for this next season. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFcEIArRwwp1XU0WWB7WOuOfuLv49aIjcyuQI9iQZRcWHngR4_VOqwuAgvwHhhcRr1CjUBwwdFQlzf-ou8h4wmMwSpIUK6-RqnSugqsVbwxDgjs3beTZw8lARlUVNYBjOjZRXfub77RkI/s1600/CIMG1884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFcEIArRwwp1XU0WWB7WOuOfuLv49aIjcyuQI9iQZRcWHngR4_VOqwuAgvwHhhcRr1CjUBwwdFQlzf-ou8h4wmMwSpIUK6-RqnSugqsVbwxDgjs3beTZw8lARlUVNYBjOjZRXfub77RkI/s320/CIMG1884.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colter in front of the Hugelkulture garden bed in process.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
<u>Animal Products- </u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-USDA beef: is it really raised
in the U.S?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-Rasputin chicken: a daily dose
of arsenic with your breakfast, you say?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-Raising meat uses more land for
equivalent amount of vegetable protein.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-Water use and impact on
watersheds</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-Hormones and antibiotics</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-Our ultimate ideal: raising,
hunting/catching, and processing our own meat. I will show you the Machek
family secret on how to brine and smoke your own Salmon! We are also going to
be raising our own chickens for eggs coming up in the spring.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1S2qNo5h-Yewut1z1OPcghAK6MPGT9hVrsRram7dNCuAvh71xm1lV5DHuzuvi_VVdn6D8HL1OjfrDm4SFYMfz6o12mNa9PHEGJi19U_eMnd0B15P1uVJsi3_aMj-1hX7jHLpvzRUJ46Hy/s1600/DSC00670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1S2qNo5h-Yewut1z1OPcghAK6MPGT9hVrsRram7dNCuAvh71xm1lV5DHuzuvi_VVdn6D8HL1OjfrDm4SFYMfz6o12mNa9PHEGJi19U_eMnd0B15P1uVJsi3_aMj-1hX7jHLpvzRUJ46Hy/s320/DSC00670.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacramento River 33lb Chinook Salmon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
<u>Growing, raising, and
processing your own food -</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-It is possible to turn food
production and consumption into a process that benefits the planet and our
personal health.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
-You are what you eat: having a
connection with your food, knowing what it ate, what you are eating, and what
you are becoming.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-These are good eating habits
for your own personal health, the health of our communities, and the health of
our planet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhes91DVkPb93IYVPycszE9LUFW8wjykMeP3t2dn3GH1bnV9Or3twxkNx-AcElMvzPBwK5R9WquqTCF4XdygnvItAqiz67J-rt3w0m-wB4ZsUV3S1UVeHzW82eLl4Qvq1xF7Pp0t-t_Bw4B/s1600/185600_485604018149853_1730339068_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhes91DVkPb93IYVPycszE9LUFW8wjykMeP3t2dn3GH1bnV9Or3twxkNx-AcElMvzPBwK5R9WquqTCF4XdygnvItAqiz67J-rt3w0m-wB4ZsUV3S1UVeHzW82eLl4Qvq1xF7Pp0t-t_Bw4B/s400/185600_485604018149853_1730339068_n.jpg" height="400" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too bad our gov't isn't putting out this kind of propaganda anymore.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13208753667550042106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148208639842855099.post-18520823530570118762013-01-08T13:57:00.001-08:002013-01-11T11:56:37.397-08:00Cleaning Your Home with Natural Ingredients By Katie Machek<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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You may have noticed in recent
years that more and more people are turning away from store-bought household cleaners
and opting for cheaper and more natural cleaning methods to clean their homes.
They are tossing out their Windex, 409, and Pledge and replacing them with
vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils. Although this method may seem “new,”
it’s actually the way that people have been cleaning their homes and living
spaces for centuries. So why the trend toward these natural products, and why
have store-bought cleaning products become so popular? The answer, of course,
is money. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
These companies use fear-based
tactics to swindle homeowners into believing that the household environment is
inherently unsafe. They air commercials that depict hoards of evil, nasty germs
covering each and every square inch of the home, and then bring in the “hero”,
a concoction of chemicals and toxins that will kill viruses and bacteria and
restore sterile order to the living space. It is true that viruses and bacteria
are all over your home. It is also true that most of these products do a great
job of sterilizing and cleaning surfaces, and I certainly think that these
products should be used in hospitals and patient care facilities. But it begs
the question: do our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">homes</i> really
need to be as sterile as a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hospital</i>?
A study conducted by the Department of Child Health at the University of Bristol
observed that increased hygiene was associated with increased wheezing and
atopic eczema in 30 to 42-month-olds. The scientists note that “the creation of
a sterile environment through excessive cleanliness may potentially be harmful
to the immune system <sub>(1)</sub>.” By creating this unnaturally sterile
environment, our bodies are not able to build up a natural defense to
pathogens. Over the years this would mean that the body’s natural ability to
defend itself from viruses and bacteria is diminished. But it’s not just the
body’s unchallenged immune system that is the problem. Another European study
found that an increased use of household cleaners was associated with a
persistent wheeze in their child subjects <sub>(2)</sub>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
You may wonder what these cleaning
products contain. Reading the labels might not help, because most of the
ingredients listed are scientific names for the chemicals. Furthermore, some of
the ingredients in these cleaners are not even listed on the bottle. Case in
point, check out the hidden (literally hidden, meaning unlabeled!) harmful and
toxic chemicals found in household cleaners in an independent study
commissioned by the Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) via the link below.
Carcinogens such as chloroform and hormone disrupters such as dibutyl phthalate
(DBP) were found in some of these products, and these ingredients were not even
listed on the bottle. The real shocker for me was that they detected
1,4-dioxane, a cancer-causing agent, in Simple Green Naturals Multi-Surface
Care Lemon Verbena. Doesn’t sound so green and natural, does it? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The plot thickens, too, as one
study I came across in <i>Environmental Science & Technology</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> found that some household cleaning products
and air fresheners, when combined with ozone, formed secondary pollutants like
formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. When you put all the pieces together, you
start to see that these cleaners are probably doing more harm than good in our
home. Now, I don’t mean to get all doom and gloom on you, I just want to share
my findings with you. As an environmental advocate and concerned parent, I want
to know that I’m keeping the earth clean and my child safe. So what are we to
do, you ask? Why, natural cleaning, of course! We’d like to share with you some
alternative cleaning recipes you can make in your kitchen- using affordable and
available ingredients found in your home. We’ve switched to this method of
cleaning two years ago, and never looked back. Here are our top 5 natural
cleaning ingredients, along with recipes, helpful websites, and links to the
scientific studies we’ve mentioned here. So, without further adieu, let me
introduce to you…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmKOuZYmJCKgy_TRGQWTfkVXM9iG-Wn6rsXIuFpAaEt-dftjHbTQ1NzxnQDE1EhUvf_Cvr1p7EH6G5aTlmzlX4ixeH81nmrgYNb-tipvgdvZH0i6UKUL_YX5OH12MdIeg9bWC9QacdN9x/s1600/CIMG2165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmKOuZYmJCKgy_TRGQWTfkVXM9iG-Wn6rsXIuFpAaEt-dftjHbTQ1NzxnQDE1EhUvf_Cvr1p7EH6G5aTlmzlX4ixeH81nmrgYNb-tipvgdvZH0i6UKUL_YX5OH12MdIeg9bWC9QacdN9x/s400/CIMG2165.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><u>Vinegar</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ah, vinegar. That lovely, pungent, fermented salad dresser
we know and love. But did you know that it is also one of the safest and most
effective household cleaners out there? In a study that compared the cleaning effectiveness
of six different alternative household cleaners, vinegar was found to be an
effective anti-microbial cleaner in the kitchen as well as the bathroom <sub>(4)</sub>.
Vinegar has all the great cleaning properties of the leading brands of “green”
cleaners, without the nasty chemicals. In our home, we use a diluted vinegar solution
to clean our counter tops and floors. Diluting the vinegar is the key to
avoiding that “salad dressing” smell from permeating your home…although I admit
I’ve come to associate that smell with a feeling of being clean. Which has in
effect changed my feelings towards vinaigrette…but I digress. Just mix a
one-to-one ratio of water to vinegar and put into a spray bottle. Use around
the home as you would a multi-purpose cleaner on all your hard surfaces. For an
added cleaning kick, as well as a nice fragrant smell, add a couple drops of rosemary
or lavender essential oil into the mix. Not only will this make your house
smell nice, but oils like rosemary and lavender also have anti-microbial
properties. Win, win! It is also an excellent window cleaner. Spray the same
one-to-one vinegar water solution (minus the essential oils) onto your windows,
television screens, glass table tops, etc. and wipe dry with a terry cloth for
a streak-free finish. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHmRzNWyup6HW115CVF1peyQbqmo4GbrAn-KW8xXTHSSAOkbksjcIf41xy0LFQBf3jRCy5Jpq1r_7tR86uIHNORV6w_UHTk9YjKuHXglEr45M_VOJ6hHToh68QlzL5TcqRZZHuubrzaGZ/s1600/CIMG2168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHmRzNWyup6HW115CVF1peyQbqmo4GbrAn-KW8xXTHSSAOkbksjcIf41xy0LFQBf3jRCy5Jpq1r_7tR86uIHNORV6w_UHTk9YjKuHXglEr45M_VOJ6hHToh68QlzL5TcqRZZHuubrzaGZ/s400/CIMG2168.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><u>Hydrogen Peroxide </u></div>
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If the antimicrobial properties
of vinegar are leaving you yearning for more of a cleaning punch, I would turn
to that little brown bottle under your bathroom sink for an effective and safe
sterilizing agent. Hydrogen peroxide is registered by the EPA as a sterilizer.
Not only is it effective, but it is incredibly safe to use, as it breaks down
into water and oxygen. It’s also incredibly available and affordable. What’s
not to love? Most commercial hydrogen peroxide is sold at very low
concentrations </div>
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(3% or 4%, in water) and thus is
safe to use in the home around children and pets. Do be careful using it,
however, as it has the potential to bleach certain surfaces and fabrics. For
this reason, you should always spot test the area you are using it on. It also
has the ability to remove the pigment in your skin if you use it for a
sustained period of time without protection. If you think you’ll be using
hydrogen peroxide for a large cleaning project, be advised that you may want to
wear protective gloves to avoid this depigmentation. Because of its sterilizing
properties, it is an excellent bathroom cleaner. During the cold and flu
season, wipe-down the most frequently-used areas (like doorknobs, light
switches, telephones etc.) to help cut down on the spread of infection. You can
use it straight out of the bottle, or transfer it to a spray bottle. Be aware,
though, that if you transfer it into a spray bottle that light can penetrate,
the hydrogen peroxide will slowly decompose into water and oxygen. Which begs
the question…could one simply attach a spray bottle head to a hydrogen peroxide
bottle? Try it!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_oBXWwgJb0CUupRU8IereQ8xFT_xCrk-yvUBP-xpaiRqIdqmXWPruDBbYEfDVtmz2CbD7LKwKVyk8ukkee0Kh-g8atr9bueJuCx5fmwo0GmpTfCsBZAOdBzEi-Qn7SquS36GGKjXL92U/s1600/CIMG2167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_oBXWwgJb0CUupRU8IereQ8xFT_xCrk-yvUBP-xpaiRqIdqmXWPruDBbYEfDVtmz2CbD7LKwKVyk8ukkee0Kh-g8atr9bueJuCx5fmwo0GmpTfCsBZAOdBzEi-Qn7SquS36GGKjXL92U/s400/CIMG2167.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><u>Baking Soda</u></div>
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Baking soda- or sodium
bicarbonate if you’re nerdy- is truly a versatile and dynamic household
ingredient. Who knew there were so many uses for baking soda? Just type into
any search engine “uses for baking soda,” and you will find a plethora of applications
and recipes. We use it in the home as an abrasive, a descaler, and a deodorizer.
As an abrasive, just make a paste out of water and baking soda, and use a
toothbrush to scrub the grout between kitchen and bathroom tiles. You could
also use this paste on a terry cloth to clean brass and other metals. As a
descaler, use the same paste in the bathroom to remove hard water stains. For
really tough hard water stains, you can put a baking soda and vinegar mixture
onto the stain and let it sit for 15 minutes or so. This combination of vinegar
and baking soda makes an acidic solution (sodium acetate) that will effectively
eat away at the scales. If the hard water stains are really built-up and set in,
it may take a few applications and some hard scrubbing to remove all the
scales. As for a deodorizer, we’ve learned first-hand that sprinkling a little
baking soda onto vomit not only deodorizes the smell, but also makes it much
easier to clean up. What’s your favorite baking soda recipe? </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSZekR4e6NVZwyMqTW-JQVwgS9wdb28VhBs6ZQtCprS8lJ2oeM_ztESqG2gYceAkJ43m0CCjlllGQ9exL32si3QDp-HOIKvY4j8JhDAVZA_Jg0U6gKLar_2n00hWWU0FDI0l4xVoo73Dd/s1600/CIMG2170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSZekR4e6NVZwyMqTW-JQVwgS9wdb28VhBs6ZQtCprS8lJ2oeM_ztESqG2gYceAkJ43m0CCjlllGQ9exL32si3QDp-HOIKvY4j8JhDAVZA_Jg0U6gKLar_2n00hWWU0FDI0l4xVoo73Dd/s400/CIMG2170.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><u>Soap Nuts</u></div>
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After receiving my first bag of
soap nuts over a year ago, I was thrust into a world that had new meaning, a
world whose lexicon included phrases like “wet nuts, nut sacks, and dry old
nuts.” I’m talking, of course, about the amazing natural cleaning product known
as “soap nuts,” a small drupaceous fruit that very much resembles a miniature
coconut. This little fruit comes from shrubs in the Soapberry family (genus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sapindus</i>) that grow in tropical and warm
temperate climates. These little berries contain saponins, which provide the
plant with a defense against predation by grazing animals, as well as
protection from invasion by fungi or microbes. As it turns out, saponins are
also a natural surfactant (“sapon-” in Latin means “soap”.) I have to say here
that I’m using amazing restraint not to go into detail about how cool
surfactant compounds really are. I won’t go into detail about surface tension, and
I won’t draw diagrams explaining how micelles form, with their cute little
hydrophilic heads and their productive little hydrophobic tail or any of that.
I will just say that surfactants can act as detergents, removing oil and grease
from clothing and household items. So, now that we’ve survived that science
lesson, let me explain how we use soap nuts around the home. The best way that
I’ve come across to harness the great cleaning power of soap nuts is to make
the infamous soap nuts liquid (recipe below), which is so amazingly easy to do
you won’t believe it. The household applications for this liquid are
innumerable, but here are a few: </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Replace the water in the all-purpose vinegar
cleaner with this soap nuts liquid. You’d be amazed at how effective this
cleaner can be at removing tough greasey build-up and caked-on food. Follow up
with a water rinse on any surfaces you will be preparing food on or eating food
off of. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Replace the water in the basic window and glass
cleaner with soap nuts liquid to remove grease and oil from sliding glass doors
and television screens</div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Replace the water in the baking soda abrasive
cleaner to really scrub the heck out your kitchen and bathroom tiles/grout. </div>
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<br /></div>
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There are also many cosmetic and
laundering applications for the soap nuts liquid, but I’m reserving those for
future blogs. Don’t worry, I will divulge!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDykyumCMAvsuH0QivPP4U34jT9jIY9JNirfFKEAuaBUZDvqsP1_KeJ-i6lvPBy3RDkZx3obt59u23Ga0j1v3FmioePgFpYiJ2JEaA71dq4m43_cpsbf_zWibnDwmNzCjA25TJqWMHdArx/s1600/CIMG2172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDykyumCMAvsuH0QivPP4U34jT9jIY9JNirfFKEAuaBUZDvqsP1_KeJ-i6lvPBy3RDkZx3obt59u23Ga0j1v3FmioePgFpYiJ2JEaA71dq4m43_cpsbf_zWibnDwmNzCjA25TJqWMHdArx/s400/CIMG2172.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><u>Essential Oils</u></div>
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As the name implies, these oils
are the true essence of the plant they are derived from. If you are not
familiar with using essential oils, there are some basic guidelines to follow
when using them. First, these oils are very concentrated, and for this reason
they must be diluted or used in very miniscule amounts. Second, you should not
ingest essential oils before doing thorough research to assure that the oil you
intend to ingest is safe for human consumption. Tea tree oil, for example, can
cause major health problems if ingested in large amounts by a child, which
brings me to my last guideline. Third and last, please keep essential oils, as
well as all your other cleaning products out of reach of children. Even benign
things like vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide in the hands of a child
can cause some serious damage to sensitive eye membranes, and soap nuts liquid
can cause the eyes to sting and upset the stomach if ingested. Bottom line:
just keep this stuff up and away from the kiddos. </div>
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Now, you may be
wondering how effective essential oils are at cleaning around the home, and why
they are listed as one of our top 5 natural cleaners. There are many scientific
studies that have studies the antimicrobial properties of various essential
oils. One such study published in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Letters
in Applied Microbiology </i>found that essential oils such as thyme, cinnamon,
and clove were effective at killing food born pathogens such as Staph,
Salmonella, and Listeria, among others <sub>(5)</sub>. Another study found that
essential oils such as ylang-ylang, basil, lemon, lemongrass, and rosemary
(among others) were effective at inhibiting the growth and/or spread of
twenty-five different bacteria and one species of fungus, all categorized as
either pathogens or food-spoilers <sub>(6)</sub>. The capabilities of these
essential oils are great, when you consider also that their aromatic qualities
can have a profound effect on our mood (more on aromatherapy later). You may
also be wondering about how cost effective these oils are. Although they may
seem pricey (running anywhere from $2-$10 or more per ounce,) consider that we
have had a 0.5oz bottle of tea tree oil in the house for over a year that we
just ran out of last week. The cost-effectiveness of these oils comes with the
fact that you are only using 2-3 drops of oil at a time. Considering that the
“drops per mL standard” in the essential oil world is 20-25 drops of essential
oil per mL, and a 0.5oz bottle contains 15mL of oil…that’s 300-375 drops per tiny
0.5oz bottle. That’s a lot of drops! </div>
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The application
of these oils is pretty simple. Following the basic guidelines listed, add 2-3
drops of any of the oils listed above in the basic all-purpose vinegar cleaner
for added antimicrobial power. This is a good solution to use on your counter
tops and cooking surfaces, as well as high use areas that see a lot of hand
traffic (door knobs, phones, light switches etc.) Be advised that if you plan
on mixing these oils, they can have a synergistic effect- meaning that two oils
put together can behave dramatically different than two oils used on their own.
For this reason I would do thorough research into essential oil mixing. For
now, try out one oil at a time in your cleaning solution. Some good examples
are lemon, basil, thyme, rosemary, or clove. As with the soap nuts, be sure to
follow up with a water rinse on any surface that you plan to prepare food on or
eat food off of. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Recipes</div>
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<br /></div>
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Basic All-Purpose Vinegar Cleaner</div>
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1 ½ cups Water</div>
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1 ½ cups White Vinegar</div>
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2-3 Drops Essensial Oil (optional)</div>
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Combine in a spray bottle to clean surfaces and floors</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Basic Vinegar Window and Glass Cleaner</div>
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1 ½ cups Water</div>
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1 ½ cups White Vinegar</div>
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Combine in a spray bottle to clean windows and any other
smooth surface.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Baking Soda Abrasive and
Descaler:</div>
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¼ cup Baking Soda</div>
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~2-3 Tbsp Water or</div>
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~2-3 Tbsp White Vinegar for
tough hard-water stains</div>
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Combine in a bowl and apply to
tile and grout, and scrub with a toothbrush. Or apply directly to hard-water
stains and let sit, then scrub with a toothbrush.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Multi-Purpose Soap Nuts Liquid</div>
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4 cups Water</div>
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8-10 Soap Nuts</div>
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Place water and soap nuts into a
medium pot and cook over medium high heat, until the mixture reaches a rolling
boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until the mixture has reduced by half. Let
cool. Mash the soap nuts with a potato masher, and strain the liquid into a
container. Store this solution in the refrigerator, as the liquid is
perishable. You can see here that we are using a 2:1 soap nut to water ratio.
Feel free to up the ante (i.e. 3:1 or 4:1) if you feel as though you’d like a
more concentrated cleaning solution. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Studies</div>
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<br /></div>
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(1) Sherriff, A., and J.
Golding. "Hygiene levels in a contemporary population cohort are
associated with wheezing and atopic eczema in preschool infants." <i>Archives
of disease in childhood</i> 87.1 (2002): 26-29.</div>
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<a href="http://adc.bmj.com/content/87/1/26.short">http://adc.bmj.com/content/87/1/26.short</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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(2) <span class="cit-name-surname">Sherriff</span><span class="cit-auth"> </span><span class="cit-name-given-names">A</span>, <span class="cit-name-surname">Farrow</span><span class="cit-auth"> </span><span class="cit-name-given-names">A</span>, <span class="cit-name-surname">Golding</span><span class="cit-auth"> </span><span class="cit-name-given-names">J</span>, <span class="cit-etal">et al</span><cite>.</cite><cite><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">”</span> </cite><span class="cit-article-title"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Frequent use of chemical household products
is associated with persistent wheezing in pre-school age children</span></span><cite>.</cite><cite><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">”</span> Thorax </cite><span class="cit-pub-date"><i>2005</i></span><cite>;</cite><span class="cit-vol"><i>60</i></span><cite>:</cite><span class="cit-fpage"><i>45</i></span><cite>-</cite><span class="cit-lpage"><i>49</i></span><cite>.</cite>
</div>
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<cite><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://thorax.bmj.com/content/60/1/45.short"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">http://thorax.bmj.com/content/60/1/45.short</span></a></span></cite></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">
(3)
Destaillats, Hugo, et al. "Indoor secondary pollutants from household product
emissions in the presence of ozone: a bench-scale chamber study." <i>Environmental
Science & Technology</i> 40.14 (2006): 4421-4428. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.06.005" target="doilink">http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.06.005</a>,</div>
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<br /></div>
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(4) Olson, Wanda, Marilyn Bode,
and Polly Dubbel. “Hard Surface Cleaning Performance of Six Alternative
Household Cleaners Under Laboratory Conditions”. (1994).</div>
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<a href="http://www.aciscience.org/docs/alternative_hard_surface_cleaners.pdf">http://www.aciscience.org/docs/alternative_hard_surface_cleaners.pdf</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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(5) Smith-Palmer, A., J. Stewart, and L. Fyfe.
"Antimicrobial properties of plant essential oils and essences against
five important food-borne pathogens." <i>Letters in Applied Microbiology</i>
26.2 (1998): 118-122.</div>
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<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1472-765X.1998.00303.x/abstract">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1472-765X.1998.00303.x/abstract</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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(6) Baratta, M. Tiziana, et al. "Antimicrobial and
antioxidant properties of some commercial essential oils." <i>Flavour and
Fragrance Journal</i> 13.4 (1998): 235-244.</div>
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<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/%28SICI%291099-1026%281998070%2913:4%3C235::AID-FFJ733%3E3.0.CO;2-T/abstract">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/%28SICI%291099-1026%281998070%2913:4%3C235::AID-FFJ733%3E3.0.CO;2-T/abstract</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Links</div>
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<br />
The independent study commissioned by the Women's Voice for the Earth (WVE):</div>
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<a href="http://www.womensvoices.org/science/fact-sheets/dirty-secrets/">http://www.womensvoices.org/science/fact-sheets/dirty-secrets/</a></div>
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<br />
Some other great natural cleaning recipes, as well as DIY natural cosmetic recipes, from WVE:</div>
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<a href="http://www.womensvoices.org/get-involved/green-cleaning-parties/green-cleaning-recipes/">http://www.womensvoices.org/get-involved/green-cleaning-parties/green-cleaning-recipes/</a></div>
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<br />
A great resource for ideas and recipes using soap nuts:</div>
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<a href="http://www.crunchybetty.com/the-mother-of-all-soap-nuts-recipe-resources">http://www.crunchybetty.com/the-mother-of-all-soap-nuts-recipe-resources</a></div>
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<br />
Natural cleaning using essential oils:</div>
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<a href="http://aromatherapyandnaturalskincare.com.au/index.php?essential_oils=172&Natural%20Cleaning">http://aromatherapyandnaturalskincare.com.au/index.php?essential_oils=172&Natural%20Cleaning</a></div>
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<br />
Some creative and surprising cleaning ingredients found around the home: </div>
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