Happy Tuesday that feels like a Monday until you realize that Friday is closer than you think. I hope you are filled up from a holiday of delicious eating with delicious people.

This week I’m going to try and focus a little bit on the cost of food– both directly in the store and market as well as the big picture costs affiliated. We’ll see how this goes.

A couple links to help you consider your body’s fuel with as much mindfulness as you do the fuel in your home or your car:

1- The Environmental Working Group has issued a guide to pesticides for shoppers to help make it easier to determine what produce needs to be an organic purchase and where you may be able to buy conventional. It can even be downloaded to your iphone.

Check it out here:
http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

2- Tom Philpott (who has the best name for someone writing about food issues– i could make “Philpott” jokes all day in regards to food in the recession!) wrote a great article for Grist.com that deserves a read. . He illuminates the similarities between the financial collapse and vulnerabilities in the world’s food system. All the more reason to think about how our investments in our sustenance need to have as much thoughtful consideration as the type of socks we invest in to put under our mattresses.  (I prefer a sensible organic wool.)

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-22-financial-collapse-food

Happy eating!

The Eat the View campaign is mobilizing to get governors’ mansions across the U.S. to plant gardens instead of using the entire lawn for grass/landscape. Why not dedicate these spaces to food production for your family and neighbors? Even planting veggies and herbs in place of flowers can increase the environmental value of your property while reducing your carbon footprint. The Eat the View Campaign’s parent organization, Kitchen Gardeners International, has declared this July 4th “Food Independence Day,” encouraging folks to consume meals made from local and sustainably grown food. And they don’t forget to tell you how delicious it is.

Vermont was the first state to follow the lead of the White House and USDA, and this morning, Pennsylvania becomes the second state to plant its garden.

More research is emerging that organic agriculture stands to make a significant impact in efficient carbon sequestration– effectively aiding in management and mitigation of greenhouse gas production.

Here are stories:
Pennsylvania
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/prnewswire/2009/05/21/prnewswire200905211404PR_NEWS_USPR_____DC21214.html

Vermont :
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090515/NEWS03/90515013/At+Vt.+Statehouse++even+the+thumbs+go+green+

If you haven’t yet declared your food independence, please do here:
http://foodindependenceday.org/

For the latest in research regarding organic agriculture and carbon sequestration visit:
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/global_warming

Happy eating, friends!

BizzyBoots

The Czechoslovakian-built L-29 jet flew for 37 minutes on a test-flight at altitudes up to 17,000 feet on October 2nd of 2007 (the first 100% biodiesel fueled flight was a shorter one on October 1st).

The plane used recycled vegetable oil from restaurants (which had an additive treatment to remove the carbon-chains from the oil).  Another planned flight from Nevada to Florida was supposed to heppen in November, but has been delayed.

The pilots (Douglas Rodante and Carol Sugars) are planning to modify a learjet to use biodiesel fuel on an around-the-world flight in 2008.

Links to information about the flight:

• http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2007/071030biofuel.html
• http://www.gizmag.com/go/8204/
• http://www.biofuelreview.com/content/view/1270/
• http://www.projectsmonitor.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=14777
• http://www.doctordiesel.com/AviationHistory.pdf

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

Did you know that much of that Hazardous Material is used to make the household cleaning supplies you buy in the store?

With that in mind, below are some natural, all-purpose cleaner recipes that can be made at home, generally with ingredients that you might already have on hand!

• Baking Soda: use it on a damp sponge to clean & deodorize any surface, including in your kitchen or bathroom!
• Baking Soda: dissolve 4 tablespoons in 1 quart of warm water to make a general cleaning solution. 
• Baking Soda: make a paste with baking soda and water and use it as a general cleaner. 
• Baking Soda/Borax & Castile Soap: use a little of this mixture and a lot of water to clean your floors, or more of it and less water to clean a sink, or a tub, or a cat box, or buckets, etc. – anything that is able to be rised well once the cleaning is complete.
•  Vinegar and Salt mixed together makes a good surface cleaner.
•  Salt, water, and a bit of vinegar makes a good paste which can be used as a general cleaner.

Here’s one that is a little more complex, but can be used in a spray bottle:

• 3 tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon washing soda, 1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap – all mixed with 2 cups of hot water. Spray it on and wipe it clean!

Here’s some information about the products you will be using in the above cleaning recipes:

• Baking Soda was the primary cleaning agent in the restoration of the statue of liberty!  Is is scientifically known as sodium bicarbonate, and is known as a non-toxic, all-purpose cleaner, which cleans and deodorizes.
• Borax, scientifcally known as sodium borate, deodorizes and increases the effectiveness of soap.
• Castile Soap is soap made exclusively from vegetable oil (as opposed to animal fat).
• Salt is generally used as an abrasive in cleaning recipes; by itself it is not a “cleaner.”
• Vinegar (scientifically – acetic acid) removes stains and cuts through grease.  It also softens water (increasing its cleaning effectiveness).
• Washing Soda is called sodium carbonate in the science field. It is a disenfectant and also cuts through grease.  Like Borax, it increases soap’s cleaning effectiveness.

Quick Warning: Just because it is “natural” doesn’t necessarily mean that it is safe to ingest or to leave sitting around – especially for kids or pets.  Borax CAN BE TOXIC to pets and children, so be careful!  It’s probably a good idea to label the ingredients of your cleaners and keep them away from children and pets.  You should also tell any others in your household where the borax (and any products containing borax) are located and what they are to be used for.

Enjoy making your new, natural cleaners; maybe even make it in bulk and give it away (with the recipe) as gifts for the holidays!  Leave a comment telling us other natural all-purpose cleaner recipes that are not included above!

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

I try to eat well, but I’m not always successful. My biggest downfall is salty, crunchy food (like Doritos or Sun Chips). So while cruising the organic section of the grocery store a few weeks ago, I caught site of a new offering at my store – Sensible Foods Organic Sweet Corn.  I took a look at it and, not knowing exactly what to expect, bought a package and tried them. 

They are great!  They are crunchy but not hard, and they are a little sweet (they are sweet corn after all!).  The greatest thing is that the whole package is 70 calories (only 6 from fat), lots of fiber, and the ingredients are “100% Organic Sweet Corn, Sea Salt, and Nothing Else.”  I liked it so much that I bought three more packages the next time I went to the grocery store, and also bought one of each of the other three flavors that were available at my grocery store: Cherry Berry, Orchard Blend, and Tropical Blend. 

Of the three fruity types I tried, tropical blend had the most variety, in my opinion.  My favorite, though, was orchard blend… it’s a bit of a stronger flavor than the others, but reminded me of eating fruits from my grandparents’ house… we used to pick raspberries and blackberries and strawberries and apples when my cousins and I were all kids.  Those were the freshest, strongest-flavored fruits ever, and I could taste a hint of them in the Orchard Blend, just like when I was eight, visiting Mimi and Gran for the summer.

Do yourself a favor and pick these up, even if it’s just to try them once.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised – and come back for more!

BTW- I am not getting paid for this post, but I’ve become a fast evangelist for Sensible Foods! If you do try them (or if you already have), leave a comment and let everybody know what you thought.

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

If you’ve ever had the pleasure </sarcasm> of dealing with gnats, here’s a great way to get them under control:

First, eliminate the source – any soft (meaning rotten) fruit or vegetables will spawn an infestation of gnats.  Check your trash, and get rid of anything that might remotely attract them.  Old fruit, spots of honey or balsamic vinegar, etc.  I would even get rid of any stale bread… anything that any bug might find appetizing.

Next, find a tall, narrow glass (something you might drink iced tea or milk out of).  Put a little cider vinegar in it (enough to cover the bottom of the glass to about 1/4 of an inch deep or so). 

Now, put a few drops of detergent in it (dish soap will work fine for this part). 

Stir it up, and set a funnel on the top of the glass, narrow part down inside the glass.

Gnats will be attracted to the cider vinegar, and will crawl down the funnel into the glass.  Once there, they are unable to get back out and will ultimately end up in the vinegar.  The detergent holds them there once they land, and they ultimately “drown” in the vinegar.

I was pretty skeptical about this solution initially, but I thought I’d try it. Other than a little bit of vinegar smell wafting through the room sometimes, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked!  We set it up, left the house for a little while (maybe 30 minutes or so), and when we came back, there were gnats all over the glass – on the inside!  At least 50 of them, with many already dead in the vinegar!

I highly suggest using this tactic – it’s much better than buying a can of (ineffective) chemicals and leaving a coating of poisonous residue all over your house!