Friday, August 17, 2012

I am so confused and frustrated.  I am trying to eat better and healthier and the more I learn the harder it is to easily find food that is healthy, economical and won't turn me into a sea slug or something.  I am talking food additives, fillers, processing and, of course the biggie, GMOs.

I have to go into the grocery store armed w/ lists of ingredients to avoid in order to find food that is good for me.  Isn't this the food service's job?  Why do I have to spend so much time searching in a food store to find REAL FOOD?

Until someone tells me to the contrary, food supplier's care only about their profit, and anything that will put them into a lawsuit...reputation and money.  With so many of them spending millions on keeping us in the dark about some of these foods and additives... Seriously, is there anyone out there I can trust?

Here is where the organic foods area comes in.  They are REGULATED to keep to a STRICT guideline to label them organic.  Organic means no chemical pesticides, fertilizers, frankenseeds, etc.  Sounds awesome right?  REAL FOOD....at a price.  As far as I know the organics area is small, takes a lil longer, and more importantly organic farmers don't get as many government grants, insurances, etc as Big AG does.

So in the short, I have to pay a lot more in order to keep myself from eating creepy things.  I am a student... I have no money.  I want to lose weight, feel better and get rid of this damn depression I've had for 13 years.    Had I known that I have to do everything... maybe I'll just go live in the woods... cause the companies I should trust to help seem to care for nothing but their bottom line.

Like I said, I am incredibly frustrated, and don't know what to do and where to turn.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

I think that I shall never see 
a billboard lovely as a tree. 
Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,
I'll never see a tree at all.
Ogden Nash

There are usually waaaay too many good articles too post (and not enough readers) to post all the awesome articles I find at Treehugger.  This one I made an exception cause one of the commenters had this quote.

Cleveland, Ohio cut down a tree in order to see the billboard better.  The consensus is that it was stupid and unnecessary. I understand that you spend quite a bit of money on a large garish sign you'd like people to see it...(damn trees).  Joking aside you could have trimmed it up.  Idiots.

I personally find billboards distracting.  They are nice when they help me find things but there are too many of them.  It's UGLY!

Here is a cool article by Forbes magazine on what happens when all visual pollution is taken out.

Perhaps we should start lobbying this in our cities.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Bernie vs Monsanto


Thank you Mr Sanders.  You have made me feel like there are senators out there that still care. :)

Monday, June 18, 2012

BENTO!!!

Today, I am obsessed w/bento boxes!  For those of you who do not know of bento boxes, they are similar to our brown paper bag lunches, but usually brighter, cuter, and more eco-conscious. They are also a good start for dieters since it's more or less portion control.

Many parents have found out that creating cute, quirky, colourful lunches to be a bit more time-consuming, but rewarding when their children eat alll of it.  Who could blame them?  Look at some of the boxes below...Who wouldn't want to eat these?
I extract my statement, I would never be able to eat the Sailor Moon one...that is just too pretty.  Maybe my fiance would eat his w/Beethoven(or is it Mozart?)
Of course these are sometimes more artwork than food.  There are many simpler ones out there which will take a LOT less time.  This one on the left just added some cute flower cutouts.  Doesn't it make a serious difference?!  Who needs an embarrassing love letter in their lunch when this SCREAMS LAOVE!  A bad day would be cheered up by a teddy bear in my lunch...just saying.


TOOLS!  These silly little cutouts and forms make your bento box much faster to create.  These are for bento specifically, but you can always use cookie cutters, and candy molds.  I personally have a dinosaur sandwich cutter and a hello kitty sandwich maker,(which makes awesome pancakes btw).

I also found that you can jazz up a potluck w/these.  I made 10 pbj and pb banana choc chip sandwiches w/the dino cutters and people loved them!  Cheap AND fun!


This is one of the things I want to incorporate into my lifestyle.  I need to eat healthier, lose some weight, and stave off depression.  I would love to buy the books, but seriously there are sooo many websites out there that teach and showcase their bentos, so for more information check out:

Just Bento: Probably the best site I have found so far.  It helps w/diet, proportions and has a book. 
 If you want to try some serious cuteness go for Adventures in Bentomaking:  There's some major cuteness factor here.  She co-wrote a book called Yum Yum Bento Box.  For anime fans you might like the The Manga Cookbook.  Having crazy cartoons making cartoon food is always better!
OOP!  Almost forgot that there was an article in Parent Map, 20 Lunch Box Ideas for Kids. This is for parents who just want to jazz up regular food for kids.
Who wouldn't want to eat eat a pirate made out of taco?

Friday, June 8, 2012

Om nomnomnomnom


I absolutely LOVE this picture!  Gives me a bad case of the giggles.

Landscape Fabric Blues

I am hereby convinced that landscape fabric is too much of a hassle to even bother with.  It works only until there is enough humus (hew-mus, not hum-es.  The latter is a delicious chickpea dip!)on top of it and then weeds start sprouting and their roots go into the fabric and it's all a mess.  I learned this while trying to weed a garden bed that was left unattended for, who knows how long.  The hardest part was trying to pierce this fabric to allow a few annuals to grow.  PAIN  IN ASS!

Landscape fabric is more or less intended to give certain plants room to grow, and then they would take up the mantle of weed fighting.  Upon reading Lasagna Gardening (got it for .99..sooooo worth it anyway) I learned about using newspaper!  Sweet!  A cheap, biodegradable weed barrier that will break down and feed the soil! It works too!

Simply start saving newspapers.  Place them around the bed in layers 5 pages thick.  TADAA!!  It's a bit trickier to work with until you get either mulch or water to hold it down, and it doesnt come in nice big sheets like other fabrics do.  If you were doing this for a large bed you could purchase the end rolls of newspaper from a newspaper printer, and just put down 5 layers of it.


Look it up!  Check it out!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Eeeeeeeeeee!!!!


For this:Try this:
Air freshenerSimmer cinnamon and cloves
Aluminum spot remover2 tablespoons cream of tartar + 1 quart hot water
AntsRed chili powder at point of entry
BleachBorax
Brass polishWorcestershire sauce
Car battery corrosionBaking soda + water
Chrome polishApple cider vinegar; then polish with baby oil
Cleaners (general household)Baking soda
Coffee cup stain removerMoist salt
Coffee pot stainVinegar
Copper cleanerLemon juice + salt
Decal removerSoak in white vinegar
Dish detergent - grease cutter1/2 cup baking soda + usual amount of liquid detergent
Drain cleanerPlunger followed by 1/2 cup baking soda + 1/2 cup of vinegar + 2 quarts boiling water
FertilizerCompost and vermicompost
Fiberglass stain removerBaking soda paste
Flea & tick repellentScatter pine needles, fennel, rye or rosemary on pet's bed
Fleas (on pets)Feed pet brewer's yeast, vitamin B or garlic tablets
Flies (insects)Well watered pot of basil
Floor cleaner1 cup vinegar + 2 gallons water
Furniture polish1 tablespoon lemon oil in 1 pint of mineral oil
Garbage disposal deodorizersUsed lemons
Grease fireDouse with baking soda
Grease removalBorax on damp cloth
Handcleaner for paint/greaseBaby oil
Ink spot removerCold water + 1 tablespoon cream of tartar + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Insects on plantsSoapy water on leaves, then rinse
Laundry detergentBasic soap
Laundry pre-soakMake paste of washing soda & water; apply to spots
Linoleum floor cleaner1 cup white vinegar + 2 gallons water
Mildew removerEqual parts of vinegar and salt
Mosquito repellentBurn citronella candles
Moth repellentCedar chips or dried lavendar enclosed in cotton sachets
Multi-Purpose CleanerMix 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda
in 1 gallon of warm water
Nematode (parasitic worm) repellentPlant marigolds
Oil stain removerWhite chalk rubbed into stain before laundering
Oven cleaner2 tablespoons liquid soap + 2 teaspoons borax + warm water
Paint; oil based/stain/sprayWater-based, non-aerosol paints
Paint brush softenerHot vinegar
Perspiration spot removerBaking soda
Pet odor removerCider vinegar
Porcelain cleanerMake paste from baking soda & water; let set, rub clean and rinse
Refrigerator deodorizerOpen box baking soda
Roach repellentChopped bay leaves and cucumber skins
Rug/carpet cleanerClub soda
Rust removal (clothing)Lemon juice + salt + sunlight
Rusty bolt/nut removalCarbonated beverage
Scorch mark removalGrated onion
Scouring powderBaking Soda
Shaving creamBrush and shaving soap
Shoe polishBanana peel
Silver polish1 quart warm water + 1 tablespoon baking soda + piece of aluminum foil + 1 tablespoon salt
Slug and snail repellentOnion and marigold plants
Spot removerClub soda, lemon juice, or salt
Stainless steel polishMineral oil
Toilet bowl cleanerPaste of borax + lemon juice
Tub and tile cleaner1/4 cup baking soda + 1/2 cup white vinegar + warm water
Upholstery spot removalClub soda
Water mark removalToothpaste
Water softener1/4 cup vinegar
Wine stain removalSalt
Window cleanerUse 1/2 cup of vinegar in 1 gallon of warm water
Wood polish3 parts olive oil + 1 part white vinegar; almond or olive oil (interior unvarnished wood only)