Making Sure It's Organic

 

When I stopped buying GMO junk and starting eating food, I wanted to make sure it was indeed food. Once again I am going to say that organic food should not be labeled as such as it is food the way I remember it growing up. But considering this is what has been done here is what I do to make sure that what I am buying is indeed organic.

I have been buying our food online from the Green Polka Box, Abe's Market, Lucky Vitamins, and Nature's Path. When I first started I visited the web site of every company whose product/products I was interested in. I looked for the USDA organic label, and the Non-GMO project verified I prefer to see both of these, but that was not always the case.  From there I looked to see if they told me where their product was coming from. How the product is processed is also important to me, so I also looked for that. Then I found some canned fruit, and beans, my concern here was not just the previously mentioned factors, but also are the cans BPA free. One company had it on their site, the other one I actually called them to find out.

It is actually very interesting to read about the various companies, who started them, why they did. It is also interesting to note that the majority of the companies I have looked at and purchase products from grow what they sell. I read an article on Natural News about being careful when purchasing organic food from China that it may not actually be organic. This confused me because of what I learned doing my research, but then I thought about stores like Whole Foods, and thought I bet that is where the China imports are located.

I did find some companies that did not give me enough information, and therefore passed on purchasing their product. The USDA organic label is not enough for me I want to know more about the food my family and I are eating.

When buying a product labeled organic be sure to check out company web sites, to be sure your food is indeed organic, food.

Tuesdays With a Twist Link Up

Welcome to the 4th Tuesdays With a Twist Link Up. Yes, it is that time again, feel free to link up from Tuesday 7:00 am EST through Saturday at 11:59 pm. Old posts, new posts, and everything in between as long as it is family friendly.





This weeks featured blogger is Black Fox Homestead with Quinoa Chicken Salad

 If you have been featured on Tuesdays With a Twist don't forget to grab button.

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Oh did I forget to mention the giveaway, that's right our host Mary from Back to the Basics and Mary's Heirloom Seeds is hosting a giveaway yeah!!!!

The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada and runs until May 8th at midnight. So, guess you wonder what Mary is giving away.

Well here it is, she is giving away the Baker's Dozen Seed Collection 13 seeds from 13 varieties which includes the following;  Calabrese Broccoli, 5 Color Silverbeet Swiss Chard,  Black Beauty Eggplant,  Waltham Butternut Squash, Crenshaw Melon, Bloomsdale Spinach,  Cal Wonder Bell Pepper, National Pickling  Cucumber, Beefsteak Tomato, Atomic Red Carrots, Self-Blanching Snowball Cauliflower, German Giant Radish,  Detroit Dark Red Beet. Wow!!! that is a great selection of seeds. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Okay now on to the party!!!!!

GMO Free Worldwide

Ms Mary from Back to the Basics, and I decided we are so passionate about letting others know about the dangers of GMOs that Mary created a Facebook page.

This is a place to share any and all news concerning GMOs and our food. It is also a place to share how to better educate others about GMOs. I have talked to some people who have literally said, "I don't want to know." What?????? I don't understand how someone would not want to know what they are eating.

I have also shared with others who have said that their child keeps getting sick and their white blood cells are low. Studies done on rats who were eating GMO foods showed that their white blood cell count decreased. White blood cells are the back bone of our immune system.

Others have complained that they are gaining weight, can't lose weight. However, when I share my story of how I have lost 5 lbs since eating organic, and did it effortlessly, they make excuses why they can't buy organic.

I want to know from others how to deal with these issues, and wake these people up to see that what they are eating is nothing but GMO junk. So, will you join us at our new Face page GMO Free Worldwide, to share, and learn? Please spread the word the more people we can get together the more we can learn from each other and find ways to educate others.

Food Revolution Summit FREE Webcast

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This free online summit will be broadcast world wide from Saturday April 27, 2013 through Sunday May 5, 2013.

So, just what is the "Food Revolution Summit?" It is a teleconference utilizing webcast. There will be 24 speakers speaking about various aspects of health and food.  If you miss a webcast you will be able to still view it for free for 24 hours, or you can purchase various packages.

The up point to attending live if you can is that you will be able to ask questions of the speakers.

While so many of us already know about GMOs you never know if you will here something you didn't know before. Each day appears to have a theme.

April 27 Crazy Sexy Healthy Food
April 28 Is Your Food Safe?
April 29 Healthy Plate, Happy Planet
April 30 Feeding Compassion
May 1 What Should You Eat, Really?
May 2 Food Wisdom That Heals
May 3 Transforming Our Food Culture
May 4 The Spiritual Buffet and the Soul Gourmet
May 5 Special Edition John and Ocean Robbins Igniting a Food Revolution

There will be three speakers each day and each summit starts at 8:00 am PDT and ends at 10:00 am PDT.

For more information on the summit visit The Food Revolution Summit web site. You will find biographies on all the speakers, information on purchasing, and more. Be sure to check out the About Us page for a chilling fact about who John Robbins really is/was.

Tuesday's With a Twist Link Up

Wow we had 53 bloggers link up last week!! All featured blogs come from how many people have clicked on the link. This week it was a tie between three, what are the odds of that??? So, here are the following three blog links that were clicked on the most.

         Walking on Sunshine shared Sugarless and Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

                                     Feathers in the Woods shared The Burn Cage

                        Independence Farms shared Dinner at Home From Home

If you have been featured please grab the I've been featured button.


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Now on to #3 Tuesdays With a Twist Link UP, which should have been up at 6:00 am EST, but due to other things, I'm late!!!! I'm late!!!!! For a very important date, sorry love movie quotes. This link up will close Saturday at 11:59 pm.

Okay on to the rules, has to be family friendly, or it will be removed. Consider following our host Mary at Back to the Basics on Bloglovin or GFC. You can also follow It's Your Life various ways located on the right side of this blog.

Working Garden, Plants & Trees

I have two rules when it comes to animals around the house, first is if their natural environment is wild and free than that is where they need to stay. Second is that animals must serve some type of purpose if it be the cats keeping the snakes, and mice at bay, or if they contribute to the dinner table.

Read about calendula here.

I feel the same way about what I plant around my home, it has to have a purpose, not just look pretty and take up space. The house we currently live in is surrounded by useless bushes, and plants they are either here because they look pretty or serve as ground cover . I am literally surrounded by three types of Zinnias, while they are great for attracting bees, they are no where near the garden. Plus there are other flowers such as marigolds that not only attract bees, but aid in keeping unwanted garden pests out of the garden, and have medicinal proprieties as well, and might I add they are attractive. Currently I have two species of marigolds, one is calendula, and the other is just marigold.

I also have a nice variety of herbs I am growing all can be used to flavor my food, but they also have medicinal properties as well. Take for instance thyme great in season vegetables or breads, but also aids the immune system and more. How about cayenne great on a pizza, or use to relieve pain. I want some peppermint to both keep away the ants that plaque us in the summer, but also for the medicinal benefits. I learned that peppermint should be cut from another plant in order to be beneficial medicinally, so I searched for a resource.

Read more about Jatropha curcas

While I was searching for peppermint plants I found a site called Horizon Herbs. I started looking around their site and found some trees, and shrubs that are pretty amazing, so want the following. Jatropha curcas shrub, dude!!! The seed from this shrub can actually provide biodiesel fuel capable of running a standard diesel engine, plus it also aids in hemorrhoid relief, and more. Then there was this tree the Empress tree, native to china. The leaves from this tree removes carbon dioxide from the air and replaces it with breathable oxygen at twice the rate of other trees. It is also great for shade, making farm trellising, and pharmaceutical grade charcoal.

When you start thinking about plants, trees, or shrubs to plant around your home make sure they will provide something more than just shade, or beauty make sure they will work for you.

This blog was shared at the Wildcrafting Wednesday blog hop and here.

Tuesday's With a Twist Link Up!

Welcome to the second Tuesday's With a Twist Link Up! There were a lot of great blogs to read last week, and I look forward to reading more blogs. Be sure to let others know, I love learning new things, getting new recipe, learning about natural remedies, and how to do it your self. I am also honored to once again co-host this link up along with Mary from Back to Basics.




Currently Mary is working on a I've been featured button, please be patient, and if your blog is featured please remember to come back and pick it up.

The post that received the most clicks last weeks comes from Nancy at On The Homefront, Seeds I've Started. Thank  you Nancy for sharing.

This link up starts every Tuesday at 6:00 am est, and ends on Saturday of the same week  at 11:59pm.

Now for the rules, oh that's right at this point the only rule is it has to be family friendly. Now that all that is out of the way onto the party!!!!

Zucchini Bread

While back in Tennessee someone had given me a bunch of zucchini, and I thought hmmm what to do with this. I remembered my first husband's ex-mother-in-law used to bring us zucchini bread. I set out to find a recipe, the one I found was on this site, myrosiecheeks.net, but the site is no longer there. So glad I found, it is a great recipe, and I have had requests to make it, and even offered to be paid for it.

This is a must have recipe if you are growing zucchini, I am!!! Might just make some and sell it, I also have a collected some other recipes for zucchini I would like to share in the future.I also want to say that we have been changing out all GMO junk for the real food, and as of yet I have not made this recipe with the new ingredients.

One thing I love about this recipe is not only does it make great zucchini bread, but it makes two loaves, one to keep, one to share. I also picked up some tricks along the way, used to take me an hour before I could even get it into the oven. But now I have it down to a half hour. First off this recipe calls for 2 cups of shredded zucchini, this part is what took the longest.

Above is the key to saving time, notice the plate has a lip on it, keeps the juice on the plate. So, I use the hand shredder, put the shredded zucchini in the strainer on top of the bowl. I use the spoon to squeeze the juice out and stir it up as I do so. I leave the zucchini in the strainer as I shred more than transfer it to the measuring cup. While it is very simple it has cut time on my time, now for the recipe, sorry no pictures of my bread. I had made it so much the boys have grown tired of it for now.

                                         Zucchini Bread

Photo credit: Food Network

Print This Recipe

Makes two loaves

3 Eggs
2 Cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 Cup peanut oil
2 Cups grated zucchini
1 tsp vanilla
3 Cups flour
1 Cup nut of choice (optional)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Beat eggs until think and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar and slowly minx in oil. Add zucchini, vanilla. Sift together flour, nuts, spices, baking powder and soda. Add to we wet ingredients stirring only until all ingredients are moistened. Mixing too much will make your bread tough. Pour into two bread pans.

Bake in 325 degree oven for one hour and 10 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted near the center come out clean.

This bread comes out so moist and delicious. This recipe is also located under the recipe tab.

Do have an easier way of shredding the zucchini?

Teaching Children About Herbs

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Mountain Rose Herbs and Learning Herbs dot com have put together a book club for kids to learn about herbs. This is done through various ways, stories, coloring pages, recipes, games, crafts, and so much more.

This program was designed by Kimberly Gallagher, wife of John Gallagher founder of Learning Herbs dot com. The book club runs for 13 months, each month you and your child/children will have access to one title of the book series "Herb Fairies," a magical tale of plants and their remedies. This is not just an ordinary book club this is a learning system for children.

The cost for the book club is $97, WAIT!!! This is for a LIFE TIME, so you can use it as much as you like when you like. Just added today April 11. 2013 payment plan, start for just $37, and then make two additional monthly payments of $37 go here, and scroll all the way to the bottom. Okay another up date came in my email this morning, you can test drive one book for FREE!!! What a great way for homeschoolers to do science, fun, hands on, education. You can easily use this for children at different levels allowing one curriculum for various children. Even if you don't homeschool this is a great way to teach children about the herbs around them, and their healing properties.

Books are available in various formats, hard copy (on demand), PDF, Kindle, I Pad, all other e-readers, tablets, and smart phones. These are chapter books which consist of 40-50 pages each with full color illustrations. The books are meant to target children between the ages of 5-12 however, it is said that all age groups love these books. You also get an audio for use with any MP3 player, great for non-readers. Now read on to find out more about this unique book club.

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It is actually a web site where you have access to the books in all their formats (except hard copies which also has an additional charge), items to create a journal, coloring pages/posters, recipes,  even a discussion board, and more. Children will experience various fairies, male and female, whose names relate to a particular herb and their characteristics also coincide with that herb. One thing I think is really cool is that the fairies are not only various ages, but also represent the ethnic group from the country the herb is native to.

Children will learn how to identify herbs in the wild, how to harvest them, their medicinal properties, and how to make various recipes with them. Through this children will be more likely to try the homemade healing remedies because they are creating them with you.

Hurry, there are only 5 days to join, and then it will be closed until the spring of 2014. Why is that you are wondering? Well that is just another awesome point of this book club, children will learn through out the growing season about the different herbs blooming during each season.

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If that is not enough there are two freebies, "Herbal Roots" is a magazine your child/children will receive each month for the 13 months of the book club. The herb contained in each issue will coincide with the herb in each book being studied. There are song, puzzles, games, recipes, and so much more.  Just added today you also get "Herbal Remedies for Children," a 93 page e-book full of information for the cold & flu season, plus more such as remedies for teething, and tummy aches.
 
 For more info on this amazing book club visit Learning Herbs and just scroll down. If you would like to view the promotional video along with watching the testimony included or just sign up than just click here.

You only have five days, and one day is already gone the club opened yesterday April 9, 2013, so hurry up so you don't miss this great teaching opportunity!






  Book One: Stellaria’s Big Find

"Imagine the excitement of four children playing in the park when they discover a real, live fairy. Not just any fairy, but Stellaria, the chickweed fairy. Chickweed is one of their favorite healing plants and it turns out Stellaria was looking for them. She needs the children’s help to restore the fading magic in the Fairy Herb Garden. When Stellaria takes them to her fairy home, the children find that restoring the magic means facing a troll. Can they figure out how to use chickweed to heal the troll’s ailments? Will they be able to solve the riddle to guess her name?"                       Taken From the Learning Herbs Web Site



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Tuesdays with a Twist Link Up

My great friend, fellow blogger,  and seed resource, Mary from Mary's Heirloom Seeds just started a link up on her blog Back To Basics. While that is exciting in its self, she invited me to co-host!!!! So, even though I have not been taking the time to blog as much as I use to, I said yes!!

Tuesday's with a Twist link up currently has no rules, but she may add some in the future. However Mary does ask that you consider following her via Bloglovin or on GFC available at Back to Basics. Okay so I lied about the rules there is one it must be family friendly, join the fun!!!

This link up starts Tuesday at 6:00 am and goes until Saturday 11:59 pm.

Love finding new blogs so excited to see what you all bring on.