Green Options

Beets are rich in in iron, calcium, and Vitamins A and C. They are an excellent source of folic acid and a very good source of manganese, potassium and fiber.  They are a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, iron and Vitamin B6. Throughout history, beetroots have been used for medicinal purposes, especially for liver disorders because they have stimulating effects on the liver’s detoxification processes. Studies have shown that beets contain anticancer properties.
…
Betacyanin [...]

We recently moved into a new home where landscaping needs to be done–and soon to meet HOA guidelines. However, I am completely lost and confused with all the options and don’t know the best decision. Whatever we do choose it needs to meet these guidelines:

1. Be safe for my children and pets

2. Be environmental friendly

3. Work with the dry climate of Utah

4. Be affordable

5. Not have much upkeep since I am the one in charge of the lawn care in my home

After much research this is what I have learned and hopefully it will help me make a decision!

My family loves to cook together; we all love to pretend do be chefs and put on “cooking shows.” If you drive by my house at any given time don’t be surprised to see us lying in the grass, flipping through recipe magazines or reading a cookbook. The girls have been asking me to make “Nutty Jumbles” for a while. We eat a lot of nuts in our home for snack time and this is a fun way to spice up the same-old, same-old snack. I am careful with the amount of sugar we eat as a family but I figure if I’m lucky enough to have two little kids that will eat so many healthy things, they deserve some sugar… “just an itty bit,” as my daughter would say.

For almost two years we’ve been eating vegetarian or vegan twice a week and seafood twice a week. I guess you could consider us part-time vegetarians. Eating this way keeps us from overloading our diets with too much meat or dairy and cuts down on our grocery bill. It forces us to eat more fresh produce and to shop locally so the produce actually has flavor.

It is extremely eco-friendly to eat vegetarian twice a week; eating meat takes a toll on the environment big time. The beef, poultry and pork industrial farms notoriously contribute to water pollution, use large amounts of fossil fuels and generate prodigious amounts of greenhouse gases. The United Nations has actually issued a call for citizens of the world to go vegetarian one day a week to curb global warming.

My girls love fresh veggies and fruit on their own, but I also like to puree it and add it to other meals. I’m not trying to hide it but it’s another great way to add more essential vitamins to their diet. When my girls were babies I made their baby food and always used organic ingredients. Their teeth came in quickly and they moved onto solids sooner than later, so both times I ended up with extra bags of frozen cubed baby food. I started adding the pureed butternut squash into their grilled cheese for lunch and whole grain pancakes for breakfast. During that time two cookbooks were released dedicated to adding pureed fruits and veggies to favorite recipes!

In our family it is so important that we connect with Nature every single day, it calms the whole tone of the family and helps us to all have healthier, happier and deeper relationships with each-other.

Our time in Nature is very unstructured and is the perfect getaway from our stressful work lives. I wanted to give you a quick tour of our personal special place in Nature and would love to hear more about yours!

Organic popsicles…yes, I said it…that are bright colors, easy to make and full of ooey, gooey yumminess!

Ready for the super specific recipe? Here goes!

When we were on vacation a few weeks ago I picked up Sara Snow’s Fresh Living and read it in one day. It felt good to sit down and really dive into a book! I guess I will have to just go on another vacation if I ever want to finish a book again.

I learned a tremendous amount in this book, had many “ah ha!” moments and patted myself on the back a couple times.

For instance, Sara writes a lot about nurseries (maybe she was baby hungry while writing this book; now she would have the cutest baby!) and how to make sure they don’t have harmful chemicals. She writes about how important it is to watch what chemicals we put into, rub on, put around our new babies and that their bodies are so tiny and fragile you need to be even more aware and careful of everything.

For a healthy environment, do any redecorating, furnishing, and cleaning at least one month before you bring your baby home. If that’s impossible, let your baby sleep in a bassinet in your room while the new furnishings for her room off-gas elsewhere.

Organic popsicles…yes, I said it…that are bright colors, easy to make and full of ooey, gooey yumminess!

Ready for the super specific recipe? Here goes!

…
5 or 6 or so frozen organic berries, any kind

1/2 cup to 1 cup or so of organic plain yogurt

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of organic carrot juice

…

Mix together in large bowl.

A couple of weeks ago we took a hike in the mountains and collected lots of pine needles, sticks, twigs and a large collection of colorful leaves. I was racking my brain trying to think of something NEW to do with them. We decided to make art pieces out of them!

The kids I nannied LOVED when I planned this for them. They were all so different in their likes and dislikes but they ALL enjoyed this.  You can make it as elaborate or as simple as you would like.Depending on the age of the children, how long you would like to spend outside, and how long you have to prepare is what should determine how you should plan out the hunt.Think of things you would like them to see (and take a picture of or draw a picture of in their own notebooks)

Pinecones, dandelions, seeds.
Insects, such as a butterfly, dragonfly, grasshopper, and beetle.
A spider web.
Leaves from an oak or maple tree.
Frogs, toads, and lizards.
Wildflowers.
Mushrooms.
Wild berries (do not eat them unless they’ve been identified as non-poisonous!)
If you’re by the ocean, look for seashells and seaweed.