Category Archives: Green Living

Nuts for soapnuts

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This month I had the opportunity to try soapnuts — ever heard of them?  Soapnuts are the dried shells of the fruit of the Himalayan soapberry tree.  Toss them in the washing machine and they release saponin, a natural cleaning agent to clean your clothes.  One bag will last you aeons, making it fabulously cost-effective.

soapnutsIt sounded too good to be true, but after hearing rave reviews from two friends of mine who swear by them, I decided to try them myself to see if they lived up to the hype.  I was skeptical: It’s all fine and well if they are green and inexpensive but unless they do as good as job as my Seventh Generation laundry detergent, I don’t see the point in switching.  I’ve got messy kids, so I need laundry detergent that performs well.

The first load I did I washed a white sweater with an orange tumeric stain.  If you use tumeric, you know how badly it stains.  The stain came right out in the wash, not a trace left!  I’ve done more than a dozen loads with the soapnuts and while not getting out every stain, I would say it’s just as good in the stain-fighting department as any other detergent I’ve tried.  My friends who use them toss their babies’ cloth diapers and say that even they come clean!

Another concern I had was that the soapnuts have a bit of an odor, kind of like vinegar, but thankfully the smell does not transfer to the clothes.  The clothes come out clean and smelling of nothing but perfectly clean clothes!

I am completely impressed with soapnuts and urge you to give them a try!

Why I love soapnuts:

–100% natural product.
–Environmentally-friendly production: collecting the soapnuts doesn’t harm the tree
–Inexpensive: I bought a 1 kg bag for $40 that should do 400 loads.  10 cents a load!
–Saves time: Buy one bag, it lasts dozens and dozens of loads; no lugging heavy bottles or boxes home from the grocery store.
–no-waste packaging, nothing to throw away or recycle, they come in a reusable fabric bag.
–Indefinite shelf life
–cruelty-free and vegan (most commercial detergents are tested on animals)
–free of synthetic chemicals and toxins that go from the clothes into our bloodstreams, not to mention the toxins from commercial detergents that go down the drain
–clothes come out soft, no residue
–clothes come out smelling clean, no lingering smell and no artificial perfumes
–hypo-allergenic: gentle on sensitive skins; perfect for children
–effective stain remover
–compost them and they make great fertilizer
–they are reportedly all-purpose cleaners: house cleaner, shampoo and body wash, though I haven’t tried them for other cleaning purposes yet
–use them in hot or cold water, though they will last half as long in hot water
–great gift for new parents!

Instructions: toss about four half nuts into the little cloth bag provided and toss the washing machine.  You can use hot or cold water in the wash.  After 5-7 loads, or when you notice the nuts getting mushy, compost them.

Learn more: http://www.soapnuts.webs.com/

If you live in Waterloo Region, you can buy them via this link here.

Have you tried soapnuts yet?

Make your own toothpaste with just three ingredients

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Yep, you read that correctly, I made my own toothpaste!  And it’s awesome!  Toothpaste has been on my homesteading to-do list for ages, I just hadn’t found a good recipe until now.Toothpaste (3)

Why make toothpaste?  Well, first of all, sometimes I fret my sister doesn’t have enough stories to tell her friends about how big a hippie I am.  I think she’s waiting for me to start sewing my own clothes out of compost or something.  I hope this tale will suffice in the meantime. ;)

But in all seriousness, the regular stuff can be full of toxins like triclosan and propylene glycol (the chemical solvent that makes antifreeze smooth and slimy).  Gross!  There’s a reason is says “harmful if swallowed”.  Also, unnecessary junk like food dyes and artificial sweeteners can be packed in toothpaste.  And to top it all off, most of them (Crest, Scope, Sensodyne, Colgate, Arm & Hammer) are tested on animals.  Boo!

We gave up on conventional toothpaste about five years ago and switched to Tom’s of Maine which works just as well as regular toothpaste, just free of the toxic ingredients.  On the downside, non-toxic toothpaste can be expensive, but not when you make your own for a few pennies.  Seriously, pennies.

The recipe comes from Meghan Telpner.  If you haven’t yet been introduced to her awesomeness, she’s a Toronto-based nutritionist and her site is an amazing resource on healthy living with loads of free healthy recipes (most are vegan).  So what’s in the toothpaste?  Just baking soda, vegetable glycerine and peppermint oil.  Co-Q10 is an optional add-on that I didn’t bother with.  Get the recipe here.   It tastes pretty good!  And it seems to do just as good a job as regular toothpaste too.Toothpaste (1)Need more convincing?  Here’s David Suzuki’s article on toxic chemicals in toothpaste.  And some more info on toxic toothpaste for your perusal.

So, no more conventional toothpaste right?!

Preserving herbs

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The frost hit my neck of the woods a bit later this fall than it normally does, giving me a few more weeks than usual to enjoy my roses roses, mums and herbs.  The rest of my garden was gone in October.  When I figured the herbs were at the end of their peak, I knew it was time to harvest them all or lose them to the frost.Italian Seasoning (2)
I made a jar of Italian Seasoning by combining dried basil, thyme, marjoram, parsley and oregano from my garden.  It was so easy it was practically cheating for me to choose my herbs: I had bought a pot of assorted Italian Herbs in the spring.  A few weeks ago, I harvested everything green on it and it was in a jar in my pantry two hours later.
Italian Herb pot
Italian Seasoning (4)
Home-dried Italian Seasoning
A combination of some or all of the following herbs.
Basil
Thyme
Marjoram
Parsley
Oregano
Rosemary
SageDrying basil dehydratorWash the herbs and place in dehydrator.  Dehydrate at 105 degrees until leaves are crispy (about an hour or two).
Transfer the dried herbs to a plastic bag, seal it, then squeeze the bag to crush the herbs.  Snip a small hole in one corner of the bag and funnel the herbs into a clean glass jar.  You can use the jars with the holes in the top for sprinkling directly onto food, but to really bring out the flavours of the herbs, crush them with your finger tips right into your food as you cook them to release the aroma and oils.   You can also dry herbs by air-drying (hang a bunch of herbs upside down in warm, dry room).
Freezing rosemary (1)
You can also freeze herbs by adding chopped herbs to water or oil in ice cube trays.  Then just pop out a frozen herb cube to add to cooking like soups, stews and sauces.These rosemary cubes will be great later in mashed potatoes or pasta sauce.
Other tips for preserving herbs: don’t wait until herbs are past their freshness to dry them, preserve them at their peak for maximum flavour and nutrition.  Don’t overheat them when drying (air drying is probably better than dehydrator drying for that purpose).  Freezing would be better for herbs like chives and ginger that don’t dry well.
Blog of the Year Award 1 star jpeg
In other news, a big thank you to Liveblissful and Eat Breathe Yogini for honouring me with two awards this month: Liebster Award (by both) and Blog of the Year by Liveblissful.  I’m deeply flattered.  Thank you very much, ladies!
liebster-blog-award

The top holidays gifts from Etsy

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It’s 6 weeks until Christmas, who’s excited?!  Each year I promise myself that I’ll plan gift-buying early to avoid the headache of last-minute scrambling.  So let’s do some stress-free shopping!

If you’re like me, shopping malls with their loud music, pushy advertising and crowds hold no appeal.  I’ve long been a fan of artisan marketplaces like Etsy, an online global marketplace of handmade goods and vintage finds that celebrate creativity and craftsmanship.  When buying from Etsy, you’re supporting artisans and entrepreneurs, not big box stores that may use unethical practices like sweatshops and toxic materials.  You can even choose to shop locally or shop from sellers who support your favourite charities.

Here is my collection of favourite finds from Etsy that I think would make wonderful holiday gifts.  Eco-minded, socially-conscious, vegan-friendly and affordable too!

Clutch wallet/cell phone case by CottonPurr from Georgia, $98 USD.  It’s not too hard to find a vegan wallet these days but it’s certainly a challenge to find a beautiful vegan wallet.  There are dozens of fabrics to choose from at CottonPurr and JoJo will make to order, or if you’re in a hurry, shop from the pre-made, read-to-ship category.  Turn your clutch into a purse by adding on a shoulder or wrist strap.  So pretty!


Cupcake soaps by AJSweetSoap from New York, $21.75 USD.  I could hardly believe my eyes that these little treats are actually bars of soap.  How cute would these look in a powder room?  Many items (but not all) are vegan, like these cupcakes.  Peruse the shop and you’ll find the most creative, realistic creations!

Animal and earth-friendly jewelry by Christy Robinson of Texas, approximately $25 USD each. Choose a bold statement necklace like the I Am Not a Coat fox pendant or be more discreet with the “secret message” necklace that lifts up to reveal “Go Veg”.  Most pieces are from recycled aluminum, an eco-minded bonus.  To request a custom piece with your own message, contact Christy via her website.

Vegan Organic Caramels by Feed your Face from New York, $22 USD.  What would any of my most favourite lists be without something that was food?!  I haven’t tried these but they look amazing.  The gourmet organic caramel sample pack has one of each of the 20 flavours including Lemongrass Coconut, Carrot Cake and Mulled Apple Cider.  From the creator:  “All of my caramels are dairy-free, gluten-free, corn syrup-free, virtually soy-free, free of most common allergens, and 100% vegan. Don’t worry, they don’t taste healthy in the slightest. They’re creamy and chewy and decadent, and many many nonvegans have loved these caramels and couldn’t tell the difference from the traditional version. I use organic and fair-trade ingredients wherever possible.”  Hello, stocking-stuffers.

Cruelty-Free Kitchen embroidered towel by Fabulously Fierce from Los Angeles, $14 USD.  Affordable, useful and adorable!  The only pig in my kitchen would be the one happily prancing on this towel.  Other fun designs are in the shop.  The artist is vegan and is the blogger behind Fellowship of the Vegetable.

Personalized digital photo art by Picture it Personal from New York, approximately $25-35 USD. Photos can be bought as matted prints and snail-mailed or digital files and emailed.  As someone who loves gifts that aren’t “stuff”, I bought the “Summer Love” family tree (top photo) as a digital file for my husband for Father’s Day with our names and our kids’ names and surprised him by making the lock screen of his iPad; it has also been my facebook cover photo and I love it.  It’s high enough quality that we can print it large for framing if we want to. The artist created my piece very quickly and emailed it to me within a few days, great service!  These photos would make great wedding or anniversary gifts too.

World Peace kid’s organic cotton tee by RC Tees of Decatur, $20 USD.  Look closely, the image is created with country names.  From the artist: “Wear the message….From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and countries in between, our wish for the World is PEACE…. We will be making a donation for every Adopt tee sold the month of November to help with the misplaced animals affected during Sandy. Donations will be made to North Shore Animal League America, the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization.”  There are also great designs for adults too; how about a Real Men Love Cats shirt?!

Personalized necklace by Rawkette of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, approximately $40 CAD. I have bought two necklaces from Jessica of Rawkette and both were created quickly and turned out perfect; one for my mother with the names of her four grandchildren, and one for my sister with the names of her kids and their birthstones.  Many other great items are in her shop like pet tags and key chains.  I also love supporting a local artist!

Non-slip soft soled vegan baby and kids slippers by Little Pitterpat from Montana, $27-32 USD. From the artist: “Little Pitterpat offers the only handmade durable non-slip soft shoes made for crawlers and early walkers. These little shoes are created by hand, socially responsible, vegan, and available in a wide variety of prints that suite everyone’s taste and budget.”  I love these alternatives to leather slippers that are non-slip as well as stylish: tons of adorable prints to choose from.  I would have loved to have them when my kids were tiny.  What a great baby gift!  Note: the shop is currently on vacation, re-opening November 25th.  If you’re in Canada like me, order the last week of November as December 1st is the last day to order and be assured of delivery in time for December 24th.

Tofu Kitty by Crinoline Shop from Pennsylvania, $14 USD.  Oh, I can hardly stand the cuteness overload– it’s a kitty AND a block of tofu!  The fabric is eco-felt, made from recycled plastic bottles and embellished with soy paint.  Many other quirky craftiness to be found in her shop. The artist is vegan herself and a member of Vegan Etsy; check out more from the Vegan Etsy team here.

Deer, original watercolour painting by Little Nap Art of Southern Ontario, Canada, $100 CAD.   I’ve seen this artist’s paintings in person and they are quite stunning.  From the artist: “Layered strokes and bright, neat patterns make up unique and memorable works of art.  I paint every piece with animal rights in mind and I donate a percent of every piece sold to the “KW Humane Society”.  Be kind to each other and do everything in love.”  Sounds good to me!  Limited edition wearable art can also be found in Little Nap’s shop, check it out.

Personalized Cat Ornaments by Panda with Cookie from Oregon, $10-15 USD each. The artist will create custom felt ornaments to look just like your cat; what a great gift for any kitty guardian, and quite inexpensive for a custom piece.  The artist is a member of Etsy Veg, the team of vegetarian and vegan sellers; check out more from the team here.  I also think Panda With Cookie could win the award for most awesome Etsy shop name, don’t you?

Vegan Superstar copper and brass unisex pendant by Art by Susmitha from India, $37 USD (free shipping). From the artist: “In the spirit of my veganism and love for animals I create my miniature critters. Every little sculpture is designed to remind me that each and every being has thoughts, feelings and a personality of its own. We’re all children of the same Universe, to be loved and respected equally.  A minimum of 10% of my sales go to animal charities each month”.  Sounds great to me!

Note:  The artists have given me permission to share their photographs.  All items featured are vegan-friendly but not all shops featured are 100% vegan.  All opinions are my own.  Not all sellers ship to every country; contact seller with any questions.  I haven’t bought from all artists myself, but all of them were super communicators, responding to my queries in less than a day, and most within an hour.

Let the retail therapy begin!

What are your favourite shops and items on Etsy?

The search for environmentally-friendly carpeting

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We’ve been in desperate need to replace our carpets for a long time.  8 pets have lived in this house at one time or another and they’ve all been hard on the floors.  Wanting to be as environmentally conscientious as possible, we researched our options.   Not everything labeled “natural” is harmless, of course.  We debated getting renewable sourced wood, bamboo and cork but we worried hard floors would be too slippery on the stairs for the kids.   We didn’t want to do natural carpet from animal sources like wool, and we were interested in products that had used some recylced component like plastic bottles.  The question became: how do you really know how “green” these really companies are?  And what good is a carpet that uses some recycled material when its slathered in toxic glue?  Polyester and polypropylene carpets are more environmentally friendly to produce than nylon but they can’t be recycled, and they aren’t as durable so you’ll replace them faster.  There wasn’t a perfect choice, we concluded, and we would just have to make the best decision we could.
We ended up going with a  Nigella carpet by Richmond  and are quite happy with the choice.  The pretty colour is “Chocolate Chip” which was chosen to 1) match the dark brown in our decor and 2) hide all the cat barf stains we are in store for with two old kitties in the house.  Gotta be practical.

Speaking of my dear cats, here they are being all cute and stuff.  Don’t be fooled by their sweet faces, they are putting their heads together to plot something destructive in the house.

The carpet backing is reportedly 50% from recycled and renewable resources.  The carpet doesn’t smell at all, which I *hope* means its not off-gassing thanks to its PVC-free backing,  it wasn’t outrageously priced, and it feels luxuriously soft.  As one of my kids said “it feels like I’m walking on a chocolate cloud!”   When we need to replace more carpeting in our home, I think we’ll go with Nigella again.

Any thoughts on “green” carpeting?  I’d love to hear from you.

Homemade vegetable broth

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Vegetable broth is one grocery store item you need never buy again and the best part is, it can be made from scraps that would otherwise go in your green waste bin or trash.

I keep a large bag in my freezer marked “broth veggies” where I toss in the scraps of washed vegetable cuttings and peelings such as corn husks or celery (I only use the peelings if the vegetable is organic).  Even corn cobs after you’ve cut the kernels off can be used.  When the bag is full, I make broth, usually while making dinner when I have to stand near the stove for a while anyway.

The beauty of stock is that it can be made from almost any vegetable, though I’ve learned some make for tastier broths than others.  I used to keep broccoli stems for my vegetable stock, but the taste can be bitter, so now I keep them for juicing (broccoli, like most vegetables, gets sweeter when juiced).  And only use cabbage if you really like the taste of cabbage soup!  The colour of the broth will also vary greatly depending on what veggies you choose (the canned reddish broth in the top photo had red onion in it; the yellow broth below had parsnips and corn cobs).

Yummiest broth veggies
carrots
celery
onions
leeks
parsnips
potatoes
mushrooms
herbs
spinach
garlic
corn (including cobs and husks)

Veggies to avoid or use sparingly
broccoli
cauliflower
beets
peppers
cabbage
fennel

If your veggie scrap bag isn’t full but you want to make broth, you can add any of the yummy veggies you have on hand like an onion and some carrots; just chop them up and you’re good to go.

Other ingredients:
olive oil
bay leaf
sea salt
black pepper
optional: a few tablespoons of soy sauce
optional: fresh herbs

Heat a large stockpot on the stove.  Add just enough olive oil to cover the bottom. When the oil is warm, toss in the veggies and stir to coat.  Season with salt, pepper, soy sauce if using and any fresh herbs you want.  Add enough filtered water to fill the pot; naturally, the more water you add the less intense the broth flavour.  Toss in a bay leaf and stir.  Bring to a boil, then simmer, pot covered, on medium low for at least half an hour.  Turn off the heat, but keep covered for another hour or so to concentrate the flavours.

Strain the veggies through a large sieve and pour into a glass jars and store in the fridge for about a week.  If you’re not going to use the broth in the next few days, pour the broth into a pitcher then pour into ice cube trays and freeze for up to a few months. When frozen, pop into ziploc bags. The frozen broth cubes are particularly handy since you can just take out as many cubes you need at a time.  I love using this broth to cook rice, millet and quinoa!

Homemade vegetable broth can be a huge saver of time, money, food and packaging waste!  I am submitting this post to Healthy Vegan Fridays and Wellness Weekends blog hops.

World Food Day!

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One of the reasons I have this blog is that I’m slightly obsessed with food, if you haven’t noticed.  I love to cook, to bake, to learn about nutrition, to grow my own food and to feed others delicious food.  Food, glorious food!   And if there’s any day to give particular thought to the food we eat, it’s today, World Food Day.
World Food Day is an annual global observance on October 16th, founded by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization to raise awareness and understanding about approaches to end global hunger.  There are about 925 million hungry people in the world today, which is about one seventh of the population, a staggering statistic. People are hungry and malnourished all over the world, including Canada where about 900,000 people a month use food banks.  There is enough food for everyone on the planet if only it could be distributed evenly.
Infographic source: PETA
World Food Day and the global hunger crisis has me meditating on….
1) The fact that it is a great privilege that I have the option of choosing the diet I want and not having to eat only what is available to me from food banks or charitable sources.  I get to be very discerning with my food choices, and I consider that a great privilege!
Image source: Mutts comics
2) Making responsible choices with the food I buy and eat.  I can focus on eating locally and seasonally, eating a vegan diet that does not support the environmentally-destructive meat and dairy industry and reducing food waste where I can.  I’ll keep pushing myself to learn more and do better.  Below is Oxfam’s Five Principles For Feeding the Planet:
3) How can I help hungry people locally?  Every once in a while at the grocery store, I’ll let my kids each choose a non-perishable item that they put in the food bank collection box at the store.  They get to think about the family that will eat what they chose for them, and wonder what they would have eaten if they didn’t have the food bank to turn to.  They won’t understand the whole picture yet, but they can start to make the connection.  When my kids are older, I can sign them up for family volunteering at our local food bank.  If you’re going to make a donation to a food bank, some of the most needed items are baby formula and baby food, beans and lentils, peanut butter and rice.
4) How can I help hungry people globally? We sponsor an orphan in India through SOS Children’s Villages, our daily contribution goes towards his food and education.  There are so many other charities to choose from too, here’s a list of some organizations that focus on feeding the hungry worldwide and fighting for food justice: http://www.worldhunger.org/reduce.htm.
There are some fun and very easy ways that anyone with a computer can do to help out.  For one, there is the online game Free Rice.  Thanks to sponsors, grains of rice are donated to the hungry for every trivia question answered.
Another online quiz is Molly’s World from the World Food Program.  It’s a great way to get school-aged kids involved.
I would love to hear your comments and ideas about World Food Day!  How did you observe the day?

Organic food delivery

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This is Vegan MoFo post #10 — halfway to my goal of 20 posts in October, are you sick of me yet?  Thanks for sticking with me!

I am fortunate to live in southern Ontario where there are tons of amazing farms surrounding our city.  I grow some of our own food, but my fruit and vegetable garden is pretty meager and our family consumes a lot of fresh produce.  We have been receiving local organic produce by home delivery since 2007 thanks to Homefield Organics.  Every weekend, Homefield emails out the organic and local food that will be available that week.  The list notes which items are local, which are certified organic, and which are both.  Place an order, leave a cooler on your porch, and come home to gorgeous farm-fresh food.

Here is a photo of the goodies from our last delivery: kale, garlic, potatoes, tortillas, parsnips, sunflower sprouts, bagels, spinach, red onions, squash, broccoli and pears.
I’ve found their prices normally a bit lower than the grocery store (which may not be supporting any local organic farmers), and delivery is just $5 to save you the hassle of shopping yourself.  Beyond fruits and vegetables, Homefield also carries breads and pantry items like quinoa, rice and preserves.

Homefield also sells the most delicious whole wheat tortillas by J&D Peters, which are vegan (no honey or L-cystein, etc).  In five years, we’ve never had a negative experience with Homefield.  If anything was ever amiss, we were issued a credit or refund, but the food is almost always perfectly fresh.  Homefield delivers to Guelph, Waterloo Region, Elora and area.  To sign up, go to their website here:  http://www.homefieldorganics.com/.

World Vegetarian Day and Vegan MoFo day one!

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Happy October everyone!  And Happy first day of Vegan MoFo!

Here’s the scoop on Vegan MoFo (short for Vegan Month of Food): 500+ bloggers including myself have signed up to post at least 20 times in the month of October, promoting the awesomeness of veganism.

If you’re new to Earthgiven Kitchen:  My blog’s focus is vegan city homesteading. Beyond eating delicious and (mostly) healthy cruelty-free food, I am always looking for ways to simplify life and be more environmentally-conscious and self-sufficient.  This means making more of the products I use to buy (like shampoo, salsa and jam), growing my own organic food and challenging myself to keep learning more about sustainability and compassionate lifestyles.  It was only seven years ago that I was eating fast food chicken and barely bothering to recycle, so my offering is the journey of someone with a new-found passion for veganism and homesteading and not someone who has it all figured out.   Thanks for joining me!

October 1st is World Vegetarian Day, did you know?  A fitting first day for the start of a month celebrating plant-based eating.   So today’s post is a celebration of vegetarianism.

 “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”~ Albert Einstein

Why go vegetarian?  To live longer, feel healthier, to be kind to animals who suffer greatly in factory farming and to be gentler on the planet.  Global Animal has an excellent summary of the the top 15 reasons to go vegetarian.

Why I went vegetarian:  Before I was vegetarian, I was nearly vegetarian for several years, since I was a teenager.  I had made the connection with some food animals –like lamb, pigs and cows and couldn’t imagine eating them– but was still eating chicken or fish a few times a week.  In 2005, I was reading Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall which showed me how unkind the meat industry is.  The message was starting to sink in.  Then, one day, as I was driving to the grocery store, a seagull hit my windshield and died.  It was a horrible thing to watch.   Even though the bird hit my car and not the other way around, I felt terribly guilty.  I wondered how old the bird was and if he or she died painfully.  I thought “I know it is just one bird, but every animal matters”.  Then I walked into the grocery store and reached for a roast chicken and stopped.
*Click*.
I made the connection to the dead bird on the road and the dead bird in the grocery store, and the one in my hand had certainly suffered a great deal more in life and death than the seagull.  I could not pretend to be blameless when I was paying for it.  Why was I eating animals at all?  I didn’t need meat to enjoy delicious food and I certainly didn’t need meat to be healthy.  Eating meat felt like a bad habit I needed to break.  I never considered eating an animal again after that day seven years ago.

I was fortunate enough to meet Jane Goodall in 2008 and thank her for Harvest for Hope.  She said it was a very difficult book to write, but she was glad the message was out there.

In early 2011, after educating myself on the horrors of egg and dairy farming, I went vegan.  I’ll spare you the details here but please do some research, if you eat dairy and eggs, to learn the price animals pay.   I was practically addicted to cheese, but was committed to a compassionate lifestyle, even if it meant pining for cheddar for the rest of my life.  I am pleased to report that after just a few weeks without dairy, I stopped craving it entirely and feel MUCH healthier without it.  (I am often asked if I cheat and eat cheese occasionally.  I assure you that dairy’s siren song is lost on me.  In fact, if you eat cottage cheese in front of me, I think I will barf.)  I fervently wished I had made the switch to veganism sooner.  So much better for the animals, the planet and our bodies.

Thinking about going veg?  Want to get inspired?  Some books I recommend:

The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safron Foer

Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr

Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall

Chloe’s Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli

In closing….. Go warm your heart by viewing the Top Ten Cutest Photos of 2011 on Cute Overload. Come on, look at number 5.  Is that the sweetest face you’ve ever seen or what?

Thanks for joining me for Vegan MoFo.  Have a wonderful October!

Late summer: pest-free gardening and homemade salsa

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After a very hot and dry July, August’s rains turned my lawn a shade I could almost describe as green, filled my rain barrel and finally brought out some more food in my garden: strawberries and peppers, which we’ve gotten to enjoy for the last month.
The peppers brought scores of ants, but I’ve been trying keeping them at bay with my all-natural pest deterrent.  It doesn’t deter them all, but it led to a significant decrease in ants right away.  I was motivated to take great care of my peppers after most of my vegetables failed in the heat earlier this summer.  See July’s post for a reminder of my vegetable garden of shame!

Nontoxic vegetable garden pest deterrent
1 cup water
2 tbsp all-natural dish soap
2 tbsp cayenne pepper

The measurements need not be exact.  Combine in a jar and shake well.  Spray or pour over plants with firm skins like peppers.  Reapply every few days.  Wash vegetables well before eating, naturally!

The spray would work on vegetables with firm skins not delicate skins like strawberries or peaches that I imagine would soak in the taste of the spray.

The spray worked well enough to allow my peppers to ripen unhindered, then I made salsa with one of the peppers plus basil from my garden and the rest of the organic tomatoes from my Palatine delivery.  Salsa is easy to make and the ingredients are cheap, no need to buy a jar.  I like a mild salsa with a bit of sweetness and tang.  I know basil is nontraditional, but for me, it gave the salsa just the right personality!

Tomato-Basil Salsa
2 large tomatoes
1 large onion
1 pepper, finely chopped
2 jalepeño peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tbsp Herbamare seasoning
1/8 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 large pieces of basil, minced

Finely chop all vegetables.  Place all ingredients except the basil in a pot.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low boil for at least 15 minutes.  Add the basil and stir well.  Pour into glass jars and can, refrigerate or freeze.