Buying an organic mattress

We have been in need of a new crib mattress.  While we are expecting our third baby (and you’d think we already had a crib mattress), we have decided to keep our 2 year old on it in his crib for now.  We bought a second hand crib from a neighbor but didn’t want to [...]

Our Silk replacement

After drinking Silk soy milk for 7 years, I learned that the manufacturer decided to stop using organic soybeans and replace them with conventionally grown ones.  Needless to say, I was on the market for a new soy milk.  Non-organic soybeans are not acceptable for my family, even if Silk claims they are not genetically [...]

Silk soy milk no longer organic

This is a rough week for me–in the span of 48 hours, I have learned that two companies I trusted were dishonest with their consumers.  First, I found out that SIGG water bottles used to be lined with BPA.  Second, I found out that sometime in the spring of 2009, Silk soymilk stopped using organic [...]

Shopping at a farm

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is take my family to an organic farm about 25 minutes from our house.  They have strawberries and raspberries you can pick yourself, and a barn full of fresh, organic produce for purchase.  They team up with other farmers in the area to provide meat, [...]

Yummy produce!

We have now received our CSA shares for about 6 weeks.  We love it!  In addition to our weekly vegetables and fruits, we added a dozen organic, pastured eggs to our order.  I met a woman that had visited the farm herself and she told me the chickens were in fact kept in a wonderfuly [...]

Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides

The EWG has just released the 5th edition of its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides.  This guide includes the 12 fruits and veggies that usually have the most pesticide residues on them.  Peaches, apples, and bell peppers are usually at the top of the list, but I don’t remember seeing kale on it before.  This surprises [...]

Wash your produce

I realize that many of us are reigning in the spending these days and that one of the first things to go may be higher priced organic food.  If this is the case for your family, I want to remind you to wash your produce really well.  And not just with water.  Take a drop [...]

Sara Snow show

I never thought I’d be recommending a TV show on this blog, but I’ve just discovered one I really like.  It’s called Get Fresh with Sara Snow and airs on Discovery health channel.  It’s all about making healthy choices for you and the environment.  See her website for more info on the program and for [...]

Organic produce more nutritious

This is something I’ve believed for a while and some limited research has confirmed–that organic produce contains more nutrients than that grown conventionally.  But a fairly new, well-designed, long term study called the U.C. Davis Long-Term Research on Agricultural Systems project is demonstrating this as well.
In 1993, researchers at the University of California at Davis [...]

Farmer’s Markets

I love shopping at farmer’s markets.  I love the produce, variety, atmosphere, and getting to ask specific questions about the food I’m buying from the people growing/raising it.  I also love knowing that what I’m eating is the freshest it can be and that I’m supporting local farmers and reducing our reliance on fuel for [...]