Now’s the time to replenish our sunscreen supplies for those upcoming beach junkets, mountain hikes, and lazy days by the pool. Each summer, doctors and public service announcements remind us about the importance of slathering on the sunscreen before heading outdoors.

The biggest benefits of course are that sunscreen helps absorb and/or reflect harmful UVA and UVB rays, which can cause premature aging and skin cancer.

This year let’s green up your medicine cabinet, which means the beach bag will be including healthier sun products. The chemicals used to make sunscreen may not always be great for our bodies.

While sunscreen is an absolute must, there are things you can do to choose one that is better for you and the environment.

If You Can’t Pronounce It, Do You Really Want It on Your Skin?
The advent of more advanced sun protection offered hope for improved skin care, until research revealed the dangers of certain ingredients in these common products. Parabens, found in many sunscreens and sunblocks, were outed as estrogen mimics and endocrine disruptors. Commonly used sunscreen ingredients like benzophenone (oxybenzone), octinoxate, cinnamates, and homosalate were found guilty of increasing the risk of cancer!

Avoiding Store-Bought Sunblock

Some folks choose to forgo the chemical sunblock industry all together. They use natural ingredients found at health food stores to create their own sunblock lotion, or they wear sun-protective clothing and limit their time in the sun.

To make your own sunscreen without worries about the possible effects of nanotech elements found in store-bought products: Purchase plain zinc oxide ointment at a drugstore and mix it into your favorite skin lotion to make your own sunscreen.

Go mineral:
Sunscreens containing zinc dioxide or titanium dioxide are great alternatives to those with chemicals such as oxybenzone. Zinc and titanium are minerals that provide broad-spectrum coverage, reflecting both UVA and UVB rays. An added benefit is that many zinc and titanium sunscreens these days are micronized to avoid the white, painted-on look. Carefully read the list of active ingredients before purchasing as some sunscreens contain zinc and titanium in combination with other chemicals.

Pick healthier ingredients:

Not all sunscreens claiming to be natural are equal. Many cosmetics and sunscreens, even those with natural and organic labels, contain preservatives to insure products remain as fresh as possible. When shopping for a sunscreen, consider avoiding ones with harsher chemical preservatives such as parabens (including butylparaben and methylparaben), which have had mixed health reviews. Instead, look for sun products without preservatives or those with milder preservatives such as potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate.

May we suggest one of our favorite brands is Raw Elements. It’s 100% All Natural and Certified Organic Inactive Ingredients. Take a look at the website. We’re sure you’ll be impressed.

Also, steer clear of sunscreens with petroleum-based ingredients such as mineral oil. Look for natural emollients such as olive, sunflower and jojoba oils, and shea and cocoa butter, to name a few.

Quick guide to sun protection that respects both the body and the earth:

•    First, use common sense. Try to stay out of the sun during peak sun hours, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when sunburn and sun damage is most likely to occur.

•    If you have to be out in the sun during peak hours, try to find a shaded area, an umbrella, or wear a wide-brimmed hat. If you have the budget, check out sun-protective clothing. Make sure to research protective clothing vendors, as some of them use chemical additives to confer sun-protective abilities into the clothing.

•    When you use sunblock, try to choose one that isn’t going to make you worry about carcinogens or environmental toxins. Make your own sunblock with zinc oxide and lotion or check the labels on sunscreens to see that that they don’t contain too many chemicals. Remember, if you can’t pronounce it, you probably don’t want it on your skin! Do your own research to find out what feels best for you and your family.

•    Try to eat plenty of dark green, red, and yellow fruits and vegetables, to keep your skin healthy and less prone to skin damage.

•    If you do end up with a sunburn, consider natural, eco-friendly remedies for sunburn relief. Aloe vera gel is very soothing and effective. It can either be purchased from a natural foods store or taken directly from an aloe vera plant. A soothing oatmeal bath can also be helpful.

•    Finally, remember that every choice you make has some kind of an environmental impact. It’s a good idea to treat the planet kindly by living lightly—you will also reap the benefits!

Like most things, think moderation! A little bit of sun can be a good thing. Don’t overdo it!

It’s that time of year. For many parents and their children that means graduation – time for family and friends to shower the graduate with love, congratulations, and gifts. So when looking for the perfect gift for these newly independent, and optimistic young adults, it is important to encourage them to keep their environmental values at the forefront as they make their way in this world.  And what a better way to keep them on the green living path, then with some green graduation gifts!

Here is a list of great green gifts sure to please any soon-to-be grad.
For the Fashion Grad

Gift cards for green retailers. Online stores like Patagonia and Nau offer up everything from organic cotton pants and shirts to jackets made out of recycled soda bottles. Treehugger.com offers up a ton of suggestions for green clothes and retailers.

For the Exploring Grad

For a fascinating learning experience, the high school or college grad might like to try “wwofing,” (from the phrase “working weekends on organic farms”), the recently-coined term for an organic farm stay. You can find hundreds of prospects around the world by going to Wwoof.org.

For the Organic Eating Grad

How about a Gift card  for organic food? These days organic food stores are everywhere. A reloadable gift card for a nationwide grocery store like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s will keep your student in healthy, fresh food for a month or even a semester. You could even get a gift card for a local organic restaurant. (Whole Foods also has a wide variety of tasty, healthy microwaveable food, perfect for quick dorm dinners.) To go along with those green groceries, pick up some reusable canvas bags to carry all that good food back to the dorm.

For the Coffee Drinking Grad

If there’s one thing every student seems to need, it’s coffee. Today most major coffee importers and chains (like Starbucks, Caribou, Seattle’s Best) have Fair Trade brands, which ensure fair wages for workers. Look for other marks of environmental coffee practices – Shade Grown, Organic, Bird-Friendly. Peace Coffee (www.peacecoffee.com) roasts excellent coffee, and they’ll deliver anywhere.

For the “Sweet” Grad

Chocolate. Second only to coffee, chocolate is at the top of the college brain-food list. Chocolate comes in Fair Trade and Organic varieties, and chocolate bars that are high in dark chocolate content are full of healthy antioxidants, not to mention delicious. ??For the “Clean” Grad? Shampoos and soaps. More and more bath products come in green varieties. Aveda and The Body Shop are leaders in this movement, producing natural products that are good for the planet as well as for personal hygiene.

For the Music Loving Grad

Online music and digital music players. Give your grad a digital music player, like the Apple iPod or Creative Zen, and a gift card for an online music store, like iTunes or eMusic.

For The Electronic Grad

A computer is vital for college living and working these days. Why not make it green? The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool is a certification program for computers and other electronics. Check out the EPEAT’s standards and computers that make the grade at www.epeat.net. Don’t forget to pick up some recycled printer paper to go with that green computer.

For The Charitable Grad

Give a gift in your grad’s name to a charitable organization. Heifer International (www.heifer.org) is a fun one. The money donated is used to buy livestock and other needed goods for families and communities in developing nations. For example, a $20 gift gives a family a flock of chicks, $60 gives a trio of rabbits, $120 gives a goat or a sheep, and $500 gives a whole cow.

For the Forward Thinking Grad

Start a retirement account with eco-friendly mutual funds. To help your child prepare for his or her future, start up an IRA in their name with shares of socially responsible stocks and mutual funds. Learn more at www.socialfunds.com.

For the Traveling Grad

Many grads want to do some traveling before they start work.  Talk to them about some fabulous, and inexpensive eco-tourism options including volunteerism, hiking, biking or visiting a faraway nature preserve to learn about the species there and the people who manage it.  For more ideas check out Sustainable Travel International.

There is a green option for almost anything you could buy for your impressive graduate. These alternatives are worth seeking out, to ensure your grad develops good habits that will last the rest of their life.

And if you have other great ideas, be sure to write them in our comments section!

The best way to ensure you have everything you need to prepare delicious meals is to keep a well-stocked pantry. When you cook at home you can prepare healthy, nourishing food using quality, fresh ingredients—much better than prepared food that is often loaded with calories, fats, sodium and added sweeteners.

Here are some basics to get started~

First Step- Use Nontoxic Food Storage Containers

Choose glass, ceramic and stainless steel over plastic whenever possible. These materials are long-lasting, can often be transferred directly from the pantry or fridge to the oven or microwave, and – most importantly, they won’t leach chemicals into your food.

Stock Up With Bulk Whole Foods

The pantry is the place for go-to foods you need to make meals. Most of your stores should be real foods – unprocessed whole foods, like grains, root vegetables, legumes, dried fruit and nuts – and minimally processed foods like pastas. A good rule of thumb: Foods without ingredient lists or heavy-handed health claims on their packaging (or without packaging at all) are the best choice. Those foods with short ingredient lists made up only of items you recognize and can pronounce are good, too. Anything else is best thought of as “food” in name only.

Plastic  Storage Containers Are A No-No

Plastic may be versatile, lightweight and cheap, but some types of plastic also leach chemicals into foods. If you’re keeping some plastic around, purge anything marked with a recycling code No. 3 or 7 first. Those numbers are used to mark hard plastics that often have the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A. Whatever you use for food storage, avoid microwaving or cooking in plastic, and avoid using plastics that show signs of age, since these conditions make chemical leaching more likely.

Limit Canned Foods

Unfortunately, plastics aren’t the only packaging that leach chemicals into foods. The lining of cans also contains the suspect chemicals bisphenol-A and phthalates, both of which can mimic human hormones. A recent analysis found that families can reduce their exposure to the two chemicals by more than 50% simply by steering clear of canned foods, like soups, tuna and beans. Canned foods are an important part of emergency preparedness, though, so you’ll probably want to keep some on hand just in case. Eden Organic is one brand that uses BPA-free cans.

DYI Green Cleaning Products

Save space in the pantry by stocking just a few simple cleaning agents: baking soda, vinegar, alcohol, club soda and lemon juice. That, a little knowhow and some elbow grease are all you’ll need to clean just about anything in the house, from the kitchen counters and the oven, to the windows and the toilet bowl.

Best of all – unlike most toilet bowl cleaners – these ingredients are useful in cooking, and relatively safe around small children and pets. If you’re making the switch, don’t dump those cleansers down the drain! Check with your local waste hauler, municipality or with Earth911 to find the nearest hazardous household waste drop-off location and time. (That’s right: Many are so toxic, they’re considered hazardous waste.)

Include Reusable Items

Whether it’s cutlery, flatware, napkins or towels, the rule of thumb should be: Wash and reuse. If you’re using disposable paper plates and napkins, or plastic forks and knives, they’re not only cluttering your pantry but also cluttering our landfills.

Don’t be too quick to be taken in by marketing about biodegrable or plant-based items, either; the Earth-friendly choice is reuseable, and – in the long run – far cheaper.

Who doesn’t love a picnic? Picnics are a great way to enjoy the outdoors while spending time with friends and family. Picnics are great at the park or beach, where after you eat, you can play with the kids or just enjoy the scenery. It is the ultimate stress buster! But don’t forget when your planning that adventure outdoors to put a little “green” in the basket.

Here are some easy ways to green up your next outing.

Choose a Location Near You

Hosting your own picnic? Choose a picnic site close to home, and walk or bike to your picnic location instead of driving. Look for a green space nearby — a local park, a sports field, a Conservancy preserve or a friend’s backyard!

Use Re-Usable or Compostable Serveware

Instead of packing paper plates and disposable utensils, pack serveware that you can wash and use again and encourage your guests to do the same. If this won’t work, many brands are now offering compostable plates and silverware.

Bring Healthy Foods

The lower a food is on the food chain, the lower its impact on the environment. For example, it takes about 634 gallons of water to make a hamburger. So, add more fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes to your picnic meal — those things are good for you and the planet!

Pack Local, In-Season Ingredients

Nothing ruins an eating-well high in the U.S. faster than seeing a sticker on your apple that says New Zealand.  Prevent the shipping-around-the-world blues by picking up your produce from a local farmer’s market.

Lose the Napkins

No one wants to walk around with mustard on her face, but paper napkins aren’t the answer. Use the picnic as an opportunity to use that cute gingham handkerchief that came with your cowboy Halloween costume five years ago. Or, you know, any old cloth napkin will do.

Compost and Recycle Your Trash

We’re betting someone at your picnic has a compost bin (Are you ready to give it a try? It’s easy!). Enlist that person to take home all the compostable scraps from the event, and another person to collect any recyclables.

Clean Your Picnic Site

A good picnicker is one that doesn’t leave trash at his picnic site. A great picnicker is one who picks up trash at this picnic site. Use the picnic as an opportunity to make your local green space just a little greener.

Enjoy Nature

Once your meal is over, take some time to enjoy your natural setting. Take a hike, go bird-watching or just sit back and enjoy the sounds of nature. Have kids in tow? Try this Nature Treasure Hunt!

Courtesy of Nature Conservancy

1. Buy Local and Seasonal

Eating local foods (to avoid transportation costs), wholefoods (to avoid processing costs) and organic foods (to avoid petroleum-based fertilizer usage) is a big step toward reducing our carbon footprint.  “Sign up to your local Community Supported Agriculture scheme. You’ll be helping small (and often organic) farmers survive, and you’ll get fresh, tasty food.”

2. Reduce Food Waste

Producing food, packaging it, and transporting it to points of sale consumes energy and fresh water; by not wasting food, you’re preserving those resources, too. Buy only what you need and as much , and challenge yourself to use it to the last crumb. Plan menus so you can buy the items on your list from the farmers’ market, cut down on extra trips to the store, and avoid waste.

Save vegetable and meat scraps (vegetable peelings, sad looking vegetables or parts you don’t like, meat bones) in a large resealable container in the freezer. When you have collected enough, use it to make soup or stock, which you can then freeze for later use.

You can also use whatever leftover vegetables you have at the end of the week in a stir-fry, a pasta dish, or a frittata.

Freeze leftovers if there is even the smallest chance that you won’t be able to use them before they go bad. Ice cube trays work well for small amounts.

Keep your pantry well organized, and all your supplies visible: this ensures you don’t accidentally let things spoil, and you can then buy ingredients in bulk without running the risk of wasting them.

Keep only a small garbage can in the kitchen; this will encourage you to monitor and reduce the amount of waste you produce.

Find uses for every last bit: beet/radish greens and carrot tops can go into green smoothies, over-the-hill apples can be turned into applesauce and stale bread into croutons, the rind of hard cheese can flavor a soup, used green tea bags can serve to make green tea rice, bruised fruits can be added to smoothies, citrus peel can be used in baking or salads.

Just before you go away for a few days, rummage through your fridge and window boxes. Collect all the half-used herbs, chilies, ginger, garlic, lemons, etc. and grate, chop, or zest them. Blend them (mix as you feel) with some softened butter, wrap up into sausage-shaped logs and pop into your freezer. Now when you come back you have flavoured butters to top your cooked vegetables, pasta, or grills.

3. Reduce Packaging Waste

Buy ingredients in bulk and bring your own containers or bags to the store where you buy them.

Make your own snacks and pack them in reusable containers. Ursula suggests “invest[ing] in a few reusable fabric bags; Etsy has great options if you search under snack bags.”

Make your own spice mixes. We have a tendency to buy everything pre-packaged and pre-made. However, there’s really no need to buy chili powder, steak rub, poultry seasoning, fajita seasoning, seasoning salt, and the like. For anyone who cooks regularly, chances are that they already have all the necessary spices in their cupboard.

Stop buying plastic wrapped cheese. Bring your own container or have them wrap it in waxed or parchment paper — if they don’t have that, ask for it, so they know you do care.

Instead of using the small (and rather flimsy) plastic bags for produce, use organic cotton mesh bags (available online). They are very durable, so I can stock up at the farmers market, reasonably priced and washable.

Avoid buying “pre-portioned products – individual disposable serving cups of pudding/applesauce/yogurt/juice may be handy but they are more expensive and create more aste. Get reusable containers in sizes you like and portion out of a large container.”

4. Reuse Packaging and Containers

It is impossible to eliminate packaging and containers entirely, but what you can do is make the most of those that do enter your kitchen, finding other uses for them beyond their original purpose.

Glass jars – inarguably the most popular of reusable containers — and take out containers can be used for food storage, leftover storage, and as pantry organizers.?- Food bags (bread bags, cereal bags, chip bags, produce bags…) can be used to store other foods or as trash/litter bags.?- Yogurt containers can be used to dispose of oil and cooking grease cleanly. ?- Old newspapers (not a food packaging, but handy nonetheless) can be used to deodorize food containers (just stuff a ball in it and leave it overnight) or to line bottom of produce bins to absorb excess moisture.

5. Eat Fewer Animal Products

The production cycle of meat consumes a lot of energy and generates a considerable amount of pollution (industrial livestock production is responsible for 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions), so turning to non-animal sources of protein – for at least some of your meals, is an earth-friendly food habit to develop. And if/when you do buy meat, buy less of it, and favor local farmers that raise the animals humanely and feed them a natural diet.

Be careful what you replace it with. [Some] vegetarian ‘meat’ products are made from genetically engineered soy. The industrial farms these are grown on use pesticides that stay in the environment, waste energy, and deplete soil nutrients. Instead, up your intake of local, organic produce with occasional real, free-range meat!

Be mindful of your seafood consumption.

6. Grow Your Own

Grow what produce and herbs you can in your garden, but also on your balcony or window sills, where you can plant rucola, leaf lettuce, and all sorts of herbs. You can also grow sprouts indoors.

Growing plants provides habitat and food for animals large and small: bugs who seek shelter, butterflies and bees who polinate flowers. If you have a fruit tree you provide perches for song birds and nesting habitat as well as shade and protection.

Food plants help absorb CO2 and produce oxygen. And, you can reduce your carbon impact by reducing the distance your food travels to get to you. If you can grow your garden plants without pesticide or chemical fertilizer, you’re also reducing the load of chemicals that go into the atmosphere, water, soil, and your body. The best part though is the wonderfully fresh and nutritious food you get to eat!

Of course, it’s important then “not to let the produce go to waste. Roll up your sleeves and preserve them by canning and freezing (there are tons of tutorials and instructions online that are easy to follow) or simply share with neighbors and charitable food organizations!

Coffee grounds make great fertilizer for your garden: and if you’re living in a city-centre apartment, they can help your window box flourish, too! You can either sprinkle the grounds (cooled, please!) around the base of your plants (or mix into the soil if you’re creating a new window box/planter) – every time it rains or the plants are watered, nitrogen will be released into the soil, or you can add some coffee grounds to your watering can, and create instant liquid fertilizer.

7. Compost

If you have a garden, start a compost heap or bin, and home-compost your organic waste (vegetable and fruit peels and cores, coffee grounds, egg shells…). These debris will decompose faster and more safely there than in a landfill, where their decomposition generates methane, a greenhouse gas. And once broken down, they will turn into natural fertilizer for your garden, thus returning the nutrients to the soil.

Those who live in an apartment can consider vermicomposting or Bokashi composting. And if you have no use for the fertilizer, or for that much fertilizer, you can give it away or dispose of it — in a nearby park, for instance (provided the city okays it).

8. Avoid Using Disposable Paper and Plastic Products

Use real napkins when you eat, and cloth rags (cut out from old t-shirts, torn sheets, etc.) instead of paper towels.

Use saved glass containers to keep leftover food or bring food into the office, instead of using plastic wrap or foil. If you take your lunch to work on your bicycle like I do, and you’re worried about breakage, just wrap the glass jars in a tea towel: it protects them and you can use it for an elegant napkin at lunch!

Unless the water from the tap is not safe to drink where you live, avoid buying and drinking bottled water, both in your house and at the restaurant. You can get a water filtering pitcher instead (make sure the cartridges can be recycled) to purify tap water, and get a reusable water bottle for when you need portable water (at the gym, at the office, when you travel).

9. Bring Your Own

Bring your own reusable silverware and plates on picnics, on camping trips, and for lunch at the office.

Bring a real mug for tea or coffee at the office, rather than use a plastic or paper cup. And bring your own reusable travel mug to coffee shops: not only do you save a paper cup, but most coffee shops give a free upgrade (size, flavor shot, etc) or discount.

Bring reusable shopping bags when you run errands. Keep them wherever you may need them when you go shopping: Try keeping a small one in your purse and work bag at all times.

10. Save Energy

When buying a new appliance, make sure you opt for the most energy-efficient model.

Use [the] electric kettle to boil water rather than the stove — it’s much faster and uses less energy.

When cooking for one or two, use a toaster oven instead of a conventional oven. The compact space requires less energy to heat.

Plan ahead of time and defrost items in the fridge instead of using the microwave.

Use a pressure cooker for beans and stews. It cuts down on electricity usage by shortening cooking time and keeps the kitchen cooler which means you’re using less electricity if the a/c is on. Plus it means that you can get dried beans instead of canned which cuts down on packaging and other stuff from the manufacturing process.

Use your hands. Leave the food processor alone; use a knife. Use a whisk, not a mixer. Let your food prep be slower, but more hands-on, and more satisfying.

Clean your refrigerator coils. They dissipate heat, so if they’re clogged with dust, your refrigerator is less efficient and uses more energy to keep itself cool. This is a big deal since refrigerators use a lot of energy — about 15% of a home’s electricity. You can clean the coils twice a year with a vacuum and/or brush.

11. Conserve Water

It is generally considered more water-efficient to use a (modern) dishwashing machine than to wash dishes by hand. But if a dishwasher is not an option, make sure your dishwashing technique is optimal.

When you wash salad leaves and vegetables, save the water in a bucket and use it to water your plants.

When you steam vegetables or soak beans and lentils, don’t drain the water. Reuse the water. With the beans and lentils you can use it as cooking liquid and with the vegetables, you can use it make light broths or use in soups. This way you don’t waste water and you retain all the nutrients in the food.

12. Use Natural Cleaning Products

Use eco-friendly cleaning products with no phosphates in them, and consider making your own, using age-old ingredients such as white vinegar, sodium bicarbonate, lemons, real soap, essential oils, etc.

13. Share

Share information, advice, recipes, share ingredients bought in bulk, share what extra produce your garden may yield, share CSA shares, share appliances, share rides, etc.

Did you know that fruits and vegetables give off the natural gas called ethylene? Ethylene can affect the other fruits and veggies that they are stored next to. You don’t need to buy special bags, but you do need to know which produce doesn’t play nicely with others. Here are some tips!

Apples – Do not wash until just before eating, keep them sealed in the plastic produce bag, in the refrigerator. They give off a lot of ethylene gas, so don’t store them next to anything else.

Asparagus- can last for a couple weeks if stored properly. When you get them home, cut off about half an inch on the ends. Put enough water in the bottom of a jar or wide drinking glass to cover the bottoms about 3/4″ to 1″ (you don’t want half the stalk to sit in water). Put a Ziploc baggie loosely down over the top of the stalks to keep some of the moisture around them. Store in the fridge!

Avocados – Keep them at room temperature.  If you need one to ripen quickly, put it in a brown paper bag along with a banana.  If it is ripe and you need to slow the ripening process, put it in the fridge.

Bananas - They produce more ethylene gas than any other fruit.  Keep them away from other produce, on the counter-top, away from other produce.  Once they are ripe you can stop the ripening process by putting them in the fridge, just be sure to put them in a sealed bag.  The skin will turn black, but the fruit will be fine.

Beans (snap, string or wax) - Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  Do not wash until just before use.

Berries – You know when you buy berries and they look like they have a dusty layer one them? That is called bloom, and it serves as a natural preservative.  Never wash berries until just before use.  Pick through them and throw away any berries that are bruised or molding.  Store loosely in shallow containers, cover with plastic and keep them in the refrigerator.

Broccoli & Cauliflower – These need to be kept in their wrapping/packaging and kept in the fridge.  Do not wash until just before using.

Cabbage - Keep in the fridge, in a plastic bag. Do not wash until just before using

Carrots - Whole carrots?  Wash them thoroughly.  If they have green tops, cut off all but an inch.  Wrap them in a damp paper towel, seal in a plastic bag and store in the crisper drawer.

Celery – Give it a rinse, loosely wrap it in a paper towel, then tightly wrap the entire stalk in aluminum foil and keep in the crisper.  It will keep fresh and crisp for weeks.

Cherries - Store in the fridge in a plastic bag.  Do not wash until just before eating.

Citrus - Since citrus fruits have thicker skin, they are easier to store.  They’ll stay fresh for about 2 weeks in the fridge, about a week on the counter.  It doesn’t matter if they are near other produce.

Corn – Husks on? Store loose and uncovered in the fridge.  Husks off?  Wrap in foil and store in the crisper drawer. It will keep for 1 to 2 days.

Cucumber – Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash until just before use.

Eggplant – Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Garlic - Store at room temperature. Whole heads will last 3 to 5 weeks, but once cloves are separated, they will last about 10 days.

Grapes – Do not wash until just before eating, as they also have a bloom.  Store them in the fridge, in the plastic bags they come in, or poke holes in a plastic bag to allow for air circulation.  They say they should last up to 2 weeks.

Jalapeno Peppers – Store in plastic bag, in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.

Kiwi Fruit – store at room temperature until ripe, then cover with plastic and refrigerate.  Will keep for about a week.

Lettuces, Leafy Greens & Spinach – Wash, wrap loosely in paper-towels, then bag it… paper towel and all.

Melons – Store at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate. They will keep for about a week.

Mushrooms – Do not wash until just before using.  Pre-sliced? Store in the refrigerator in their original packaging. They will last for about a week. Whole?  Store loosely in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator

Onions - Store in a cool, dry place that has good air circulation.  (Store in the fridge if you don’t have such a place.) They will keep for 2 to 3 months.  DO NOT STORE WITH POTATOES.  (If next to each other they spoil faster. Who knew?)

Pears – If they aren’t ripe, store them at room temperature.  Once they ripen, place them in a plastic bag and store them in the fridge.  They will keep for about a week.

Peaches, Plums, Nectarines & Apricots - Store at room temperature until ripe, then store in plastic bags in the refrigerator until ready to eat.  They will keep from 3 to 5 days.  Do not wash until ready to eat.

Pineapple – Store at room temperature until ripe, then store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Potatoes - Store in a cool, dry, dark place that has good air circulation. They will keep for 2 to 3 months.

ONIONS.  (If next to each other they spoil faster.  Who knew?)  Sweet Potatoes keep at room temperature for a week or in a cool dark place for about a month.

Tomatoes - Store them in a cool, dry place.  Don’t store them in plastic bags as the trapped ethylene will make them ripen more quickly. Once ripe, you can put them in the fridge to slow the ripening process, but let them come to room temperature before using them.

Zucchini - Refrigerate in a plastic bag.  Do not wash until just before using.

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength.

These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.

Hair Care

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry.

Skin Care

Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil.

Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age., creams, etc., used for skin care. Coconut oil also helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.

Digestion

Internal use of coconut oil occurs primarily as cooking oil. Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion.

Healing and Infections

When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil is most effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.

Other Benefits

Stress Relief: Coconut oil is very soothing and hence it helps in removing stress. Applying coconut oil to the head followed with a gentle massage helps in removing mental fatigue.

Finally, coconut oil is often preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting. The reason behind this being that coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.

Why is Coconut Oil Solid?

Unlike most other oils, coconut oil has a high melting point – about 24 to 25 degress Celcius or 76-78 Farenheit. Therefore it is solid at room temperature and melts only when the temperatures go high. Hence, if you buy a bottle of coconut oil and find it solid, don’t think that there is some problem with it. Coconut oil is like this only. And of course, don’t keep it in your refrigerator.

How to Use Coconut Oil?

If you are using coconut oil for topical purposes, especially hair care, just melt the oil (if it is solid) by keeping the bottle in the sun or warm water. You can also take some coconut oil out and put it in a small bowl and heat the bowl over a flame (do not use microwave). Then take the oil on your palm and apply it to your hair. If you want to use it for internal consumption, simply replace butter or vegetable oils with coconut oil in your recipes.

Remember, you need not switch to coconut oil completely, as you will miss the benefits of other oils and dairy products.

Can I Use Coconut Oil for Cooking?

Yes, in most of the tropical coastal regions, people use coconut oil for cooking.

Ah Spring has arrived, and with longer days and warmer weather comes a new crop of fresh produce. ‘Tis the perfect season to “spring clean” your diet, so out with the heavy fall and winter fare and in with springtime fruits and veggies. In-season produce reaps the most nutritional value so here’s what to look for on the produce aisle or at the local farmers’ market.

Look for these spring fruits and vegetables at the market for the best flavor (and value) when in season. Note that specific crops and harvest dates depend on the climate of your region.

Apricots come into season towards the end of spring in the warmer areas where they grow.

Artichokes have a second crop in the fall, but the main harvest takes place in the spring when the largest thistles are available. Look for artichokes with tight, compact leaves and fresh-cut stem ends.

Arugula (a.k.a. rocket) is a cool-weather crop. Long days and warm weather make it bolt, or flower, and bring an unpleasantly bitter flavor to the leaves. Wild arugula is foraged in spring and again the fall. Cultivated arugula is grown year-round, thanks to coastal, temperate growing areas and winter greenhouses.

Asparagus is harvested from March through June, depending on your region. Note that thickness in no way indicates tenderness, which is related to how the plant is grown and how soon it is eaten after harvest rather than spear size.

Beets are in season in temperate climates fall through spring, and available from storage most of the year everywhere else. Fresh beets are often sold with their greens still attached.

Cardoons taste a lot like artichokes; look for firm, heavy-feeling specimens.

Carrots are harvested year-round in temperate areas. True baby carrots – not the milled down versions of regular carrots sold as “baby carrots” at grocery stores – are available in spring and early summer.

Chard and other greens grows year-round in temperate areas, is best harvested in late summer or early fall in colder areas, and fall through spring in warmer regions. Like all cooking greens, chard turns bitter when it gets too hot.

Cherries are ready to harvest at the end of spring in warmer areas. Sweet cherries, including the popular Bing and Rainier varieties, are available from May to August. Sour cherries have a much shorter season, and can be found for a week or two, usually during the middle of June in warmer areas and as late as July and August in colder regions.

Fava beans are a Mediterranean favorite available in the U.S. from early spring through summer.

Fennel has a natural season from fall through early spring.

Fiddleheads are available in early spring through early summer depending on the region; these young wild ferns are foraged.

Garlic scapes/green garlic are both available in spring and early summer. Green garlic is immature garlic and looks like a slightly overgrown scallion. Garlic scapes are the curled flower stalks of hardnecked garlic varieties grown in colder climates.

Grapefruit from California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona comes into season in January and stays sweet and juicy into early summer.

Green onions/Scallions are cultivated year-round in temperate climates and come into harvest in the spring in warmer areas.

Greens of all sorts some into season in warmer regions.

Kiwis grow on vines and are harvested winter through springing warmer and temperate areas.

Kohlrabi is harvested in the fall in cooler areas, and through early spring in more temperate areas.

Kumquats are still available in very early spring.

Lemons are at their juicy best from winter into early summer.

Mint starts thriving in the spring.

Morels are foraged in the wild in the spring. Look for firm specimens at specialty markets and foragers’ stalls at farmers markets.

Parsley may seem to be season-less, but this cool-weather herb flourishes in the spring in warm and temperate climes.

Pea greens are sold in big tumbled masses in spring and early summer. Look for bright vines with fresh, vibrant looking leaves. Avoid vines with brown or mushy ends or damaged leaves.

Peas (garden, snap, snow, etc.) come into season in the spring and continue in most areas well into summer.

Radishes are at their sweet, crunchy best in the spring.

Rhubarb is the first fruit of spring in many areas – look for heavy stalks with shiny skin.

Spinach season varies with your climate – year-round in temperate areas, summer and fall in cooler areas, fall through spring in warmers regions.

Spring onions are simply regular onions that farmers pull from the field to thin the rows in spring and early summer.

Strawberries are mostly grown in California or Florida, where the strawberry growing season runs from January through November. Peak season is April through June. Other areas of the country have shorter growing seasons that range from five-months to as short as a few weeks in the coldest areas.

Sweet Onions have slightly different seasons, but in general they are available in spring and summer.

Enjoy!

by Sarah Horan

Many parents don’t think they can feed their baby homemade baby food because they can’t imagine fitting it into their already packed schedule. However, with just a little bit of forethought, you can easily prepare up to two weeks worth of delicious, nutritious, organic baby food in one go.

Making your own baby food is an economic and eco-friendly way to introduce your baby to the world of organic food. Although it sounds daunting, it is actually very simple to do. Besides reducing the amount of trash you produce (think of all the packaging you avoid!), making your own baby food allows you to carefully monitor the quality and type of each ingredient that goes into your baby’s food, as well as controlling the amount of sodium and adjusting the spice to suit your baby’s taste.

Consider that it costs about $2 to buy a whole organic butternut squash, which will produce enough puree to last for over a week, whereas it costs about $2 per jar of organic butternut squash ready-made jar food enough for one meal.

To make your own baby food:

1. Steam or gently boil the vegetable of your choice (some suggestions that work well here are any type of greens, like spinach, kale, swiss chard, collard greens, sweet potatoes, butternut or acorn squash, carrots, or broccoli). If you would like to add some iron you can cook the veggies in a beef broth, or you can add it when you puree them.

2. Remove and slightly cool the veggies, then puree in a food processor or blender, adding either cooking liquid, vegetable broth, or organic beef or chicken broth if you need additional liquid. Add any spices you might want in this step (Cinnamon and squash was always a big hit with my babe)

3. Spoon the resulting puree into ice cube trays, and freeze until solid.

4. Pop out cubes and store in ziplock bags or glass jars in freezer. Puree will be best if used within a month but can be safely frozen for up to 3 months. Each cube is about an ounce.

5. When you’re ready to feed your babe, simply take a cube out of the freezer, defrost and you’re good to go!

Try mixing two flavors, adding in some baby cereal for a new texture and some added iron, or adding a few tablespoons of yogurt (for slightly older babies). This works just as well with fruit, (these fruit cubes also make a great smoothie for Mommy or Daddy, tossed in the blender with a few scoops of plain yogurt so you might want to make extra!)

The possibilities are endless!

The majority of commercial cleaners are quite expensive. A typical spray or foam cleanser for the bathroom, for instance, can cost $4 or more. A natural alternative, on the other hand, will cost pennies to make. You can buy essential oils for an average of $3 to $5 per half fluid ounce. Because you only use 5 to 30 drops of the oil (depending on the formula), that half-ounce goes a long way. Other all-natural ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, water and castile soap are also inexpensive.

Herbal Disinfectant

A super disinfectant formula that’s incredibly easy to make

2 cups hot water?10 drops thyme essential oil

1/4 cup washing soda

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray on surfaces and wipe clean with a damp cloth or sponge.

Citrus Dishwashing Blend

Dishwashing liquids have been designed to lure the consumer with their stimulating lemony scent. Their aromatic choice is more than an advertising gimmick; citrus oils are natural degreasers. It’s the rest of the ingredients in these harsh detergents that we are better off without.

Liquid castile soap

20 drops lime essential oil

10 drops sweet orange essential oil

5 drops citrus seed extract

Fill a clean 22-ounce squirt bottle with castile soap (diluted according to directions if using concentrate). Add the essential oils and extract. Shake the bottle before each use. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid to dishwater and wash as usual.

Super-Easy Automatic Dishwasher Powder

This formula is effortless to make, and because it stores well it can be doubled or made in bulk.

3 cups washing soda

1 cup baking soda

Combine all ingredients and store in a sealed container.

To use, add about 2 tablespoons to the soap compartment of your dishwasher. If you find your glasses are getting a residue of buildup, then reduce to 1 1/2 tablespoons.

Serious Oven-Cleaning Formula

This formula is great for ovens that have been neglected for a while. If you have a lot of baked-on grease or food splatters, you may want to use fine steel wool to scrub those areas. Use a bit more salt if necessary.

1/2 cup salt

1/4 cup washing soda

1 box (16 ounces) baking soda

Scant 1/4 cup water

3/4 cup white vinegar

10 drops thyme essential oil

10 drops lemon or lemongrass essential oil

Combine salt, washing soda and baking soda in a glass bowl. Add just enough water to make a paste.

Remove oven racks and preheat oven to 250 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the door open. Carefully spread the paste on oven walls with a sponge or cloth and allow to set for 20 to 30 minutes. Combine the vinegar and essential oils in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray the oven walls and wipe clean. Rinse well.

Germs-Be-Gone Toilet Cleaner

This antibacterial spray cleaner is specially formulated for cleaning the general surface area of the toilet, and under and behind the seat.

2 cups water

1/4 cup liquid castile soap

1 tablespoon tea tree essential oil

10 drops eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray on toilet surfaces and wipe clean with damp cloth or sponge.

Peppermint Foam Carpet Shampoo

This formula is great for heavy-traffic areas.

3 cups water

3/4 cup liquid castile soap

10 drops peppermint essential oil

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Rub foam into soiled areas with a damp sponge. Let dry thoroughly, then vacuum.

Ready-When-You-Need-’Em Kitchen Wipes

Instead of using paper towels to wipe spills or clean countertops, store multiple squares of cotton cloth in a container filled with a mixture of 1 cup water, 1 ounce liquid castile soap and 6 to 8 drops of your favorite essential oil. The cloths, made from old T-shirts or pajamas, can be washed and returned to the jar for reuse. Cap jar between uses.

Essential Oils tips:

Make sure you’re buying pure, undiluted essential oil. Although there are grade differences among pure essential oils, these differences pertain to the quality of the fragrance—for the purpose of household cleaning, they are insignificant. Essential oils should come in either blue or brown glass bottles. If stored away from heat and direct light, some essential oils retain their potency indefinitely. Citrus oils are an exception; they usually last for about one year.

Use only the amount of oil called for in a recipe. The oils are highly concentrated, and adding more won’t make a superstrong formula; instead, it can increase the risk of skin irritation. Always practice caution when handling essential oils (wearing protective gloves is recommended), and never allow children to handle pure oils. Take special care with food-related oils; citrus oil, for example, could offer a temptation to a young child who may mistake a finished product as something to eat or drink. Exercise the same caution with herbal cleaning formulations as you would with any commercial cleaner, and keep them away from pets and children.

Don’t Give Up on Tough Cleaning Jobs

• For very greasy dishes, add 1/2 cup vinegar or lemon juice to dishwater.

• To loosen baked-on food from pots and pans, immediately add some baking soda to the dirty dish and wait 15 minutes before cleaning. If the pot or pan has cooled before you’ve had a chance to add baking soda, boil a solution of 1 cup water, 5 drops cedar or other essential oil, and 3 tablespoons baking soda directly in the pot or pan. Allow mixture to stand until food can be scraped off easily