Suki S. Miller's Blog, page 4

Simple, healthy meals: Lobster

So many healthy, fresh meals are very, very simple to make.   AND then the leftovers are simple as well.

As an example, a few nights ago, we had Florida Lobster as our main course, with sides of fresh steamed green beans and sautéed fresh mushrooms. This is so simple, has a lovely, colorful presentation and very healthy as well.  This is proof that healthy meals don’t have to be complicated.

Then the next day there were lobster omelets for brunch.

There are many ways to prepare lobster – broiling and grilling and baking.  We’ve found that baking is the simplest simply because we can walk away for half an hour and it’s done.  We prepared the below for three persons:

Baked Lobster

4 lobster tails  (one for each person and one for leftovers)
Organic butter

Slit the back shells of the lobster tails, and pull the meat out, leaving attached towards the ‘fin’ of the tail.  Slightly butterfly the meat and arrange on top of the shell.   For presentation, spread the tail and place on a baking sheet.  Put small chunks of butter on each and put in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.    At the end of 30 minutes, check to be sure that they are cooked through.

Melt butter or ghee and put in small cups to be served with the lobster.   Arrange on serving plate with beans and mushrooms.

Wrap remaining tail in plastic wrap and store in fridge.

 

Mushrooms

1 package fresh white mushrooms, organic
1/2 cup of thinly sliced organic onion
3 tbs organic butter or organic olive oil
fresh organic herbs – I like adding thyme

Slice mushrooms thinly. Melt butter in sauté pan over medium heat.  Add onions and stir, until transparent.   Add mushrooms and sauté until slightly browned, still over medium heat. Add herbs and allow to cook another 5 minutes or so.

And now for the leftovers:

Lobster, Mushroom and Onion Omelet

1 lobster tail from previous night
4 large mushrooms, sliced thin
2 Tbs finely shopped onions
Organic butter
2 Organic eggs
1/2 cup Shredded organic cheddar

Chop lobster into 1/2″ chunks.

Melt butter in large sauté pan.  Add onions and mushrooms and cook until soft.

Whip eggs with a TBS of water, and pour into pan over vegetables.  Add shredded cheese.   Once eggs are set, add the lobster and fold in half.  Serve hot.

 

 

 

 

 

Personal Responsibility: Is it a lost trait?

After what seems like an eternity of loud, rude bikers in our town, I began to think about personal responsibility.  Where is it?   I cannot imagine in this particular case, why a group would feel it’s perfectly acceptable to come to a town and infringe on the peace and quiet of an entire community.  This noise pollution is actually dangerous for us all. These bikers generally have illegal pipes and of course, the local police force does nothing about that.  No one can sleep through the night and when did that become ok?  I wonder if they act this way in their own neighborhood at home?  Would their neighbors tolerate it day after day after day?

It’s not just the bikers.  We see the same with tourists as well, who relieve themselves in public or who throw trash in yards, leave nasty diapers on the sidewalks or who pick fruit off the trees of residents.  Would they do this at home?

I’ve found this to be rampant in society for the past 20 years or so.  In general, people do not take personal responsibility for their own actions and then try to make it all the fault of others, even if it’s another entity.  How many people go around blaming ‘god’ for their own personal poor choices?  You encounter it daily.  (A note on the ‘god’ thing:  humans were given free will and they create their own realities.  Blaming things on god is NOT taking responsibility.)  How many law enforcement officers would never take personal responsibility if their actions weren’t recorded?

At the grocery store, when queried as to why they’re out of stock consistently on something that SHOULD be there, they first say “Oh, we’ve never had it.”  Then they say “Oh, it’s not on our list of options to order.”  Then when presented with proof that it has been purchased there previously, they blame it on a department manager.  NO ONE ever says “This is my store.  I’m responsible and this will not happen again.”

Our friend Faye, who is dealing with the aftermath of the death of our dear friend and dealing with financial institutions in those matters,  is ready to tear her hair out.  The mistakes made by 85% of the financial institutions are never ending, even after multiple personal visits to the institutions to change titling months previous.  I can go on and on.

So this is the big question:  How often do you hear someone –  ANYONE – say “Oh, I’m so sorry.  I apologize.  I made a mistake and messed this up.  I will take care of it right now.” ?

Now on to the bigger picture.  Government and countries in general often have what I call ‘collective lapse of responsibility’ to their own people and to other peoples of the world.  In a democracy such as ours, representatives are elected.  They often reflect the thinking of the majority of their voting constituents.  (AND those who do not vote have no excuse to complain.)  When these elected officials gather to refuse help to those who need it, conspire to take away rights of entire groups, actively harm the environment of a planet that is in distress and only operate to enrich themselves and those who contribute to them, they are showing a total and utter lack of responsibility.  Do you think they’ll ever say “Oh, I’m sorry.  We made a mistake.  We’ll fix it.”  ?  No, they will not.

What is it going to take to instill human decency and courtesy and simple ethics in society?  Sadly, big corporations, chemical companies, pharmaceutical companies and those legislators who take their lobbying money will not change unless the public demands change.

Perhaps I’m being idealistic to think that it starts with each of us.  If we each begin thinking in a more kind manner, if we begin helping others and step away from selfish behaviors, if we begin to care for the planet, the animals and the environment, if we begin to THINK of others, maybe it will catch on.   I’d like to think that my little blog might make a few others think, and might encourage them to share the same thinking with others and it could make a difference.

Hey, I can dream, can’t I?

 

It’s official: Mercury IS in Retrograde

I knew it was coming.  I knew the 17th was the start of that dreaded period.  I’ve come to believe that when Mercury is in Retrograde, it affects lives.  Electronics and gadgets don’t work right.  Things just go askew in one’s life.  Mercury is in retrograde until October 9th.  The last retrograde period, my very-capable, very-powerful laptop lost it.  The keyboard stopped working properly, and somehow in the process, the motherboard shorted in the area where the keyboard is controlled.  So we attempted to order a new mother board and keyboard.  None of them every worked.  Thus I was forced to buy a new, powerful ‘desktop replacement’ laptop.  I need the power for graphics which is the main part of my ‘real job’.   Well, you can bet THAT wasn’t cheap and it definitely was NOT budgeted!  And then, there is the time it takes to transfer 1.5 TB in files and configure a new machine. I was out of commission for weeks.   Grrrrr…

So, I thought I’d be safe this time.  I’d already a few months ago, accidentally dropped my iPhone into water, retrieved it and had it successfully repaired.  Nothing can go wrong, I thought.   Wrongo!   Today I jumped in the car to run two deadline-sensitive errands.   I’d put it off, dreading the prospect of getting out in the out-of-control biker traffic for this weekend’s event.  I still had time, I reasoned!  I just planned to make my deposit by 1 PM when the bank closed, and I needed to drop off my sales tax reports at the post office by 1 ish.  I sat in the driver’s seat, pushed the button. LIGHTS!  Everywhere were lights!  Clicks, bells, dings, flashing lights!  The seat moved up and back, the steering wheel moved back and forth, all on it’s own. It reminded me of the scene from ‘Close Encounters of the Third  Kind’.   Of course, the car wouldn’t start at all.  Everything inside was locked. What the hell????  Let me tell you, when you have a computer controlled car and when one thing goes south, it’s a nightmare!   Hello?  Mercury?  Why me?

I said to myself “Ok.  I’ve not ridden the scooter in a while so I’ll just use it.”  No way.  It wouldn’t start either.

My husband came home, removed the old battery from my car and headed to Sears.

With the deadlines, I knew I had to start walking.  Nothing like a stroll at high noon, in the sun in September in the sub-tropics and on a deadline.  My friend at the bank invited me in to cool off but I needed to finish my errands.  My friend, Tom, at a Sebago booth on Duval provided a frosty bottle of water.

My husband found someone at Sears willing to quickly help.  He came home, installed the new battery.  $173.60 gives us no more dings, clicks nor other anomalies. He picked me up as I was walking home and delivered me to air conditioning and took off to his golf game with his buddies.

Now, the lessons?   I realized as I embarked on my walk that this was a message, a sign if you will.  I’m very big on signs.  As I walked, I made every attempt to walk under every massive shade tree that I could.  That helped with the heat.  Then I saw the butterflies.  There were butterflies everywhere!  A few fluttered in front of my face for a short time. I remembered that our friend who was recently killed had a wonderful butterfly sculpture in her office. More signs!   Except for my soon-dripping clothing and hair, it was a great walk – at least until I got close to the obnoxious bikers. They took all the peace and beauty from the walk, but hey, I just got away from them as quickly as I could and once again, felt peaceful and grateful for the experience.

For those who have never paid attention to the entire Mercury in Retrograde phenomenon, there’s this from the Old Farmers Almanac:  “…Perhaps Mercury’s retrograde periods can cause our plans to go awry. However, this is an excellent time to reflect on the past. Intuition is high during these periods, and coincidences can be extraordinary.

“The planet Mercury rules communication, travel, contracts, automobiles, and such.  So, when Mercury is retrograde, remain flexible, allow time for extra travel, and avoid signing contracts. Review projects and plans at these times, but wait until Mercury is direct again to make any final decisions.”

For me, it appears that Mercury in retrograde results in failures and complications when it comes to mechanical items and electronics. However, I’m taking the advice from the almanac to heart, and reflecting, enjoying the coincidences and paying attention to my intuition.

 

 

A bright, beautiful life is gone. Thank you, Big Pharma.

This morning, I awoke to a newspaper article about a local dental hygienist who was killed by a hit and run driver while walking by the beach.  I held my breath as I read further because they initially used her first name in the article and she didn’t go by that name.  But shockingly, it was indeed our friend and hygienist of 20 years, Stephanie Collins, who was lost.  This is my first post that I’ve written through tears.

We are heartbroken by this news as are all of the people who knew Stephanie.  She was an absolute ray of sunshine!  I never saw her when she wasn’t happy and glowing. She was 49.  She had a son.  She had a great relationship.  She was loved by her co-workers and her patients and her friends.  The worst part of this is that it didn’t have to happen. The sidewalk was very, very wide – maybe 15 or 20 ft wide. To run someone over like that, the driver would have to purposefully aim and jump the curb.

The woman who hit her kept going and was eventually stopped by a witness who saw it, when they blocked the road with their vehicle, and she was unable to continue.  The woman was obviously on drugs – PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – and even told the officer she’d been aiming for a bicyclist!  This is just heartbreaking on so many levels.

We all have so many questions and may never get any answers.  First, this woman who hit our friend appears to be age 43.  In the newspaper article which detailed the police report, she’d been taking Xanax and Benadryl for sleep, she said. One doesn’t expect a 43 year old to have sleep issues.  Those are more common with older individuals.   She said she was trying to quit the Xanax and was taking another drug, Trazadone which is an anti-depressant and sleep-enhancer.  The big question?  Who prescribed these drugs and why was she not supervised?  It would seem that this ‘medical professional’ would be complicit in this crime.  Yes, I know doctors can’t be responsible for their patients when they’re out of their sight, but still, they ARE responsible for making sure the patient doesn’t have that many drugs available at once.  Of course, the drugs could’ve been obtained illegally.

Still and yet, this is just another tragedy that has been brought on by this country’s dependence on and adoration of prescription drugs.  Drugs are prescribed to sleep, to stay awake, to lose weight, to gain weight, to allow those with heart issues to eat crap, to allow smokers to stop smoking (though in reality, they’re just substituting one addiction for another), to allow drug addicts to stop taking the hard stuff and become addicted to a lesser drug.  Drugs are taken like candy by those who are looking for a quick buzz, a long high and a big ‘down’.  Big Pharma counts on the addictive habits of Americans for their massive profits. Reports have shown that the main desire of pharmaceutical companies is indeed to ‘hook’ patients on their drugs, thus gaining a lifelong customer.

Drugs are readily available to most all people because doctors’ have a ‘cut ‘n’ drug’ attitude.  If they can’t cut it out and can’t drug it out, then they don’t want to deal with patients.  In my experience with myself and family members, doctors these days are truly not healers.  They are interested in the billing.  They spend the minimal amount of time with you, rarely making eye contact, and watching the clock so they can hurry you along to the billing window and they can go to the next patient.  Disgustingly, a doctor visit isn’t complete unless a patient walks out with one or two scripts in hand.  Because of this tendency in the current ‘Western Medical’ thinking, very few people are really healed.  The big band-aid is the script.   The sad part?  So many patients aren’t happy unless they walk out with these scripts.

THIS is how so many drugs become available illicitly.  Doctors just write the scripts and that is that. Out of sight, out of mind.

When did the sense of personal responsibility disappear?  When did doctors decide it is ok to hand over dangerous drugs to people who are incapable of understanding what they’re taking?  The concept of ‘the magic pill’ is drilled into the public’s collective minds every single night at the news hour with all of the commercials by pharmaceutical companies. “Ask your doctor…”  Seriously?   A GOOD doctor who knows what he or she is doing or who CARES about patient care will prescribe only the minimal amount that might be necessary.

I can’t help think during this sad time, how a beautiful, bright life was taken because of greed by doctors and Big Pharma, and an ill-informed patient.  How many others are suffering because of these bad decisions?  And how many more will be affected by similar medical malfeasance?

As for us?  There is a reason that we refuse prescription medications.  If we keep ourselves well and if we make sure we never become ill, then we won’t need any of these poisons.  And should we have an issue, we try going the natural route first.

And today, we’re just sad.

 

 

 

Recipe: Pasta with fresh tomatoes

I found a recipe recently that looked amazing.  Of course, as usual, I changed it up a great deal.   But I thought I’d share it with you.

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes

Serves 2

2 ripe organic tomatoes (I used one huge organic heirloom tomato)


1/2 teaspoons medium Himalayan sea salt
organic spaghetti or any pasta you like (I used Ancient Harvest)


1 clove of organic garlic, smashed then diced


1/4 cup organic basil, cut into ribbons
2 TBS organic butter, cut into three or four pieces
Organic Olive oil, as needed





Season the tomatoes with the salt and toss them well.
Put a big pot of water on to boil.
Set garlic aside for a few minutes
Cut the basil into ribbons or roughly chop it.
Heat a teaspoon or two of the olive oil in a large saute’ pan over medium high heat.  Add garlic and cook til just beginning to brown around the edges and soften. This takes a couple of minutes.
Meanwhile, cook your pasta, drain it, put it back in the pot, and oil the pasta to keep it from sticking to itself
Pour the tomatoes into a colander over the saute’ pan so that the tomato juice will drain into the pan below. Set the tomatoes in colander aside, in a bowl.
Swirl the sauce to bring it to a simmer. Add the butter while continuing to swirl or stir the sauce. Keep the sauce moving until all the butter is melted. Add the basil, the pasta and toss to coat the pasta evenly. Divide the pasta two bowls and top with the tomatoes.

This recipe has a fresh taste that it impossible to beat!  It is light, it is vegetarian and gives you fiber and nutrients as well.

 

While I changed this up a bit, I do give credit where credit is due.  The original version came from Food52.com in the Genius Recipes section.

Fact: GMOs are registered as pesticides with the EPA.

Why are so many people confused about GMOs? It is what the chemical companies such as Montsanto and Dow are counting on.   They state that crops have been ‘genetically  modified’ for years and that what they’re doing is not wrong.   They are counting on people to be confused so they can continue their campaign.  Most people such as myself have no problem with these companies creating toxic foods.  Those who want to eat it are most welcome to eat it.  That’s right, Folks!  Eat up!  Enjoy!  Feed it to your children and loved ones!

We, on the other hand, refuse to buy or consume anything unless it’s (1) Certified Organic or (2) at least labeled with the Non-GMO Projects emblem.  The chemical companies would like you to think that there are a handful of tree-huggers who are trying to destroy them.  It’s far from that.  And ok, sorry for the sarcasm, but their crocodile tears are wasted on intelligent people.  As always, just follow the money.

The truth is simple.  All we ask is to be given the information that we require so we can make our own decisions.  I certainly do not want to be ‘slipped a mickey’ in the form of some skeezy poison-laced GMO foods.   All the reasonable, wellness-minded people in this country are asking is to simply LABEL IT and to make proper labeling the law.   After all, if it is as harmless as the chemical companies want you to believe, then why are they spending millions and millions of dollars on lobbyists  and advertising campaigns to stop any and all attempts to simply require a truthful label, stating that a food is either GMO or it is not.   Why are they quietly paying off scientists to write phony papers about how safe GMO is?

Case in point:  University of Florida agricultural professor of Kevin Folta.  Mr. Folta has now been exposed as being paid by Montsanto to come up with a paper stating that GMOs are safe.  Written proof of Kevin Folta’s receipt of bribe  So, this is just one well-known episode.  As is always the case, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  All of the so-called peer-reviewed papers proclaiming GMOs as safe come from Montsanto’s own people, ex-employees, or so-called agricultural professionals who have taken bribes, such as Kevin Folta.

Now, to the reason for the confusion.  The chemical companies continue to ‘sell’ the idea that our food has been genetically modified for hundreds of years.  They’re counting on the average citizen’s lack of knowledge on the difference between hybridization and genetic modification.  These are two very different things.

This article breaks it down very succinctly:  Hybird vs GMO   Hybridization has occurred when nature naturally does this over time, OR when humans have cultivated new plant varieties through selective breeding. This takes time.  A LOT OF TIME!  They did this by cross-pollinating two different, but related plants over 6 to 10 plant generations, eventually creating a new plant variety.  To quote Jerry Seinfeld:  “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”  BUT often a weaker plant results.

Genetic modification is a far different process.  These seed varieties are created in a lab and are far from the ‘low tech’ process used for hybridization.  GMO seeds are not crossed with similar varieties of plant.  Actually, they are crossing different biological kingdoms such as say, a plant with a bacteria.     ARE YOU AWARE THAT THESE GMO PLANTS ARE REGISTERED AS PESTICIDES WITH THE EPA?   Pay attention now. It isn’t just the one plant variety that is affected.   Montsanto’s btCorn isn’t just a toxic crop. It IS a pesticide. If you feed this actual pesticide to your cattle or your chickens or if you eat it yourself, you’re eating a full dose of pesticide.  EATING IT.  It’s not just a bit of residue from the surface of a plant that was sprayed with pesticide.  It’s IN it.  You cannot wash it off.   This is occurring with all crops now – wheat, soybeans, canola and more (even though we don’t eat any of those anyway.)

This process has begun to poison our entire food chain.  AND it is putting the small, honest farmers out of business.  (That’s a very long story)  I highly recommend seeing the film “Food Inc.”  It is free for Amazon Prime members and is available on DVD.  Another great film?  King Corn .  These are eye-opening and very concerning exposes’ of the manner in which corporate farming and chemical companies are ruining our food supply and destroying small farmers who have farmed their land for generations.

For now, I will use those with the above Non-GMO Project certification, but it is only a second choice for me.  The only guarantee that you have of safe food is to buy certified organic.  

 

 

The Politics of Clean

I find it fascinating and yes, disturbing, when I look at all of the politics and greed that goes into the concept of ‘clean’.  We want clean homes.  That goes without saying.   But at what cost?

The aisles of the grocery store are lined with products to clean your dishes, your floors, your cabinets, your glass, your toilets, your sinks, your furniture, your clothing and so much more.   For now, we won’t even go into cleaning your face, your body and hair.  How many people really stop to read the labels and even if they do, how many among us are chemists who can decode the actual language on the labels and what it represents?

In my opinion, EWG.org’s database is the most helpful of all one-stop web sites when it comes to deciding if a product is harmful.  I do wish they would put out a cleaning products app for phones.  They have one for food which is helpful, though.  So it is left up to me to do my homework before I leave home.   I highly recommend EWG, though. They’re one of the great watchdogs out there between us and the governments, chemical companies and other entities that really do not care about our health.

Cleaning products can contain dangerous toxins and poisons.  They can harm your home and they can harm you.   Simply inhaling some products can make you ill on the spot.  Oddly enough, many people don’t think of their skin as a source of exposure but the truth is, whatever you touch will go internal almost immediately.  Thus it is important to keep most household cleaning items away from your skin.

As with GMOs and other toxins, the producers of these products will go to great lengths to keep you in the dark as to the dangers that go hand-in-hand with their products.  But then, hey, these are chemical companies the same as Montsanto and Dow and other well-known dangerous corporations.

Our politicians in Washington are constantly in contact with chemical company lobbyists who go to great lengths to circumvent proper labeling.  These politicians have the power to stop labeling bills or to add pork to important labeling legislation in order to do as their ‘lobbyist’ handlers ask.  The truth is, there is very little that you can trust about most all of our household products.

The chemical companies really try hard to win you over, though.  Trusting a product has nothing to do with it’s  beautiful clear blue color or the pleasing shape of the bottle or for that matter, even the scent.   A case in point?  Glade!  This collection of air freshening products is about as toxic as it comes!  S C Johnson and Company is the owner and while claiming total transparency, they are far from transparent and even downright dishonest.

Now, when you mix a toxic cocktail of these poisonous cleaning ingredients, your home becomes a sealed chamber of chemicals that can harm, even kill you, your family and your pets.  Yet none of the pretty labels in the cleaning aisle give a hint as to the true dangers within.

SO, I go for the safe alternatives.  I like using vinegar whenever possible.  It is the best glass cleaner around.  My mom had us clean our own bedroom windows regularly with vinegar and water and newspaper.  It is also good for floors, glassware, counters, coffee carafes and other kitchen utensils.  My husband uses the classic vinegar / water / newspaper combo to clean windows on the car.

When it comes to laundry, I go straight to EWG’s list.   Just look at how many truly dangerous detergents are sold.  And remember, when you use these detergents, you are putting these chemicals right next to your skin!   I have been using Green Shield Organic Laundry Detergent, HE Elite Care, Lavender for quite some years now.   It is ‘A’ rated and I have to admit, I’m a lavender addict, even though I never end up smelling it on our clothing after using the vinegar. I chose this because it is fairly easy to obtain via Amazon.   Our local stores have very few that are truly safe.

I buy the large jugs of white vinegar at the market and pour that into the fabric softener dispenser in my washing machine for all loads.  It takes away any odors that could linger, it helps protect colors and it helps to rinse any soap residue that might remain.   I never, EVER use laundry / dryer sheets or fabric softeners.  They really are just money down the drain and often can break down the fibers in your fabrics so they don’t hold up as long.  AND then there’s the toxic smell!  I once lived next to a home where their dryer vent blew into our windows.  (Thus another opportunity lost for fresh air.)  They used the most sickening dryer sheets – and toxic too!    Just for the fun of it, try Googling ‘DRYER SHEETS AND TOXIC’.

Some of the worst, most toxic items are the ones that are used most often in cleaning the home:  bleach and Pinesol.  It is really hard to pry those two items from the hands of any cleaning people you may have helping you, too!  But it can be done.   My Mom used Pinesol anytime we’d been vomiting so I automatically associate that horrid scent with nausea, thus any cleaning help I’ve ever had has been banned from ever using that.

Bleach is toxic to breathe, toxic for your skin and it really doesn’t do what you think it does.  You think that bleach will get rid of mold, don’t you?  Think again! It only gets whatever is on the surface, allowing the mold and mildew below to safely multiply out of site.  If your fingers are exposed to bleach, your fingernails will loosen from the nail beds.  You can get chemical burns on your skin with bleach.  The list goes on and on.  There are far better alternatives out there.

For instance, the best thing for heavy mold and mildew is industrial strength (30%) Hydrogen Peroxide.  Of course, you’d want to wear gloves to prevent a chemical burn, but this is a very effective and ultimately, very safe way to get rid of serious problems.   Also, you can add the usual 3% strength to a spray bottle with some water to spray surfaces to prevent mold as well.  (Don’t forget to protect any colored fabric nearby and test an inconspicuous area if using on fabrics.)

Now that I’m mentioning hydrogen peroxide, I have also found it helpful to remove small blood stains on white rugs or fabrics.  The first choice for blood though, is the saliva of the person or pet who bled.   Yup, it is hard to get my cat to spit on a spot she left where she hurt the pad of her foot, so that’s when the hydrogen peroxide comes to the rescue.  The first time my husband got a bit of blood from a cut on the sheets, I told him to spit on it.  He looked at me as if I’d lost my mind!  But indeed, it broke up on the spot, and then disappeared in the laundry.  The enzymes in your own saliva will break down the enzymes in your blood stains. I learned this little trick in the early 80’s when I was taking a smocking class.   It’s easy to prick your finger and drop a bit of blood on an intricate white piece of fabric and the person teaching the class clued us in on the saliva trick.  I’ve used it ever since.

My mantra “READ THE LABELS” holds true for your cleaning products.  When that is not possible, if information is missing or if you need additional help, go to EWG.org.  A sparkling clean home does you no good if it’s toxic.

 

 

Read more:

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/11/toxins-household-cleaners-tide-clorox-glade-pinesol-febreze-simplegreen

http://action.sumofus.org/a/glade-chemicals/2/2/?sub=homepage

https://www.momsrising.org/blog/glade-air-freshener-poster-child-for-toxic-secrets

Make your home your spa

Who doesn’t love a trip to the spa?  You walk in the door and immediately, you relax.  The air is clean and oh-so breathable.  The sounds are calm and relaxing.  The lighting is low-key and the decor is reminiscent of nature.  Often there is the sound of water. The furnishings are well-maintained. There is no clutter and the feel is clean and fresh.

Now, who can afford a daily trip to the spa?   Not many of us, that’s for sure.  The next best thing is to give your home that spa feel.  In my book, I go into some detail as to the steps you might take.  But here, I’ll give a bit of a crash course.

Start at the doorway to your home.  The entry way should give a hint as to what is inside.  This is generally going to be your porch or portico.  It should be clean, uncluttered, with any furniture in clean condition and good repair.  I have a medium-sized fountain going with lush greenery and a comfortable rattan bench to sit on when removing shoes. Like at any competent spa, you kick your shoes off outside the door.  After all, you don’t want the toxins, poisons, dangerous fecal matter and sewer run off that is present on all streets and sidewalks stepping into your home!   When you step through the door, stop and close your eyes for a minute.  What do you hear?  What do you smell?  What do you see? What do you feel?   HOW do you feel?  The preferred answer?  You feel like you’ve walked into a spa!

You should hear either total quiet or very relaxing music or even nature sounds.  Since I have a fountain in the kitchen for the cats, and since I have fountains near most all windows, I hear the movement of water first.  I often keep nature sounds going in my house daily.  My pets love it.  They also enjoy a soft, low-key instrumental music. Since I work at home, I’m much more able to do my work well in a relaxing, natural environment.

You should NOT smell last night’s baked fish or tonight’s veggie lasagna.  You should smell a fresh, relaxing scent or something that is very neutral.  Please, please, please! NO GLADE or other toxic air fresheners!   They’ve been proven to be truly dangerous for humans and pets. If you want to add scent, I generally recommend something like organic lavender essential oil in a diffuser with purified water.  There are many alternatives, based on what you’re trying to achieve.  Aromatherapy has been proven to have a positive effect on your mental attitude.

Look around you now.  What do you see?  Do you see clutter?  That needs to go!  A cluttered home stifles the energy flow that is necessary for a serene, relaxing environment.  Many things can hide in clutter – dirt, dust, allergens, vermin, and just plain old crap.  Get rid of it!  The air flow to your home is as important as your breathing is to your body.  Think of it this way:  If something is obstructing your airway, you won’t be able to breathe and give your body the much-needed oxygen that is required.  If clutter is obstructing your home, your home is unable to breathe and give you the peace that you require to live a healthy life.

Now what do you feel when you walk through your door?  Do you feel stressed?  Oh so much to do!!!!  Or do you feel relaxed and grateful for your peaceful space?  In our case, when we walk through our door, we immediately relax and lose all the annoyances that we experienced in the ‘outside’ world.  Between us, we work four jobs so stress could always take over if we allowed it.  But we do not. My husband says the most important gift is to walk through the door and feel instantly at peace. Here our world is quiet.  Here our world is restful.  This is where we renew our energy.

It’s very rare that we do not have a good night’s sleep and not a lot of people can say that at age 65 and 61.   We awake renewed and ready for a new day.

I highly recommend reading up a bit on the basics of Feng Sui.  While we don’t have the luxury of repositioning our homes on the piece of land where they’re located, we can certainly have some control on the interior spaces.

Now some will say that nature is the perfect ‘spa’ and in many cases, that’s absolutely true.  However in the area where we are, it is close to impossible to find an environment in nature that will allow this type of relaxation.  As an example, we often would go to an area in our boat about 6 or 7 miles north of our island.  We’d run the boat up on a sand bar, anchor and sit naked in salt water up to our chests, with a cool beverage and just ‘be’ with nature.  The shore birds were marvelous and calling to one another. Spotted Eagle Rays would swoosh past my arm, mangrove snapper would be feeding nearby.   You could hear and see nature in it’s glory – for about 3 minutes.  Then someone who didn’t appreciate nature would come roaring through a no-wake zone at high speed, in an over-loaded boat with stereo blaring. :::sigh:::  There goes nature.  Then the next overloaded boat 2 minutes later would decide that they wanted to have a party about 40 feet from where we were when there happened to be a hundred of miles of similar spots in reach.  So, sadly, in our area, it is not possible to truly have a ‘spa’ moment in nature.   Too many people don’t respect the space, property and peace of others.

Often my posts are inspired by the events of a day or the day before.  In this case, this post was inspired by a particularly spiteful, bullying post or two on a thread from someone half-a world away who felt that their choices were the only choices.   The website I enjoy so much is generally chock-full of healthy tips and ideas and is dedicated to health, wellness, peace and a non-toxic life so it’s surprising to find those on there who seem opposed to the basic healthy tenants of the site.  This just served to remind me that everyone makes their own choices, and that our personal choices are particularly precious to us.  One’s own value system defines one’s life.  If your life is dedicated to peace, wellness and a healing non-toxic atmosphere for you, your family and your pets, then this is all that matters.

 

 

Delicious veggie pancakes

A healthy veggie breakfast!  You didn’t think it was possible?  It is.  We did it this morning! It’s all organic and has a healthy helping of fiber, vitamins and protein.

I found the recipe on a site that I enjoy, TheHeartySoul.com, except I made a few alterations so those are included in this version.

Zucchini Veggie Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup organic sweet potato with skin on, grated
1 cup organic zucchini, grated
1 cup organic yellow squash, grated
1/8 cup grated organic onion
3 eggs, thoroughly beaten until frothy
4 heaping tablespoons organic gluten-free oat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Organic olive oil, for cooking
freshly grated organic Parmesan Cheese
Organic sour cream

Directions:


1. In a large bowl, mix together the grated veggies, eggs, flour, and salt until thoroughly combined.
Heat a thin layer of olive oil on a griddle at 300 degrees (or if you use a saute’ pan, be sure it’s medium heat.) You want the pancakes to cook all the way through the middle by the time they’re brown on the outside. When the oil is hot, drop pancake-size dollops of the veggie mixture into the pan, without overcrowding. Flatten a bit. Cook until the bottom starts to brown.
Flip and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese
Cook until browned on the second side, then repeat until the batter is gone.
Transfer cooked pancakes to a paper towels.  Serve immediately. If you need to keep warm, you can tent with foil or place in the oven on the lowest setting on a plate.
Serve warm with a topping of sour cream.

Serve with a side of fresh organic cantaloupe or for an extra helping of nutrients,  avocado chunks.

Notes:  The yellow squash and the zucchini once grated, tend to be a bit watery so I added extra flour.  These didn’t turn out fluffy and were a bit flat but were still delicious.  The sweet potato was difficult to grate so watch the knuckles.   I can’t tell you how many times I’ve grated my knuckle over the years! Grating the onion was simple, but it turned out very watery.  However, I think that it added to the dish.

We had three extra and I wrapped in paper towel, put in a zip lock and will warm and have them perhaps tomorrow AM.

 

 

GMOs – TRUST NO ONE!

I read a recent post where a company has surreptitiously sold 400 acres worth of GMO potatoes to grocery stores.  It seems that even McDonald’s won’t buy this particular poison for their poisonous menus! (At the bottom of today’s post is a cut ‘n’ paste from the post about the potatoes, fyi.)

For me, this was the final straw.  I will no longer buy ANYTHING that isn’t non-GMO.  I don’t care if a recipe has a big gap in it.  If it isn’t organic and if it doesn’t STATE clearly that it is non-GMO, I will not buy it.  You really have to be careful when shopping these days if you want to save your family from serious disease from poisonous foods.  Food producers, chemical companies and the farmers who are involved in the toxic food industry will do all they can to sell YOU this toxic stuff and they don’t care about you.  They don’t care about your family and your children.  All they care about is their own greed and profit margins.  I urge each and every person who reads this to vow right now to do the right thing for their health and run these crooked people out of business.  If no one buys their toxic crops, then they will stop playing games and trying to sell it to you.

Today’s trip to the grocery store even further solidified my thinking on this subject. Often, there are similar products available, but you must read the labels to see what you are getting.   One of my non-organic short-cuts is an occasional Kind bar.  They are generally healthy, they are non-GMO and they are gluten free.  They don’t have artificial ingredients, are high in protein, fiber and nutrients. And no, not organic.  Today I saw that Publix is selling their own brand.  So I photographed theirs (and did NOT buy it)  , and here is a photograph of the original, Kind version above it:   Kind’s labeling tells us what we need to know: NON GMO!  This is not to be found anywhere on the Publix brand wannabe.

Next up, I looked at something else on my shopping list – Gluten-free bread.  Predictably, the first store I went to didn’t have what I want.  (That is a massive source of frustration here in our third-world town!)  The supply of minimally acceptable foods is never reliable. Anyway, outside of that little gripe which I foresee as another post another day, since the first Publix I went to didn’t have what I wanted, I considered buying another brand.  I buy Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free breads because they don’t have soy and because they are non-GMO.  But since the store saw fit to NOT stock the one I wanted this week (the multi-grain version), I looked at an alternative – UDIs brand.

My problem with Udis in general has been that they often have soy in their products, their fiber content is almost non-existent, and now I see that GMOs are obviously in there, since they don’t claim that they are non-GMO.  These photographs are a side-by-side comparison of the Cinnamon Raisin bread from both companies. Note the emblems in the circles.  Canyon Bakehouse is Gluten Free and Non-GMO.  Udi’s makes no such claims about GMOs.  AND I must say from past experience, the Udi’s simply tastes awful.

Needless to say I walked away from buying anything at this store because of the GMOs.  I know, I know.  It seems I’m constantly complaining about Publix but in Key West, there are two stores and one is no better than the other.  AND they’re both Publix and both 2 blocks away from each other!  (The other option, Winn Dixie, is a lost cause and waste of time.  No one speaks my language there, which is English, and their supply of organics, non-GMO and gluten free is non-existent. ) The problem is that we have no other choices and it seems that Publix’s intent is to force the people of this town to buy whatever they offer, whether it is healthy for the customer or not.  Not everyone is like me, though. Many buckle under and buy what they’re offered. Not me. I have a list and will then buy at Whole Foods when we go to the mainland, which is about once every  month and a half.  We load up and fill our freezer and fridge on those trips.  OH, and to not totally denigrate Publix stores, when we’re on the mainland in SW Florida, we often go to Publix there and have a totally positive experience.  They have everything we need in stock, the stores are spotless and the staff is bend-over-backwards helpful.  In Key West?  None of that applies.

These are just two items of thousands in a grocery store that on the surface appear to be similar, but when you read the labels, you will see that one is toxic and the other is not toxic – or at least not SO toxic.

Now, below is the article on the sneaky potato swap.  Based on this, from now on, I do not recommend buying potatoes at all unless they’re organic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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After being rejected by McDonald’s, genetically engineered potatoes created with dsRNA technology, which may be linked to autoimmune disease in vertebrates, are being marketed and sold directly to unsuspecting consumers. 400 acres of these reduced-browning potatoes were sold in grocery stores in the Midwest and Southeast this summer. Simplot, the company that created these potatoes, has plans to increase the production to 2,000 acres next summer. The USDA has already approved the next generation of Simplot’s GMO potato. It’s only a matter of time until the EPA and FDA give the second generation potato the rubber stamp. Was your family part of Simplot’s GMO experiment this summer? Boycott Simplot’s GMO Potatoes. BOYCOTT GMOs.

READ: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/08/28/3960031/usda-oks-simplots-2nd-generation.html

READ: http://www.independentsciencenews.org/health/monsantos-worst-fear-may-be-coming-true/

Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/GMOFreeUSA/photos/a.468695639837571.108816.402058139834655/1061833373857125/?type=1&theater