Lisa Bedford's Blog, page 153
April 14, 2014
Product Review: The Abeego Wrap, something a little different for your emergency kits
Thanks to Earth Easy, I’ve been playing around with a new product called the Abeego Wrap. The Abeego Wrap is a natural alternative to plastic wraps, such as Saran, and plastic storage bags.
The Abeego is a flat piece that resembles canvas, but it’s made of beeswax, jojoba oil, hemp, cotton, and tree resin. It can be wrapped and fitted around any number of objects. In my kitchen, it became the designated onion-wrapper whenever we had an unused piece of onion. In spite of this use, the Abeego didn’t retain the smell or flavor of onion and we used it with other foods.
Because it’s so sturdy, I expect mine to last for a very long time.
I’ve been using the Abeego Wrap, which is, incidentally, very attractive in an all-natural way. Mine has purple stitching on one side, two round purple buttons, and a purple cord that can be used to help secure the Wrap. Abeego Flats are also available and are demonstrated in this video:
In your emergency kit, the Abeego could be used to wrap anything damp, partially eaten food, or used as a sort of envelope to enclose several smaller items. It could be slipped into a diaper bag, backpack, or purse, and would be helpful to have when camping. Think of it as a Zip-Loc bag or a roll of Saran Wrap that you can use over and over and over.
Wash the Abeego with warm, soapy water; it’s not dishwasher safe.
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Survival Mom Radio Network Re-cap
In case you missed some of the shows from my radio network, here they are!
This week, I interviewed Dr. Susanne Bennet about simple ways to combat allergies. You can listen here.
I also spoke with Fernando Aguirre of Modern Survivalist about common prepper myths. Check out that interview here.
Every month our network of all-women hosts produces dozens of podcasts, all about 30 minutes long, for you to download to your iPod or iPhone, mp3 player, or listen directly from your computer.
You can visit our network’s website directly by clicking here.
Take a look at the wealth of information we produced just this week:
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Survival Mom Quote of the Week
Pin it —> http://bit.ly/1iieZz6
See more quotes like this —> http://bit.ly/1nvR5Vg
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April 13, 2014
Try it Today! Diatomaceous earth for controlling pests
Well, it’s Sunday again, and chances are you have a bit of free time on your hands. Why not learn about food-grade diatomaceous earth and head over to the local garden center or shop online at Earth Easy to pick up a bag?
Why diatomaceous earth? (DE)
image of diatom by Derek Keats
A multitude of Americans is becoming more and more aware of the chemicals and other potentially dangerous ingredients in the food we eat, household cleaners and products we use to maintain our gardens and control pests. We’re trying to eliminate these products from our lives with more natural, less toxic products.
That’s where DE comes in. It’s non-toxic and all-natural, made from the fossilized remains of diatoms, an ancient algae.
For insect control, when bugs of all types wander through DE, it clings to their bodies and acts like a sort of dehydrator, drying up the insect’s body until it falls over dead. This usually takes around 48 hours.
DE can be used both indoors and outdoors. Does your dog have fleas? Then rub a bit of diatomaceous earth into her fur. If she has a case of parasites, mix a small amount of DE into her food for 3 or 4 days until the worms are eliminated.
For use inside your home, place shallow containers of DE in crawl spaces, in the attic, on windowsills, behind the refrigerator, or anywhere else you find insects. In just a matter of days, those insects will disappear.
Sprinkle DE around the outside of your home, especially where plants grow close to your foundation. If ants are a problem, and this includes the infamous fire ant, sprinkle DE directly on the ant hills where it will be tracked into the colony. Suddenly, ants will no longer be an issue without the use of toxic insecticides.
Keep in mind that DE will kill beneficial insects as well as the ones you want to be rid of. That would include friendly ladybugs and earthworms that you want in your garden.
Ridding pests in your food storage
Want to keep pests out of those bags and buckets of food? Simply mix it in with your wheat, rice, oats, etc., using about a cup of food-grade diatomaceous earth for a 5 or 6-gallon bucket of food. Leave enough head room at the top of the bucket or bag so you can shake the container, making sure the DE is thoroughly dispersed.
At the same time, lightly sprinkle DE around the baseboards of your pantry room and at the base of any outdoor windows. Pests aren’t welcome anywhere near our food, right?
DE for human consumption?
Some people ingest DE as a de-toxifer and claim that it’s beneficial to bones, skin, nails, and hair because it contains silica. A teaspoon added to juice, water, or a smoothie makes it more palatable. Since DE isn’t regulated by the FDA, there aren’t any official claims of its health benefits to humans, but there are plenty of positive testimonials you can read online.
All in all, DE is worth having around the house as a non-toxic, multi-purpose product that I recommend.
WARNING: Do not use the DE intended for use in a swimming pool filter. Buy the food-grade DE, even if you aren’t planning on using it in food that is stored.
*Earth Easy provided a bag of diatomaceous earth as a sample. I’ve linked to their DE product, Insect Dust, since it’s the brand that I’ve used and because everything I’ve purchased from Earth Easy has consistently been high quality.
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