Quick, Simple, Easy Recipe!
Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before EACH use. Lightly spray garment and iron as usual.
1 cup water
2 TBS cornstarch
2 drops essential oil of choice (use a clear oil like tea tree for light colors)
1/2 cup cooled black tea (only for dark colors)
I can’t eat tomatoes or peppers (any kind but freshly ground black)
But I buy the Naturally Preferred Organic ketchup for my family…until I came across this recipe. I’ve modified it a little bit to include even more healthy ingredients. 
Homemade Ketchup
* 6 ounce can organic tomato paste
* 1/4 to 1/3 cup water (depending on desired consistency, I like it with 1/3 cup)
* 2 tablespoons organic lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon organic dry mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon organic cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
* 1 pinch organic cloves
* 1 pinch organic allspice
* 1 pinch organic cayenne pepper
* 1/4 cup brown sugar (or raw sugar)
Easy easy. In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients with a wire whisk. Blend well. Scrape the mixture into a pint-sized, resealable container (use your old empty ketchup bottle). Chill overnight, to blend the flavors. Use wherever ketchup is desired.
Great Recession Buster Idea!
We have a family of 8 and one water heater…imagine 5 girls getting ready for church every Sunday morning…you can only imagine the chaos. And the last person to grab a shower is left in the cold…literally.
So we installed low-flow faucet aerators in all our showers.
This saved us up to 50% in water consumption in our house and about the same in electricity to heat the water. Our water bill dramatically went down the following month we started using the new faucets.
You can purchase them at just about any hardware/plumbing store. Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Home Depot etc.
The average cost is $5.00-$10.00 so this really is a no brainer….at very little cost to you (and easy to install)…this little gadget can save you a small fortune every month in water consumption…and leave enough hot water for everyone.
This gets rid of that greasy film from appliance surfaces
2 cups water
1/4 cup oil-based soap (Murphy’s is good)
10 drops of Rosemary or Lavender Essential Oil
Combine all ingredients in a plastic spray bottle.
Shake well before each use. Spray generously on appliance surface and wipe with a damp cloth or sponge. Wipe dry with a cloth or towel.
1/4 cup vegetable oil-based soap (Murphy’s oil soap is a vegetable based soap or Life Tree’s Home Soap or Infinity Heavenly Horsetail)
1/4 cup glycerin
2 TBS borax
10 drops peppermint or tea tree oil
1 3/4 cups water
Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray generously onto stain. Wash as usual.
Simple Basic Asian Sauce for your Stir Fry (no more buying expensive sauces from the grocery)
Easy to make delicious over brown rice and veggies.
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoon Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce (salt reduced) but Braggs is better for you, tastes like soy sauce and worth the buy…lasts forever)
2 tablespoon raw or turbinado sugar (or brown sugar)
Mix that up really well and after stir frying your meat and adding your veggies, plunk this in and heat through. This amount will be enough for the average stir fry to feed eight people.
2 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)
2 TBS liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronners)
1/4 cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup borax
1/4 cup white vinegar
If using essential oil, mix with castile soap. (If using Dr. Bronner’s, you can purchase scented …I like Almond and Lavender scent for baby’s detergent)
Add this mixture to washer along with washing soda, baking soda and borax. Launder as usual.
Copied from the daily green:http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
Number 1 Plastics
PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)
Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.
Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers
PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers.
Number 2 Plastics
HDPE (high density polyethylene)
Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks.
Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing
HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.
Number 3 Plastics
V (Vinyl) or PVC
Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping
Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers.
Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats
PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don’t let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.
Number 4 Plastics
LDPE (low density polyethylene)
Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet
Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling.
Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile
LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it.
Number 5 Plastics
PP (polypropylene)
Found in: Some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles
Recycling: Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays
Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers.
Number 6 Plastics
PS (polystyrene)
Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases
Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers
Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products — in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists’ hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don’t accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction.
Number 7 Plastics
Miscellaneous
Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, ‘bullet-proof’ materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon
Recycling: Number 7 plastics have traditionally not been recycled, though some curbside programs now take them.
Recycled into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products
A wide variety of plastic resins that don’t fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. Polycarbonate is number 7, and is the hard plastic that has parents worried these days, after studies have shown it can leach potential hormone disruptors.
A good soaking recipe for dirty diapers
Add 1/2 cup borax, 1/4 cup white vinegar and 6-8 drops of tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus or citrus essential oil to a diaper pail of hot water.
Soak diapers for 30-35 minutes, or longer if really soiled. Then launder as usual.
With all the baby bottles, water bottles and toddler cups that are made out of plastic coming under fire for containing BPA and Phylates.
What plastics do you avoid ?
Having 8 kids and tons of their friends over at any given time, I like the stress free idea of using plastic for Summer serving plates and bowls, dinner plates, cups etc. This time of year the picnic isle of any grocery store is full of beautiful, colorful and inviting plastic ware.
So which do you choose ?
I for one, have been checking the recycling symbols underneath all those wonderfully convenient picnic and party supplies that are shatter proof.
Three that you DON’T want to buy are Plastics #3, #6, and #7.
#3 is the PVC category.
#6 is the PS (polystyrene) category
#7 is Other category
Why ?
Number 3 plastics may release toxic breakdown products (including pthalates) into food and drinks.
Leaching risks are the greatest when the plastics are starting to wear out, have been run through the dishwasher or are heated in the microwave
Number 6 plastics
aka styrofoam can release potentially toxic breakdown products (including styrene). Especially when heated! So that Styrofoam coffee cup that you are drinking out of at the breakroom, or that insulated coffee mug you are using not so great is it ?
Number 7 plastics
Studies have shown polycarbonate can leach bisphenol A, a potential hormone disruptor, into liquids. Some believe that ingestion causes neural, hormonal, and behavioral problems in children.
So which plastics are safer to use ?
#1, #2, and #5 are considered “safe” as long as they are used for their intended use. For instance many milk jugs are made out of #2 as are yogurt containers. But any of these can “leach” toxins if used over and over (for instance, we used to rinse out our milk jugs and keep water in them for “Emergencies”, some folks hang onto their empty yogurt containers, plastic butter or cottage cheese containers and use them in the place of Tupperware)
Check on the bottom of your plastic picnic ware for the recycling symbol (a number inside a triangle of chasing arrows) if it doesn’t have one, don’t buy it. Check for 1, 2 and 5…avoid 3, 6 and 7.
Some other tips for how to choose green (from the Daily Green)
* Avoid products that list “parabens” as an ingredient on shampoos, conditioners and other personal care products. Some studies suggest these chemicals affect the reproductive and hormonal systems in animal tests.
* Avoid products that list “sodium laurel/laureth sulfate” as an ingredient, because it contains a carcinogenic compound.
* Avoid anything with a “danger” or “warning” label, since it has stronger chemicals.
* Be wary of the term “fragrance,” which is used to denote a combination of compounds, possibly including phthatates, which are a subject of recent concern because of studies showing they can mimic certain hormones.
* Choose sunscreens made with zinc or titanium.
* Choose plastics with the recycling code 1, 2 or 5. Recycling codes 3 and 7 are more likely to contain bisphenol A or phthalates, both suspected of disrupting the hormonal system.
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