Preparing Food for Winter

Maybe you aren't a canner or you just don't have anymore more room for cans. Try freezing some of the excess from your garden! I just finished some tomatoes to freeze and it was so simple. You have to prepare the tomatoes just as you would for canning. Peel (which is easier if you put in hot water til skin starts to peel then place them in cold water and peel) then chop them up however you would like them and place into freezer bags.
You can even freeze fresh herbs! Place in freezer bags chopped or whole depending on how you think you will use them, make sure the air is out of the bags and place in freezer. I have even seen where some people freeze basil in ice trays with water then when frozen they take them out and put them in a freezer bag.
The amount of food you can freeze is pretty easy to judge just by what you can buy frozen at a grocery store. Obviously lettuce, cucumbers and celery wouldn't do well but carrots, peppers, tomatoes, peas...and the list goes on can be frozen. Who wouldn't want to eat the produce from the garden over produce bagged, froze, shipped, and from the grocery store. I'm going to need a bigger freezer!

Baby Food

As you all know I am all about saving money and doing what is healthiest for my family. Well, as we are getting to new stages with our little one I now get to explore a little bit more in my money saving tactics.

We started baby food! Of course I have decided to make it all myself which really isn't complicated at all! You simply puree the fruit or veggies in a blender and store for either the day or for the next week depending on how much you want to make at once.

Fresh of course is always best. With vegetables you will just need to cook them and remember steaming them will keep more of the nutrients. Also, you will want to keep the water you cooked/steamed the vegetables in to help thin out the veggies (except for those high nitrate veggies such as carrots). Place the veggies in the blender and add the water until it is to a good consistency for your child. The fruits usually have enought natural juice to make it easy for your baby to eat.

To store you can pour the food into ice cube trays then covering it with foil and placing in the freezer. With that process you are able to take out and thaw only what you need. I have been using those small rubbermaid containers that are so small you really don't know what they are suppose to be used for. Well apparently I figured out what they are to be used for because these are perfect for if you are on the go.

We had baby food given to use which we will still use so that I can reuse the containers to store new food. We were also given a lot of baby cereal but it is also possible to make this yourself too! Maybe next time around I'll try it out!

Organic Grocery List

While trying to stay healthy and away from pesticides many people are going organic. The prices however are sometimes stopping many other people! How can you decide what is worth the money and what you can go without? I have talked about the dirty dozen before but you should also keep in mind the clean fifteen. Write them down on a note card and keep it with you when you do your grocery shopping to keep your family healthy but still following your budget!

Dirty Dozen (keep in mind that they do update this list every year so it can be different then what you have seen before)

1. celery
2. peaches
3. strawberries
4. apples
5. blueberries
6. nectarines
7. bell peppers
8. spinich
9. kale
10. cherries
11. potatoes
12. grapes

Clean Fifteen

1. onion
2. avocado
3. sweet corn
4. pineapple
5. mango
6. asparagus
7. sweet peas
8. kiwi
9. cabbage
10. eggplant
11. papaya
12. watermelon
13. broccoli
14. tomato
15. sweet potato

Which Detox is For You?

There are many different types of detox methods so where do you start? First it depends on how much your willing to spend. While detoxing you should avoid all chemicals not just in food but in cleaning products to cosmetic products.

A colon cleanse also known as colonics, is the more expensive way to go. This detox program is performed by a colonic hygienist who performs colon irrigation. These work like an enema but they involve more water and no odors or discomfort. Theory of autointoxication is the belief that undigested meat/food cause buildup in the colon. The buildup then causes toxins to enter the bloodstream which then causes poisoning in the body. These toxins are said to cause fatigue, headache, weight gain, and low energy.

Fasting is another way to detox your body. You can do a water fast or juice fast. A water fast is usually for 24 to 36 hours. You must drink more than 4 but less than 8 pints of water and nothing else. A juice fast can include various forms of vegetable juices that can include carrot, celery, green beans, parsley, and many more. These last around 10 days.

Special detox diets emphasize on organic foods, herbal teas and plenty of water. Some may restrict you to only one food or one type of food all raw food for example. These will also tell you to eat slower, chew well, and finish meals by 6:30 PM.

Detox should not effect your nutritional intake, maintain and even improve metabolism, and allows you to lose weight easily. You should exercise regularly to detox your skin and lymph nodes through sweating. The best way to help your body detox every day is to drink lots of water. Natural detox is all about relaxing, restoring, and refreshing your body. You decide whats best for your body.