There are an increasing number of Organic and natural beauty products on the market. Sifting through all of the available options is an involved (and fun) endeavor. How effective are the products? Are they truly Organic? How honest is the maker? The ultimate realization is that skin care products are grossly under-regulated and many mislead consumers. [...]
There are several terrific on-line providers of high quality Organic and fair trade herbs, spices, teas and essential oils. An Organic Maniac favorite is Mountain Rose Herbs due to their extensive selection of certified Organic, fair trade, ethically wild harvested & Kosher certified botanical products. MANIAC FAVORITES Green Sencha Leaf Tee from Japan buy here Certified Organic and from [...]
This page is dedicated to my favorite man - Jackson - who my sister and I rescued from a TN puppy mill. Jackson is a Newfoundland - Great Pyrenees mix; and I suspect also Border Colley as he is only 85 pounds and has a love affair with any Border Colley he meets. Jackson was [...]
Another reason to buy Organic. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) issues an annual ranking of pesticide-ridden produce. This is based on analyzing pesticide residue testing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration for 48 produce items. The top 12 offenders comprise the Dirty Dozen list and the cleanest make up the Clean 15. [...]
Science and logic tell us that certain teas are healthier than others. Science tells us that Green and White tea have the highest levels of catechin antioxidants (in a freshly picked tea leaf, catechins can compose up to 30% of the dry weight). And logic tells us that tea from cleaner environments will have lower [...]
The Environmental Working Group (EWG.org) Skin Deep database - a tool you cannot live without! Unfortunately, there are no regulatory requirements for pre-market health studies or testing of chemicals in personal care products. EWG Skin Deep is the only site I found that researches ingredients for health hazards and provides safety ratings. I use this database [...]
I was off to the market to buy Organic poultry seasoning and decided to first have a look on-line for a homemade recipe. As I mention probably too often throughout this site, I'm not a fan of salt. Many pre-mixed seasonings are heavily salted. The below recipe is a combination of a few recipes found [...]
ORGANIC INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 T chili powder 1 1/2 t ground cumin 1 t ground coriander 1 t paprika (smoked if available) 1 t brown sugar 1/4 t garlic powder 2 c pecan halves, (about 4 oz) 1 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce 1/2 t salt DIRECTIONS Toss pecans and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Combine chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, brown sugar and garlic powder. Sprinkle over the [...]
ORGANIC INGREDIENTS 1 can full fat coconut milk (will use cream only) 1 T pure maple syrup 1/2 t vanilla extract DIRECTIONS Chill can of coconut milk for at least 6 hours or overnight. Do not to shake as you want only the cream that floats to the top. Scoop cream into a chilled mason jar. [...]
ORGANIC INGREDIENTS 2 c unsweetened coconut milk, soy milk or almond milk 2 peppermint tea bags 2-3 T non dairy cocoa powder (high quality >70% dark chocolate) Raw agave for sweetness Easy Coconut Whipped Cream (go to recipe) Crushed peppermint candies DIRECTIONS Over medium heat, bring to a simmer coconut milk, cocoa powder, peppermint tea [...]