Detergents & Washing

Similar to the kitchen soaps, commercial laundry detergent creates problems for marine ecology. The phosphates, chlorines, perfumes and anti-caking agents all play a role in disrupting the quality of marine water. Buying laundry detergent that is marked as environmentally sensitive is helpful. All detergents will bio-degrade; the larger question to be asked and answered is how long will it take to go back to nature, so choose carefully.

Here are some other ways to change our habits, and utlimately change the amount of resources we use for laundry:

• Set water level accurately to the amount of laundry in the machine
• Run only full loads of wash as much as possible
• If given the option, choose to buy a front loading machine
• Wash dark colors in cold water and white colors in warm - using cold water is less of a drain on the hot water tank and your clothing
• For stains, choose to pre-treat with soaking rather than using harsh chemicals
• Begin to reduce and possibly eliminate bleach and fabric softners
• Hot water, bleach and hot dryers will literally rob you of months and years of your clothing, and the dryer lint represents a loss from clothing

Creating a Health Foundation in the Kitchen

One of the first objections that arises when the discussion of eating healthy wholesome food comes up in conversation is "I don't have the time!" We all have the same 24 hours, it is how we use them. In creating new habits for eating, the decision to implement change is difficult to impossible to make when you are actually hungry. The food that you have on hand will begin to support this shift to a new way of eating in your life.

Homemade vegetable stock is a staple to have on hand to support this shift. Commercially prepared stock is often over seasoned, and involves wasteful packaging. Soups are a beautiful way to eat vegetables, to warm the body and the soul. It is also a wonderful way to begin the shift away from a meat centered diet, if that is part of your healthy eating plan. Vegetarian soups open the door to an entire world of creativity with so many grains, legumes and vegetables that abound in our world!

Using organic ingredients is ideal. The goodness of the vegetables is distilled in the creation of stock, and this is preferable to pesticide distillation. Having said that, making the stock with the food that you have on hand at least gets your foot in the door!

The following recipe comes from the "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home" cookbook. We make a double batch in our home, and freeze the stock in glass jars. Use the careful techniques for freezing food in jars that is outlined in the "Dried Beans" section below.

Vegetable Stock

2 large potatoes, unpeeled, thickly sliced

2-3 medium onions, quartered

3-4 medium carrots, unpeeled, thickly sliced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 apple or pear, quartered, core in

1-2 bay leaves

6 peppercorns

2 1/2 quarts water (10 cups)

Wash and prepare the vegetables. Put all ingredients in a stockpot. Cover, bring slowly to the boil, reduce to a simmer for 60-70 minutes. Let cool briefly, then strain through a colander, gently pressing the vegetables to remove as much liquid as possible. In the refrigerator stock will last 3-4 day, and almost forever in the freezer.

Stock up! Stay warm and healthy this winter!

Namaste,

Sydney