Heads Up!

Just wanted to let everyone know that you can view for free the Food Matters movie.  Here is the link:

http://www.hungryforchange.tv/free-worldwide-online-screening?utm_expid=56511667-2

If you haven't seen it, you need to because it is very informative and they are giving away 500 DVD's of the movie and you get free recipes.  I've seen it before and signed up to see it again.  Yes, it's that good.

GNOWFGLINS

Have you heard of GNOWFGLINS?  GNOWFGLINS stands for God's natural, organic, whole foods, grown locally in season.  It's a site that has information and step by step videos on how to ferment foods, dehydrating, etc.  If you click on the link below, you can get a free mini subscription with no obligation.  What do I get if you do sign up for the mini subscription?  Just a little video showing me how to make tea tree soap if 5 people sign up.  Her site is really informative and I have learned so much.  If you do sign up for a full subscription, it's about the same cost of having one of those movie/TV subscriptions.  To find out more just click the link or copy and paste it.  Like I said, there is no obligation and she doesn't share anyone's email addresses ever.  Maybe I'll get lucky and have 5 sign up ;)


https://rl102.infusionsoft.com/app/page/raf?_Ref=218

New study done in France on GMO foods.

See article here:


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/22/superbugs-destruct-food-supply.aspx?e_cid=20120922_DNL_art_1

New things...

I got one of these radios from Emergency Essentials.  I was very impressed.  It has AM, FM, 2 short wave stations and weather station.  It works on batteries, solar, electricity or crank.  It has an emergency flashlight, SOS light and reading light.  It can charge your cell phone as well.  And it's not too big and doesn't weigh very much either.

What I really wanted from Emergency Essentials though was a solar cooker.  Here's the one I got
It was on sale in June so I had to get it.  It is very easy to use and wonderful in the summer.  No heating up the house!  It came with the two little pots shown, a thermometer, cookbook and a water pasteurization indicator and reflector.  The body of the cooker is plastic which makes it pretty light weight to carry but not too light weight that is going to blow away in the wind.  So far I've made  roasts, chicken and potatoes in it and today I made chicken, potatoes and meatballs.  Figured it wouldn't take too long to do all of that so we have enough for a few meals.  It is like a slow cooker really.  The meat comes out moist and tender and oh so flavorful.  I'm going to try to make some bread and see how it turns out.  The only thing that is difficult about using it is deciding what you want to eat 6-8 hours before it's cooked.  The potatoes don't take as long only 1-2 hours and the meatballs only took about 2 hours.  You don't add any water to the pan when you do the potatoes either.  I think it will be a wonderful thing to have if the electric goes out, of course only if it goes out in the morning cause it does take a few hours to cook everything and it works best on sunny days with little or no wind.  I did set up the reflectors on the first try but found I didn't need them down here in Alabama.  They are sturdy too.  The clips that hold on the plastic cover on the cooker though are hard to get on there but if they were too easy they wouldn't keep the cover on and I really don't want to be running after a cover after it has been pulled off by the wind LOL.  Plus with the clips on I'm sure that the animals can't get into it.  The cats really liked smelling the meat smells coming from it ;)

I was really pleased on how fast the items were shipped and the shipping charge was only $6 on my order which I thought was very reasonable.  Now anyone out there have any solar cooker recipes?

Bee article

Interesting article on bees

• Earlier this year, the Illinois Department of Agriculture allegedly stole and destroyed a beekeeper’s hives and bees after inspectors claimed the hives had foulbrood, and that the beekeeper, Terrence Ingram, had failed to dispose of the hives as instructed. However, Ingram feels he could prove his hives did not suffer from the contagious disease, and that the Department acted without due process
• Mr. Ingram suspects the destruction of his bees may be more related to his research on Monsanto’s Roundup and his documented evidence that Roundup kills bees
• One of the forerunning theories of colony collapse disorder (CCD) is that it’s being caused by genetically engineered crops—either as a result of the crops themselves or the pesticides and herbicides applied on them, such as Monsanto’s Roundup
• Ingram has studied the effects of Roundup on honeybees for the past 15 years, and believes he had acquired sufficient amounts of data to show that Roundup not only causes bee die-offs, but may be the cause of CCD

To read the entire article go here:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/07/05/monsanto-roundup-effects-on-honeybees.aspx?e_cid=20120705_DNL_artNew_1

Canned goods done

I canned celery a couple of months ago.  I had never heard of doing this until I got Jackie Clay's canning book (you can get it at BackwoodsHome.com).  What do you do with canned celery?  Well you put in soups and stews and casseroles.  And I dont have to worry about celery going bad in my fridge before I can use it all either.  I have dehydrated celery too but I think the canned is much better cause you can throw in all that yummy celery liquid in the soup and add some flavor.  It will last longer than the dehydrated celery too.

Here are the carrots (regular and candied) that I did a few months ago.  Hubby hates candied carrots and canned regular carrots but I like them so there (raspberry) ;).  Besides the regular carrots will be used in soups and stews and he will eat them that way just not by themselves - go figure.

Making lard

Picture of the lard I made a couple of months ago.  If you have never made lard it is very easy.  The only hard part is finding the fat to make it.  When we ordered our 1/2 of a beef I also ordered 5 lbs of pig fat.  It wasnt very expensive at all and actually the bag was heavier than 5 lbs.  To make the lard all I did was put it in a pot on the stove and melt it down.  My pan wasnt very big so as it melted I added more and when I got about 2 inches of fat on the bottom I just poured it in the canning jar.  I used a funnel so I wouldnt drip any on my stove.  The little bits of meat and gristle ends up on the bottom of your pan.  I threw them away but some people like to eat them.  I ended up with what you see above about 1 3/4 quarts of lard. 

Cant beat biscuits made with lard!

Some people really dont like the smell of the melting fat but the fat I had did not smell.  The pigs were pasture raised so that might have made a difference.  Would I do this again?  Yep sure would.   Have I convinced you it's easy?  Hope so because it was.

More on store bought lettuce

Jane over at Hardwork Homestead had an interesting post on her chickens not eating leftover lettuce.  Check it out for yourself: 

http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/2012/02/now-for-something-really-scary.html

And check out the comments she has gotten too.

Interesting blog post

http://realitybloger.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/that-isn-wax-on-your-apple/

Yep not from me though....LOL.

Musical video on GMO's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu2qKI2Ju9s

Not bad, not bad at all....

Want to know who owns the organic brand you use...

Well here you go:

http://www.cornucopia.org/who-owns-organic/

Are you eating irradiated foods?

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/05/why-are-your-spices--seasonings-exposed-to-half-a-billion-chest-xrays-worth-of-radiation.aspx?e_cid=20111105_DNL_art_3

Check out the article to see the symbol they use for irradiated foods...

Blog you need to check out!

http://www.radicallynatural.com/2011/10/salatin-on-value-of-real-food.html

I have to agree with her on this.  It just irritates me when I see people say that they have to stop at fast food restaurants because they cant afford to buy real food in the supermarket...  It is really easy to fix meals at home and it's not cheaper to buy fast food.  Food tastes better when you make it yourself and if you think that the produce is more expensive in the supermarket then grow your own veggies.  It's not hard.  Anyone can do it.  You dont have a backyard just grow some veggies in a pot on your back porch or front porch. You would be surprised how it tastes.  Supermarket veggies taste like cardboard.  I guarantee if you taste a real tomato that you've raised yourself or bought from a local farmer you will  be amazed at how it tastes.  As for the ones who say they have no time to cook, I really dont think you have time to be in the doctor's office either.  You get more vitamins from food you cook yourself.  That fast food that you love guess what,  it doesnt spoil.  Take a burger and let it hang out a while.  You'll see.  It doesnt mold.  You're putting that in your body.  Gross!  The cheese isnt real cheese.  And if you grow your own food you wont have to worry about salmonella.  It just makes sense to grow your own.

This is just my opinion, any one else have anything to say about this?  Just leave a comment - glad to hear from all of you out there! ;)

Food Matters Movie available until 10/8/11 for free viewing

http://products.mercola.com/food-matters-dvd/?e_cid=20111005_DNL_FDML_spotlight&source=nl

Monsanto article....

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/05/has-any-company-ever-harmed-the-planet-more-than-this.aspx

Bye bye microwave

Yep it's true I said bye bye to my microwave two weeks ago and havent missed it yet.  No sense in having an appliance that you only use to reheat food.  It does take longer in the stove or toaster oven but the food tastes better and I have been trying not to have so many leftovers anyway.  Besides I needed someplace to put our new Berkey water filter system and where the microwave was the perfect place. 

The Berkey is wonderful.  Wish I would have gotten one years ago.  It came with two black filters that filter out the chlorine and I ponied up extra for the floride filters.  The water not only tastes good but is really good for you too.

Here is an article on the dangers of microwaves especially for heating up baby formulas http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards2.htm  

Here is where I got the Berkey system  http://www.morethanalive.com/  They also have great prices on their powdered wheatgrass.  They are very customer oriented and I was pleased with the service.

By the way I am just a customer of theirs.  I dont get paid for promoting their site in anyway.

Talk to ya later!

Denise

Just finished reading this book, It's very good!

OK so now I'm a mental case

Check this out:

http://kellesneverdonefarm.blogspot.com/2010/06/that-confirms-it-im-nuts.html

Geez why dont they find a cure for cancer instead of making up new diseases!

Talk to ya later!

Denise