Your skin is an organ. Everything you put on it is absorbed. This should make you think twice about what products you use and what chemicals are in them.
In an effort to use more natural products and to support eco-friendly companies, I’ve been using Dr. Bonner’s All In One liquid soap for quite some time as a body wash. What I love about Dr. Bronner’s is that it is made with minimal ingredients (mostly oils). Many of their ingredients are organic, and many products are fair trade. They do not test on animals.
Another plus with the liquid soap is that it can be used for all of your household needs. The bottle and website list ways to dilute and use the soap from an everyday household cleaner to brushing your teeth.
My skin was rarely dry throughout the winter and I found I did not need lotion as much as usual. However Dr. Bronner’s has extended their line to include new products including body lotion and a thicker body wash using many of the same ingredients.
All of Dr. Bronner’s products including liquid and bar soap, hair rinse and cream, lip and body balm, as well as lotionts ans shaving gels can be found on their website: http://www.drbronner.com/index.html
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I recently joined a Community Supported Fishery Program. Once a week I receive fresh caught local fish that I get to take home and prepare. Did I mention it’s a whole fish? The fish is gutted, but I’m in charge of filleting. This got me thinking about what to do with those fishy leftovers.
Following are some ideas for what to do with the remainder of the fish after you fillet it.
Compost: Fish can safely be composted but the smell may attract critters. Use an enclosed style bin (like a tumbler) or keep your compost heap secure. Add plenty of fibrous material like peat moss, grass clippings, and leaves. Stir the pile often, keep it moist, and make sure it’s hot (104 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit).
Fertilizer: Consider making your own organic fish emulsion fertilizer. It is an amazing fertilizer for outdoor plants and vegetables. It does have an odor, so use inside on houseplants with caution. Google “how to make fish emulsion” on the Internet for directions.
Pet Food: Consider feeding the fish head raw to your dog or cat. Raw diet feeders do this all the time. It is a healthy and natural way to feed a pet. Alternatively, you could cook it lightly.
Eat It: Fish heads have a fair bit of meat inside. There are many recipes that use all of the fish. Do an Internet search for fish head soup or fish head curry. If neither appeal to you, make a fish stock by simmering water, fish remains, and any herbs and vegetables that appeal to you. Strain and use as a base for soup.
Any other ideas? I’d love to hear them!
Technorati Tags: Community Supported Fishery, composting fish, CSF, fish heads, fish remains, Fish Share
It’s that time of year. The tomato plants are flowering. There may even be ripening tomatoes on your plants. Then one day you go out to pick a fresh, ripe, red, and what you hope to be juicy tomato only to find it’s flesh scarred with bites. There are small droppings on the leaves that look like dark soil. You have tomato hornworms.
“But I don’t see any worms”, you say. Look closer. The tomato hornworm is a light green worm that is nearly the exact same color as tomato foliage. They are so well camouflaged that I can spot one, look away, and have trouble finding it again. They feed on tomato leaves, stems, and fruit; and can grow up to four of more inches long. They are completely disgusting and yet fascinating at the same time.
In case you were wondering, you don’t want tomato hornworms in your garden. It’s best to hand pick and dispose of them. This is a job I leave to my 5 and 6 year old boys. However there are many insects that feed on the worms. One in particular is the braconid wasp. If you see tiny white rice like spots on the tomato hornworm, it is best to leave it in the garden or in an open top jar. Larva will hatch from the eggs and feed on the inside of the worm killing it. New wasps will then fly to your garden to find other hornworms to feed on. Thus completing the circle of life. Isn’t it amazing?
Technorati Tags: brachonid wasp, garden pests, tomato hornworm, worm on tomato
