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Another round of DHA - Nordic Naturals new product review

I feel strongly about including DHA in a child's diet.  I've done quite a bit of research on it, and the benefits cannot be ignored.  I previously wrote a review on various brands of children's DHA.  One of the companies included, Nordic Naturals, asked me to review a new product of theirs - Omega Boost.

According to the company:

"Nordic Naturals tropical mango Omega Boost™ is a creamy, delicious formulation of omega-3s that supports optimal health and wellness.* Like all Nordic Naturals products, Omega Boost is in the triglyceride molecular form for better absorption of these essential fats."

Since I was really happy with their products from the first review, I happily agreed.  I received the product in the mail and substituted the current DHA supplement for my three year old daughter with this.  Her reaction?  Yummy!  I had to fill her medicine spoon with water three times so she could get every last drop out.  I took a lick as well - I must agree.  It is delicious!  Of all the products we have tried, I think this one tastes the best.

But, as you know, taste is inconsequential in comparison to the good stuff that is in it.  So, let's talk that.  There are 525 mg Omega-3s per serving, which supports heart, brain and immune health.  A serving size is 1 teaspoon.  This includes 165 mg DHA and 270 mg EPA.  A 6 fluid ounce bottle retails for $19.95.  That is 35 servings, which comes to 0.57/serving.

In summary, this is a great-tasting product from an environmentally sound company that packs a decent amount of omega-3s per serving.  There are other products, such as Nordic Naturals' Children's DHA, that cost less per serving and pack in even more DHA (see my earlier review), but I would highly recommend this product and feel good about giving it to my daughter.

Pasta Jewelry

I found this project in a Family Fun magazine - my almost 3 year old LOVED it!  This is the project that has perhaps kept her attention longer than any other we've done!

Making jewelry from pasta!

All you need is:
a box/bag of larger, easy to string pasta (we used rigatoni)
vinegar
food coloring
zip-top bags (or other sealable containers)
yarn/string
a twist tie
cookie sheets and paper towels

First, dye your pasta.  Since we had the standard, 4 color food coloring box, we did 4 colors.  So, I got 4 ziplock bags, and divided the pasta among the bags.  Then C poured a few teaspoons of vinegar and several drops of food coloring into each bag.  I sealed the bags, and let her shake and squish away!

Line some baking sheets/pans with paper towels, and dump the pasta out.  Spread evenly and allow to dry.

Isn't it pretty?

Cut lengths of string to make necklaces or bracelets (make sure they are big enough to pull over your head for necklaces; she insisted on bracelets, but we could only fit 3 or 4 "beads" per length and I didn't particularly enjoy these).  Twist one end of a twist tie around one end of the string, and straighten out the rest to make a "needle".  Loosely tie one pasta bead to the other end.  Let kiddos string away!  Once they fill a length of string, untie the pasta piece and securely tie the ends together - voila!

What a waste...

My whole life I've always tried to clean my plate - because I think of those in the world who don't have anything to eat, and feel bad throwing it away.  Of course, everyone cites the argument "What are you going to do, send it to them?", and the reality of it is true (and thus absurd that I feel the need to eat it all).

However - I read this in the summer 2013 edition of World Vision's magazine, and it really hit home.

Up to half of all food produced in the world never reaches a plate.  Between 1.3 and 2.2 billion tons of food are wasted each year due to lost harvests, inefficient storage practices, and retail and consumer waste.  In industrialized regions, almost half of the total food squandered - more than 330 million tons of edible food - would be enough to feed the estimated 870 million hungry people in the world.

So no - you can't scrape your leftovers into a carryout carton and mail it to India.  However - we can be smarter about our purchasing/eating habits, and more aware of those in the world around us, and make a difference, indirectly.  Be more aware of waste.  Buy efficiently, consume efficiently, and use those monetary savings that are sure to result to support a cause you believe in - like an organization that feeds the hungry.  It is a shame to waste when there are so many who go hungry.

Living on the most remote wildlife refuge in the lower 48 has made me much more efficient/less wasteful.  When you must drive 4 hours round trip to the grocery, and in the winter only make the trip once/month, you learn to be extremely organized, efficient, and waste nothing.  But, this is a skill I will carry on, even once we're in civilization again.  Making a month's worth of menus, and a grocery list to obtain all the needed ingredients, and being smart about making the fresh meals first and the canned/frozen later, makes sure you use everything before it spoils and waste nothing.  I think the convenience of grocery stores encourages over-buying and thus waste.  Think about the people in the world who do their shopping daily or weekly at the local market, buying everything fresh for that day/week, and using it immediately.  I suspect they waste much less.  We could all adopt a lifestyle more in line with this.

Choosing Personal Care and Cleaning Products

I've always tried to choose products that: a) are not tested on animals, b) are safe for my family, and c) do not contain palm oil or any derivative of it.

For the first, there are a couple of sites I rely on - The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, and PETA.

For the second, I turn to the Environmental Working Group.

For the third, I simply read the ingredient list.

Disappointingly, a couple of brands I had felt good about using previously - Burt's Bees and Tom's of Maine - I learned were owned by the larger, NOT cruelty-free and NOT manufacturer of family-safe products, giants Clorox Co. and Colgate-Palmolive.  The Body Shop is owned by L'Oreal.  Granted, a few of the companies I list below (JASON, Earth's Best, Alba and Avalon) are owned by a huge corporation - Hain Celestial.  However, mostly it consists of food companies, with the exception of a few cosmetic companies like the ones I just listed, which do not test on animals and I feel good about supporting.  So, I made an exception here.  I am always open for alternatives that fit my criteria, if you have some to share!

This led me on a quest to thoroughly research and update our household products, to those we could feel good about using.  I started with what was in our cabinets, to see if they were deemed safe by the EWG.  If not, I found an alternative that was.  Also of importance was price and accessibility.  I am not willing to pay $2/ounce for lotion.  And not willing to go to the ends of the earth to find a product.  So, if I couldn't find it on Amazon or Vitacost (a GREAT site for obtaining many natural products), it was out.

The EWG has two consumer guides that I used - the Skin Deep Guide to Cosmetics, and the Guide to Healthy Cleaning.  Also helpful is sometimes you can tell if a problem is free of animal testing from their guides, without checking the Leaping Bunny or PETA database.

The following is the products I came up with, that I am using from this day forward in my house.  I feel good knowing no animals were harmed in their production, no rainforests cleared to make room for palm plantations, and they won't harm my family.

First I list those products specifically for baby, then adults, and finally cleaning products.  Sometimes some products scored higher by the EWG than the others - these are listed in italics.  Some of them have prices (from either Amazon or Vitacost) beside them for comparison purposes.  Some of these I've not actually tried myself yet, so can't vouch for them.  Many I have.  Hopefully this will be helpful for anyone else looking to phase out harmful/cruel products in their own homes!

Personal Care and Cleaning Products

BABY

Toothpaste:

Weleda Children’s Tooth Gel  (4.49 – 1.7 oz)

Earth’s Best Toddler Apple and Pear

Soap/Shampoo:

Earth Mama Angel Baby (7.39 – 5.3 oz; 33.79 – 34 oz.)

Seventh Generation (6.99 – 10 oz)

Bubbles:

Seventh Generation (6.99 – 10 oz)

Lotion:

Earth Mama Angel Baby (7.09 – 4 oz; 12.99 – 8 oz)

Seventh Generation (6.99 – 6 oz)

Avalon Organics Nourishing Baby Lotion (7.69 – 6 oz)

Earth’s Best Organic Sensitive Skin Lotion (9.19 – 16 oz)

BabyGanics Smooth Moves Extra Gentle Baby Lotion

Diaper Cream:

Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm (9.79 – 2 oz)

Method Baby Squeaky Green Diaper Cream

Desert Essence Baby Don’t Be Rash Diaper Cream (8.79 – 3 oz)

ADULT

Toothpaste:

JASON Powersmile

Soap:

Kirk’s Castile (3.00 – 3 bars)

Kiss My Face Olive Oil Bar Soap Fragrance Free

Shampoo/Conditioner:

Avalon Organics Olive and Grape Seed Shampoo (6.79 – 11 oz)

Avalon Organics Olive and Grape Seed OR Grapefruit and Geranium Conditioner (6.89 – 11 oz)

Kirk’s Castile Shampoo (5.49 – 16 oz)

Kirk’s Castile Conditioner (4.99 – 16 oz)

Lotion:

Nature’s Gate Colloidal Oatmeal Moisturizing Lotion (11.19 – 32 oz)

Alba Botanica Very Emollient Original Unscented (11.59 – 32 oz)

Deoderant:

Alba Botanica Clear Enzyme Deoderant Stick Aloe Unscented (4.39 – 2 oz)

Crystal Roll-on Body Deoderant (2.56 – 2.25 oz)

Crystal Stick Deoderant (4.39 – 4.25 oz)

Naturally Fresh Crystal Deoderant with Aloe Vera (2.79 – 3 oz)

Shaving Cream:

Kiss My Face Moisture Shave Fragrance Free

Hand Soap:

Desert Essence Castile Liquid Soap with Eco-Harvest Tea Tree Oil (11.09 – 32 oz)

Kiss My Face Castile Peace Soap Lavender Mandarin (7.39 – 17 oz)

CLEANING PRODUCTS

All-Purpose:

Planet AP Spray Cleaner

Method AP Surface Cleaner Ginger Yuzu (3.99 – 28 oz)

Simple Green Naturals Multi-Surface Care

Simple Green Naturals Dilutable Concentrated Cleaner

Ecover AP Cleaner Natural Lemon (4.19 – 32 oz)

Dishwasher Detergent:

Ecover Dish Tabs (4.05 – 25 packs)

7^th Generation Automatic Dishwasher Powder Free and Clear

7^th Generation Detergent Concentrated Pacs Free and Clear (5.99 – 20 packs)

Dish Liquid:

Planet Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Hypo-allergenic

Ecover Dish Liquid

Scrub:

Ecover Cream Scrub

Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Surface Scrub

Wood:

Method Wood for Good Daily Clean Almond

Toilet:

7^th Generation Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Emerald Cypress and Fir

Glass:

Simple Green Naturals Glass and Surface Care Rosemary Mint

Citra-Solv Citra Clear Window and Glass Cleaner

Method Glass and Surface Mint (3.99 – 28 oz)

Ecover Glass and Surface

Bleach:

7^th Generation Chlorine Free Bleach

Stain Remover:

Earth Friendly Everyday Stain and Odor Remover

Ecover Stick

Air Freshener (use sparingly - not generally considered good to use at all):

Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Room Freshener (Basil/Lavender/Lemon Verbena) (5.29 – 8 oz)

Earth Friendly Unifresh Air Freshener Cinnamon (3.99 – 4.4 oz)

Carpet Cleaner – steam cleaner:

Earth Friendly Carpet Shampoo

I realize there are some holes in my list - at some point I'll publish a "Part Two" of this, but at the moment I didn't need any of those products, so I'll resume my research once I have a need for them.  Please, if you have any favorite products that are cruelty-free, people safe and palm oil free, share them!

I only request that, if you purchase any of these products as a result of this post, you use the following links, as I am an affiliate and will be rewarded for it.  Additionally, you will get $10 off your Vitacost order for using this link!  Happy shopping!

Amazon

Vitacost

Meatless Monday - Muffuletta Panini

For my birthday last year I got a panini press from my parents - I LOVE IT!  If you have one, or some kind of small grill, great - if not, you can just press in a skillet on either side.  These are yummy!

1/2 cup black or kalamata olives

1/4 cup artichokes (drained)

1/4 cup roasted red pepper

1 Tbsp. red onion

Chop these up finely together:

To the above, add:
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chopped garlic

Mix well.  You will need bread of your choosing, and if you'd like, sliced cheese of your preference.

Pile the cheese and toppings on bread, and grill!

Headlines

I subscribe to Above the Fold, a collection all all the environmental news from all over the world.  Lately, I'm becoming more and more disheartened at the realization that our environment is riddled with countless synthetic chemicals that my family and I are exposed to on a constant basis, and there is very little that I can do about it.  All I can do is read and learn and eat as much fresh and as little processed food as possible, choosing organic whenever possible, and avoid bringing new chemicals into my home (via paints, furniture, the list goes on and on), and hope it makes a difference.

A Chemical Laden Life

Children exposed to flame retardants in pregnancy/infancy have lower IQs and attention problems.  Unfortunately, your house is likely full of these chemicals.

Black children with high levels of chemicals (such as phthalates) from personal-care products in their systems are more likely to be obese.

Mothers who breathe polluted air are much more likely to have low birthweight babies.  Just like the severe pollution problem in Beijing is expected to cause lifelong problems to babies born into it.  The results were also corroborated in this multi-national study.

Breast cancer likely a result of environmental factors.

Another example of mutant amphibians due to contaminants in the environment.


What the #&!@ is in My Food?

Companies are now using nanoparticles to increase texture and brighten the colors in foods you eat, and these substances have been found in the bloodstream.

Because apparently apples are so ginormous you can't possibly eat one all at once, a genetically engineered apple has been created so that now you can sit it down and come back to it later, and won't be browned on the inside.  Sheesh.

Would you like some antibiotics with your meat?

You trust the companies that make your food?  Think again...


The State of our Environment

As the demand for whale meat plummets in Japan, the industry is subsidized by tax dollars to keep it afloat.

I LOVE this idea, of burning trash to create energy!  Of course, there's the NIMBY issue (not in my back yard...)


Some Good News

It is easy to get more vitamin D - I take a daily supplement, as does my daughter.  It is thought that low levels may be linked to autism, which has risen at an alarming rate.

U.S. carbon emissions are at their lowest in a decade.  If you're partly to thank for this - keep up the good work!  And if not - think about pitching in!

Meatless Monday - Tomato-Herb Frittata

A yummy brunch, or breakfast for supper casserole!

12 eggs
1 cup half and half
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives (or green onions)
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
6 ounces cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 450.  Mix first four ingredients.  Lightly grease a 13x9 baking dish.  Layer tomatoes, 1 cup cheese and herbs, then pour egg mixture over.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Valentine's Craft

Our neighbor's gave us this last year, and I thought it was so cute!

They are super easy to put together and make cute Valentine's!

All you need are:

thin wire
Hershey's kisses
green floral tape
red saran wrap (or you could use clear if you had red foil-wrapped kisses)

1) Put two kisses end to end, sandwiching the bent end of a piece of wire between them

2) Wrap saran wrap around the kisses and twist around the wire

3) Wrap the floral tape around the base of the "flower bud" and down the "stem"

4) And, you're done!  Give Valentine roses to all your friends!

Behind the Dolphin Smile

Interested in dolphins?  Want to read about dolphins?  

I was asked to review Richard O'Barry's book Behind the Dolphin Smile by Mandala Publishing.  

I first became aware of Ric O'Barry through his work on halting the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan.  It is a disgusting, heartbreaking event, and if you are not aware of it (or even if you are) I suggest you check out the film The Cove, which in graphic detail sheds light on the atrocities occurring there.  From this site, you can also find out more and get involved.  To take further action, check out this site, affiliated with them.

Because I am such a strong advocate for O'Barry's work and admire what he's doing, I was disappointed in the book.  Not because it isn't interesting or well-written, but rather because it is strife with stories of environmental plunder and animal abuse.  Granted, this book was published before O'Barry became an advocate for not only the Taiji dolphins but captive dolphins everywhere, and one could argue before he "saw the light"; furthermore, I cannot imagine spending a handful of years creating your own hell that you then spend the rest of your life trying to dig yourself out of (think being responsible for putting many of the world's captive dolphins in horrendous conditions and then spending the rest of your years trying, usually unsuccessfully, to free those dolphins).  I feel deeply sorry for this man who is trying to right his wrongs, and only commend him for coming to his senses and fighting - hard - for dolphins everywhere.  For this reason, I am apprehensive about posting anything negative about him, for fear of harming his cause in anyway.  

Let me state that what Ric O'Barry is doing is courageous and commendable and I admire his efforts deeply.  

I found some anecdotes from Behind the Dolphin Smile fascinating, from the story of his attempt to free Charlie Brown in Bimini, to hand feeding a baby dolphin (which ultimately led to her survival in captivity) when it had never before been done, to the realization that dolphins were not automatic breathers like other mammals and therefore cannot be anesthetized.

I loved this passage:

"In some ages, as depicted in ancient fables, animals were our friends, or at least equals.  Animals and people talked together.  Gods sometimes took the form of animals, and some societies either deified or defiled certain animals. 

With the triumph of Christianity, all that changed.  Nature became the bad guy.  And animals were a part of nature.  When the soul was attributed to humans and not the animals, the pious decided that if we didn’t keep tight rein on our passions, we, too, could return to the level of beasts.  The animal nature in each of us was like the Devil himself waiting to snare the unwary.  Man pictured himself as a sort of amphibian, one foot in heaven, the other in nature with the animals.  He considered passion, emotion, and feelings as signs of his animal nature, the best in each of us that must be restrained.  To many people, civilization itself is but the restraint of animal emotion on the largest scale.  Without laws, they say, we would all revert to the level of savage brutes."

However, I found it bothersome that someone who held dolphins in such esteem has such little (or even total) disregard for other wildlife, including but not limited to stingrays, parrot fish, seahorses, octopi, sharks, and pelicans.  He thought nothing of sacrificing these animals, whether for display in aquaria or for a good screen shot for the TV series Flipper (for which he was the dolphin trainer).  He even implies that the pelican whose wings they clipped upon capture "loved" being held captive on the set of a TV show.  It is this anthropomorphic, naive mentality that has created the very man-made hell for dolphins that he fights against - I was shocked to see that even he is not immune from that mentality, when it comes to species other than dolphins.  Along these same lines, at one point he suggests that Susie the dolphin wanted to be "rescued" rather than allowed to go back out to sea, and later he implies that the dolphins he was training were  "spoiled and manipulative".  Again, these anthropomorphic assumptions are why humans hold animals in captivity in the first place, including dolphins.  He also contributed to widespread environmental destruction through his collection efforts, via trawling, long lines, the dispensing of ammonia into the sea, and the destruction of coral reefs, which he shared no remorse for.

There were a few instances in which he should have conducted some further research - as his use of the terms "gosset hawks" (which do not exist) and "seagulls" (which is an incorrect term) evidence, as well as a remark that dolphin anatomy is different because their mouths are connected to their stomachs and not their lungs (implying that our mouths are connected to what...  our lungs?).

Finally, and perhaps the most egregious criticism of all that I have, is near the end of the book, once he'd decided he no longer believed in keeping dolphins in captivity and started his Dolphin Project, he targeted three individuals whom he called the primary dolphin capturers in the country.  I thought, finally, we're getting somewhere, he's going to go after them and shut them down.  But no - what does he then do?  He paid one of those very individuals in order to acquire more dolphins for his own captive purposes.  He totally lost me here, and I must say, this makes me question, on some level, all of his motivation.  It reeks of "I can have wild dolphins for my purposes but no one else can."  I take enormous issue with this, and would love for him to explain himself on this point.

The book aside, I think the movement behind his organization is larger than the man, and very worthy.  I stand for all they do, and I hope that you will check out the two above links and take further action.

And I will leave you with a quote that I gleaned from the book:

“The time will come when they will sell you even your rain.  At the moment, it is still free and I am in it, I celebrate its gratuity and its meaninglessness.”

~ Thomas Merton, Raids on the Unspeakable

Welcome to the new (old) site!

First off, let me say - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Maybe you already saw my previous welcome message - if not, scroll down a post.

My old site is officially shut down, so - this is my one and only!  I hope you will find something here of interest to you - and will follow me!  Whether by email or feed reader, and/or by clicking "follow" in the side bar.

I will become active again after the New Year.  Until then - enjoy your holidays!

Welcome (back)

I have been self-hosting this blog, Tree Hugging with Kids, on wordpress.org; however, as I intend it to be 1) a place for me to share with you things that are important to me, and 2) IF it makes any money, for the money to be donated to charity, it has become counterproductive to pay for monthly web-hosting.  I have thus decided to move my blog, which currently has 73,790 (and growing each day) page views, to a free blogger hosted site.  With the help of some online tutorials, I am in the process of moving my content here.  The other site will no longer be up as of December 8.  Please be patient, and if interested in what you see at either location, please follow me here!  I hope you will join me!

Thanks!  ;)

Note 1: Until I get everything transferred/the new site configured how I want it, I won't be posting anything new - please be patient.

Note 2: In the transfer, many of images are now huge/don't fit the blogger platform, and many of the internal links transfer to my wordpress site (which will soon be nonexistent, thus making the links invalid).  Short of going into each and every post and reconfiguring the link - does anyone know how to easily fix them?  Unless I find a blanket fix, these will all, unfortunately, be broken.  I hate this, as I spent some time building these links between my posts!  :(  If you have the know-how, please help!

A Halloween Kids' Craft

My daughter and I attend a playgroup, and this past week our activity was to create footprint ghosts.  I thought they turned out super cute, and are really easy to do, even with a (almost) two year old!

Supplies:

black construction paper

white paint

thick paintbrush

googly eyes

magnet

scissors

glue

First, paint the bottom of your child's foot with white paint.  Then, press their foot onto black paper.



Once dry, glue on two googly eyes.  Then, cut around the edge of the white, leaving a small border of black, and glue a magnet to the back (I just cut up one of those free flat advertiser magnets).



Voila!  A Halloween keepsake/fridge magnet!  Grandparents be watching - you'll get one in the mail soon!

The Peaceable Forest - Book Review

I was asked, by Insight Editions, to review a children's book titled The Peaceable Forest: India's Tale of Kindness to Animals.



My first impression was of the beautifully illustrated dust jacket.  This isn't a book you want to put on the kid's bookshelf (although you could, don't get me wrong).  It is an heirloom quality book that I would want to keep pristine, reading it carefully to my two year old daughter now and giving it to her once she's older and understands books aren't for tearing and scribbling in.

For perspective, I just gave her her first "paper" book.  It's title?  No Hitting, by Karen Katz (yes, we are battling that right now - sigh).  This one will go on the "special book" shelf for now.

To give you an overview of the book, from Mandala Earth Editions:

"In this ancient parable from India, a forest-dwelling hunter learns that cruelty has consequences and that compassion has rewards.  When the hunter meets the wise man, Narada, "Do unto others as they would do unto you" takes on a very concrete meaning.  The sage leads the hunter on an imagined journey in which the hunter becomes the hunted.  When the hunter realizes his actions affect other living things, he has a change of heart and begins to live in peace with the animals he once pursued.

The Peaceable Forest is the ideal picture book for inspiring young readers to respect life in all its forms."

As an ecologist, vegetarian, and animal-lover, I am always excited to find ways to pass on a live and let live attitude to my daughter.  The first time I read this book was sitting with her in our favorite reading chair.  She loved pointing out the colorfully illustrated animals, though the message is still a bit above her head.  We journeyed through a story of a hunter leaving devastation in his wake  - injured and scared animals left to suffer and die.  He was hunting purely for pleasure.  Then the gentle Sage Narada was there, to provide comfort and healing to the hurting creatures.

Eventually the Sage catches up with the hunter, and brings all the animals he had once hurt or killed upon him in nightmarish fashion, causing the hunter to in return feel the pain and fear he had wreaked upon the animals, as the hunter becomes the hunted.  After a thought-provoking discussion with the Sage, the hunter has a change of heart, and through tear-filled eyes pleads with the Sage to help him stop killing.

The ensuing discussion proceeds as such:

"From today on, never harm or eat another animal," said Narada.

"But how will I live?" asked Mrigari (the hunter).  "What will I eat?"

"You do not have to kill to eat.  The earth produces fruits and vegetables, grains and beans.  You will not go hungry."

Mrigari proceeds to break his bow in a gesture that begins his new life as a friend to animals.  We then learn that the story teller is himself Mrigari.

My initial impression of this book, though I love the tale, is that it was a bit idealistic.  I personally have no problem with the hunting of animals, as long as they are taken humanely and for human consumption.  The book paints the taking of animals for food in a negative light.  However, in this case the hunter was hunting purely for sport and in an entirely non-humane way, leaving the animals to suffer.  I take great issue with this, and like how the hunter in the end sees error in his ways and comes to care for the animals he once hurt with disregard.

Then I saw a "Note to Teachers and Parents" in the back of the book:

"The Peaceable Forest is a retelling of an ancient Vedic tale that has been passed on for centuries in the oral tradition from parents to children.  This illustrated version of a beloved story from the Sanskrit Bhagavata Purana reminds children that compassion for living creatures and respect for life have their own rewards.  The illustrations feature flora and fauna native to India, including langur monkeys, sarus cranes, and banyan and date palm trees."

I love learning of old stories passed down through ancient cultures, and find much wisdom in them.  I thought the author/illustrator did a beautiful job with recreating this legend into a children's tale.  It is a book I will be happy to share with my daughter, once she's old enough to appreciate the message.  And hopefully she will share the same values about respecting animals, nature and the earth that my husband and I do.

Book Info:

The Peaceable Forest - India's Tale of Kindness to Animals

By Kosa Ely, Illustrations by Anna Johansson

ISBN: 978-1-60887-115-5

Hardcover $16.99

32 pages

Homemade suet for the birds

Making your own suet is easy as 1 - 2 - 3!

1) Gather your supplies: a tub of lard (from any grocery store), peanut butter, and any fillers you want (raisins, cranberries, peanuts, oats, sunflower seed, cornmeal, etc.)





2) In a saucepan, mix equal parts lard and peanut butter (I used half a tub of lard for a batch) and melt until mixed evenly.  Remove from heat and add your fillers in the quantity you desire.

3) Line a baking pan with waxed paper, then pour the mixture in the pan and set aside to cool.  Will take hours to set.  Once hardened, you can scoop out by the spoonful to fill a log feeder, for example, or cut into squares to fill a suet cage feeder (simply freeze what you don't use for later).

Feeding winter birds

It's time to start preparing for winter and the arrival of southward migrating birds.  Here are plans for a suet/peanut butter log feeder that the birds are sure to flock to!





Source:

Schutz, Walter E.  1973.   Bird Watching, Housing and Feeding.   Milwaukee: Bruce Publishers

Watch tomorrow for my post on making suet.  And if you want to get a head start on building bird houses for next spring (winter projects?), check out my posts under Backyard Wildlife on plans for nestboxes for all kinds of species of birds.

Up the like factor for veggies

I've worked really hard to only offer my daughter fresh, organic, nutritious food, really pushing the fruits and veggies, avoiding artificial colors and sweeteners and MSG and added salt and sugar.  Whew.  And you know what?  It's been easier than you may think.



And the pay off is very rewarding.  She is a great eater, eating most anything I offer.  She willingly accepts a wide variety of vegetables, and will eat any fruit (although bananas are her least favorite).  There have, however, been a few veggies she tends to avoid.  Like green beans.  Then, I discovered my secret weapon.

Garlic powder.

That's right.  One day, as she was shunning her green beans, not wanting to put any salt or salty seasoning on them, I looked through my spice cabinet, wondering what may dress them up a little.  I ran across the garlic powder and decided to give it a try.

And you know what?  After sprinkling a little on, she dove right in, and proceeded to eat them all right up.  Wow.  I was thrilled.

So, I decided to always have some with me, that way when we're out at a restaurant and I'm trying to find something healthy for her, I can always order steamed veggies, sprinkle this one, and voila - hopefully she'll have a healthy meal!

All you need is a small, empty plastic spice shaker.  Like the ones McCormick puts nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice or turmeric in, the little ones. Once you empty one of these (or something like it), add some garlic powder and throw it in your diaper bag.

I decided to use this as a way to introduce other spices too, as I'd like to broaden her palate.  I started this time by mixing in a little coriander, a relatively neutral, bland spice.  I figured if that goes over, I can graduate to something a little stronger, like cumin.

I hope this helps with your picky eater, if you have one!