Cooking from scratch : How to make the perfect organic muffins at home

Good morning. How are you all doing? I hope you are well.

One thing I’ve found that has help in our “going green” project is cooking and baking more from scratch. The reality of going organic with your food is that pre-packaged organic things can be quite costly. But organic base ingredients barely cost a few pennies more sometimes so I decided to do my own recipes more and more.

Now, like most of you, I just don’t have time to sit there night after night and pull out the recipe books. So it was about finding recipes that were easy, quick and flexible so that it could feel like I was making something new all the time with only changing a few ingredients. Well after months of experimenting with muffin recipes, I finally refined my own basic muffin recipe that you can then add whatever you want to and they will always turn out great!

Recipe :

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

• 1 1/2 cups stone ground organic flour
• 1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup organic raw sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon organic sea salt
• 1 organic egg
• 2 organic egg whites
• 1/2 cup apple sauce (or sometimes I put pumpkin purée)
• 1/4 cup organic canola oil
• OPTIONAL : 1/8 cup organic maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ

In a bowl, you whisk together all the WET ingredients (eggs, egg whites, apple sauce or pumpkin purée, oil, syrup (if you choose to use it) and vanilla.

In a larger bowl, you stir together the flours, sugar, spices, fruits and nuts you choose to add, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Then pour in the wet mixture, stir together until it’s all smooth and pour into muffin tins (about ¾ of the way up). Depending on how much fruit and such you add, and the size of your tins, you’ll make between 12 and 16 muffins.

No matter what the ingredients, bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Flavours :

From here on out, you can put whatever you want in it! I don’t even count the amount per say. Sometimes the muffins will be breadier, sometimes more full-of-fruits, but they always end up being yummy!

Here are some of my favourite combinations :

• Banana, nut with allspice
• Carrots and raisins with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice
• Cranberries and orange zest
• Lemon zest and poppy seeds
• Fresh field berries
• Apples and spices
• Dates and walnuts
• Etc…

TRY THEM ALL and create your own! The great thing about this recipe is that for the initial 20$ of ingredients, you’ll have weeks of fresh muffins on hand and you can always just make them with what you have laying around in the fridge or pantry!

Hope this can help making your homemade life a bit easier and fun!

What are some of your favourite recipes?

Our garden – Year 2 : Our perennial patch!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday morning!

As I had mentioned in my previous post about turning over and preparing our community plots, we are lucky enough this year to have two separate plots to which we have decided to give two very separate vocations.

We decided during the holiday week-end (last week) to turn last year’s 10 X 12 sq.ft. plot into a perennial garden. The idea of having one patch that would not have to be replanted every year was very nice and since we do not have a yard of our own yet, having our own little flower area seemed like a wonderful long term project!

WHY PERRENIALS?

Well, aside from the fact that half my favourite plants and flowers are perennials (including hostas and hemerocallis – commonly called daylilies), there are quite a few reasons to go for perennials. Even though at first look, perennials are more expensive then annuals, they will cost you less and less every year as they multiply and spread, making your garden lush and green. Also, good ground cover perennials like sedum, wild thyme, and many alpine plant varieties, once they spread, will help keep the soil shaded and cool which means less watering! And that alone is a good reason for me!

A few things to keep in mind when buying plants to start a perennial flower bed is to take good note of your hardiness zone, of the sun exposure of your patch and of blooming times. Most perennials have shorter blooming seasons then annuals, and even though their leaves are lovely, if you want to insure a presence of flowers throughout the whole growing season, pick species that flower at different times.

So everyone knows of the traditional perennial ground covers such as clover, sedum, hostas, certain grasses, but here are a few plants you may not know are perennials :

• Lavender
• Daylilies
• Daffodils
• Tulips
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Asparagus
• Garlic
• Marguerites
• Sage
• Marigolds
• Irises
• Lobelia
• Bluebells
• Primrose
• Bleeding hearts
• Columbines
• Poppies… just to name a few!

Plus, if we stick to the basic definition of perennial which is really any plant that lives more than one year, vines and shrubs are great additions to any perennial garden patch! Also, depending on space, try adding fruit bushes! We’ve decided to go with hardy kiwi vines and blueberry bushes.

This is the picture of our plot when we started this season :



And this is what it looks like now :



I know it may look a little empty, but considering most of our plant choices will triple in size in the first year, we think the “bare look” will be worth it to have our garden come back in force next year!

On a side note : All our plants, vines and bushes came from local sources! Look around and find nurseries that grow plants in your area. Plants that have been imported mean more of a carbon footprint and more probability of species that are not well adapted to your climate! You may pay a little more, but you will get quality plants that last!

Please stop by and share your plans for a garden this year!

Our garden –Year 2 : The first days of work…

I hope you all will humor me; this will be a life blogging moment instead of one of my usual tips and ideas ones.

The temperature in Quebec City jumped 18 degrees Celsius this week-end and we went from early spring to “feels like summer” weather! So my husband decided that this was it! We were starting the gardening season. Of course, we meant prep work (we will still be getting nights of frost until the end of May) but we worked hard, making our garden plots ready for planting.

On Saturday, we went to my parents for dinner and my dad and husband diligently worked on our new composter. We went all around the home improvement stores and all we could find, in our price range, were plastic compost bins. Now, with trying to create a greener life for ourselves, as much as I understand the durability of the plastic bin, we just could not get ourselves to buy one. So with the price of the pre-made wooden bins, we decided to use all recycled natural pin wood we had here from an old bonsai growing shelf we had built and voilà! It turned out wonderfully.

By the way… Making a compost bin is super easy! Just make sure that you always use untreated-unpainted-unvarnished wood! Any treatment on wood will contaminate the actual compost!

Now today was the really hard job! We only had a 10 X 12 ft. plot at our community garden last year and were able to square away a 10 X 24 extra one this year! But the people that had it before us did not tend to it very well last year so we knew we had a day ahead of us. But as you can see it all went wonderfully.

Our goal is to be at least 75% self sufficient for vegetables this summer. Here is a list of what we will be planting :

• Tomatoes (7 different varieties)
• Cucumbers (3 different varieties)
• Onions
• Shallots
• Peas (3 different varieties)
• Beans (3 different varieties)
• Collard greens
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Brussels sprouts
• Zucchinis
• Herbs
• Asparagus (which we will not be able to eat until next year unfortunately)

For the rest of our veggie needs, the organic farmers market will open here in just 2 months and all will be well.

I hope all of you had a wonderful week-end!

What veggies, fruits and plants are you growing this year?

Our garden –Year 2 : Eggshells, the wonder trash

A little snippet for all of you this morning in my garden series.

Last year in our garden was a year of learning. It was the first year that we had a plot at the local community garden and unfortunately, it did not yield much. I would like to blame the horrible weather we had that year (we got almost 493 millimeters – over 19 inches – of rain last summer) but I know that a lot of it was our lack of experience and knowledge.

But like all good students of a new art form, we observed a lot of the more experience gardeners around us and one thing we quickly noted was all of them walking around, early in the season, with buckets full of crushed eggshells that they would sprinkle around all their plants.

Turns out, like bone meal, egg shells are a great calcium source for your soil. Calcium deficiency is one of the most common problems in gardens. What it does is to make the roots weak and then, you end up with a root system that is unable to sustain a healthy plant. According to Calcium Deficiency in Organic Vegetable Gardens - Natural Garden Solutions for Your Green Lifestyle, a wonderful article by Deborah Aldridge :

“Calcium deficiency symptoms in organic vegetable garden plants is very noticeable, but may be misdiagnosed, as some symptoms, such as browning of young leaf margins and leaf curling, can also be associated with other deficiencies and diseases. However, if these early symptoms are not treated, it can lead to the death of the terminal bud and root tips.

A very common and easily recognizable symptom of calcium deficiency is blossom end rot, which usually shows itself on peppers and tomatoes. Blossom end rot begins with a decayed brown spot on the blossom end of the fruit. Sometimes, not all the fruit is affected. Feeding with a fertilizer too high in nitrogen can also cause blossom end rot.”

You are probably thinking they are already pretty amazing little scraps. But that is not all!

Fun fact : Did you know that if you sprinkle broken eggshells around your more delicate plants, they will keep away slugs and snails?

So as you are making your Sunday eggs this morning, think of rinsing the shells and setting them to dry. You will reduce waste and grow happier, healthier vegetables this summer.

What natural, organic ways have you found to keep your garden and flower beds happy and healthy?

.

Produce and pesticides : What to buy organic if you can't buy it all

As I’ve mentioned before when I started this blog, I know how hard it is to try and make all the changes needed for a greener lifestyle. Sometimes it can be very overwhelming and trying to do it all at once can just be frustrating. Not to mention that suddenly buying everything organic can mean a major adjustment to the grocery shopping budget and going at it gradually can help you slowly incorporate smarter, healthier choices, without breaking the bank.

But where to start?

I’ve decided to start with produce. I did a little research and came upon quite a few varying resources for produce and their high or low pesticide ratings. So I considered the sources themselves and decided to compare them and it seems like many sites seem to agree with the EWG's (Environmental Working Group) Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides – Dirty dozen and Clean 15.

According to the guide, here are 12 fruits and vegetables that you should buy organic :

1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Bell pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes (Imported)
11. Carrot
12. Pear

And here are 15 fruits and vegetable that are lowest in pesticides :

1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Sweet potato

For a full listing of all tested produce, click here!

Now, I list these with some reserves. I have found some contradictory information on other sites. The same main culprits are often there, but they sometimes have different rankings. I guess the first steps for all is to really start reading labels and packaging. Study what is available to you, look for healthy alternatives.

In the best of worlds, we would buy everything from organic sources, but if you can’t, try and concentrate on the ones that are most damaging and go from there.

Shop smart and be healthy.

Which produce do you already buy organic?

Our garden - Year 2 : Attracting beneficial insects to help with pest control

Well, after all the rain we’ve gotten in the last few weeks, the snow here has been melting at a ridiculous rate. With the sun finally out today, I decided to take a nice walk to venture into our community garden and see how much snow was still there and if some of our early bulbs had started to show their little green heads.

As I was walking, I was thinking of flowers, fruits and veggies I would soon plant and it reminded me of a wonderful conference my husband and I attended last week-end on “How to attract beneficial insects into your gardens”. Now, the conference was in French and the book that the facts are taken from is titled Attirer la faune au jardin : insectes bénéfiques, papillons, grenouilles et oiseaux dans votre cour (Attract fauna in the garden : beneficial insects, butterflies, frogs and birds in your yard) by Albert Mondor and Daniel Gingras, but I decided to translate and share with you a few of the facts we picked up.

FACT ABOUT BUGS!

At the very root of the matter, all bugs, in the bug kingdom, are beneficial. Every insect is food for another living thing; every one plays its part. In the human world, it is another story all together but...

Did you know that…
Only 0.05% of insects on the planet are non-beneficial/harmful to humans?

We are talking insects that carry diseases like West Nile and malaria carried by mosquitoes, lime disease by ticks, lice, etc. But those are a miniscule fraction of insects on earth and the rest of them can be quite effective with ecological population control, at helping with invading plant life and they actively participate in the decomposition and recycling of organic matter into yummy composted soil.

Beneficial insects we commonly come across are the following :

Spiders :
40 – 70 % of insects caught in spider webs are non-beneficial (mosquitoes being one of them).

Ladybugs :
Both adults and their larvae are powerful pest controlling agents. 60% of their combined diets consist of aphids. Adult ladybugs can eat up to 1000 aphids a day.

Green lacewings :
One of the most beneficial, although hard to attract, insects. Their larvae will eat everything from aphids to scales, including spider mite eggs, thrips and white flies. They are hard to attract because they are very delicate and fall victim to predators like birds, but you can build bug shelters with openings only big enough for them and hang them in your garden. I found a fun little how-to sheet on a UK gardening site that you can check out.

Ants :
I know *shivers*, but they are wonderful for plants. They are true protectors because a small colony can eat thousands upon thousands of insect eggs a day and they will never ever touch the plants. Plus, like earth worms, they aerate the soil very well.

So how do you attract all these wonderful little helpers?

• Have a good variety of different plants to offer something to everyone.
• Have different sized plants to attract all kinds of little helpers.
• Flower and plant families that are very popular to use are Umbelliferae (including angelica, anise, celery, dill, cumin, carrots, etc.), Labiatae (including aromatic herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, thyme and lavender, etc.) and Asteraceae (or Compositae) which is the daisy and sunflower family.

I hope this was a useful article for all of you.

A new way to look at insects may give you a whole new freedom in your garden this year! Hopefully you’ll take a few steps towards attracting the good kind and in the process, reduce (or *fingers crossed*) eliminate the need for insecticides!

What steps will you take this summer to make your gardens and flower beds a green place?

The Mission Playground : Great sustainable clothes at low prices!

What started out as a graphic T-shirt shop with a message in southern California in 2003 as turned into a wonderful venture into promoting environmental and sustainable fashions and philosophies.

The Mission Playground

If you are like me, you've been trying to not only eat better and have better habits in your home, but you've been trying to include your developing green ethics into everything you do : Including how you dress! Well I have recently discovered an amazing California company that has original, fun, eco-friendly and fair-priced fashion.

They pride themselves into not only providing you clothing and accessories that are 100% made from organic and recycled materials like organic cottons, merino jersey wools and recycled nylon and spandex from pre and post consumer waste, but also into raising awareness through their slogans and messages and their own program called S.E.E.D, Sustainable Environment & Educational Development, a program which donates 1% of all sales to non-profit organizations that help the environment : Our playground.

If you are not an online shopper, know that they are distributed in the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia. One place I found in Quebec (and all of Canada) that sells their clothing is Mountain Equipment Co-op who has a large array of organic cotton and recycled material made clothing at very nice prices. I know that in the states, REI carries them but I'm also positive that those are only 2 stores out of many.

I know it can be frustrating to shop green, especially at first when you are not quite sure where to go, but I'll continue to do my best and bring you what I find and hope that it will help you on your way!

Happy SHOPPING!

Green Beaver Company Rejuvenating Shampoo and Conditioner : Product Review

THE COMPANY :

Everyone who knows me knows I'm very proud of where I'm from, so in my venture into a greener life, I've promised myself I would try and encourage local and national business. The Green Beaver company is an Ontario based company that prides itself in not only delivering natural and organic products and ingredients, but in supporting local farmers and businesses by using over 95% all Canadian ingredients, most of them wild crafted. Why not 100% you may ask? Because Green Beaver does not believe in synthetic preservatives so they have to import natural ones derived from citrus which cannot grow in Canada.

So we decided to start with this new rejuvenating shampoo and conditioner made from wild crafted Prince Edward Island cranberries.

First off, a product overview : Both the shampoos and conditioner are 100% biodegradable, vegan and gluten-free. The bottles are made from clear polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PETE recycling number 1) which is one of the most widely used plastics because it is easy to recycle and has one of the lowest risks of leaching breakdown of its compounds.

These products contain no paraben preservatives, sulfate detergents, artificial aromas, fragrances or dyes, no glycol or petrolatum products and are not tested on animals. Not to shabby if you ask me!

THE REVIEW :

Now, first off, they smell WONDERFUL! The cranberry aromas in the one we are trying were simply invigorating. Also, I'm usually very sensitive person when it comes to fragrances in products, but in this case, not one itch or discomfort.

For the shampoo : The first thing I noticed was the almost watery texture of it. Of course, without all the chemicals and detergents in it to thicken it up, it was to be expected, but just be warned : There is no need to squeeze the bottle. Also, it takes a bit more than I would have usually used in other brands. Mostly because it does not spread as readily as a creamier shampoo. This is DEFINITELY a "rinse and repeat" product. It is not a very "sudsy" shampoo, but you get that very clean feeling before you even go to rinse and when you do, it rinses in a flash!

For the conditioner : TWO THUMPS AND TWO BIG TOES UP! Light, creamy and so fragrant. Spreads all over with just a small amount in the palm of your hand. Detangles like a dream and if you just let it stand for a few minutes before rinsing, you can feel your hair getting healthier. Winter here had left my hair a ragged mess and just a few days of using this conditioner and my hair already feels a thousand times better.

Price : Very reasonable. We paid about 7$ CD a bottle. Most of the organic shampoos that are sold here unfortunately come in little 250 ml (8 oz) bottles, so we were very happy with the price since these come in bottles of 325 ml (11 oz).

Now as I mentioned earlier, I have a feeling that this will be a 2 bottles of shampoo for every bottle of conditioner deal, but at that price and with how lovely my hair feels, I think we will definitely stick this one out for a few.

Hope this was useful! Happy greening everyone!

Preparing for spring : Our garden - Year 2

Last year, my husband and I had the great pleasure of acquiring a little plot of land at out local community garden. We thought it was a great green step to city living. We decided to sign up rather late in the season so we rushed through the preparations and opted for nursery grown plants. We weeded, tiled, turned and fertilized the soil with bags of organic compost bought at the garden center and planted our little garden.

It had been a rainy week so the following days, we stayed home. When we decided to return to check on things and do a bit of "light" maintenance, we were horrified to find that all the weeds had grown back in force and we could barely differentiate them from the little plants that were struggling for room to grow. This event was only a preview of our war on weeds. The remainder of the growing season only got worse before it was over.

So as I mentioned before, I love to know the why of things, especially when those things are coming between me and my desire for a greener, healthier life. After loads of research, I've come up with a chemical-free plan for snuffing out the weeds this year and actually getting to enjoy gardening :

Step 1:

As soon as the snow is melted off our lot (this part may not apply to all of you considering I live quite a ways up North) and the hot spring sun is out, we will cover the whole patch with dark landscaping tarp held down with bricks, to stop the weeds from getting the light and air they need to break dormancy and actually start spreading and growing. The increased heat and darkness will actually go as deep as the underlying rhizomes and stop them from taking over your garden. It is recommended to leave the tarp down for about 6 weeks, until it's time to prepare the garden for planting.

Step 2:

Once the soil has been turned and all the "remains" have been removed, strategically position your plants, alternating high growing plants (like tomatoes, peppers, bean bushes, etc.) with low, ground covering cultures (like cucumbers, squashes, cantaloupes, etc.) so that there is a minimum of light between the rows.

Step 3:

Use mulch in the walkways and on all areas where the sunlight hits the ground. You can also lay down newspaper under the mulch for an extra barrier of weed protection. Not only will the paper and mulch block the light and air supply again, but as they naturally biodegrade, they will give back nutrients to the soil of your garden.

I hope this helps and if any of you have ideas and suggestions, please feel free to post them here!