Memorial Day Links

by on May 30, 2011
in links · Leave a Comment

I hope you’ve been enjoying a great long weekend. We worked in the yard all day Saturday, enjoyed a neighborhood potluck yesterday and today are planning to barbecue in the backyard. Here are some links for your Memorial Day holiday!

Inspiring Your Kids to Live Green :: The Living Green Solution

How Meats Fit into a Sustainable, Ethical Diet :: Simple Bites

Our Summer Manifesto: More Food Production & Preservation :: Nourishing Days

How to Cloth Diaper Your Baby for Only $50 :: The Eco Chic

10 Baby Steps to Emergency Preparedness :: Kitchen Stewardship

From all of us at Simple Organic, we want to express a heartfelt thank you to all who have and do serve in the protection of our country this Memorial Day!

What have you been up to over the three-day weekend?

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A Trip to the Blueberry Farm + Blueberry Honey Ice Cream Recipe

by on May 27, 2011
in home & garden · 25 Comments

Last week our local U-pick blueberry farm opened for the season, so I decided we might as well head out there before I got too close to my due date (I’m just under three weeks away). We visited the farm last year and have decided it is a great yearly tradition for our family.

Our Farm

While our farm is not certified organic, they do follow many organic farming principles, and I was informed that this year they did not need to spray, which made me happy. This is one of those instances where, for me, choosing local takes precedence over organic, not to mention the benefit of my kids being able to go directly to the farm and know exactly where their food has come from.

The farm also partners with a local baker to sell fresh blueberry pies and blueberry bread, and they produce and sell their own raw honey. The honey is delicious and was the inspiration for the recipe I’m going to share with you today.

Read on for more photos, tips and an original recipe for a delectable early summer treat.

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How Green and Simple Living Becomes Generous Living

by on May 25, 2011
in living mindfully · 21 Comments

Written by contributor Stephanie Langford of Keeper of the Home.

I have noticed a beautiful trend among those who make thoughtful, purposeful decisions about the non-toxic products they use, the whole foods they eat, the scraps they compost and the companies they choose to support.

Generally speaking, that mindfulness also seems to extend to the relationships they nurture and the generosity with which they give. Why is this?

Maybe it’s that as we delve into the why’s and how’s of sustainable living we learn about how crop pesticides from conventional agriculture are making farmers and their families sick, how your cup of Fair Trade coffee actually helps to support strong local economies and entrepreneurialism, and how big box store shelves are filled cheaply on the backs of child laborers.

Knowledge of these issues has bred a growing concern for the well-being of others. Globalism doesn’t permit us to remain ignorant about how our actions and choices affect the lives of real people. We become aware of our power to either help or hurt through the lifestyle we live and I think that awareness helps to foster a greater compassion for those living in dire circumstances.

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Fighting Pregnancy Symptoms with Food

by on May 23, 2011
in health, nutrition, & food · 17 Comments

The following is a guest post by Olivia Maloy.

Pregnancy is a time of joy and anticipation… as well as a time of throwing up frequently, suffering from heartburn, and many sleepless nights. Almost every woman experiences various unpleasant pregnancy signs and symptoms. While they are all worth it, most expectant mothers would rather do without these pregnancy ailments. Luckily, some of the most common on can be “treated” with foods and herbs. Let’s take a look at some of the most frequently encountered pregnancy issues, and how to make them go away with food.

Morning sickness

Pregnancy nausea is still popularly called morning sickness, despite the fact that it can turn up at any time of the day, and even last all day long. Whatever you call it, this is one of the most infamous and common pregnancy ailments, especially during the first trimester. If you are currently pregnant, you’ll no doubt have found out that avoiding morning sickness totally is next to impossible. You might even join the seventy-five percent of women who will throw up regularly during the first trimester and perhaps beyond – I sure did!

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From the SO Community: Farmer’s Market and Community Garden Experiences

by on May 20, 2011
in living mindfully · 8 Comments

In the same way that we listened in on the experiences of our readers with CSAs, I wanted to hear from you all about farmer’s markets and community gardens as well.

While I haven’t had any experience with community gardens, I do love to admire them whenever I happen upon one. They really seem like an amazing way to be involved socially in the community, contribute toward beautifying the public space, and feed the family some good home-grown food.

Sometimes I forget how blessed I am to live in the land of year-round farmer’s markets. We don’t go often anymore because of our CSA subscription, but I love farmer’s markets for more than just the produce. I love seeing the community come together to support local vendors, and they are sure are visually appealing as well. Since our local market is on Sunday, we’ve enjoyed heading over after lunch for some lunch and live music and maybe even a dozen eggs or a few other items.

Read on to hear from a few of our readers about their experiences…

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