natural oven cleaner recipe

Who wants to clean their oven?  Definitely not me!  When something spills to the bottom of my oven it makes it impossible to use without major smoke filling the air--- afterwards I always know that it's time for a good cleaning (a much dreaded task)!  Luckily I have discovered the most natural and most effective cleaner thanks to the book, The NaturallyClean Home.  Their oven cleaning recipe works super well and is completely safe!  Best of all, I typically can cut this recipe in half and with a little elbow grease, get the job done very quickly. 

Steer clear of conventional oven cleaning sprays!  They are extremely toxic and loaded with poisonous and dangerous chemicals!  Try to avoid them at all costs (especially if you have children at home).

This recipe is easy on the lungs and the pocket book!  Give your oven some lovin’ with this quick-to-make recipe:

Serious Oven-Cleaning Formula

½ cup salt

¼ cup washing soda or borax

1 box (16 ounces) baking soda

scant ¼ cup water

¾ cup white vinegar

10 drops thyme essential oil

10 drops lemon or lemongrass essential oil

1.)     Combine salt, washing soda and baking soda in a plastic container or glass bowl.  Add just enough water to make a paste.

2.)    Remove oven racks and preheat oven to 250°F for 15 minutes, then turn off oven and leave the door open.  Carefully spread the paste on oven walls with a sponge or cloth and allow to set for 20 to 30 minutes.

3.)    Combine the vinegar and essential oils in a spray bottle and shake well.  Spray the oven walls and wipe clean.  Rinse well.

Note:  If you have a lot of baked-on grease or food splatters, you may want to use fine steel wool to scrub those areas.  Use a bit more salt if necessary.

***  We've written several e-cookbooks {all $1.99} that are quick, easy & guaranteed to bring yummy, fun times in the kitchen!  Pull out the spoons, put on your oven mitts and get cooking with one of our cookbooks.  Get them here!  ***

17 household uses for vinegar

Our good friends at MotherEarth Living compiled a wonderful list of 17 ways to use vinegar around the home!  We loved their ideas and wanted to share them with you!

1. Grease Cutter: Vinegar’s acidity lets it cut through grease with ease. Dip a sponge in vinegar and wipe to degrease stovetops, microwaves, dirty dishes and more.

2. Disinfectant: A natural antibacterial, vinegar makes a great base for any nontoxic cleaning solution. For an all-purpose disinfecting solution, dilute 1 part vinegar in 4 parts water and use anywhere germs are found, such as countertops, keyboards, shared phones, doorknobs and remote controls.

3. Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Clean, disinfect and deodorize your toilet by pouring 1 cup of vinegar around the inside of the bowl. Let sit for an hour, use a brush to remove rings, then flush.

Unplug!

Did you know that, “technology overuse is related to child attention problems, poor academics, aggression, family conflict, impaired sleep, developmental delays, attachment disorders, impaired body image, obesity and early sexuality?”  “ The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 1-2 hours per day of combined technology use, yet elementary children use on average 8 hours per day!”?  Holy cannoli!  That’s a ton of online time.  Way too much for adults, let alone children!  

Going Microwave-Free… one month and counting!

I decided to conduct a little experiment, could our family forgo a microwave and not miss the convenience?  I am so happy to report that it has been very easy and extremely doable!  With little kids, a microwave is a great convenience for zapping leftovers and getting things heated up and on the their plates, quickly.  The speed, convenience and predictable outcome make microwaves feel like a must have… but they are super easy to omit. 

Reports and safety information on microwaves are very conflicting; the FDA states that they are perfectly safe, but there is a ton of contradictory information stating otherwise. Reportedly, with each use there is radiation leakage (the FDA states that the leakage levels are “insignificant” and “well below the level known to harm people” but radiation is radiation… NONE is the amount I would like circulating in my home).  Reducing our exposure to radiation is the main factor, but in addition, it is also well documented that microwaves change the chemical structure of food and reduces the vitamin and antioxidants levels in the foods after being heated.  I spend a lot of money, time and energy buying & preparing nourishing foods and I don’t want the microwave zapping away the nutritional content of our foods, so eliminating this appliance was a no brainer for me! 

If you want to do a trial or total elimination, here are a couple of tips to make the transition easier:

• I placed ours in the basement so we weren’t tempted to use it; but that it was still in our home just in case there was a microwave-needing-emergency (stranger things have happened in our house). 
• I only had one little saucepan and quickly realized that I needed to invest in another one.
• I have started using my toaster oven more often to quickly heat things. 
• I try to plan ahead more than before.  I safely pull things out of the fridge in time to let them somewhat come to room temperature before heating.
• I coordinate oven time and try to optimize any oven usage much more wisely now.  Before I would have zapped any leftovers, now I try to throw any leftovers into an oven safe dish and re-heat while I am cooking anything for dinner.
• When baking, I always allot a teeny bit more time because melting and cooling butter & coconut oil takes a smidgen longer.

Overall, I am so surprised at how easy the transition was, and the best litmus test of all, is not one complaint from the hubster!

*** We've written several e-cookbooks {all $1.99} that are quick, easy & guaranteed to bring yummy, fun times in the kitchen!  Pull out the spoons, put on your oven mitts and get cooking with one of our cookbooks.  Get them here!  ***

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Safe make up & beauty products

Hello gorgeous!  Looking for some lovely beauty products without the nasty chemicals?  Then this article is for you!

Feeling and looking beautiful should not come with the price tag of our health.  It’s important for makeup companies to know that we want beauty products that don’t hinder our wellbeing in any way.  I vote with my money, and will purchase products that are free of:

• Benzophenones (oxybenzone) – Can have photoallergic reactions and is a hormone disrupter.
• Paraben (butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben) – The most widely used preservative in cosmetics and personal care products.  It can mimic estrogen in the body, may disrupt hormones and possibly increase the risk of breast cancer.  (see this video -http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/research/endocrine/videos/makeup.cfm)
• Phthalates – A chemical additive that can disrupt the endocrine system, mimic estrogen, cause thyroid problems, allergies and asthma.
• Sulfates (sodium laurly sulfate SLS or sodium laureth sulfate SLES) – This thickening, lathering agent is a skin irritant (despite being used in products that you put on your skin!) and can mimic estrogen.  SLS has been linked to cancer causing carcinogens.

A resource is the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.  Just type in your make up brand and it will give you the lowdown on that product http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/  My complaint with this site is that it does not state why some products don’t get better marks than others.  So, use it.  But sometimes question how they came to their conclusions.

Here’s what is in my makeup bag!  I am very happy with all of these safe beauty products:

• Zuzu liquid eyeliner
• Gabriel foundation
• Mineral Fusion lipstick
• Badger lip tint & shimmer
• Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava perfume

What products do you use and love? 

Spring Foods in Season Now!

Spring has sprung and so have seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs!  Eating seasonally (and locally) is an easy & tasty way to be green! 

NaturalHome Magazine just posted a wonderful list of what will be hitting your local farmers market or natural grocery stores now (or soon).  Eat seasonally with:

 

Herbs: chervil, chives, dill, horseradish root, mint, parsley, tarragon

Salad greens: arugula (rocket), baby lettuces, endive, mâche (corn salad), mizuna, pac choi, sorrel, spinach, watercress

Cooking greens: beet greens, chard, collards, kale, radish greens, spinach, turnip greens

Root veggies: beets, parsnips, radishes, salad turnips

Fruits: apricots, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, raspberries, rhubarb (not technically a fruit), strawberries

Ephemeral garden treats: garlic scapes, pea shoots

Wild edibles: cactus pears, cattails, claytonia (miner’s lettuce), dandelion greens, fiddlehead ferns, lamb’s quarters, morel mushrooms, nettles, pokeweed, purslane, ramps (wild leeks)

Garden veggies: asparagus, garden peas, potatoes, scallions, spring onions, sugar snap peas

Meat: Most pasture-raised meat and wild game is best in the fall and winter, but spring is a great time to stock up on frozen and aged meats. In some areas, there is also a spring turkey season.

Fish: Spring is the season for most freshwater fish including bass, carp, catfish, crappie, pike, salmon, sunfish, trout and walleye. Saltwater seasons vary.

Dairy: Fresh milk and cheeses made with milk from animals that graze on green pasture are highly nutritious in late spring.

Eggs: Fresh farm eggs are rich with omega-3 fatty acids and other grass-derived nutrients in spring.

Nuts and seeds: Because most kinds of nuts are not harvested in the spring, you will want to choose roasted nuts for the best flavor. (Note: Nuts freeze well, so stock up like a squirrel in fall when they are in season.)

What we’re reading now:

Eat Like a Dinosaur:Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-Free Kids

Written by The Paleo Parents and Illustrated by Amanda Gates

houseplants for a healthy home

Did you know that indoor air can be 12 times more polluted than outdoor air?  There’s an easy and pretty way to clean up ugly indoor airborne toxins (like benzene, formaldehyde & carbon dioxide).  Get some houseplants!   Not only does every home look better with plants, these green sponges can absorb most homes indoor toxins!

Keep your home healthy and your plants happy by:

• Grouping them together!  Plants do better when they are placed close together.  They benefit from each others humidity, moisture and oxygen.
• Playing classical music!  Who knew that your ferns were Bach afficiando’s?  It’s true… soothing music helps plants grow.
• Talking to them!  Plants respond to human voices.  Interestingly, according to Britain’s Royal Horticultural Society, “women’s voices speed growth much more than men’s”.   Plants also react positively to soothing kind words and wither when there is a lot of noise and yelling. 
• Primping!  Keep the leaves dust-free so they can get the air that they need (use a lightly dampened cloth and gently wipe dust off of the leaves). 

Read our "3 cheers for houseplants" article!  We've got 3 more reasons why houseplants make a home healthy! 

switch fabric softeners to something safer

I will admit it, in winter I have cheated on my ‘green’ fabric softeners with traditional ones.  I LOVE my green fabric softener sheets but during the winter, our laundry sometimes has a lot of static.  And static cling clothing drives me bonkers (it’s like nails on a chalk board to me)!  But, after hearing all of the bad news (again) associated with conventional fabric softeners, I have decided to go completely green and not look back.

Conventional fabric softener sheets can contain some really nasty chemicals… chemicals that I DO NOT want touching my children’s skin… remember skin is the largest organ in the human body!  It’s safe to say that bypassing traditional softeners will also avoid the possible exposure to ugly ingredients like:

• A-Terpineol -  Associated with central nervous system disorders
• Benzyl Acetate – A carcinogen linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzyl Alcohol -  An upper respiratory tract irritant
• Camphor – It’s listed on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list (enough said)
• Ethyl Acetate – Another culprit on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list and an irritant to the eyes and respiratory tract

So what can you do to dry your laundry and keep your clothing from sticking together (and the dreaded electrical charge if you have to pull them apart)?  Try these 5 tips for cling-free & chemical-free laundry:

1. Line dry when possible!  It’s the best choice.
2. Safety pins!  Who would have thunk it?  Place 2-3 safety pins on a cloth or rag and dry with your clothes.  I am not sure how this works, but it does work!
3. ¼ cup of Vinegar added to the ‘fabric softener dispenser’ of the washing machine is a natural fabric softener.
4. Wool dryer balls!  This is a fun new discovery.  The balls bounce around in the dryer and keep the laundry fluffed, static at bay, and it reduces the drying time!  They last for a long time too.  After an initial investment of $20+, you will be good to go for years! 
5. Avoid over-drying.  Additional (and unnecessary) drying time typically leads to additional static cling.  If your dryer has a sensor to automatically turn off when clothes are dry (rather than a set time), use that option!

dryer balls photo courtesy of Clean Sypria

happy thanksgiving!

We are so thankful for our dear readers!  We thank you for following, supporting and sharing eco ike!  We hope you have a very happy, healthy and delicious Thanksgiving!!!

image 1, image 2, image 3, image 4

leftover love

Leftovers are one of my many favorite things about Thanksgiving, but not everyone feels the same way.  If your family likes a different meal every night, you can re-use your Thanksgiving fixings and create a delicious, easy and new dinner!  That is definitely something to be grateful about.

Leftover potatoes (russet or sweet) can become Potato pancakes

2 cups mashed potatoes

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup flour

Salt and pepper

In a bowl, thoroughly combine the potatoes, eggs and flour.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a large heavy skillet, heat olive oil over moderately high heat, until it is hot but not smoking.  Drop Tablespoons of the potato mixture, being sure to flatten them with a fork.  Cook for approximately 1-2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown.  Transfer the pancakes as they are cooked to paper towels to drain and if desired keep them warm on a rack set on a baking sheet in a preheated 250 degree oven.

Leftover turkey can become Barbecued Turkey Sandwiches

Combine and heat 3 cups shredded turkey with ¾ cup prepared barbecue sauce.  Serve on a brioche or onion roll.

Leftover cranberries can become Apple Cranberry Crisp

Leftover cranberries (up to 1 ½ cups)

6 cups peeled apples, thinly sliced

¾ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ cup flour

2/3 cup oats

½ cup butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cranberries & apples and place in a buttered 8x8 pan.  In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, oats and butter together; blend with fingers until crumbly.  Evenly top apple/cranberries with oat mixture.  Bake for 35 minutes.

mashed potato pancake recipe adapted from epicurious
apple cranberry crisp recipe adapted from Cooking FUNdamentals
photo courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids

E is for Environment

Looking to encourage a little more green in your offspring?  Check out the lovable book, E is for Environment!  Brother and sister, Elliot & Lucy are featured in 26 engaging stories filled with ways to make a positive difference for the environment.  The stories are cute and charming while teaching kids fun lessons and examples of how to be eco-friendly! 

Each story has an adorable illustration (we wish there were more of the sweet pictures!) and features questions at the end of each story (for the record, my son wasn’t into the questions, but he loved each of the stories).

Written by Ian James Corlett and Ilustrated by R.A. Holt, this book would be a perfect holiday gift or addition to a child’s library! 

Check out E is for Environment on Amazon!

2 for tuesday

421,000 units of bacteria (including E. coli!) can be found on the soles of shoes.  Another great reason to leave the shoes at the door.

98 percent of non-organic apples have pesticide residue on them, which is why they top the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list of the 12 most pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables.

We've written about the importance of taking shoes off in the home and the dirty dozen list.  Read all about it!  



1 source, photo.  2 source & photo.

packing lunch… the green way!

It is estimated that each American child produces 67 pounds of lunch packaging waste each school year! That’s a big ‘F’ in our report card! This year when school starts, make sure that your kids are lunch box smart!

There is no longer a need for plastic sandwich bags, paper bags and juice boxes.  There are tons of green lunchbox options out there and a lot of them are super cute too!  Here’s our eco lunchbox lowdown:


 1. Forgo the brown paper bag and invest in a durable lunch box or bento-style lunch container.

2. Go reuseable! Reusable sandwich bags and containers are super sturdy and easy to use, clean & store. If you have to pack a plastic bag, try to reuse it or recycle it!

3. Store beverages in stainless steel water bottles! Have your kids sip out of a reusable bottle rather than a juice box or plastic water bottle.

4. If your child needs cutlery or a napkin, pack the real thing. Encourage your child to bring home all leftovers to prevent accidentally disposing of the napkin and utensils (they may even be able to compost any leftovers).

5. If possible, steer clear of purchasing prepackaged foods for your child’s lunch. They are typically wrapped in excessive packaging and are more expensive than buying in bulk.

We’ve got an entire selection of GREEN LUNCHBOXES & accessories on our eco ike eco boutique!  Check out our entire selection here!

Cruise Control = Fuel Efficiency

It’s road trip time… This year when you hit the highway, be sure to take advantage of the cruise control button as much as possible. Maintaining a steady speed allows you to drive 10 percent farther on a single tank.

Some other gas-saving tips:

• Remove excess weight – take out unnecessary items from your vehicle, which can reduce your fuel economy by up to 5%

• Avoid idling – Turn off the engine when the car is parked for longer than a minute. Starting your car only uses a few seconds worth of fuel, rather than a quarter to half gallon of fuel per hour while idling

• Keep tires properly inflated – under-inflated tires can waste up to 6% of extra fuel

• Don’t drive aggressively – rapid acceleration, braking and speeding wastes gas. Drive sensibly --- it’s safer & fuel efficient!

a car wash is a greener choice!

Not sure what is considered to be the greener choice: a car wash or doing it yourself? It turns out that going to the car wash uses HALF the amount of water per car than the typical home washing job and is definitely the greener choice!

When you think about what gets washed off your car – gasoline, exhaust fume residue, oil, car wash detergents – its good to know that it’s a federal law in the US (and Canada) that commercial car washes treat their waste water before it enters sewer or septic systems. Some car wash establishments recycle their rinse and soapy water as well.

In addition to the water recycling process, they also use a high-pressure pumps and nozzles that minimize the amount of water used.

Go green and keep your car clean with a car wash establishment!
 

EcoSearch.org search engine

Change your home page to ecosearch.org!  It's a search engine that is powered by Google.

EcoSearch donates all of it's per-click ad profits to eco-groups such as the Sierra Club, Rainforest Alliance, Heal the Bay and Healthy Child, Healthy World.



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eco-nomical & eco-friendly shower head

Replace your shower-head with a high-efficiency, low-flow model! Every time you shower, you will use up to 30% less gallons of water!

New regulations mandate that shower heads can not exceed a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute (before 1992, the maximum gpm was 5.5 gallons per minute).   There are basically two types of low-flow showerheads: aerating and laminar-flow. Aerating showerheads mixes water with air, forming a misty spray. Laminar-flow showerheads form individual streams of water.

The shower head fixtures can cost as little as $20 and can reduce your water bill by 25-60%*!


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* savings estimate from the energysavers.gov

photo courtesy of Kohler

air dry

Use the ‘air-dry’ switch on your dishwasher!  If you don’t have an automatic ‘air-dry’ switch, manually turn the machine off after the final rinse and open the dishwasher to allow the dishes to air dry.

Skipping the heated dry cycle can cut your energy use by 50% every time the dishwasher is run!



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teach kids to conserve water the fun way!

We all know that water is a limited resource and we need to do our part to preserve it, but it’s not always easy for kids to grasp the importance of water conservation. The best way to encourage kids to conserve is by explaining the significance of their efforts, modeling good water conservation at home and making the experience positive & exciting.

Help your little Jack & Jill’s save a pail of water with these 5 fun & easy steps:

1. Place a timer in the bathroom! Bathrooms revolve around water, so it’s a great room to work on conservation. Encourage kids to brush their teeth for two minutes, but while the water is off. Start the timer and encourage a 5-minute-or-less shower.

2. Use muscles, rather than water pressure, for cleaning. Turn music on and have your little helpers use a broom instead of a watering hose to clean off sidewalks, driveways & decks. Dispose of tissues, insects and other waste in the trash (or compost bin if applicable). Only run the dishwasher & washing machine when you have full loads.

3. Let them play detective. Tell your kids to regularly check all faucets and tell someone if they ever see a leak, or if an offender didn’t thoroughly turn off a faucet. Reward their policing skills with their favorite movie, dinner or board game choice!

4. Purchase a rain barrel to collect rainwater. Kids will love watering plants with water that they collected. Allow them to paint the water barrel with flowers, birds and bug designs.

5. Make a game with the water bill. As a family, sit down and talk about a goal for your water consumption. Each month highlight the water use on the bill and put it on the fridge. Kids can see a tangible number and will be mindful of working toward the objective. Keep positive, and remind them of ways to reduce water. Be sure to celebrate when you hit the target number and encourage the conservation year-round.

Be sure to praise your young water stewards and to let them know that they are making a positive impact on the environment and that every little effort can have a big impact!

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composting with kids!

Help your kids develop their green thumb by teaching them to compost.  Composting is a fun family project that's easy to do and great for the environment. Teach your tykes how simple it is to recycle waste and turn it into nutritious soil for your yard or plants. The micro-organisms that make the compost, need an even mixture of “greens” and “browns”. They also need water and air for a perfect compost formula. Here’s the compost recipe:

One part “brown” (dead dried plants – they provide the carbon): dried leaves, pine needles, straw, hay, wood shavings or chips.

One part “green” (fresh living plants – they provide the nitrogen): grass clippings, vegetable and fruit leftovers, plants, coffee grounds.

Place layers of brown, green, brown, green, brown into the composting bin, being sure to add water after every layer – make sure that the compost is always moist so the microorganisms can do their job. Stir every 3-4 weeks and voila… nutritious, rich soil!

A couple of composting no-no’s: NO meats, dairy, oil, fats, diseased plants or pet droppings!

A great book to read is, “Compost Stew” written by Mary McKenna Siddals and illustrated by Ashley Wolff  "Apple cores, bananas bruised, coffee grounds with filters used.  Just add to the pot, and let it all rot into compost stew!"


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