Photo by Katerha

they add to everything from green tea to fish tacos. 

There are dozens of practical and well known uses for lemons – from deodorizing the smelliest of garbage disposals to preventing browning on sliced apples.  But there are just as many unexpected uses for lemons that are both practical and natural.

Did you know lemons can?

1. Serve as a natural air freshener and humidipher – in a small pot simmer water, lemon peels, cinnamon sticks, apple peels.  Great for parties, eliminating dry air in the house and a natural alternative to aerosol air fresheners that can be overpowering or irritating to the sinuses.  If you have a fireplace, try throwing a lemon peel into the fire to prevent unpleasant odors during burning.
2. Clean tarnished brass – make a paste of lemon juice and salt or baking soda.  Coat the brass, copper or stainless steel and let sit for 5 minutes.  Wash, rinse and polish dry.  Great for kitchen sinks because it also acts as a disinfectant killing bacteria.
3. Act as a natural insecticide – Ant proof your kitchen with lemons.  Squeeze lemon juice into windowsills, doorways, cracks or anywhere ants are entering or might enter.  You can also boil lemon juice and leave it out on the table during tailgates or backyard gatherings.  Mosquitoes, mites and other insects are repulsed by certain ingredients in lemons so this will generally help keep them away.
4. Lighten age spots and freckles – wash your face nightly with a small amount of lemon juice and rinse with cool water in the morning. 
5. Strengthen and whiten nails – If you wear nail polish a lot, especially dark colors, you know it can discolor your nails.  Soak them in a lemon juice for about 10 minutes then briefly dip them into a bowl of vinegar and warm water. 

The best lemons are bright firm and feel heavy for their size. 

Have you found any unexpected uses for lemons?

For me, fall is all about crunchy leaves, beautiful colors, brisk jeans and t-shirt weather, outdoor activities and family holidays.  Then the mold and pollen come along and cast a haze over it all. 

Until recently, I was on one pill and two nasal sprays to get me through my favorite months.  Even then, I usually battled 1-2 sinus infections and what seemed like a season long upper respiratory infection.  My oldest son was put on Singulair at two to help manage his allergies and stayed on it for nearly two years.  Without it, every cold, virus or little bacteria turned into a major breathing event.  But I’m so happy to report that although we still feel the impact of the mold and pollen, a few simple lifestyle changes intended to improve our overall health and well-being have helped us manage our allergy symptoms prescription free.  (This process was guided by our doctor.)  Today, we experience minor allergy symptoms and are saving about $70 a month on medication.

Allergies have successfully been treated with natural resources for decades.  Here are just a few of the numerous options available that we’ve found helpful.

1.  Probiotics – When we have insufficient enzymes and good bacteria (probiotics) in our guts we lack the necessary defenses to handle allergens.  Probiotics restore and balance good bacteria and aid in digestion and absorption making our healthy food more effective.   The boys and I take probiotics every day. 
2. Antioxidants – Antioxidants help our bodies in several ways.  They reduce inflammation and eliminate free radicals which destroy our cells.  It’s fairly easy to get antioxidants naturally from our foods.  Fruits like purple grapes, blackberries and blueberries are loaded with antioxidants as is green tea.  While this is a good start, we needed something a little stronger.  We take Thai-Go, an antioxidant juice everyday beginning in August.  Two tablespoons for me and 1 each for the boys seems to help strengthen our immune systems.  Juice Plus also makes an antioxidant supplement and there are several other juices on the market.  Do some research to see which one feels like a good fit for your family’s needs.
3. Saline Solutions– Whether it’s a Neti-Pot or a spray can of Simply Saline this is a must in our house during allergy season.  I like the Neti-Pot for myself when I’m really congested, although it definitely takes some getting used to, but the saline sprays work best for the boys and when your crunched for time.  The goal is to rinse the nasal passages with a salt water solution.  This helps thin the mucus, soothe the tissue and reduce inflammation.  It also rinses pollen and other airborne substances from the nasal passages, promotes drainage and speeds up the healing process.
4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Help reduce inflammation and quiet allergy symptoms.  Because our allergy season is so long in Tennessee I feel like these really help us.  We take them for lots of reasons, but this is an added bonus.
5. Clean Eating – I believe that eliminating as many processed foods as possible took a lot of foreign substances out of our bodies freeing them up to better handle the naturally occurring allergens like mold and pollen.  Clean eating simply means eating fresh foods like fruits, vegetables and certain meats and fish.  A great tip is to eat out of the fridge or shop the outside aisles at the grocery store.  Avoiding or limiting things like sugar, dairy and wheat can also help depending on the individual.  We eat wheat, but I’m very cautious of our sugar and dairy intake, especially when our allergies our acting up. 

Other helpful tips: Eliminating harmful chemicals from our homes, washing sheets and blankets in hot water once a week, dusting with a damp cloth to collect dust w/o mixing it up in the air, and adding houseplants to naturally filter the air.

Somewhat crunchy option: Try boiling freeze dried nettles as a tea.  You can buy these at a local health food store.

I love taking the boys to the bookstore to “read” and play trains while I go through gardening books and I love visiting our local garden center, Gardens of Babylon.  While I was on their website looking for details on their building cold frames workshop I came across these cool Grow University videos, including one on fall and winter gardening.  Check it out!  There’s also one on using strawberry plants as ground cover.  Sounds like a lot of work, but it’s a great idea.  Maybe I can get my husband on that one. 

Despite my injury I’m really trying to be productive.  The kids go back to school (2 days a week) in 17 days and I feel like there is still a lot to do to get ready.  Even though I’m one of the most unorganized people you’ll ever meet I do like to make lists.  I’m happy to say that despite the back and hip pain I’ve been able to check a few things off my list including making my own laundry detergent.  (Other natural cleaning options.)

I’ve been wanting to try this for awhile because the organic detergents are so expensive and I’ve had a hard time getting stains our of the boys clothes.  My husband called it “a little too crunchy” until he heard it was about half the price of the store bought detergent we’ve been using.  This was so easy Nature Boy (otherwise known as my 5 yr. old) practically made it for me.

1.  Use a cheese grater to finely shave 4 bars of ivory soap (this is where I had some help)

2.  Add 4 cups of 12 Mule Team Borax

3.  Add 4 cups of Arm & Hammer Super Sudsing Soda (I’ve heard this can be hard to find, but we get it at our local Publix)

Mix well and use about 2 tablespoons per load – 3 if things are really dirty.  For really heavy stains I pre-soak the item overnight in a tablespoon of detergent and water.  So far, it’s working really well.  I’ve done about 6 loads of laundry since I made it. 

Tip:  I replaced my fabric softener with 1/2 cup of white vinegar.  I add it to the fabric softener cup on my washer, but you can also put it in a Downy ball.  So far, our clothes have been clean, soft and static free! 

These changes were really easy and make it more affordable to keep unnecessary chemicals out of our clothes and our home.   

Other things I accomplished this week that I hope to blog about later include making and freezing the following for back to school: 2 months worth of homemade pizza crusts and pizza sauce, buckwheat apple/cinnamon pancakes, panko breaded chicken tenders, and maple granola.

Is making your own laundry detergent “too crunchy” as my husband claims or is it something you’d like to try?

• Spaghetti Squash and Mild Pastured Sausage - ”spaghetti” with meat sauce.  I made fresh wheat bread yesterday.  We love to dip it in the extra sauce!
• Eggplant - Grilled eggplant with salmon/pineapple kabobs.  (I have Salmon from the recent sale at Kroger’s and a bag of organic frozen pineapple.)
• Sirloin Tip Roast/green pepper -  slow cooker roast with green peppers, carrots and new potatoes
• Cucumbers/tomatoes/goat cheese – this ones is obvious…just add a little olive oil, vinegar, sea salt and pepper for a refreshing summer salad
• Whole Pastured Chicken – crock-pot chicken with pastured butter and green apples.  I’ll make a side salad to go with it.
• Pastured Eggs – scrambled eggs with spinach and goat cheese and a side of bacon – we have 1/2 lb of pastured bacon left from our last farmer’s market trip. 

Most of these are pretty basic meals that don’t require much of a recipe, but I will post a few recipes throughout the week as I prepare them.  What did you find at the farmer’s market this week?  What are you planning to make?

I went through this same process about this time last year and wrote about the supplements we decided to take.  Since then, I’ve learned a few new things and tried a few new brands so we are making some changes. Below is an updated list of the supplements we’ve settled on and why as well as some tips on where to find them.  In general, I’ve found these are considered universally safe, beneficial and worth the investment.

(Please remember to talk to your doctor before taking any new supplements.  These choices were made based on conversations about our specific nutritional and medical needs.)   

Probiotics: Did you know that 70% of the immune system resides in our digestive system?  (I found that interesting, but I’m kinda dorky like that.)  Probiotics restore microflora (good bacteria) in our guts.   They are especially useful after antibiotic treatments (which kill good and bad bacteria), but can also help regulate bowl movements, boost the immune system and protect against illness. 

Probiotics can be a short term treatment after antibiotics or a daily supplement. We originally started taking them because we had all been on so many antibiotics, but we’ve decided to keep them on the daily supplement list because the good bacteria is essential for digestion, absorption and assimilation.  It seems to me that all the good food we’re eating is more effective when it can be properly digested, absorbed into our bodies.  Our boys also struggle with allergies and eczema, especially in the fall and winter.   Research suggests that probiotics are helpful in treating allergies, asthma and eczema.  They may also be helpful in treating Chron’s Disease, IBS, constipation, lactose intolerance, and may even improve metabolism. 

We’ve been using a new brand over the last month – Vidazorb.  One of my favorite things about it is that it does not require refrigeration, which makes it easier to take with us when we travel.  Most probiotics require refrigeration to keep the good bugs alive, but lab tests of Vidazorb have proven it contains live bugs for up to 2 years (via independent lab testing) without refrigeration.  The tablets are chewable and come in several flavors.  We tried orange/pineapple and I’m a fan.    Bam-Bam (our youngest) wants to eat them like candy, but Nature Boy (our oldest) isn’t a fan of the consistency.  He’s pretty picky that way.  Luckily, they are really easy to crush using the back of a spoon.  If I mix the resulting powder in Nature Boy’s morning drink he doesn’t even know it’s there.   We’ve been taking probiotics for a little over a year and all of the wonderful benefits seemed to continue.  I found the taste really light, not too sweet and more pleasant than swallowing 4 pills of my old supplement.  I just chewed up 1 tablet 3 times a day with my meals. 

GIVEAWAY

(I did not receive any money for this post, but was given a complimentary bottle of Vidazorb® Super C Probiotic Supplement to try.  I was under no obligation to write a review or participate in a giveaway.)

In honor of acidophilus month, Vidazorb is giving away a FREE bottle of Vidazorb® Daily to 5 lucky readers to help families stay healthy.   Readers can enter by doing the following:

   1. Leaving a comment below including your name and email address.
   2. Following Vidazorb® Chewable Probiotics on Facebook or @bellytweet
on Twitter and leave a comment saying that you came from
Broccoli Cupcake
 3. You can get an extra entry if you retweet the following:  “I just entered a giveaway to win a FREE bottle of probiotics from @bellytweet @ http://bit.ly/d1G44W!”

Use the code CBC40 for 40% off the complete Vidazorb® line through August 25. 

 Where to find it:

• Vidazorb – multiple flavors and combinations – online only
• Nature’s Sunshine – Sunshine Heroes Probiotics –online only
• Culturelle for kids – in the refrigerated vitamin section at Whole Foods
• Probiotic Yogurts and Cheeses – at Whole Foods and some other grocers
• Probugs Kefir Drink – at Whole Foods and other grocers

Vitamin D: I think most of us associate Vitamin D with the health of our bones and teeth.  At least I always did.  I originally started taking it because my dad has osteoporosis.  I thought it was a good idea for me to take some preventative measures.  Last year I added it to the boys’ daily supplements at the recommendation of our pediatrician.  I love Vitamin D for its ability to ward off illness, boost our moods, reduce the risk of cancer, quell inflammation, and much more.  Vitamin D may also positively impact high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease.  You can check your vitamin D levels by requesting a simple blood test from your doctor.

Where to find it:

• Cod liver oil supplements – Nordic Naturals
• Calcium and Vitamin D3 supplements – Nature’s Sunshine
• Egg yolks
• Fatty fish like Salmon and Sardines

Omega-3 (DHA and EPA):  Research suggests that most of us are deficient in Omega-3.  I’ve been reading a lot about Omega-3 lately and it is one fat I don’t want to be deficient in.  Omega-3s raise HDL (good cholesterol), Reduce LDL (bad cholesterol), dilate the blood vessels to reduce blood pressure, reduce clotting, inflammation and triglycerides.  The evidence that Omega-3 fats prevent heart disease is significant and growing.  But what really has me sold on Omega-3 is the impact of the fat on our brains.  Omega-3 fats from fish are essential to brain function because our brains cannot produce necessary DHA and EPA from plant oils like flaxseed.  (Other parts of our bodies can benefit from the Omega-3 in plant oils, but not our brains.)  I recently read that in children, Omega-3 fat deficiencies are linked to dyslexia, poor motor skills, and ADHD.  In adults, deficiencies can be linked to anger, hostility and depression.  Omega-3 is brain food and it’s a new addition to our supplement line up.  Our choice is cod liver oil (rich in Omega-3 fats as well as vitamin A and vitamin D).  Choose your fish oil wisely.  It should be wild and unrefined.  I like Nordic Naturals. 

Where to find it:

• Fish and Cod liver oil supplements
• Grass-fed meat
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Kale
• Brussels Sprouts
• Spinach
• Walnuts
• Flaxseed oil

I know that’s a lot to digest (no pun intended).  But it boils down to this. We’ve picked 3 supplements for our family – probiotics, Vitamin D and Omega-3.  Because I take cod liver oil, I can get my Vitamin D and Omega-3s in one supplement, which means all I have to add is the probiotic.  This is manageable for us from a time and money perspective.

What do you think about supplements?  Do you take them?  If so, which ones?

Fresh produce at the farmer's market by Heath Shackleford

 a great resource for anyone interested in healthy eating, but it’s also much more than that.  I first went to the farmer’s market long before the journey that brought us here.  It was simply a fun way to spend time together as a family on a Saturday morning. I can’t speak for all markets, but ours offers live music and entertainment, fresh coffee and breakfast muffins, hot lunch plates, beautiful art work and hands on exhibits like a milking station. 

Today, I continue to go to the farmer’s market because…

• I can find the best variety and selection of produce.  Seriously, the tomato variety alone is amazing. 
• The food has generally been harvested that morning or within the last 24 hours so the taste is far superior to anything I buy at the store.  (This isn’t true for everything, but taste test a quart of blueberries from the farmer’s market and a quart of blueberries from the supermarket and you’ll know why I mention it.)
• The prices.  I always assumed the farmer’s market would be more expensive, but in many cases I’ve found better prices.  This week I saw cantaloupe for $1 at the Nashville farmer’s market.  If you’re shopping at a speciality organic grocer you will definitely find better prices at the farmer’s market on many items including grass-fed beef and pastured eggs.
• Everything is locally grown and most of it is organic even if the farm didn’t have the time or budget to obtain the certification.  This is good for our family and good for the environment.  Ask the farmers and vendors about the techniques.  It gives me peace of mind about our food plus great tips for our home garden.
• Resources.  I pick up a lot more than meat, cheese and produce at the farmer’s market.  I’ve gotten great advice from farmer’s and shoppers on choosing the best tasting produce, delicious recipes for vegetables I didn’t know what to do with and tips for cooking grass-fed beef without drying it out.  Not to mention all the gardening tips!  
• When we shop at the local farmer’s market we’re supporting the local economy.

Before You Go

1.  Bring Cash – some vendors take checks or debit, but many do not

2.  Bring a Reusable Bag or Basket

3.  If your buying meat or dairy or plan to be out for awhile bring a small cooler with ice and leave it in your car

4.  If it’s a new market to you do a quick sweep first to check out all of your options

5.  I like to divide my grocery list (based on my weekly meal plan) into two parts.  Things I can get at the farmer’s market and things I can’t.  I take my list with me so I stay on budget and leave with everything I need.

If you’ve never been to the farmer’s market - or you’re interested in checking out a new - one visit one of the following sites.  I’ve listed national websites first with a searchable database to find the farmer’s market closest to you.  Next, I’ve listed some local resources for my Nashville friends.  You might be surprised at how many amazing farmer’s markets we have across Middle Tennessee.  I know I was!  I’m still hoping to hit them all by the end of the season. 

www.localharvest.org

www.eatwellguide.org

www.picktnproducts.org

www.localtable.net

What do you love most about your local farmer’s market?

by foundnotfound

 vaccine since we are on a delayed schedule.  I decided to go ahead and schedule them both at the same time and just get it all over with (what was I thinking!) 

The weigh-ins and measurements went well, the vision and hearing tests were passed with flying colors.  Then the nurse came in with the blood pressure cuff and I knew I had made a terrible mistake.   Nature Boy’s fit over the blood pressure cuff was unexpected.  Thinking back, it may have brought up traumatic memories from past emergency room visits, but I was still surprised.  His little brother demonstrated it, I demonstrated it, the nurse demonstrated and all the while he screamed with his arms crossed and refused the test.  The pediatrician decided to let it pass because with him so upset we wouldn’t get an accurate reading anyway.  All that was left now was the finger prick (blood test) and the shots.  I braced myself.  

The finger prick was awful.  He thrashed and screamed I tried everything to reassure him, but we couldn’t calm him down.  The nurse said she had to do it and I reluctantly gave her permission to go ahead.  He threw such a fit that he popped the blood vessels in his eyelids – like when you’ve thrown up a lot.  It was so pitiful and I felt horrible!  To make it worse, Bam-Bam was interjecting from his chair, “brother doesn’t want to-brother doesn’t want to!”  I comforted them both and told the nurse we needed a break before the shots. 

The pediatrician came in and we talked about my questions, Nature Boy’s diet, school plans, etc.  Everyone calmed down a bit.  Then we went ahead and gave Bam-Bam his shots.  He was pretty freaked out from his big brothers reactions so I think it was worse than it would have been if I had brought him alone.  Then it was Nature’s Boy turn again.  I held him and talked to him.  I explained why we were getting shots, that it would only hurt for a second, I told him I would hold him through all of it, that mommies and daddies get shots too, and that I would take him for a big bowl of ice cream after.  Through my whole speech he screamed.  I probably should have just said no and brought him back another day, but I didn’t.  The pediatrician sent in two nurses to help and Nature Boy got his shots.  One in each leg.   

Afterwards, he refused to walk and imitating his brother, Bam-Bam refused to walk too.  So I carried them both out, faces red from screaming and crying, as all the other parents watched making the connection between us and the 20 minutes of screams. 

When we got to Cold-Stone Creamery and the boys saw the big cups of vanilla mess with colorful gummy bears peeking out everywhere they suddenly forgot about their legs and decided I was the best mom!  I didn’t feel like the best mom.  Most of the day was a big fat fail, but the ice cream part was good!

What I learned, I have no idea how to prepare my kids for a doctor’s visit.  They’ve been traumatized by tests and procedures in the hospital and the emergency room in the past and I’m not sure anything but time will help with that.  But a good start might be to schedule future appointments individually so they can have my undivided attention.   

If you have suggestions for preparing young kids for a doctor’s visit I would love to hear them!  This post is submitted to Friday Fails at My Blessed Life.

by Angela Schmeidel Randall - Not my recipe but looks a lot like it

 couldn’t eat spaghetti AGAIN!   I wanted something different (and lighter considering it’s about 100 degrees out).  So I broke my rule of never cooking two separate dinners and made myself an impromptu salmon dinner.

It turned out so good and literally had four ingredients so I thought I would take a minute to share it.

1.  Drizzle a glass baking pan with expeller pressed coconut oil (olive oil will work)

2. Lay your cut of salmon over the oil (I use wild caught)

3. Pour in 2 cups of diced pineapple (you can use fresh or frozen)

4.  Drizzle salmon and pineapple with Organic Wheat Free Tamari Soy Sauce

5.  Broil until salmon is tender and flaky

I ate the salmon and pineapple alone because I had also made spaghetti sauce and didn’t want to dirty too many pans, but this would have been even more delicious over a bed of quinoa or on a salad.  I will definitely make this again.

What’s on your menu for tonight?