from "Living Cuisine" by Renee Loux Underkoffler

Use the acid in pineapple skins as a natural whitener for clothing: Soak pineapple skins in a bucket of water overnight. Remove the skins and soak the clothes for several hours in the water. Wring out the clothes and put through the rinse cycle of the washing machine (compliments of an old Hawaiian auntie on Maui).

For a sensual cuticle softener, mix together 2 tablespoons of fresh pineapple juice and 1 tablespoon of apple cide vinegar. Soak nails in the mixture for a half hour.

Growing Baby Beet Greens

It is easy to grow baby beet greens on your windowsill. Simply cut off a half inch of the beet top. Place in a shallow bowl or on a plate with a lip and fill with a half inch of water. Leave it on the windowsill in indirect sunlight. Add water to keep the water level at a half inch as necessary. Beet leaves will sprout and grow in a few daysl. This is a wonderful way to grow greens in cold climates.

Dried Mushrooms

Most wild mushrooms are available dried. To reconstitute dried mushrooms, soak them in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes. Dried mushrooms are nutritious and delicious, having a stronger flavor than the fresh varieties, but, as with any dried food, such as dried herbs, dried mushrooms do not have quite the same delicate texture, flavor, or nutritional value as fresh mushrooms.  (DALE HATES MUSHROOms. So could care less about that LOL)

Avoid Chemicals and Pesticides

It is essential to use only organic tomatoes and peppers. Both have a very thin skin and are subject to an incredible onslaught of chemicals and pesticides in commercial cultivation.

The EPA and the National Academy of Sciences studied commercailly grown food that has the greatest estimated risk of causing cancer becasue of the high levels of toxic chemical residue and carcinogenic agricultural chemicals. In order of risk, the most dangerous commercially grown foods are tomatoes, beef, potatoes, oranges, lettuce, apples, peaches, pork, wheat, soybeans, beans, carrots, chicken, corn, and grapes.

Comments:

Dale! Do you know how much pineapples cost here? I wouldn't use it for cleaning. Also, we get a lot of fresh mushrooms here. Gosh, we use a lot of fresh tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce... well, everything on the last list. I wouldn't know where to get organic... well, Trader Joe's, but that's so far away and gas prices... Guess I didn't need to come back just to complain, did I?? Great article w/ good advice!!

Interesting stuff!

comment by hopefields on June 28, 2008 10:55 PM ()

mahalo

reply by panthurdreams on June 30, 2008 2:59 PM ()