That’s what it would take to support my current lifestyle according to the Ecological Footprint Calculator by The Earth Day Network. (Via green LA girl.)

Ouch.

Categories: environment
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I was just catching up on some of the “green families” posts on a cloth diapering message board when I came across a thread for homemade detergents that piqued my interest. With so many things going up in price these days, and the unfortunate fact that having a baby has increased my laundry and dishwashing usage, I’d like a more economical alternative for my detergent needs; that is, I require “free & clear” type laundry detergent for the baby’s clothes and diapers, as well as stain and bacteria fighters. Most of these I get at Whole Foods, which is the LAST place to go if you want to save any money.

So tomorrow, I’m on a small mission to pick up some ingredients for homemade laundry, diaper, and dishwasher detergents. They’re simple, economical, and so far, I’ve read a lot of good feedback about the results. Can’t wait to try them!

Super Gentle Homemade Laundry Soap
1 cup Washing Soda (I plan to pick up a 5lb bucket of Soda Ash from the local pool supply store)
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1 bar Castile soap (I’m a fan of Dr. Bronner’s)

1. Slice soap into strips and run through food processor to make “soap beads”
2. Combine soap beads, borax, and washing soda
3. Use 1 tablespoon for small loads, 2 tablespoons for large loads. Twice as much for soiled clothes, half as much for HE washers

Homemade Diaper Detergent
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1 cup OxiClean Free

1. Combine all ingredients
2. Use 2 tablespoons for a small load, 1/4 cup for a large load

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
Washing Soda
20 Mule Team Borax
Distilled White Vinegar

1. Add one tablespoon of washing soda to the dishwasher dispenser
2. Add one tablespoon of borax to the dishwasher dispenser
3. Pour distilled white vinegar into the dispenser for the clear rinse gel

Categories: home, ideas
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Maybe not quite an expert yet, but I’m getting there! I mentioned (somewhere I can’t remember) how I couldn’t peel an apple to save my own hide, and that I cheated by giving the baby jarred organic applesauce from Trader Joe’s. Well, overconsumption gods forgive me, but I decided to get something to help me out: a Y Peeler. And you know what? It totally works. In the few days I’ve owned this thing, I’ve already peeled two apples and four pears. (That’s a lot of baby food!) WITH EASE, I might add!

(OK, the apples gave me a bit of trouble and I was fearful of shaving off some of my own skin accidentally, but still.)

Categories: cooking, gear
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Even with the availability of “organic” baby food in mainstream stores — you can usually find both Gerber Organic and Earth’s Best at Target and Babies ‘R Us — there was no question that I would make the little guy’s food at home. I haven’t spent much time in the kitchen since bringing the baby home, so I was even more excited about going back in there, even if it’s just to make simple baby food.

The first thing I needed to do was figure out how to make purees. While I do own a large Cuisinart food processor, I felt that unless I was making HUGE batches of food, the thing was too cumbersome to use and clean. I ended up picking up the BabySteps Electric Food Mill by KidCo. Originally, I thought about getting a Magic Bullet or even a Cuisinart Mini Food Processor, but I ended up going with the KidCo one because the plastics are BPA- and phthalate-free. (I’m not that gung-ho on the whole BPA thing, but I do like to be cautious. In my opinion, it’s better to be safe than sorry, so when there are suitable alternatives, I’ll go with the BPA-free stuff.)

Next, I needed instructions. I realize the idea of pureeing food seems simple enough, but I’m anal and since what I’m about to make is going into my kid’s mouth, I wanted to be sure I was doing things correctly. Through various journals and message boards, I found wholesomebabyfood.com — it’s a great site that’s chock full of recipes for baby, as well as other helpful information. (Best of all, it’s FREE!) Another source I looked at (which is NOT FREE) is Annabel Karmel’s book First Meals. The book is a nice addition to my cookbook collection and it has recipes and ideas for older kids, but for the sake of making baby food, it was a splurge and an unnecessary purchase — I just keep telling myself that I’ll continue to have use for it down the line when my kid is older.

The final piece was figuring out how to store the food. I’ve pretty much swapped all my plastic food containers with glass ones — the plastic ones now help keep the junk drawer organized — and I wasn’t sure what would hold up best in the freezer. The simplest way would be to use ice cube trays, but since we have none (our freezer has an ice cube maker), I decided to pick up a couple of these Jumbo Baby Cubes from One Step Ahead instead. Each cube holds about 2oz of food, has a tethered lid (a good thing because I always manage to loose lids), is freezer/microwave/dishwasher-safe, and is made out of BPA- and phthalate-free plastic (as researched by SafeMama).

After a quick trip to our local Trader Joe’s yesterday to pick up some organic pears, carrots, and sweet potatoes, I made my first batches of baby food. They turned out OK, though I think they could have steamed for a little longer (I used a regular stainless steel saucepan and a collapsable steamer basket I already had in my kitchen). We’re good for at least a week since I only give the baby solid food twice a day — fruit in the morning, and veggies at night. And even though I think my pureeing skills need some help, it’s so good to know that I know exactly what I’m putting into baby’s mouth and tummy.

Categories: baby, cooking, food, gear, ideas, shopping
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