Last year I had discovered Square Foot Gardening one of the best selling garden books on Amazon and at the time had noticed a follow up book aptly named All New Square Foot Gardening Cookbook. Now, I am a complete cookbook geek especially when they have good pictures (why a cookbook wouldn't have enticing pictures is beyond me) and this Square Foot Gardening cookbook is a beauty.

Mel Bartholomew Speaks about his Gardening Cookbook

Plenty of nice large colorful pictures of not only the dishes, but also of the vegetables and herbs - even if you aren't a gardener you'll have fun with this gardening cookbook. (But after reading this cookbook I'm sure you'll be at least a little bit inspired to try your own garden)

The author, Mel Bartholomew is a whiz in the garden (how beautiful are those plants in his garden by the way? I wanted to eat right off my monitor but it zapped my tongue) he often says eat fresh, eat healthy and eat what you grow and with a garden like that I'm sure you could make fantastic salads right out of the garden.

Not only does the Square Foot Gardening Cookbook have more than 135 recipes to enjoy the harvest from your square foot garden (or farmers market, or store if you haven't braved the garden gnomes) Mel adds harvesting techniques and yield information for each of the seventeen vegetables, fruits, and herbs and adds money saving tips, square foot garden tips, and even a kid's gardening corner for lots of family fun.

If you didn't catch my last post on EarthBoxes vs Square Foot Gardening take a peek and try one of these easy methods for yourself then have fun with some fresh from the garden recipes.

Other Gardening Tips in the Square Foot Gardening Cookbook

• Planting schedule for continuous crop harvesting
• When to harvest plants
• How to harvest
• Tips for storage
• Plant spacing
• Kids corner for family fun

Default By Relevance Bestselling Average customer review: high to low Price: low to high Price: high to low Publication date: newer to older Alphabetical: A to Z Alphabetical: Z to A

All New Square Foot Gardening List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: $10.95 You save: $9.04 (45%)   Eligible for free shipping!

Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: $10.97 You save: $9.02 (45%)   Eligible for free shipping!

This Post on the Square Foot Gardening Cookbook Shared on Real Food Wednesday

Vegetable Garden Tips and a Gardening Cookbook to Boot is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Readers who enjoyed this page, also viewed:

• EarthBox VS Square Foot Gardening – And the Winner Is?

]]> http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/320/vegetable-garden-tips-and-tasty-cookbook-to-boot/feed 11 http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/302/earthbox-vs-square-foot-gardening http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/302/earthbox-vs-square-foot-gardening#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:00:27 +0000 Chris http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/?p=302 Continue Reading »

EarthBox VS Square Foot Gardening – And the Winner Is? is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

]]> Ok it's official EarthBoxes beat out Square Foot Gardening in a tag team cage match, okay I don't know where that came from I don't even watch wrestling but if I did the EarthBox container gardening method would be the Hulk Hogan of small space gardening.

EarthBox vs Square Foot Gardening, and the Winner Is?

When you compare EarthBoxes vs Square Foot Gardening you have to take into consideration what you are looking to get out of gardening and how much space you have. With Square Foot Gardening you need more space but you also get a more traditional gardening feel - you get to play in more dirt and maybe pull a few weeds (although if done right you won't really have that many weeds to contend with - Square Foot Gardening really is a rock solid method)

What I like about EarthBoxes and what you'll like as well is the ease with which you keep the plants watered - just fill the reservoir with water when needed and the plants do all the work - they just grow.

Last spring I had planted basil in my square foot garden (well I skimped a bit so it is more like my rectangle foot garden but the concept is the same) and they finally decided to grow at the end of the season so I had to bring them indoors - at which point they took off like a green thumbed rocket - why? I put them in a pot that has one of those easy fill reservoir bottoms - just add water when needed and the plants do all the work. That is the beauty of the Earthbox - whether you find a manual on how to make your own earthbox or you find a great EarthBox sale online I think you'll love your results. Plus you can use them indoors so if you live "up norte" like we do you can grow your favorite vegetables and herbs all year long!

Square Foot Gardening miniaturized with an EarthBox

If you aren't the do-it-your-self type or don't think you'll have the time to make a homemade earthbox there are always sales on Amazon for the EarthBox Garden Kit (Model number RB-EB-TRC-PBB although that isn't really a number and what in the heck do all those extra letters stand for? Really Boss Earth Box Terra-cotta Peanut Butter and Banana I think) At the time of this posting the EarthBox was on sale for 29% off list price - and is the hottest selling container gardening product - the word is out on how easy to use the EarthBox is. (if you are in doubt just check out the great earthbox reviews - you'll love 'em too)

Enjoy your earthbox or square foot gardening this year - and let me know whacha growin' I'll stop by for supper when it's ready. And while you are in the mood for garden goodies check out our post on the Square Foot Gardening Cookbook.

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EarthBox 1010002 Garden Kit, Terra Cotta List Price: $45.31 Sale Price: $33.43 You save: $11.88 (26%)   Eligible for free shipping!

EarthBox 1010053 Staking System In Terra Cotta for the EarthBox Garden Kit List Price: $34.99 Sale Price: $30.49 You save: $4.50 (13%)   Eligible for free shipping!

This Post on the Earthbox vs Square Foot Gardening Shared on Real Food Wednesday

EarthBox VS Square Foot Gardening – And the Winner Is? is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

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]]> http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/302/earthbox-vs-square-foot-gardening/feed 2 http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/286/healthy-banana-bread-recipe-with-a-mango-ginger-twist http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/286/healthy-banana-bread-recipe-with-a-mango-ginger-twist#comments Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:23:05 +0000 Chris http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/?p=286 Continue Reading »

Healthy Banana Bread Recipe with a Mango Ginger Twist is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

]]>

A Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe
with a Mango Twist and Ginger Surprise

Sometimes the best recipe experiments are a result of ingredients that have to be used up before they go bad - that works especially well for a banana bread recipe since you need well ripe bananas - what better way to use up those brown skin beauties.

Well this time I not only had a few very ripe bananas but I had a mango that needed to be used up right away as well - so the 'ol kitchen creative bug bit me in the keister and the result was a rather delicious surprise. (ok I'm sure plenty of other people have made banana mango bread but I'd like to think I'm special too).

So without further ado (although feel free to throw down a drum roll if you like) here is my Mango Ginger Banana Bread Recipe:

I'll list the earth friendly organic ingredients (thus the somewhat healthy banana bread recipe) that I try to use but you can use whatever you have on hand - I won't tell...

Mango Ginger Banana Bread Recipe Ingredients

1/2 cup organic sugar
1 tbs Truvia (I use the natural sweetener Truvia to cut down on the amount of sugar - you can supplement all of the sugar with a natural sweetener if you'd like)

1 stick organic butter
2 large organic eggs
2 large very ripe bananas
1/2 to 3/4 diced very ripe mango depending on how much you sample
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt

cinnamon sugar
coconut oil

Directions:
Heat oven to 350º - Grease bottom of 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with coconut oil. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in bananas, mango, buttermilk, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in flour, ginger powder, baking soda, and sea salt just until moistened.

Pour into baking pan sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar and bake for about an hour - or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool as long as you can resist the delectable smell and enjoy - last but not least send everyone you know back to Earth Friendly Goodies to tell us what they thought of our Banana Mango Ginger Bread recipe (not required but it is always nice)

What do you like to spice up your banana bread recipe with - please share in the comments below.

This Post on my delightfully delicious banana bread recipe Shared on Real Food Wednesdays, Fight Back Friday and Fat Tuesday

Healthy Banana Bread Recipe with a Mango Ginger Twist is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

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]]> http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/286/healthy-banana-bread-recipe-with-a-mango-ginger-twist/feed 5 http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/265/bpa-free-dishes-for-kids-unbreakable-and-tough-as-nails http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/265/bpa-free-dishes-for-kids-unbreakable-and-tough-as-nails#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:10:18 +0000 Chris http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/?p=265 Continue Reading »

BPA Free Dishes for Kids – Unbreakable and Tough as Nails is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

]]> Every time I look in the cupboard to grab a plate or cup for our kids I am reminded that we really need to find non plastic BPA free dishes, preferably unbreakable dishes for kids. With all the warnings about BPA leaching into our food (especially when microwaved) I really don't want that stuff any where near my kids. So I usually gamble and give them our quite breakable good dishes... and face the wrath of Brandi when she scolds me for letting the kids use her artsy dishes. (so far I have been lucky but if ever one should break I'll be sleeping on the couch for a month)

But where can I find BPA Free unbreakable dishes for kids?

Just today she handed me a torn out page of a Parents magazine in which they had a little blurb about Kidishes - BPA free dishes for kids, drinking glasses, bowls and plates that are made out of Duralex tempered glass. I know you are thinking give glass dishes to my kids - yeah right! The thing is these Tempered glass dishes are supposed to be 4 to 5 times stronger than standard glass because they are made through extreme heating and rapid cooling, thus quite nearly unbreakable dishes!

You can find Duralex unbreakable dishes for sale at Amazon. The Kidishes often sell out fast on Amazon but I did find one source where you can buy Kidishes as well as a fun video showing off the seemingly indestructible nature of these dishes. Take a peek at the vid and then go to ZoeB Organic to check out these kid friendly 100% recyclable, dishwasher safe, microwaveable, BPA free Duralex unbreakable dishes for kids (whew that was a mouthful)

You can also find a good deal on Duralex unbreakable dishes for sale on eBay with a few Kidishes on there from time to time as well.

This Post on BPA free unbreakable dishes for kids shared on Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday

If you are looking for another non plastic option for school lunch containers check out our post on LunchBots - unbreakable dishes, or rather lunch containers made from stainless steel. Well ok, stainless steel isn't usually associated with unbreakable dishes but that was my theme here so I'm sticking with it.

BPA Free Dishes for Kids – Unbreakable and Tough as Nails is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

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]]> http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/265/bpa-free-dishes-for-kids-unbreakable-and-tough-as-nails/feed 11 http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/251/no-more-headaches-with-natura-zero-voc-paint http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/251/no-more-headaches-with-natura-zero-voc-paint#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:15:56 +0000 Chris http://earthfriendlygoodies.com/eco-blog/?p=251 Continue Reading »

No More Headaches with Natura Zero-VOC Paint is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

]]> Benjamin Moore Natura Waterborne Interior Paint: an Environmentally Friendly Paint with Style

While some people might like that new paint smell it turns out that smell, or the chemicals that cause that smell are pretty harmful. Volatile organic compounds or VOC's are basically chemical compounds that are small enough to vaporize or become airborne. The VOC's in paints, air fresheners and household cleaning products build up in a home and can cause allergies, asthma, headaches, damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system, or even cause leukemia. It is often called the sick building syndrome.

It is pretty frightening to find out just how many sources of VOC's there are in a home so when I read about Benjamin Moore's Natura Zero-VOC paint I had to check it out.

From what I've read it looks to be a very high quality low VOC paint that has gone through rigorous testing with regard to performance and more importantly environmental and health friendliness.

Natura paint qualifies as a zero-VOC paint, it even has lower VOC levels than other national zero-VOC paints as tested by California's Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS). Which if you are astute sends up a "hey I thought they said it was zero-VOC!" red flag, so basically the zero-VOC label is a bit of a misnomer - it does have significantly less VOC's than most other "zero-VOC" paints and when compared to regular paints is practically drinkable. (I really wouldn't recommend that though)

Benjamin Moore created a new Green Promise designation to assure that the paints are environmentally friendly and meet or exceed the high standards of performance and eco-friendliness set by major environmental organizations such as LEED, MPI Green, Green Guard, CHPS, and Green Seal so as far as the major Green watchdogs go this paint is as good as you can get.

Natura paint comes in several finishes as well as a zero-VOC primer.

Eggshell, also called satin, eggshell paint has a slight sheen and is easy to scub and clean, however it has a reduced ability to hide uneven surfaces.

Flat, or matte is non-reflective and absorbs light. It hides surface imperfections well but doesn't hold up to scrubbing.

Semi-Gloss, is reflective, durable and easy to clean however it highlights surface imperfections.

For a great guide to painting with eco-friendly paints check out Painting Green: Color with Care by Timothy Klein. He gives an in-depth step by step approach to painting from a green perspective. Lots of tips and tricks for getting that professionally painted look in a more affordable do-it-yourself way. And best of all he highlights every way to make the painting process more eco-friendly as well as health friendly.

No More Headaches with Natura Zero-VOC Paint is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

A Cyber Monday sensation to sink your teeth into, this natural cake mix is due for a huge discount in Amazon's Cyber Monday promotion. (Keep your clicking fingers nice and limber around 12pm PST to snatch up the best price)

This 100% natural cake mix has no artificial ingredients, colors, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, dairy or soy, and is completely kosher. I did notice that it is manufactured in a facility that also handles wheat, eggs, milk, soy and tree nuts so it can't really claim to be 100% free of soy and dairy, and the chocolate cookies do have canola oil in them which while better than most vegetable oils still isn't the best for you, but overall it is still quite a bit better than most "regular" cake mixes.

So how is it on taste? That may be up to personal opinion but Naturally Nora products have been very well received by many natural food lovers. I would add though that this is not a light and fluffy cake - it is one of the more dense varieties of cake mixes you often find with natural baked goods - unfortunately those hydrogenated oils serve a purpose after all. I would imagine though that one could experiment with adding coconut oil or perhaps apple sauce and it may help add a bit of fluffiness.

If you've tried Naturally Nora cake mixes please leave us your opinion below, we'd love to hear from you.

Naturally Nora Cookie Cookie Cake Mix Super Sale is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

I've been reading about the thinksport bottles made by thinkbaby and they sound like a much better product. First off they are double walled and vacuum sealed stainless steel - that means they won't burn the heck out of your hands like a Sigg does if you put a hot drink in them. Even better they have a mesh screen so if you want to put ice in your water you won't chip a tooth from ice crashing into your teeth and for all the tea lovers out there this is a brilliant way to add tea leaves to some hot water and enjoy your favorite tea on the go.

But what we really want to know is where did they hide the BPA? Well good to know is that the thinksport bottles are completely free of Bisphenol-A (BPA), Lead, Cadmium, PVC and Phthalates. (most of there products are made for babies so they take great care to make them VERY safe)

Thinksport bottles come in 12oz (350ml) and 25oz (750ml) sizes and some classy natural silver, matte black, metallic purple and metallic blue colors. On sale at Amazon for $16.95.

If you want a chance to win a free 750ml Silver thinksport bottle head over to Focus Organic's thinksport giveaway.

Bye Bye Siggy BPA Free ThinkSport Bottle Giveaway is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Well, my creative kitchen gremlin tapped me on the shoulder and said "hey buddy let's experiment." So experiment we did.

Here is my Organic Old Fashioned Oatmeal Slow Cooker Recipe:

2 Cups dry Organic Old Fashioned Oats
2 Cups chopped apples (hand picked from a local orchard adds a little family fun)
2 1/2 Cups milk
1 1/2 Cups water
4 Tbsp. honey
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves (or 5-6 crushed bulbs)
coconut oil

Grease your slow cooker with some coconut oil. Mix all the ingredients in your slow cooker set the timer on Low for 4 hours and wait patiently until you have one fine batch of spiced apple oatmeal. mm-mmm good!

Note: to take advantage of the full nutrient power of the oats soak them overnight in yogurt or buttermilk. Sound strange? You bet, but whole grains like oats have phytic acid which binds with the vitamins and minerals in our bodies and prevents them from being absorbed. Soaking them in an acidic medium like buttermilk, whey, yogurt, lemon juice, or vinegar overnight neutralizes the phytic acid and makes them easier to digest.

This post shared on Fight Back Fridays and Real Food Wednesday.

Organic Old Fashioned Oatmeal Slow Cooker Recipe is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Often times bad breath is a result of periodontal disease (or gum disease to those of us not versed in dentist speak), gingivitis or just plain morning dry mouth. Without getting into a rather disgusting explanation, in all the above cases bacteria is the culprit.

So what is one to do to cure bad breath naturally and more importantly find a natural remedy for periodontal disease which causes bad breath?

I may have discovered a product that is the salvation for those of us suffering from periodontal disease, gingivitis, bleeding gums, canker sores, plain old bad breath or surprisingly even cavities themselves. I stumbled upon Vita-Myr recently and based on the testimonials I was excited to give it a try. Vita-Myr makes a line of Zinc-Plus all natural herbal toothpastes and mouthwash that sound nothing short of amazing.

The story behind the creation of Vita-Myr Herbal products is very inspiring. Robert Takhtalian at the age of only 44 had periodontal disease so bad that his teeth were loose (the Tooth Fairy was on her way kind of loose) and the only thing his dentist could do was remove the teeth. As you can imagine that didn't go over well with Robert or his wife Yvonne so they spent a year researching and developing natural remedies for periodontal disease. That research resulted in a vitamin, mineral and Herb combination that could be used in a mouthwash. After that year he had no sores in his mouth, no bleeding, no bad breath and his teeth had tightened up in his gums to the point that he could eat anything including chewing gum and even apples. That kind of natural cure is amazing in this age of fad products, but his story isn't the only inspiring tale being shared. Read more amazing results here.

We've been trying the Vita-Myr mouthwash, original formula toothpaste and the new Zinc-Plus Xtra with CoQ10 and Xylitol (which includes a whole bevy of additional curative benefits) for a couple weeks now, and while we won't know if it aids in curing periodontal disease until our next check ups it certainly helps in a few areas so far - including that nasty dry mouth morning breath.

First off Vita-Myr leaves your teeth feeling squeaky clean with a pleasant fresh breath. One of the main ingredients is clove oil so if you like clove you'll love these products. If you aren't a fan of clove try the mouthwash first it has a milder clove flavor - or you can give the all natural Vita-Myr orange flavored kids toothpaste a shot - that will be the next one we try since our kids think the clove is too "spicy". The clove is also anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory which helps in curing periodontal disease. Another key gum disease fighting ingredient is Myrrh (yes as in Frankincense and Myrrh). Gum inflammation and bleeding is also reduced by folic acid - which helps fight plaque as well.

The fourth key ingredient in the mouthwash and toothpastes is zinc. Zinc also has anti-bacterial properties, inhibits plaque growth, reduces wound healing time and eliminates VSC's (volatile sulfur compounds) which is a key factor in causing bad breath. One of the benefits of the Vita-Myr products I have noticed is a boost to my immune system which can also be attributed to zinc and the overall bad bacteria fighting properties of all the natural ingredients. A week after starting on the products I had the beginning signs of a cold - being surrounded on all sides by sick co-workers and family it is hard to avoid, but avoid it I did. A result of using Vita-Myr? Quite possibly so, as far as curing periodontal disease naturally we'll have to see. I'll do a follow up post in a few months when I have another visit to the 'ol dentist. Until then ... I intend to keep using my Vita-Myr.

Vita-Myr: A Natural Gum Disease Treatment and Bad Breath Banisher is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

I like to try new things so when I spotted New Grist beer and the label claiming it was all natural and gluten free I had to give it a shot. For those of you with Celiac Disease (an intolerance to gluten) if you've been mourning the loss of a good brew now and then you'll dance in the streets naked after trying this beer. (well, maybe you should put a few clothes on since it is getting a bit cold out these days).

It turns out New Grist beer from Lakefront Brewery is the first beer brewed without malted barley or any gluten containing ingredients to be recognized as beer by the the U.S. government.

So what's in it then you ask? New Grist is brewed from sorghum, hops, water, rice and gluten-free yeast grown on molasses. I was surprisingly delighted to find I really enjoyed it, in fact it had a very crisp slightly fruity refreshing taste - a perfect Fall beer that goes well with a nice juicy burger, a plate of good 'ol spaghetti and meet balls or even a bowl of ice-cream well, maybe not ice-cream, depends on how much you like your beer but it was a very nice accompaniment to a wide variety of tastes and it would make a killer addition to your favorite wing sauce.

A Gluten Free Home Run for New Grist Beer is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies