Jamie Oliver Does Chicken Nuggets

2010-03-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

... and the kids love it!

Whole Foods and the Myth of Natural

2010-03-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

A must read:

Whole Foods and the Myth of Natural

Do We Need Bottled Water?

2009-05-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Please watch this and use home filtered water in steel containers. Avoid plastic and aluminum.
Water Disaster

View more presentations from Dr.nehal Vaidya.

Non-Toxic cleaning

2009-05-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

What are Pure Soap Flakes? Pure Soap Flakes are small, crystal like flakes of pure vegetable soap made from a signature blend of 100% pure vegetable oils and water. They are the mildest of cleaners and do not contain injurious bleaches, chemicals, enzymes, phosphates or perfumes. Pure Soap Flakes are completely biodegradable and proudly tested on animals and other living creatures. Pure Soap Flakes are perfect for washing natural fibers and delicate fabrics such as cotton, wool, silk, chiffon and specially treated microfiber fabrics such as waterproof sports and outdoor clothing. Pure Soap Flakes are good for babies, pets and people with sensitive skin and allergies.Why Pure Soap Flakes? By using flakes of pure concentrated soap, one can add water as needed. Use them alone, or with other natural cleaning ingredients, to create a soap solutions specific to the laundry or cleaning application desired. Our flakes are a concentrate of over 90% pure vegetable soap that are completely dry. They are dried in a 3 phase process and made from the highest quality ingredients specially formulated to clean and launder gently and naturally.
Launder natural and delicate fabrics with Pure Soap Flakes? Wools, silks, cottons and lace launder beautifully with Pure Soap Flakes. Most natural fibers and delicate fabrics benefit from the gentle cleansing and restorative properties of Pure Soap Flakes. Laundering with Pure Soap Flakes has a conditioning and smoothing effect on protein fibers such as wool and silk, and elicits a plush softening response in cellulose fibers such as cotton and flannel. Pure Soap Flakes are kind to delicate lace and fragile antique fabrics. Babies clothes and blankets will be extra soft after washing in Pure Soap Flakes.

Uses for Pure Soap Flakes:

Launder natural fibers and delicate fabrics gently.
Wash babies clothes for extra care and softness.
Shampoo pets, show dogs and show horses for a beautiful coat.
Wash boats, cars, and motorcycles while being environmentally friendly.
Shampoo wool pads, fine carpets and rugs for longevity.
Wash fine furniture and priceless antiques for a natural sheen.
Wash leather and woven cord without drying.
Wash and clean toys chemically free.
Wash linens - cotton, flannel and silk.
Wash cashmere and woollen sweaters.
Wash cotton and woollen blankets.
Wash down comforters and jackets.
Launder fine lace, antique fabrics and lingerie.
Wash wood - oak, pine, teak, walnut, mahogany and cherry.
Wash and clean musical instruments with care - wood and metal.
Clean valuable jewelry.
Wash fragile ceramics, crystal and glassware.
Wash precious china, porcelain and marble.
Wash custom window treatments.
Wash linoleum, vinyl and fiberglass.
Wash tile, brick and stone.
Clean your fireplace without harsh chemicals. Be amazed!
Wash walls and wallpaper.
Clean your refrigerator safely.
Clean your range and range top.
Clean your computer with out causing static.
Wash your fruits and vegetables before eating.
Great for camping! Dish soap, body wash and shamoo too.
Make crafts - holiday frost, soap crayons and soap sculptures.
Whip into a lather for creative soap making and craft projects.
Combine with other natural cleaning ingredients..

Oh yeah, did we mention everyday cleaning.Wash your kids, your car, your dishes, your laundry, your...Clean most everything!

Directions for most cleaning and washing:

Mix about ½ cup Pure Soap Flakes to a gallon of hot water.
Mix thoroughly or agitate in washer. Let cool for cold water washing.
Refer to fabric or product washing instructions. Test in a small area.
Always rinse well with clean water. Dry accordingly.

How to dissolve Pure Soap Flakes in water:

The hotter the water the easier to completely dissolve the Pure Soap Flakes.
If using cold water, pre-soak the Pure Soap Flakes until soft, then mix.
More Pure Soap Flakes and less water will create a thicker more soapy mixture.
Fewer Pure Soap Flakes and more water creates a thinner less soapy mixture.

Green Clean naturally with Pure Soap Flakes: Pure Soap Flakes can be used alone or combined with baking soda, borax, washing soda and vinegar in different ratios for a more specific and gregarious washing mixture that is toxin free and Earth friendly.Pure Soap Flakes :(soap), the molecules in soap attract dirt and grease on one end and are water soluble on the other end, forcing dirt out.Baking Soda :(sodium bicarbonate), a sodium salt. Perfect for deodorizing, softening water and scouring.Borax :(hydrated sodium borate) sodium and boron, a naturally occurring mineral. It can be used for disinfecting, cleaning, deodorizing, and whitening.Hydrogen peroxide :is used as a safer and more eco-friendly bleach.Washing Soda :(sodium carbonate), is related to baking soda and is much more powerful. It cuts through grease and oil, softens water, and disinfects.Vinegar :(acid) a sour liquid containing acetic acid. It’s the acid that cuts through grease and germs.

Simple recipes to green clean, wash, launder, bathe, and shampoo with Pure Soap Flakes:All Purpose Cleaner : Pure Soap Flakes and borax and/or baking soda in different ratios. Use washing soda if you need a heavy duty de-greaser. Dissolve in water. Use on tub, tile, sink, toilet, floors and counters.Glass Cleaner : 1 tablespoon Pure Soap Flakes to a gallon of white vinegar.Basic Laundry Use (dry) : ½ cup Pure Soap Flakes, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 borax, 1/4 cup washing soda. Mix ingredients together. Store in a plastic container. For a light load use ½ cup-1 cup, a heavy or soiled load use 2 cups.Basic Laundry Use (liquid) : 1 cup Pure Soap Flakes, 1/4 cup baking soda, ½ cup borax, , 2 cups water. Mix Pure Soap Flakes, baking soda, and borax and add the water. Store in a plastic container. Use ½ - 3/4 cup per load.Liquid / Gel Soap : 2 cups Pure Soap Flakes, ½ gallon of water. Mix together in large pot over low heat, stir occasionally until soap has dissolved. Transfer to a jar and cover tightly. For a less thick gel soap, use 1 gallon of water.General All Purpose Liquid Cleaner : 1 tbsp Pure Soap Flakes, 1 quart warm or hot water. To make stronger add: 2 tbsp borax, 1 tsp white vinegar. Dissolve the Pure Soap Flakes in the water and add the other ingredients.Dish Detergent : 2 cups Pure Soap Flakes, ½ cup borax and 1 gallon water.

Put Soap Flakes and borax into large pot, add water, stir. Heat over medium heat stirring occasionally until soap is dissolved. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Store in tightly covered container. Add a little white vinegar when you wash dishes to cut grease. Brick and Fireplace Soot Cleaner : Pure Soap Flakes and water. Dissolve Pure Soap Flakes in water making a thicker soap mixture. Cover the brick completely. Let soak. Scrub with a brush. Rinse with clean water. Be amazed!Hand & Body Wash : 1 part Pure Soap Flakes, 1 part water. Dissolve Pure Soap Flakes in water, pour in plastic container to half full. Cover, shake, let set. It can be used as a shampoo too!
Hand wash your woollens with Pure Soap Flakes.

Prepare : Completely dissolve Pure Soap Flakes in a bucket, basin, or sink by pouring a bit of boiling water over a small handful of them. Add cold water and make lukewarm sudsy water.Launder : Place the wool garment in the lukewarm sudsy water. Move and squeeze the garment gently through the sudsy water. Do not rub or leave to soak, this will fray or weaken the wool fibers. Give extra attention to soiled areas by gently massaging with your fingertips and moving sudsy water through the area until the dirt has lifted. Always support the garment when wet.

Rinse : Thoroughly and completely rinse with clean, lukewarm water. This will take a few, maybe more, exchanges of clean water. Add a ¼ cup of white vinegar in the second to final rinse water to ensure there will be no soap residue by neutralizing any that might remain. Rinse again with clean lukewarm water. Squeeze gently to remove excess water without wringing or twisting to retain the original shape and size of the garment.

Dry : Lay the garment flat on a clean thick towel and roll it up. Apply pressure and squeeze, the towel will act as a blotter., pressing as much of the water out of the garment as possible. Lay the garment flat to air dry on a clean dry towel, dry rack or dry screen. Ease the garment back to its original shape and size. Avoid excessive or direct heat. Do not hang, always dry flat. Never put wet wool in an automatic dryer, it will seriously shrink.

Be careful to NOT use : too hot of water, too much soap, too much rubbing, too much soaking, too much vinegar, too little rinsing, too little love.

Never : use bleach or super washing soda on wool, they will damage protein fibers. If you need a bleaching procedure, hydrogen peroxide can be used gingerly. It is a weak acid with strong oxidizing (bleaching) properties. Vinegar and lemon juice can also be used. The minerals in your water, if you have hard (alkaline) water, can also damage wool fibers. Wool is a protein fiber and attracts critters such as moths. A natural and safe way to repel such a nuisance, and possible degradation of your garment, is to use 100% essential oils such as basil, bay, cedar, eucalyptus, lavender, pennyroyal, rosemary, or tansy.

WE DO NOT use palm oil in our Pure Soap Flakes! Many other soap flake companies use Asian palm oil as an ingredient in their soap flakes :-(WE DO NOT!Palm oil is very inexpensive because of its uncontrolled and unregulated harvesting of the Rain Forest and Mother Earth.
Demand for palm oil 'is damaging the planet'“Growing demand for Asian palm oil by some of the world's largest companies, such as Unilever, Nestlé and Procter & Gamble, is now one of the principal drivers of climate change. Large-scale clearance of tropical forests for oil palm plantations, to feed a growing requirement for cheap vegetable oil for use in the food, cosmetics and biofuel industries, has been responsible for rising emissions of carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas.”by Michael McCarthy, Environment EditorGreen LivingFriday, 9 November 2007WE DO NOT use a synthetic surfactant in our Pure Soap Flakes!Many other soap flake companies use a synthetic surfactant as one of the ingredients in their soap flakes.WE DO NOT! Our Pure Soap Flakes are all natural and completely biodegradable.We choose to make our quality Pure Soap Flakes with sustainable soybean oil.We are proud to support farming and be a conscientious soap producer on planet Earth.

To Order Pure Soap Flakes call 218 543-4829$15.95 (per pound /454 grams) plus Shipping and Handling $4.95 USPS Shipping (Continental USA) Made in USA.
The Pure Soap Flake Company • Pine River, Minnesota USA 56474 • Available for private label.

April Gardening hints

2009-05-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

In the Southern California Coastal and Inland Valleys.
Fertilize vegetables every six weeks or so with an organic fertilizer or worm castings and other nourishing composts.
In hot weather, top your garden with moisture retaining, organic top soil.

To attract the greatest variety of birds to your feeders, provide a variety of foods, including cracked corn, suet and sunflower, millet, milo and thistle seeds. You can make your own suet blocks and enjoy the fact that you have invited a variety of birds to your yard. The state has brought in lots of Raven to control rodents in our area. The unfortunate part of this is that the Raven are stealing bird eggs from nests. The variety of birds on our hill has been reduced this year because of the Ravens. Try bird watching and identify those that you see from your space. Share with us those that visit your yard.

Invite beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings, which help control pests, by planting anise, dill and fennel and allowing them to flower.

Use trellises to support vining vegetables like cucumbers and beans to promote a longer harvest and minimize damage from slugs and snails.

Happy gardening!

Find out if you’re doing all you can in your yard and why it matters. Discover how a few small eco-conscious changes in your Southern and California Coastal and Inland Valley garden, such as reducing emissions with clean fuel tools, can have a huge impact on the planet and your wallet. To check your knowledge and pick up a few new ideas, read on.

The Future of Food Movie

2009-04-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Everybody needs to see this!!! If you don't like this do whatever you can to stop this by contacting your states representatives.

First Post

2009-04-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Mt Washington gardening and sustainability blog! We have set up this forum to allow residents of the Mt Washington area of Los Angeles to trade information and experiences as they learn and grow in their backyards. Hope to see you (in a garden) soon!