Recipe, Get Healthy!

Health and healthy eating has been a priority for me since I was in my teens. I don't believe that I follow a "perfect" diet, I definitely have my weaknesses, but I try to eat as healthy as possible and make sure that my family is eating healthy as well.

Here are some tips that I use to make regular baking recipes more healthy. I am going to use the pumpkin bread that I made the other day as an example. Now, pumpkin bread is a treat, no way around that fact, but there are things to do to make it much healthier.

1. Improve the flour. In almost all recipes that call for flour, I use a mixture of fresh ground whole wheat flour, that I store in the refrigerator, and unbleached and unbromated white flour.
2. Improve the oil. If the recipe calls for a liquid oil, I usually use a mixture of expeller pressed canola oil and non-fruity extra virgin olive oil. I'm not too convinced on canola oil being especially healthy, but it was the compromise that I made to get my husband to stop buying the hydrogenated vegetable oils that he was used to using. If the recipe calls for a solid oil, we use butter and in some recipes, organic, unrefined, coconut oil (it is especially delicious in cookies!).
3. Use organic ingredients when possible.
4. If your recipe calls for baking powder, use one without aluminum.
   
5. Improve the sugar. The best brand of sugar that I know of is Rapunzel's Rapadura. It is organic whole cane sugar that is unrefined and unbleached. I have found that Rapadura sugar changes the taste and consistency of some recipes, so sometimes I just use half Rapadura and half regular sugar. (Some improvement is better than none!)
6. Improve the salt. My favorite salts are Himalayan and Real Salt. Real Salt is more readily available and less expensive. It is an unrefined salt from the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Really, regular table salt should be reserved for the special task of making homemade playdough ;)
   
7. Use the best eggs available. The beautiful eggs in this picture were a gift from some friends who have a mini farm in our area. They follow organic farming practices and their eggs are just amazing! We always purchase organic eggs from the store, and I have always seen a big difference in the organic store bought eggs vs. the regular store bought eggs, but these fresh, organic eggs, out shone them all!

Do you have any additional tips on making your baking recipes more healthy? I'd love to read about them!

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

Many of you have asked my opinion on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act which will go into effect on Feb 10, 2009. I believe that the Act was well intended, but that in its zeal to protect our children against the dangers of lead in the products that they play with and use every day, some very important key points in this Act's effects were overlooked.

In the last two years we have seen a number of alarming and upsetting recalls on a wide range of products, including children's toys. To my knowledge, none of these recalls involved children's products that were made in the USA, Canada or Europe. They were all produced overseas in countries whose labor and safety practices have long been a concern. Manufacturers know that most items can be produced cheaper overseas. Those manufacturers who chose to keep their products made in the USA, Canada and Europe do so because the wish to be in complete control of the integrity of their product, wish to strengthen their own country's economy, are concerned with their employees welfare, are concerned with fair trade practices and are more concerned with the quality of their product than making a product with a cheap price tag. Yes, these manufacturers are in business to make money, but the making of money is not overshadowing their concern for those who will use their products.

Because of my retail business, Dandelion Summers, I personally know many of the manufacturers are distributors of products produced in the US and Europe. I know that, just like me, they will not create or sell a product that they would not want their own children or grandchildren to use. Unfortunately, due to the overarching effect of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, many expensive and difficult to comply with laws are going into effect that will threaten the ability for micro, small and medium sized manufacturers to continue to produce their products or distribute them in the US. I believe that many of the aspects of this Act that are so problematic to these manufactures, can and will be amended.

Following is a list of some of the key points that I believe should be amended in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

1. Uncoated, natural materials, such as, but not limited to: wood, cotton, linen and wool, should be exempt from mandatory testing.
2. Manufacturers should be able to rely on the testing done by their materials suppliers and be exempt from unit based testing. For example, a wood toy manufacturer would be required to show that the finishes used on their toys were non-toxic and lead-free, but would not be required to batch test each of their own wood toys.
3. Domestic micro businesses should be exempt from the requirements of this Act. I believe this to be important in securing our rights as free and creative citizens. Over regulation dampens the free spirit on which our country has always thrived.

Public opinion is needed to help change some of the aspects of this Act. The Act was intended to protect our children and we need to let our law makers aware of both our appreciation and concern. The Handmade Toy Alliance has some good resources and information on their site that can help you get involved. You can sign their petition, read a sample letter that you can use as a template for you own letter to your congress men and women and follow the links to your congress men and women's contact information.

You can keep up to date on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act by visiting the official site of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

I would enjoy reading your thoughts about this Act. Feel free to leave a comment below.

And the winner is...

The winner of Dandelion Cottage's first ever give-away was just chosen. Our winner is SuzanneG. Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who left a comment and entered the give-away. It was so much fun for me! I am already thinking of what to give away next. Keep checking back...

Ostheimer News

Many of you have expressed concern about how the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will effect your ability to continue to purchase Ostheimer products after the Act takes effect on Feb 10, 2009. Ostheimer is a company with great integrity, and great products, which is why I sell their figures and why we have so many loyal Ostheimer fans! Ostheimer already conforms to the European Norm for toys (EN 71). These standards are currently higher than the mandates that will take affect in the US on Feb 10th. As far as everyone is aware, we will continue to sell these wonderful figures without interruption.

You can vistit our Ostheimer main page, or our Ostheimer special order homepage.

Welcome!

Hello, Friends! Welcome to my new blog! This is a rather informal blog on which I will blog about news relating to my company, Dandelion Summers, my "green" cottage home, starting an organic farm and my family's endeavors to lead a beautiful, healthy and natural life. I hope that you enjoy your visit and return often. In addition to the fun information that I will be sharing with you, I will be having some great give-aways.

Make sure to sign up on the right to keep informed when I post a new blog post.

So... for Dandelion Cottage's first ever blog give-away, I will be sending one lucky person a lovely set of Ostheimer figures, the Ostheimer King and Queen.

Please leave a comment below to be entered. Your posts will be numbered as they come in and I will use a random number generator to determine the lucky winner. Please leave your comment before Monday, Jan 12, 2009 to be entered to win the Ostheimer King and Queen set.