No Mess Pumpkin Decorating:

No power for days, a foot of snow - hope all are safe and warm; sorry this is delayed getting out and Happy Halloween everyone!!!!


Oh my goodness – this is such a cute project and a really good way to recycle. Love this! Enjoy -


Pumpkin Decorating:  (by Deborah Way, Photograph by Andrew Greto  )

Use found objects to create a no-mess pumpkin decoration this year.

Materials

• pumpkins
• doodads from your junk drawer, such as a pot scrubber, coat hooks, plastic hang tags, a zipper, buttons, rubber band, and measuring spoon
• tacks, pins, brads, and screws for fastening

Instructions

1.     For a no-mess alternative to carving, create a face on your pumpkin with doodads from your junk drawer, held on with tacks, pins, brads, and screws. For features, we used a pot scrubber, coat hooks, plastic hang tags, a zipper, buttons, a rubber band, a measuring spoon, and more.

Happy Halloween!
Warm regards and love -

Erin

Hubbard Lodge Trail Hike:

This past weekend the family and I all went on a hike to Hubbard Lodge Trail. Joe and the kids had been there before and they have been dying to show me the sites.

It starts out at a beautiful lodge owned by Clarence Fahnestock State Park with a butterfly garden attached out back. Once you go through the butterfly garden it brings you to the main trails. You can follow the white or blue markers. The white trail is very easy while meandering by gorgeous flowing streams with magnificent foliage. The trees were still full of yellow, orange, and red leaves which created a wonderful backdrop for our hike.

There are many ruins along the way such as an old stone farm foundation with milk drums and an old plow left in what was once a field now overgrown. To some old pillars which marked the beginning of the farm house I imagine. We did not venture up that path as the grass was a bit tall and we feared ticks so we stayed on the trail and continued on our way.

As you hike up the trails you can see the enormous amount of stonework that was done to build the walls to keep animals in grazing lots. They are really a site to see. At the time of our hike that we decided to turn around and head back down we saw an old farm house very far up on the trail that was quite old and dilapidated. We poked around and saw that the stone basement was dug out and an old style metal bed frame lying around the yard and determined the house was from early 19^th century. Probably built after the farm was started as we gathered but of course we are only guessing on the appearance of the house.

We followed the same trail back down to the Hubbard Lodge and used their outdoor patio complete with picnic tables to have our lunch by the butterfly garden. The weather was cool but sunny and we had a great time together spending the day.

The hike up to the farm house took us about 2 hours and then back down so a total of 3-1/2 to 4 hours complete. Not a hard hike at all but very enjoyable. Can’t wait to go back.

Clarence Fahnestock State Park
2920 Rt 9
Cold Spring, NY 10516

http://www.fofhh.org/

Hubbard Lodge is just north of the intersection of Rt 301 and US 9.

Google map link to the trail head:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=215720277486328110519.00046dc23439a8db6db0f&ll=41.444435,-73.914599&spn=0.001938,0.004823&t=h&z=18&iwloc=00046dc23ed5c0e80c7ee


Warm regards and love,

Erin

Kiwi Facial Cleanser:

An easy receipe you can make right in your own kitchen. Beficial for all skin types.





1 kiwi fruit
2 tablespoons of plain yogurt
1 tablespoon orange water ( or plain water )
1 tablespoon apricot or almond oil ( olive oil is a good substitute )
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finley ground almonds
2 drops orange ( or your favorite citrus ) essential oil


Puree the kiwi fruit in a blender or food processor until liquid. During processing, add yogurt, orange water, almond or apricot oil, and ground almonds. Pocess until thick and creamy. Add essential oil and stir to mix. To apply, massage gently over neck, face and decollete to cleanse. Rinse well. Makes one application.


Warm regards and love,

Erin

Apples, Apples everywhere!!!

My family and I went apple picking this past weekend on a glorious fall day and had a blast in the fields and tired ourselves out picking apples. Needless to say we now have apples coming out the wazoo! ( this is a  technical terms for way too many apples ) So instead of posting an apple pie recipe,  I thought I would post some more obscure ways to use your apples if you have an over abundance of them..

Apples are full of fiber. Chop them up into small pieces and put into your blender with other green veggies for a “green smoothie”. Very nutritious!

If baked apples is what you crave without all of the refined sugar. Try slicing apples and adding nutmeg and cinnamon with a drizzle of real maple syrup. Bake at 375 for 20min.  This is a healthier alternative to a sugar laden desert.  ( add nuts and raisins for extra flavor if you want )

Add diced apples to your salad, add a few to your rice pilaf or simply add some to your oatmeal in the morning. What a great alternative. Yum!

Make a facial mask. Grate an apple and mix in 2 teaspoons of raw honey. Smooth over face and let sit for about 10-20 min. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.  The pectin and tannins in the apples will work as  a great moisturizer and give your skin a fresh glow.

How about them apples!!!

Warm regards and love,

Erin

Are Bacteria good for us?

We all should know by now that some bacteria are good for us. Without bacteria we would die and there are certain types of bacteria that would easily kill us from exposure. So, when do we keep the good bacteria and how do we get rid of the bad?

Here is what I have found in my research.

The good bacteria, ( resident flora ) the ones we need to survive are found in our intestines to help digest food. They live on our skin and mouth and actually help fight those bad bacteria.  ( I know, gross  -right? ) Certain bugs or pathogenic bacteria -bad bacteria - take their chances when you have a lowered immune system and fight the good bacteria to try and make you sick. For example by contaminated food….  ( of course this is all in terms so we can all understand it easily ) Those are usually the kind we need to get rid of with Anti-biotics.

The benefits of good bacteria are:

  Bacteria Convert Nitrogen

• All life on our planet depends on nitrogen. Bacteria are the only organisms that can convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable material for other life forms. Some plants share a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that infect their roots.

Bacteria Break Down Waste

• Bacteria are natural decomposers of dead plants and animals. This is important in order to free up nutrients that would otherwise be wasted when plants and animals die. This is best illustrated with natural waste-management systems we refer to as compost heaps.

Bacteria Are Essential for Food

• Bacteria are prevalent in the manufacturing of animal byproducts. We are able to drink milk, for instance, with the help of bacteria that converts lactose (milk sugar) to lactic acid (also known as "pasteurization"). The resulting acidic state prevents harmful bacteria from growing in the milk before we've had a chance to consume it. Other food products of fermentation include vinegar, cheese, yogurt, wine and beer. ( we have all heard of pro-biotics. )

Bacteria Are Essential for Ecology

• Bacteria such as blue green algae can harness solar energy in order to create organic compounds. As primary producers, they are essential to the aquatic food chains of both freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. Because of this, many species of life can flourish.

Bacteria and the Human Body Work Together

• One of the biggest (and perhaps the most fascinating) benefits of bacteria is to help in human digestion. There are tens of trillions of bacteria living in the human gut at any one time, belonging to literally hundreds of different species of bacterium. The digestive system does not differentiate good bacteria ("gut flora") from normal cells in the digestive tract, most likely because they guard against infection from harmful bacteria. Also, these bacteria help us to utilize otherwise hard-to-digest nutrients, including fiber, starches and sugars like lactose (found in cow's milk). [1]

Here are some ways to keep the bad bacteria at bay:

Wash your hands properly:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) say that proper washing of hands is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as colds, diarrhea, and hepatitis.  ( However there is no need to use anti-bactierial soap every time you wash your hands. Simple soap and warm water will do -  and let’s not get carried away with germ-x either! )

Disinfect your kitchen:

The kitchen is considered a danger zone for bacteria because this is where we handle raw food, left overs and such. The CDC estimates that 76 million cases of food-borne illnesses are due to cross-contamination in the kitchen. So keep you cutting board clean and make sure you do not use the same knife on raw chicken that you use to cut up your fresh vegetables.

[1] http://www.ehow.com/about_5315480_bacteria-good.html

I don’t know about you – but I am going out now for some yogurt : )

Warm regards and love –

Erin

What is "All Natural" :

When you hear the words “All Natural” you think in your mind; no preservatives, no fillers, all ingredients straight from Mother Nature, but is that what companies mean when they print “All Natural” on their products?  Is there a difference between “all natural” and " organic"?  The answers to these questions might make you think twice when purchasing products the next time you are in the grocery store.

Wikipedia states that “‘Natural foods’ and ‘all natural foods’ are widely used terms in food labeling and marketing with a variety of definitions, some of which are vague. The terms are often misused on labels and in advertisements.” “Natural” is also used to contrast the product to look or feel “organic”, but organic is a legal term used for certified products only that do not have fillers, never used pesticides while growing the product, no preservatives added, etc.

Last year the FDA received two petitions requesting it to clearly define the term “Natural”, in order to avoid such problems.  Although FDA has not formally responded to the petitions, FoodNavigator-USA.com has learned that the agency will not be considering the issue in the near future because “we’re not sure how high of an issue it is for consumers”.

So if this isn’t a big deal that consumers don’t know exactly what they are putting in their bodies, should we call everything NATURAL?  The FDA doesn’t think that defining “All Natural” an “issue”, should we just start trusting marketers that put “All Natural” on their products even if not a hint of the product came from anything natural?

The best thing to do is just look for organic products.  As mentioned before, products listed as organic have to be tested and receive certification stating that they can advertise as “Organic”.  The next best thing is to learn how to read Nutritional Labels.  Labels are helpful and every product sold must provide ingredients and other information that can help you choose the best product for you.

Just be smart and do your research.  Don’t believe everything you read on the front of the packaged products.

( article courtesy of  VitaDude )


Warm regards and love -

Erin

Natural Hair Conditioning Treatments:

If you swim or exercise regularly, the same damage you have noticed on your skin and even bathing suite is happening to your hair. Now that summer is over it is time to get your hair back in shape. Here is a few home treatments that can keep the damage down to a minimum. Use them once a month or when needed for extra shine and conditioning.


1 )  Cucumber Hair Conditioning Treatment
Ingredients:

1 egg
1 egg shell full of olive oil ( if you have oily hair; omit olive oil and substitute lemon juice )
1/4 of a peeled cucumber

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and smooth evenly onto hair - leave on for about 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. This treatment can be used once a month if required.


2) Rosemary/ Lavender Hair Oil
Ingredients:

1oz Rosemary essential oil
1/4oz Lavender essential oil

( enough for 6 months worth of treatments )
Mix oils together and store in a dark colored glass container and keep in a cool dark place.
Put one or two drops of oil mixture into palm of hand and work through hair ( mostly at scalp ). Brush hair well and style as normal. If you do not need extra oil in your hair in the morning do this routine at night.



Warm regards and love -

Erin