Wordless Wednesday: Rotten Fruit

I strive to be good about not wasting food, but sometimes life (and babies) get the best of us. Four organic nectarines and one homegrown Purple Cherokee tomato are going in the compost. :(

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Vegan Red Curry Vegetables [Recipe]

My husband and I love Thai food! One Friday night many many years ago, he wanted to make Thai at home. From that moment, we have been trying every single recipe, no matter how intimidating. Red Curry Chicken has become one of our favorite recipes and I have adapted it to scallops and a variety of vegetables. Either way, this dish is delicious no matter what you put in it. Don't be intimated by the curry. You can control the amount of spice and heat.

Today, in the spirit of reducing our footprint and this week's challenge of cooking one (or more) vegan meals, I bring to you Red Curry Vegetables. The vegetables alone are delicious, but if you are inclined to add meat for your non-vegan family members, then add about a pound of diced chicken, pork, or beef right before you add the vegetables and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Red Curry Vegetables with Basil

Total: 25 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or your preferred vegetable-based oil)
1 1/2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (add more for medium/hot spice level)
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, shaken2 teaspoons soy sauce (optional)
2-3 cups of sliced vegetables: bell peppers, onions, baby corn, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, eggplant, etc.
10 large basil leaves, chopped (can leave out)

Equipment: A large frying pan with tall sides and lid works much better than a wok.

Directions: 
1. Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the curry base and simmer for 2 minutes, so that it is dissolved and foaming. Stir frequently so the curry does not burn.
3. Stir in the can of the coconut milk. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the coconut milk begins to bubble and thickens.
4. Add vegetables and stir into sauce. Cook for about 5  minutes.
5. Stir in soy sauce (optional).
6. Turn heat down to Low-Med, close the lid, and simmer for 5-10 minutes until vegetables soften. If you prefer a thicker sauce, keep the lid off.  
7. Add the chopped basil.
8. Serve over brown rice.

Tip: Experiment with the amount of curry and the different types of curry. Our favorites are Panang Curry (sweeter and milder) and Massaman Curry (aromatic and loaded with dry spices). 

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Can You Recycle Receipts?

After many internal debates about whether receipts can be recycled and/or composted, I finally did some

research as more and more stores (even natural and organic stores) are starting to use thermal receipts. Plain paper receipts can be recycled and/or composted, but thermal receipts require a different process.

Question: Can you recycle/compost thermal receipts?

Answer: You should NEITHER recycle NOR compost thermal paper receipts. 

Thermal receipts may contain BPA or other potentially harmful chemicals. Therefore, you do not want to compost the receipts and transfer the chemicals to your garden and the fruits and vegetables that you grow. The receipts should be sealed well to prevent from blowing away to reduce the release of BPA into the environment (according to the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Rapid Research (PPRC)). Recycling receipts releases BPA into the water and into the finished recycled product, which further exposes people and the environment to BPA and other potentially harmful chemicals.

And...remember to wash your hands after handling receipts!

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Smitten by Rearz Fitted Cloth Diaper [Review]

This is the first time I am writing about cloth diapers. I am very excited! I read about and researched cloth diapers for quite some time before I began using them. My cloth stash includes a variety of types, closures, fits, colors, etc. I do not have a strong preference to the types of diapers or closure, as long as they fit well and absorb well. Rearz Smitten fitted cloth diaper offers an absorbent, quick drying fitted cloth diaper with soft velour and a tongue design.

Rearz Smitted Fitted Cloth Diaper        (5 pack, $69.99)
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Colored with certified organic dyes	Requires cover
100% cotton (unbleached inside)	Velcro is stiff
Tongue design for faster drying
Cross over snaps

Since the focus of my blog is about natural and green living, I would like to focus first on the environmental impact of the Rearz Smitten fitted cloth diaper. I love that the fitted diaper is made from 100% cotton, outside colored with certified organic dyes and inside made from unbleached cotton. The type of fabric and whether it is made from organic, conventional, or synthetic fabric is very important to me. Babies have such sensitive skin! The organic dyes are very bright and have not faded with several prep washes and uses. I received the red color and also have a Rearz Smitten in brown. The colors are so rich that I cannot believe the fabric is dyed with organic dyes.

Fitted cloth diapers do require waterproof covers, but you can also go without if you can remember to frequently check for wetness. I kept the cover off one day to see how absorbent the Rearz Smitten was. After one pee, the wetness was noticeable on the outside to the point where it would have gotten the onesie wet. I did not use any additional inserts. If you prefer to go coverless, I recommend adding a few inserts into the pocket opening to boost absorbency. I have only used Rearz Smitten fitted during the daytime only since we do not cloth diaper at night. An absorbent insert would add enough materials for night time wear.

Rearz Smitten fitted cloth diaper is offered with snaps or with velcro. I received the Rearz Smitten with snaps. My existing Rearz has velcro. In general, I do not have a strong preference of snaps versus velcro, but I did notice that the Rearz Smitten velcro is stiff. If you add a cover with more velcro, it might be a little too much. I recommend going with the snaps. The snaps were easy to use and allowed me to get a good fit. I like the cross over snaps that allow for a better fit with newborns or lean babies. My son is a little on the leaner and longer side. The leg opening just barely fit tight around his legs, but if I am careful on how I secure the diaper, the diaper does not leak.

Overall, I have enjoyed using the Rearz Smitten fitted cloth diaper with snaps. Only today, I realized that the tongue does NOT go inside of the opening. And all of this time, I was frustrated that the tongue was so hard to stuff inside the smaller opening. Tongue goes on the outside, additional inserts go on the inside. The unbleached cotton, organic dyes, and tongue design make the Rearz Smitten fitted cloth diaper a great addition to your cloth stash.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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Non-GMO Supplements from Natural Vitality [Giveaway]

October is Non-GMO Awareness Month, and to celebrate, Natural Vitality is sponsoring an awesome giveaway event, hosted by Happy Mothering and the Green Moms Network. Natural Vitality makes high-quality, award-winning dietary supplements that are Non-GMO Project Verified! The ingredients in their supplements are also organically grown! There are far and few companies that offer organic and non-GMO ingredients and Natural Vitality is one of them.

Natural Vitality is best know for Natural Calm, a tasty magnesium supplement that helps your muscles and nerves function properly, keeps your heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system and assists in keeping your bones strong.

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