Environmentally-Friendly

I’m evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they’re letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I’ll let you know what I think once I’ve had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it’s still free.

As much as I love the idea of a green, lush garden, this post is really about having an environmentally friendly garden!

Here are just a few tips on making your garden green…

• Plant as many trees as you can; a single tree will absorb one tonne of carbon dioxide in its lifetime. Remember that trees don’t have to be towering gum trees, even a dwarf apple tree or a bonsai tree helps absorb carbon dioxide!
• When selecting plants for your garden choose plants that are native to the area that you live in, or an area with a very similar climate. Non native plants often require more watering and care than an appropriate plant.
• Cut back on the amount of lawn you have as this needs a lot of water to maintain it in a good condition. Increase the size of gardens, swap to ground covers or use mulch in place of some grass; if you do have grass, choose the varieties that need less water and mowing.
• If you have paved or concrete areas in your yard, find out how you can use the rain that falls there - maybe slope the paved area so water runs onto the garden or collect the water and pipe it into a tank
• Put water loving plants together and closer to the house rather than mixed in with plants that don’t need as much water. This saves you time and water, and makes it easier to get grey water form the house to the needy parts of the garden, too.

It seems really obvious, but outdoors is a great place to be green. And most of the time, it is just as easy to be green outdoors as it is to waste resources outdoors - we just need to think a little bit and change some habits.

This section of our blog will include my ideas and tips for being green outdoors - some are things I already do and others will be things I learn of and want to share.

What green things do you do in your garden? Do you think much about green outside of your house and work/office?

Fennel Tea

Fennel is a perennial herb that grows to 2.5 metres tall and is actually considered a weed in Australia and the USA because it grows so prolifically and can damage neighbouring plants. The bulb, leaves and seeds of the plant are used for both cooking and medicinal reasons.

There are many parts to fennel (such as rutin, estragole and rosmarinic acid) and most are anti-oxidants. Some of the useful properties of fennel are antispasmodic, carminative (release of internal gases), stomachic (strengthens and tones the stomach), anti-inflammatory, laxative and diuretic (increase flow of urine).

So far, there is no conclusive evidence that fennel tea cures colic. However, many parents have found it successful and an Israeli study of 68 babies showed fennel tea helped babies more than a placebo drink. Another study in 2003 showed that fennel seed oil reduced colic symptoms by 45% and stopped the colic in 65% of the babies.

Seeping chopped fennel leaves or crushed seeds in water to make fennel tea is quite simple. Alternatively, your local health food shops and even supermarkets may stock fennel tea bags.

About ¼ cup of diluted fennel tea is enough for a baby and it can be given before or after a feed. Breastfeeding mothers may find that drinking three cups of fennel tea a day might help their baby’s colic, too, as the benefits of fennel can be found in breastmilk.

You can even make fennel tea by adding crushed fennel seeds to warm milk and letting it sit for 2 – 3 minutes before drinking. This can be done with formula milk and presented to the baby as part of a normal feed.

Fennel has a mild flavour that is similar to aniseed (or liquorice) and is tolerated by most babies. It can be mixed with peppermint for a fresher flavour.

Fennel tea blends:

Other herbs can be used with fennel as a colic treatment.

One study showed that a tea of fennel, chamomile and lemon balm calmed over half of the babies – compared to few babies calming in a group given only water. An Italian study of 33 babies showed that a tea of chamomile, fennel, vervain, liquorice and balm reduced colic in 57% of patients.

All of these herbs can help to relax the digestive system and therefore reduce the symptoms of colic. Chamomile has the additional benefit of relaxing the baby’s nervous system so that any distress is also lessened.

Of course, as always, if your baby’s symptoms don’t subside, please seek medical assistance as soon as possible.

Chicken Nuggets with sweet dipping sauce

455g organic chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 organic egg
2 tablespoons oil
2 tsp each tamari and oil
1 tsp each salt and sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper and garlic powder
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

1. Wash cut chicken in cold water.

2. Mix together egg, oil, tamari, salt, sugar, pepper, and garlic powder in a large plastic freezer bag.

3. Place chicken into bag and shake, coating each piece. Place bag into freezer for about 30mins.

4.  Remove from freezer and pour the water into the bag, shake again.

5. In a bowl, mix the flour, cornflour and baking soda. Pour into the bag with the chicken. Shake again to coat.

6. In a hot frying pan with enough oil to cover chicken (I like to use coconut oil for health reasons) place a few nuggets at a time and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3 mins per side.

7. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Repeat with the remaining nuggets and serve with Sweet Dipping Sauce

Sweet Dipping Sauce

3 tbs rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1 tbs brown sugar (optional)

Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl. Serve with the nuggets and enjoy!

The Mummy Planner has given a weekly schedule to help you get organised in your home!

Organise your week
Monday        Wash me day - today is the day to do all the vaccuuming or moping
Tuesday       Wash the sheets day - yes time to strip all the beds
Wednesday  Drawer Day - Choose one drawer and clean it out
Thursday      Bathroom mania -time to clean all those tiles, basins and toliets
Friday          Bench chaos - Clean up that bench or dinning room table
Saturday      Fridge day - clean the fridge and check the dates on jars and containers
Sunday        Rest day and Meal plan - write down a meal plan for the week

This low GI banana bread is an ideal quick breakfast or healthy snack
Prep: 10 mins Cooking 50 mins

11/2 cups wholemeal or spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup wheatgerm
1/2 cup protein or skim milk powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large bananas, mashed (to make 1 cup)
Grated zest of 1 orange
60ml macadamia nut oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
250g blueberries, fresh or frozen

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, wheatgerm, protein powder and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas with orange zest, oil, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla.

2. Fold banana mix into flour mix. Add apricots and blueberries. Pour into a lined loaf tin and bake for 50mins at 175C. If browning too quickly, cover with foil

3. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Slice and serve with fresh fruit or toasted and spread with low-fat cottage cheese.

The Easiest and Quickest Sugar free Banana Cake

100 g (4oz) Organic self raising flour
1/2 tsp mixed spice
50g (2oz) butter or unhydrogenated margarine
75g (3oz) organic sun -dried raisins
225g (8oz) banana
1 Organic egg, beaten.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F
2. Mix the flour and spice in a bowl
3. Rub in the margarine and stir in the raisins
4. In a seperate bowl, mash the banana and egg
5. Stir into the flour mixture and put into a well- greased rectangular loaf tin
6. Turn the oven down to 16OF / 325F and cook on the middle shelf for 1 hour or until cooked

Organic Fennel Tea has been used by European parents for many years due to its calming qualities and digestive relief for symptoms of colic in babies.

For some general information about the use of fennel tea for babies with colic, refer to our fennel tea and what is colic posts.

Doctors define colic as a baby who cries for more than 3 hours at least 3 times a week for at least 3 weeks. Parents know it is a heart-rendering time when their baby cries, appears to be in pain and can’t be comforted in the usual ways.

Modern medicine does not have a cause or cure for colic, so it is often a case of waiting until the colic stops. Colic stops in most babies by 3 or 4 months of age, but it can last as long as 6 months.

There are natural remedies for colic that are effective for many children.

The simplest herbal remedies are herbal teas. Like your normal cup of tea, a herbal tea is made by adding boiling water to the leaves of a plant. Herbal remedies are safe to use on babies as long as they are not given too much.

Obviously, a herbal tea is cooled before being given to a baby and you wouldn’t expect a baby to have a full cup.