Make Your Own Toothpaste (Cheap!)

The reason I came up with this recipe is because nearly 100% of the toothpastes you can buy in the store are tested on animals, and we are ADAMANTLY opposed to all animal testing! My family was skeptical about homemade toothpaste at first, but everyone who has used it has come around to loving it. This toothpaste not only cleans, it whitens as well or better than anything on the commercial market. And it's cheap to make. Don't waste your money on fancy packages that say "organic," "natural" etc etc etc... This is the real deal, frugal, works great, all natural, and easy to make. And best of all, CRUELTY FREE!

Here's the recipe:

I'm not going to give exact amounts because you might have a family of two, or you might have a family of ten. This is so easy, just adjust the ingredients for the amount you want to make. I make a large batch so I only have to make it twice a month. Here's what you need:

• Baking Soda. Be careful what brand you pick Arm & Hammer tests on animals. Bob's Redmill does not.


• Pure peppermint oil.


• Salt (optional)


• Filtered/purified water

Put the baking soda in a bowl. If you're adding salt, use a pinch now. Slowly add water until you get a crumbly, sandy consistency going. Then add peppermint oil. Some people like a lot of peppermint (we use a lot), but you may want to go easy, depending on how much of a kick you want your toothpaste to have. Less is better at first - you can always add more. Taste test as you go along. Add more water until you get a good paste. You don't want it too runny or too dry.

Some homemade toothpaste recipes call for glycerin. This is an unnecessary expense, in my opinion.

Keep a little spoon near the jar or bottle you store your toothpaste in, to smear a dab on your toothbrush. Use it as you would any commercial toothpaste. We've been using this recipe for two years,and we wouldn't go back to using the store-bought stuff even if they stopped testing on animals!

Top 5 Easy Vegetarian Meals for Kids

In a perfect world, my kids would be eating alfalfa sprout and tofu sandwiches with a side of Brussels sprouts for dinner, but here in the real world, my kids are real human kids who want the standard kid foods, and who look at a block of tofu as if it were an alien invader. And these are kids who were raised from birth in a vegetarian/vegan household. I know that some prepackaged vegetarian foods can be pricey, but we offset the cost by never (I mean N-E-V-E-R) eating out at fast food restaurants. A box of four Boca Burgers costs around $3.50 here in Missouri, but how much did your last bag of anything from any restaurant anywhere cost you? More than double that amount, I'd wager. And the health factor difference hardly even requires mentioning.

When it comes to vegetarian kid food, the main test any meal must pass is, will kids eat it?. Here are my top 5 picks for vegetarian kid meals that pass the test with flying colors:


1. Boca Burgers - Kids love these barbecued on the grill. And they don't fall through into the coals!

2. Annie's Organic Mac & Cheese - Every kid loves macaroni and cheese. It's true that a box of cheapo mac & cheese at the grocery store costs 50 cents or so, but you might as well feed your kid white glue and sawdust. Annie's organic Mac & Cheese only costs about $2.00 a box. Don't you think an extra buck and a half is a small price to pay for peace of mind. It's worth it!

3. Yves Tofu Dogs - Yves tofu dogs are about the only soy-based dogs that are both vegan (not even an egg yolk in these!), and REALLY TASTY! There are a lot of brands of veggie dogs out there that are simply unpalatable - yech. Yves tofu dogs are not one of them. They the best of the best, and kids like them!

4. Bulgur Tacos - Here's a recipe for Bulgur Tacos that can't be beat, and they're cheap to make! Serves 6 (depending on the appetites at your table).

3/4 cup raw bulgur

1 tablespoon olive oil

one medium onion, finely chopped

one small green bell pepper, diced

two cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup tomato puree

2 teaspoons chili powder

12 taco shells

Combine the bulgur with 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Saute the onion for 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent. Add the bell pepper and garlic, and saute until all are golden (about another 5 minutes).

When the bulgur is done, transfer it to the skillet and add the tomato puree and chili powder. Cook until mixture is well blended.

Traditionally, you would present the taco mixture in a bowl alongside lettuce, diced tomatoes, etc, and allow everyone to build their own tacos. And that's OK... But I have found that filling the shells (with just the bulgur mixture, not the cold fixings) and heating them in the oven on a cookie sheet for a few minutes softens the shells so that they are not so crumbly. For non-vegans, this is also the time to add shredded cheese, so it can get all gooey-melty in the oven.

5. Monster Pizza - Use your favorite homemade pizza recipe. Slice your choice of veggies. Let your kids create their own monster face! This is one of those things you see on the Internet and think, "Well, that's neat, but my kid will just think it's stupid"... But my son (age 6 at the time we first tried monster pizza night) thought this was the coolest thing ever.

A Note About Rennet

and Enzymes in Cheese

I think it’s important to know what you’re eating. A little education never hurt anybody, right? If you’re curious about how milk becomes cheese, read on:

Q: What are enzymes and how are they used to make cheese?

A: In order for milk to coagulate (i.e. separate into curds and whey) and eventually become cheese, enzymes are added to break down the proteins that keep milk a liquid.

Q: What are rennet, rennin, and chymosin?

A: Take a deep breath. According to Webster's Unabridged Dictionary rennet is "the lining membrane of the fourth stomach of the calf (and/or) a preparation or extract of the rennet membrane, used to curdle milk, as in making cheese…." In layman’s terms, rennet is essentially a broad term used to describe any enzyme used to coagulate milk, and rennin and chymosin are enzymes found in rennet.

Q: How many different types of enzymes are used to make cheese?

A: Animal, vegetable, microbial and genetically engineered rennet can all be used in cheese making.

Q: Is the use of rennet in cheese making controversial?

A: Yes. Because it’s an animal by-product, rennet sparks discussions on the issues of animal rights, vegetarianism, bioengineering, etc.

As you might guess, rennet and animal enzymes are used in every cheap cheese out there, but be aware that they are also used in high end imported and gourmet cheeses all over the world. Fortunately, there are some brands who choose not to use animal-based enzymes in their cheese. And yes, they are more expensive than Kraft. We're not a wealthy family, so this was a tough decision for us, but there is simply no way around it - if you are eating cheese with rennet or animal enzymes in it, you are not a vegetarian. You have to put your money where your ethics are.

NOTE: The simplest and cheapest solution to the rennet/enzymes dilemma is to become vegan and just cut cheese out of your diet altogether. My husband and I are vegan, but our children are not. They are vegetarian (someday, I'll write a whole post about that issue). So for our children, we made the decision to purchase rennet-free cheese regardless of the price. Here is a link to a webpage that lists a variety of rennet-free brands and styles of cheese. Many of these brands are available at your local grocery store, such as Sargento, Land of Lakes and Cabot, so you won't have to break the bank at a health food store to get your hands on them.

Cheese List By Brand

Plan In Advance for Simple and Frugal Organic Meals

MENU

European Mesclun Salad w/ Vinaigrette

Rustic Eggplant Pasta

No-Knead Crusty Bread w/ Roasted Red Pepper Spread

This menu is 100% vegan!

When I say "plan in advance," I mean W-A-Y in advance! If you want frugal organic food, this is the time to start thinking about planting extra veggies to freeze for winter. This is also a good time to start hitting yard sales in search of old windows for building cold frames.

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Cold Frame

This is a picture of European Mesclun salad blend from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds direct-seeded in the cold frame on November 19th, 2008. I know I got a late start, but this mix held up well through our harsh Missouri winter, then really took off in early February. This is a delicious salad blend!


In my experience, salad greens grown in a cold frame tend to be more delicate than field grown. When washing them, be gentle. Fill your sink with cool water, then add the lettuce and gently swish it around. Never blast water from the faucet directly onto the leaves or it will bruise them. Dry in a salad spinner and chill. The chilling in the fridge will crisp the greens up nicely.

When dressing a cold frame salad, think "delicate." Save the heavy mayonnaise-based dressing for potato salad. You want to taste the greens, not smother them. Here is a good recipe for a simple vinaigrette:

Classic Vinaigrette

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup light olive oil

Whisk together and serve.

Pasta Sauce

The basic ingredients for the pasta sauce were grown and stored last summer. I use a variety of storage methods, from dehydrating to canning to freezing. The eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, red peppers and basil were frozen. When freezing fresh basil, the best way to preserve its flavor is chop the basil in a food processor, combine it with olive oil, then freeze in ice cube trays. Once frozen, remove from trays and store the basil cubes in freezer storage bags. This makes it easy to remove individual cubes as needed.
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Here comes the fun part - cooking! For this meal, I chose to make a garlic/basil sauce, but you can go anywhere with this combination of vegetables. It could be a curry, a simple stir fry, whatever you're in the mood for.

A note on freezing eggplant: Forget blanching! The best way to freeze eggplant is to roast it first. Cube the eggplant or slice it, depending on what you're going to be using it for. Spread the eggplant on a lightly-oiled baking sheet and roast it in a 350 degree oven till almost tender. You want to cool the roasted eggplant down quickly. As soon as the trays are cool to the touch, I put everything into the freezer, baking sheets and all. After the eggplant is frozen on the trays, remove the eggplant and store in freezer bags until needed.

Rustic Eggplant Pasta Sauce

2 cups cubed eggplant (approximately)

2 cups cubed/sliced zucchini

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/4 cup fresh or 2 cubes frozen basil

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, bell pepper, zucchini and eggplant. Saute until vegetables are soft. Add the tomato and basil, and a little water if it seems dry. Cook 5-10 minutes longer. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta. This is a VERY flexible recipe. Add more basil, less basil, add capers - anything goes. Follow your tastes!

For the No-Knead Crusty Bread, the only advance planning you need is to start the dough the night before. You can find the recipe at Mother Earth News. This is the perfect bread for those times when you just don't feel like kneading dough. I've always had great success with this recipe. It's a real winner. You MUST try it!

The roasted red pepper spread is best made at the height of summer, so I'll pass along the recipe then - I promise!

Reading all this at once, it may not seem "simple" as advertised in the headline, but spread out over the whole course of a gardening season, its doable. Planning for the long term in the way described on this website allows you to live simply in the moments. The ingredients are all there when you need them. You planned it that way!