Now, we’ll readily admit that there are a lot of banana bread recipes out there many of which are very tasty.  But, some rely on a lot of refined sugars and are heavy on the fat.  This one we’re going to share here though has some amazing extras that helps it stand out while staying healthy.  Plus, it’s all  natural and totally vegan!

Don’t let those brown, nutrition filled bananas go to waste – use them in this natural banana bread recipe that’s super healthy, vegan; and that the whole family will enjoy.

Generally you can find the three boys, their dad, and I building projects like cars, “bases”, ships, and things like this.  This Christmas though, we all decided we’d make a Lego Christmas Tree decoration.

It’s easy enough, but, it did take a bit of planning and a lot of digging for just the right pieces.  In the end – we all thought our Lego Christmas Tree turned out pretty cool -  if I might share my totally biased opinion!  So cool in fact, I thought some other natural kids and their families out there might like to know how we did it.

Lego Christmas Tree Decoration Building Instructions

Basically, you just need a configuration of green that works within the pieces you have.  What’s shown on the list of bricks shown below is what we used to make our tree so you can get an idea of what you need to find.  From here, get creative and make it your own custom Lego Christmas Tree decoration!

Pieces List

• 2 x 8 stud bricks in red
• 1 x 10 stud brick in red

The Trunk

• 4 x 4 stud bricks in brown (or one brick that stands that high if you have it)

The Tree

• 2 x 16 stud flat bricks in dark green
• 6 x 12 stud flat bricks in dark green
• 3 x 8 stud flat bricks in dark green
• 2 x 4 stud flat bricks in dark green
• 5 x 8 stud bricks light green
• 1 x 6 stud brick light green
• 8 x 4 stud brick light green
• 3 x 2 stud brick light green
• 4 x yellow cones
• miscellaneous studs and cones to make lights/ornaments

What to Do

First, assemble your base.

Next build your trunk and place it in the center of the base.

Now, Place your two 16 stud flat dark green pieces end to end, with each brick having two studs a piece on the trunk to anchor it.  Be careful, it’s not strong at first, but, it’ll get there!  As you can see we started adding our ornaments and lights as well – but only on the last 4 studs on either end of the dark green flat pieces.

Next, take two 4 stud bricks, one 8 stud brick, one 6 stud brick and, one 2 stud brick all in light green place them on top of the dark green bottom you just made leaving four studs open on either side of each 12 stud brick for the ornaments and lights.

Take two of your flat 12 stud dark green bricks, along with one 4 stud dark green brick and lay on top of the light green bricks you just put down.  Each 12 stud brick will over hang the light green layer by two studs.  The 4 stud dark green flat brick will then go in the middle.

From here, continue like this in rows of dark green flat bricks and light green bricks always leaving 4 studs on each side of the dark green pieces when applying the light green bricks, while overhanging the light green with the dark green bricks by 2 studs on either side. This will help make your reduce your evenly until you get to the four flat dark green brick for the top.

Now add the four yellow cones for the star (or other idea for a star!) and the ornaments if you haven’t already.

 You’ve now got a lovely Lego Christmas Tree decoration to add to all your others, or, this can make a very fun gift.  Just write out the instructions and brick list and give as a homemade kit.    And, don’t forget to put your own spin on the tree.  You can make these smaller, larger, and anywhere in between and as always, with Legos, the best designs are the ones you make yourself!

Once I “got wind” of the issue so to speak, I tried cleaning out the dishwasher myself with my rag and spray bottle of vinegar water and essential oils.  But, while I did find some funk, the machine still had an odor itself once it was running.

Since I had no more answers, I headed to the “answer box”; AKA the computer.  Everything I read said use bleach.  I really didn’t like that idea.  Most said use just a bit, and it’s no big deal.  But, I figured there had to be a better, more natural way to clean the dishwasher.  So I decided to try and use my tried and true natural cleaning buds, baking soda and vinegar.

Of course, they worked like a charm!  I share what I did so you too can avoid bleach and clean your dishwasher naturally.

• Wipe down the inside, outside, nooks and crannies of the dishwasher so there’s no visible gunk or grime using vinegar water spray and a rag.
• Put some baking soda into the soap dispenser.
• Fill 2 small- medium sized bowls with white vinegar and tea tree oil.
• Put a bowl of vinegar/tea tree oil water on the top rack of  the dishwasher an done on the bottom in whatever spot you have where it can sit there and have water splash it all around the machine during the cleaning cycle.
• Set the dishwasher on a short cycle.

Once the dishwasher completes the cycle, the smells should be gone.  Depending on the machine though and how dirty it is, it may take a second run through to really work.  Do this regularly (monthly would be good) to keep the odors at bay naturally too and you can easily keep your dishwasher spic and span without using any harsh, chemical ingredients.

When it’s 5:00 and I still can’t figure out what’s for dinner, I used to reach for the frozen fish sticks or chicken nuggets – not anymore!  We’ve got a stash of go to quick, easy recipes the whole family enjoys.  One of our favorites, and probably one of the most healthy, is veggie stir fry with brown rice.

Stir fry is such a great natural family meal because it’s so versatile.  Got a garden bursting with _____ veggie – make a stir fry with it.  Joined a CSA – you can make a different stir fry each week with whatever they give you.  Cleaning out your fridge and have some lone veggies?  Use them up in a stir fry!

Of course like all other meals you could actually plan a specific type of stir fry, and you can add meat too.  Or give it a bit of oomph while keeping it vegetarian by adding some seasoned tofu or tempeh.

Best of all, if you have a large family like we do, stir fry is excellent because everyone can have what they want usually with minimal fuss.  Add some soy sauce, hot sauce, or other seasonings you like and you’ve got a meal any natural family will love; and that’s easy to prepare, even in a pinch!

The one thing is it does take about 20 – 30 min to cook the brown rice.  One of the ways around this issue though is to make a bunch of brown rice one night then store the extra in the refrigerator.  That way it’s ready and waiting for whatever veggies you want to ad, as well as for other meals too like bean and rice burritos, or as an awesome side dish.

You can also make stir fry quicker and easier by cutting up the veggies in advance (a great idea for making salads easier too).  You might also consider keeping a bag of organic frozen mixed veggies on hand; which will cut your prep time down considerably.

Best of all though, everyone will enjoy this yummy family meal, and, you can even puree some for the baby if needed!  Plus, this meal is super affordable, a great way to use up left overs, it’s nutritious, and, we’ll just say it again, it’s EASY!

Fix up a stir fry tonight and see what we mean!  Most likely, it’ll become a staple on your weekly natural family menu too.

PS – we’re feeling lazy – and are wicked busy right now too (like always!!) – so we didn’t include a recipe.  While it’s pretty basic, if you feel like a recipe for stir fry will help let us know and we’ll add one right away!

It’s difficult to pinpoint who “invented” the cordwood style of building.  Also known as cordwood masonry, stackwood construction, and stackwall construction, this style of building has been found as far back as 1,000 years ago in portions of Greece and Syberia.

Cordwood is a very easy, affordable and, depending on where you live, very green method of building a structure.  It can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like, and the style offers a look of natural beauty all it’s own once complete.

This unique building style involves stacking pieces of cord wood, also known as fire wood, as you would bricks, using mortar in between them to seal up the holes and gaps around the logs.  Wherever you can manage to get your own logs, you can build a very eco friendly, natural home with the help of this green building technique.

Early 1900s Cordwood Masonry home in Oregon

For example, in the United States, Cordwood Masonry became popular in places like Wisconsin, Vermont, and Upstate New York during the Depression because these areas are heavily wooded.  Generally, you need to clear the trees for your home in these locations.  As a result, it becomes quite economical when you can use the same trees you’re cutting for your home site anyway as the building materials for your actual structure.

You do need some time to season your wood which requires planning and preparation, but, in many situations, time is far cheaper than materials costs.  You’ll also need to buy the ingredients for your mortar.

Speaking of which – Experts differ on the exact amounts and combinations of ingredients to use for cordwood mortar, but most recommend a mixture of sand, lime, portland cement, and soaked saw dust.  This is all mixed by hand and applied between each log.

Cordwood house in Del Norte, Colorado showing it’s colors at night via cordwoodmasonry.com

When done correctly these walls offer and exceptional R value and their thermal mass (or ability to absorb heat and slowly radiate it back to the surrounding space) is fantastic.  They also look really really cool inside and out!  Many even incorporate recycled glass bottles, stones, or unique wood ends to add even more style to their finished project.

Want to learn more about cordwood masonry?  There are many wonderful books and even classes you can go to in order to learn more about this building style.  Even novice builders can excel at building their own cordwoood building, but, they should complete a few practice projects first in order to hone their construction skills before delving into a large structure.  To help this along there are also places that facilitate building parties/classes in which participants help build a host’s home.  You get the benefit of experience and they get help with their home.

However you do it, if you have the right property and the right project, cordwood masonry is a green building style that will help you build an earth friendly, natural home or other structure easily.

Here is a quick list of fall organic gardening tips that will make your flower and veggie gardens look their best now and in the next gardening year ahead.

Plant Cool Season Crops

Leafy greens like Lettuce, Spinach, and Kale along with root crops like Carrots and Radishes, are back in full swing in most fall organic gardens.  Peas and most varieties of beans are some other cool season crops that with a bit of preparation  can also thrive in the fall in most areas.  Depending on your zone the variety of other crops you can plant for fall harvest will vary.

Mix in Some Compost

Remember to add compost in the fall both to those spaces where you’re replanting for a fall harvest as well as the spaces in your garden finished for the year.  Adding compost in the fall is really ideal for your organic garden.  This way it has time to really sink in and feed the soil while it rests for the winter.  The proof is in the abundant and healthy harvest you’ll reap next year from your preparedness this fall.

Plant Bulbs

Both vegetable and flower bulbs like garlic and tulips can be planted now so they’ll be ready in the spring.  Again, be sure to add in some compost and mulch as needed during planting.

Get Out the Hoop House / Cold Frame

Now’s the time to put the hoop houses and cold frames back up to extend your growing season along with your viable crop varieties.  Again, depending on your zone when you actually need these items will vary but, better to be prepared; the first frost can sneak up on you.  If you have your cold frame ready though you can protect your crops and keep your harvest going long into the winter if not year round!

Sow Cover Crops

Depending on your garden fall is also a nice time to sow cover crops.  Feeding the soil with cover crops is another way to prepare for the next growing season and has a myriad of benefits for the organic farmer and gardener.

Add Trees and Perennials

While this is something that can be done in the spring as well, adding trees, shrubs, and perennials is a smart thing to do in the fall because they’re often at a discount this time of year.  Garden centers need to get rid of the last of the years stock before winter and some money is better than no money.  If you wait long enough you can find plants and trees anywhere from 40-50% Off and more!  Get them now, save money, and have new plants to anticipate seeing in all their glory this coming spring and summer.

While this can seem like a lot of work, fall is a wonderful time to be outside and, the garden will only benefit from your special care this time of year. Use these fall organic gardening tips and extend the harvest this year as well as prepare for a bountiful and beautiful organic garden next season.

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There are areas of life that suffer most from our daily busy and besides the laundry pile and lack of vacuuming, the garden often has to stand on its own for days at a time.  Along with large weeds, tons of Japanese Beatles and what was once a tiny not so intimidating snake, our garden is working hard producing those monster zucchinis that just aren’t as sweet as their younger smaller fruits.

Our Garden Gone Wild!

Of course we made the yearly batches of zucchini bread, some with added carob chips and some without.  We also made a loaf of zucchini cheese bread that was really dense, but also delicious.  Trouble is that each year I try to make zucchini cakes with the giant zucchini’s and each year we don’t end up eating our cakes.  They either taste greasy or don’t stick together well enough to be considered a meal.  I am happy to say that this year we were able to break from our zucchini cake tradition and make some cakes that were absolutely great!

It was funny because I had made crab cakes just the night before I made the zucchini cakes.  This was completely unintentional but honestly it was hard telling which was which.  These zucchini cakes were moist and delicious, oven-fried up well without the greasy factor…it was just delicious!

While I hope everyone else in the world is tending to their gardens because their lives are not spinning around in crazy circles, I also hope that some of you let your zucchini go wild just to try these delicious oven-fried zucchini cakes.

All of us had such a good time.  In fact,  we’re already planning for another week together next year, and really are hoping to make it a family tradition each year from here on out.

That said – my husband and  I are very different in our viewpoints about many things and our lifestyle in general when compared with the rest of the family.  Not that being “the black sheep” isn’t a fantastic position; adding color and dynamics to an otherwise very similar group of people.  It just isn’t always easy.

As a result, sometimes, I think I bend my personal beliefs to fit the situation and in the end, we end up putting some of our natural family values aside during the visit.  Of course I’m sure the rest of the family has to stretch to visit our side of the universe as well – but mostly it’s usually us compromising.

But how much is too much?

This trip has been one of the more balanced mostly because we each had our own house and we could keep more of our own routines in tact.  This helped us “get away from it all” more easily than when visiting at another family member’s home where it feels more acceptance is really required.

But at the end of the day is it really OK to save face for the visit so everyone gets along?  Or, is it better to be very clear and keep your natural lifestyle together just like you would at home?

And, whatever you do, what are your ways of coping with the friction that can occur when you spend so much time with people that you love very much, but who, at the same time, are so different than you it becomes easier to get along if you put some of your natural family philosophy aside?

You don’t pick your family after all!  There are bound to be differences.  It’s how you cope with them that matters….and I’m not always sure I go about it as naturally as I can – and I’m almost certain I’m not alone in this.

So, I’d just love to hear more about your tips, tricks, and thoughts on staying natural when visiting with your not so natural family (and friends).  I think it can help all of us navigate these sensitive spaces we can sometimes tread with people we love that don’t always share (or in our case even take seriously) our natural view on things.

Commonly referred to as “EC” elimination communication is the practice of actually NOT DIAPERING your baby at all but, instead, learning to read his/her cues and getting them to the potty so they can be diaper free.

You can begin this process from birth, and, while it might seem shocking to many there are way more babies around the world that don’t wear diapers than that do.  Elimination Communication is the name given by westerners to this ancient practice of raising babies without diapers that’s fairly new (or maybe recently refound) to us.

While most people who have diaper free babies don’t have the option of diapers – there are many that do and still choose EC.  Why would you decide not to use diapers on your baby?

Many feel that it’s more comfortable for the babies to not be diapered.  While others feel that the bond between parents and their children is enhanced by practicing elimination communication and the reading of the baby’s cues that’s involved in the process.

Then, if we just consider the point of view of the environment – babies being diaper free is the best option available!  Nothing in the land fill, less energy and water usage than cloth diapers; Elimination Communication is really the most natural option for diapering  your baby out there.

But, how realistic is it?  The answer to this question is going to be different for each family.

You see, part of Elimination Communication is being with your baby 24/7 and always watching their body language, facial expressions, and vocalizations to know when they need to go.  This isn’t going to be possible for many families for a variety of reasons.

You’ll also need to figure out what to do about going out.  There are a lot of different possibilities like having a portable potty you can carry in the car, using diapers part of the time (like when you go out, or overnight), or another creative solution that makes EC work for your wonderfully unique family.

That’s the most important thing though.  Whatever diapering method, or more likely methods, you choose, be sure they work well for your natural family.  What worked for my boys was even somewhat different with each one of them depending on where we were in time at that point; it’s definitely going to be different from family to family!  And that’s why we’re here; to give you the information you need to be as natural as you can or your want to be!

To find out more about all the different ways you can diaper (or in the case of elimination communication – not diaper!) your baby, please read our full 4 Part Diapering Your Natural Baby series!

However, that’s not true for many properties in New Mexico and around the world.  Everyone needs water though right? One solution – rainwater collection.

Rainwater Collection is just what it sounds like.  Collecting rain water and storing it for use later.  It’s been done for centuries and is currently very popular in some arid places like the southwestern US, Brazil, China and elsewhere, as well as for people who are designing and building off grid homes like earthships and other types of green buildings.

Rain water harvesting systems are usually gutter systems that instead of emptying the water they catch from the roof into a location in your yard or into the street, they empty it into a holding tank.  At their most basic a rain water collection system could also be a 50 gallon drum or two set near the garden or the water tank for the livestock too.

Take a look at these examples of rain water collection systems for a better idea of what I’m talking about.

From Earthship Biotecture this is an image of gutters that will collect the rain water that falls onto the roof of this earthship and funnel it into this underground cistern that will store the water from storms for use within the home later.

This was the backyard of our first house in New Mexico. You can see that the roof empties water into the gutter that then runs into and down through that white pipe on the right of the image. From there it went into an underground cistern. It was amazing to watch it fill with one of those powerful high desert storms! We used the water we collected for everything except drinking.

A very nice, clean example of a rainwater harvesting system with the red pipe tucked up there collecting the water from the roof then channeling it into that cool red holding tank for storage.

an above ground cistern or rain water collection tank

Here's another example of a homemade rainwater collection system with several gutters and pipes feeding that orange holding tank.

Ready to incorporate rainwater collection into your green building?

It’s so easy.

Depending on your climate you may need to dig for your cistern if you plan to use it year round so it’s underground and safe from freezing temps.  Otherwise, it’s just gutters, some type of container to hold the water you collect, along with a way to release the water when you’re ready for it and you’ve got your very own rainwater collection system!

If you just want a small project, try setting up a system off your garage or barn for your garden.  If you like it go bigger!  It’s amazing how much water you can collect and what it can really save you, and the planet.