All posts by The Natural Mammas

Tips For A More Natural Thanksgiving

November 11, 2011 The Natural Mammas 1 Comment

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and, if you’re hosting the family gathering this year you’ll definitely enjoy these tips and tricks we’ve listed here for creating a more natural Thanksgiving celebration!

Serve Local And Organic Foods

The Thanksgiving meal is a big one! Make it more earth friendly by searching your area for local and organic foods for your table.

Often health food stores can connect you with farmers that raise organic free range turkeys. In many areas farmer’s markets are still happening and they make a wonderful resource for creating a local, organic Thanksgiving too.

If you’re hosting a potluck this Thanksgiving, why not challenge all your guests to bring a meal prepared with organic foods grown within a 20 or 40 mile radius of their home; a great way to create a local Thanksgiving meal.

Create Eco Friendly Table Settings

Buying new table settings for your Thanksgiving celebration? Consider purchasing serving pieces made from recycled glass and bamboo, or table linens made from organic cotton. You can also find “new to you” items for your Thanksgiving table at second hand and thrift stores.

If you do place cards you can use 100% recycled paper to create your cards; be sure to recycle again when you’re through. And, for lovely Thanksgiving flowers on the table or anywhere else in your home consider eco friendly and organic flower arrangements.

Go Vegetarian This Thanksgiving

While a local, free range, organic turkey is great, going vegetarian this Thanksgiving is even better. Many folks go with a “Tofurkey” or, you could make the always enjoyable Veggie Pie that’s made using a variation on our Veggie Hot Pockets recipe from our Natural Mammas Recipes section.

There are also ways to make a fantastic vegetarian gravy for your mashed potatoes and stuffing so you can still host a vegetarian Thanksgiving without missing out on this staple either.

Got some tips of your own for making the yearly Thanksgiving celebration more natural? We’d love to hear them and we know everyone else would too. Please share your natural entertaining tips and tricks by leaving a comment below!

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Pumpkin Season or Pumpkin Seasoning?

October 29, 2011 The Natural Mammas Leave a comment

What wonderful fun we had carving pumpkins this evening. We weren’t even sure we’d have pumpkins this year after battling the slugs in early spring, but low and behold Mother Nature blessed our garden with a select few beautiful pumpkins perfect for carving. While we harvested our orange giants a few weeks ago, tonight was the big event and the creative minds of a five and two year old came out to play.

Just as most childhood Halloween memories begin, the fun starts when the top of the pumpkin is opened to reveal nature’s bounty in seeds and what our family lovingly refers to as guts. While the children may think that the best part of the day has yet to come, I diligently separate seeds from pumpkins dreaming about my own favorite part of the event…the roasted pumpkin seeds.

I can’t quite remember if I loved pumpkin seeds as a child or if it is a taste that I developed during my granola hippy years, but roasted pumpkin seeds and even roasted squash seeds are one of my favorite fall snacks. I can still remember the first time I called my mom and asked her how exactly to make them and her recipe was, well deliciously simple with just roasting and salting. Needless to say I have grown and so have my tastes and I have experimented with several different seasonings to compliment the seeds already nutty flavor and it is those recipes that I’d like to share with you today.

First some quick tips on seed prep. I only learned recently that if you soak your pulpy seeds in water for a bit, it makes it much easier to separate everything. Soak them in saltwater for an hour then put them under running water as you work your fingers over them. The pulp almost falls right off of the seed. Of course then you rinse and dry the seeds. Okie Dokie! On to the fun stuff

We like to put honey on our seeds so that the seasoning sticks, but I have heard that others use oil. Whatever floats your pumpkin boat; as for pumpkin seed seasonings-here are a few ideas, but I encourage you to experiment on your own. Just add your seasoning then bake your seeds at 300 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

Cinnamon delight-honey, cinnamon and sugar
Garlic-butter, garlic and sea salt
Hot-oil, cayenne, paprika and sea salt
Wowsers-oil, soy, ginger and red chili
Ginger-oil, ginger and orange zest
Cheesy-butter, parmesan and black pepper
All Natural-just some butter and salt do just fine to the already awesome flavor of roasted pumpkin seeds.

Don’t forget that pumpkin seeds and squash seeds are loaded with protein and fiber and make a great snack for giving a bit of extra energy into your day. They are also great in salads, on toast and anywhere else your taste buds can take you. Oh I just saw pumpkin seed brittle and think I may be trying my hand at that too. So happy harvesting, happy carving and even happier roasting your seeds.

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Ideas For Green Halloween Treats

October 17, 2011 The Natural Mammas Leave a comment

A few posts back we talked about greening up your halloween costume and today, we’re talkin’ Halloween treats!

If you’re giving out treats at your house this year you might want to think about alternatives to the customary chocolate bars and hard candies. Many of the well known brands of candy aren’t always the best for those of us who eat it or the rest of the planet.

But, there are other ways to bestow a treat on all the dear Halloween tricksters who come to visit. If you’re looking for something different to give your visitors this Halloween, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Natural Candy

If you’d like to still give candy but want to avoid the colors, preservatives, ethical issues etc often found with the big brand treats, try natural and organic candy. Companies like Yummy Earth and Newman’s Own have made it their goal to offer candy that’s tasty but doesn’t contain all the extras you don’t want.

Art and School Supplies

Some cool pencils and erasers, a pack of crayons,stickers, a small note pad with a pen; All of these options can make a great Halloween treats for trick or treaters of any age. Plus, you get to encourage their creativity instead of your visitor’s sweet tooth.

Used Book Basket

I recently read about a woman who collected used children’s books and then, each Halloween, would put them all into a big basket and let each trick or treater choose his or her own book. She said at first she wasn’t sure how it would all go over but the neighborhood children look forward to her Halloween used book basket now each year with great excitement and love carefully selecting the book of their choice for their “treat”.

This is my favorite idea personally – because it’s green and affordable! After all, used books are just a dollar at Goodwill – often you can get them for $.50! Even boxes of used children’s books at yard sales and library book sales are usually quite cheap. Stash them away through the year or even go stock up now and give the gift or reading to your Halloween friends this year too.

Handmade Trinkets And Gifts

For any occasion, including Halloween, handmade gifts can be a fun and often quite green option. Homemade Halloween bracelets or pins, a special key chain, or other unique hand made gift could make any little ghoul or goblin’s evening and these treats don’t have to be candy oriented either.

I know if you think about it you can come up with the right way for you to give out your Halloween treats this year. Sometimes it’s just gotta be the standard Twix or Blow Pop but, if you can swing it, Greening up your Halloween treats can be fun for you, your trick or treaters, and the earth!

What are you giving out this year? Let us know below and share your ideas for Green Halloween Treats!