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 | Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
by Barbara Kingsolver
At first glance, the idea seems far from unique. There have been similar stories, columns, and books pop up in the last few years - including Amy Jo Ehman’s Starphoenix column, and the well known 100 Mile Diet by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon. While I expected an interesting read, I was certain it would simply be a rehashing of the same old information. I was pleasantly surprised to instead find a thought-provoking book that not only offered facts and statistics about food and farming in North America but also a practical guide on how to eat sustainably.
Kingsolver goes beyond discussing purchasing from local producers. She includes how to choose varieties of heirloom tomatoes, how many acres of onions a family needs, tips on egg production, ideas about canning, loads of recipes, and even the discusses the lost art of turkey sex.
Kingsolver, along with her husband, Steven Hopp, and her daughter, Camille Kingsolver, make a solid case for why we need to change the way we look at food. I have been recommending Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and lending out my copy, to everyone I know. Both in an effort to help my friends and family understand why I bought a farm last year, and because I truly believe it will change the way they think about food. Everybody who reads it makes changes to their eating habits by shopping at the farmer’s market more, growing a bigger garden, and pulling out Grandma’s old canning recipes. The message is that sustainable eating is important to our local economies, our national food security, and the health of our planet... and that it's something we ALL can do!
- Amber Jones -
|  | The Joy of Green Cleaning
by Leslie Reichert
The Joy of Green Cleaning is a cookbook, for cleaning. Many of us have had our eyes opened to the dangers of store bought cleaning products... and once your eyes have been opened, you simply can't go back. Reichert, thankfully, allows us to go forward - and backwards at the same time. To a time before commercial cleaners ruled our homes.
Reichert brings us a fabulous collection of home made cleaners with a diverse range of capabilities. From liquid laundry soap and fabric softener to cutting board sanitizer, grout cleaner, and hair spray remover. You'll wonder how you ever got along without this helpful volume. Cleaning your home safely has never been so easy!
- Tobi-Dawne Smith -
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