Natural Home Products

After a long day of work, I’m generally in need of a way to relax and unwind. While some people might turn on the TV and go into a vegetative state, my preferred form of relaxation is a bit more active. I stop by the local grocery store and pick up all of the fixings for an elaborate dinner. Then I take my customary spot in the kitchen, throwing together a few delicious dishes and indulging in the therapeutic smells of cooking food.

The only downside of my cooking addiction pertains to its aftermath. I despise doing dishes, but it’s just a necessary part of the process. Taking care of the leftovers is a whole other matter – glass storage containers make things exponentially easier. The containers keep the food fresh for days, allowing me to pack a few containers for my lunch hour at work. All in all, it’s a cyclical system that I’m proud to uphold.

Many Health agencies across North America are suggesting that proper hand washing remains our best defence against the spread of illness.  Many advisories have been distributed outlining proper hand washing technique:  To Wash Your Hands Properly you must use soap and warm, running water.  Make sure to wet your hands before applying a liberal amount of soap to your hands. Rub your hands vigorously for 20 seconds.  You can try singing two rounds of “Happy Birthday” for timing your hand washing.  Make sure you wash all surfaces including:  the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers, the tips of your fingers, and under your fingernails. Then rinse your hands well and dry with paper towel.

While the recommended use of paper towel is practical in public bathrooms, hand towels remain a comforting and practical solution for our homes.  The concern with hand towels is that they hold moisture and can become a breeding ground for the germs that we are trying to wash away.  There are however, a few practical tips for reducing the spread of germs in our homes, while maintaining simple comforts like hand towels.  Comforting advice for those concerned with the amount of waste that is produced by disposable paper towelling. 

The first and most obvious advice for reducing the spread of germs in our homes is frequent and proper house cleaning    Special attention to bathrooms and other sinks and counter space is essential. To reduce the risk of spreading illness, it would also be suggested that you change your hand towels often.  You may also want to try using bamboo hand towels.  Bamboo towels contain a natural and unique agent called “bamboo kun” which has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties.  A bamboo towel will also dry faster than their cotton counterparts. With a clean home, proper hand washing, and a fresh hand towel, the risk of spreading illness will diminish.

With all the media hype about the H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic, we sometimes forget that simple hand washing is the most effective way of preventing the spread of H1N1 and any flu virus.  Proper hand washing is the simplest, yet the most neglected, disease prevention practice.   While germs can survive for up to three hours on our hands, a thorough hand washing with hot, soapy water can prevent any germs or bacteria from transferring to others.

It is important that hands be washed properly to prevent illness. The “rinse and go” method that is all too common nowadays is ineffective for preventing the spread of germs or bacteria. To Wash Your Hands Properly you must use soap and warm, running water.  Make sure to wet your hands before applying a liberal amount of soap to your hands. Rub your hands vigorously for 20 seconds.  You can try singing two rounds of “Happy Birthday” for timing your hand washing.  Make sure you wash all surfaces including:  the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers, the tips of your fingers, and under your fingernails. Then rinse your hands well and dry with paper towel.

Studies have shown that using good hand washing technique with plain old soap and water is just as effective as using antibacterial soap in controlling the number of microbes on hands.   Using an all natural soap or natural antiseptic soap such as tea tree oil soap, will get the job done and prove milder to the skin with repeated washings.  Hand sanitizer can also be used as an effect adjunct to hand washing, particularly when you are not near hand washing facilities.  Health agency recommendations include the use of hand sanitizers, but not as a replacement for proper hand washing, suggesting hand sanitizers not be used in place of soap and water but alongside a proper hand washing regime.  As with the spread of any flu, proper hand washing remains the very best defence against the spread of illness.

When I was growing up, my siblings and I used to laugh among ourselves about our grandmother’s thrifty ways. The Frugal Gourmet had nothing on her; she could make leftovers last for weeks and wouldn’t even consider wasting a scrap of food. It was only later that I realized she had grown up during the Great Depression; the scrimping and saving mentality had never really worn off.

She also had a habit of saving bows and even wrapping paper at Christmas time, warning us that we shouldn’t tear the precious wrap to shreds. Over time, grandma’s way of thinking began to appeal to me more and more, although it was more for environmental reasons than anything else. For the last several years I’ve been utilizing a reusable gift bag when I give her a Christmas present; I think the gesture is appreciated.

As the kids head back to school and winter schedules start ramping up, many busy parents start looking for time saving dinner ideas.  With take-out becoming expensive and grocery store frozen foods being somewhat less appetizing, serving your own favourite foods from your freezer seems a healthy and economical solution.  With a little  planning and some preparation, cooking your favourite fall recipes in big batches and freezing your own healthy entrees can become a healthy and convenient dinner solution for those busy weeknights or lazy weekends.

Some recipes are more suited than others to cooking in large quantities and freezing in individual portions.  Spaghetti sauce, chili, meatballs, casseroles, soups, and stews are a few favourites for freezing.  To keep your favourite dishes at their best,  just make sure to follow safe food freezing practices.  Once cooked, you will need to cool off your batch of food as quickly as possible before placing in the freezer to avoid any bacteria growth.  Also, remember to skim off the top layer of fat from soups, broths, or stews before freezing.  For successful freezing you will need to choose containers the appropriate serving size for reheating just what you need.  Using high quality glass storage containers for freezing ensures nothing transfers into your food (like Bisphenol A) during the freezing process and will make the reheating and/or microwaving of your dish more convenient.  Also, make sure it is a shallow container.  The greater surface area of a shallow container will assist with the safe cooling process by dispersing the heat quicker, as it will assist with quicker thawing and reheating.  When filling the storage containers leave as little air as possible in the container, but make sure to leave enough room for any liquids that will expand as they freeze.

Once your foods are cooled and ready for your freezer, label each storage container with the date frozen. Try not to over pack your freezer; the cold air will circulate better this way. And remember to go through your freezer periodically and throw out any old food or food you aren’t likely to use. It is best to eat your frozen dishes within two months.  You can promote proper rotation of your frozen entrees by placing the most recently frozen foods toward the back of the freezer.  When you are ready to enjoy one of your frozen dishes just thaw and reheat.  It is best to thaw your food in the refrigerator. Small items may thaw overnight in the fridge; larger ones will take longer. If you use the microwave, cook or heat the food soon after it has thawed as the microwave tends to start cooking some areas of the food while it defrosts.  So go ahead and enjoy.  The effort of big batch cooking will pay back time and time again.