Gen's Organic Baby

Do you kids like popsicles? Try this simple recipe for homemade, low sugar popsicles. Take a seedless watermelon and puree it. Pour into popsicle forms, freeze, then enjoy! What other druit would you recommend?

Curous about soap nuts but don't where to buy them? I purchase from Sinfully Wholesome, they usually carry trial sizes to experiment with. Who would you recommend?

Interested in switching to cloth menstrual pads? Tried Tree Hugger based in Manitoba Canada and am VERY impressed. What company would you suggest for those looking to try it out?

Use an old mason jar or an old, cleaned, jar candle for your bees wax candle made from left over ends. Saving even more money!

Beeswax candles can be expensive; save the ends you can make your own candle from all the left over wax, an easy way to save a bit of money and naturally deodorize your home.

Like using candles? Try using beeswax candles. They are smokeless, usually dripless, and naturally deodorizes the air.

Having a hard time getting baby to eat? Sometimes babies can be overwhelmed by the amount of food on their plate, try giving them a small portion of the meal on one plate while keeping the rest of their portion on another plate. As they eat, add food onto the plate they are eating from from the second plate, just be sure to keep the amount small. It can reduce the chance of baby being overwhelmed and can reduce messes as well.

Having to plan for a supper with only you and baby or don't feel like cooking? Try making a large supper then freeze the leftovers. It's great for those days where no one wants to cook. Soups, casseroles, chilis, spaghetti sauces, curries, and stews can easily be frozen for lazy day suppers.

Try making your own yogurt, it lasts longer and has more of the healthy bacteria than most commercial varieties. Not sure how? Try this recipe:

Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients:
2L of milk; any kind
150mL of plain or homemade yogurt (this is called your yogurt starter)
- OR -
10g of freeze dried yogurt starter

Equipment:
2L or 2qt yogurt maker
Termometer
Large cooking pot, minimum size 3L
Small bowl

Directions:
Place the 2L of milk in your large pot and heat over medium low heat until it reaches the boiling point or your themometer reads 180F (82C). Remove from heat. It is best to place the pot of heated milk on a hot plate; hot plates tend to allow air to pass underneath which speeds up the cooling process. The pot can also be placed in a cold water bath, no higher than 3/4 up the side of the pot. Cool the milk until it reaches between 112F-108F (42C - 44C). In a small bowl mix the yogurt starter with enough warm milk to dissolve; when using yogurt as your starter, the milk will appear slightly thicker than cream. Pour the milk and yogurt starter mix into the pot of warm milk and gently stir. Pour this mixture into your yogurt maker. For a 2L container, let the yogurt cure for a minimum of 8 hours, remove the container from the yogurt maker and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours to stop the curing process. Once a batch of homemade yogurt is made it can be used as a starter for the following batch and this process can be repeated indefinitely, similar to sourdough starter and kefir starter. To make 1L of homemeade yogurt, halve all of the ingredients and cure for a minimum of 4 hours and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. Curing and refrigation times are the same for yogurt makers with individual sized containers.

Notes:
For 2L containers, I prefer curing for 15 hours. For 1L or individual sized containers, I prefer 8-10 hours. The longer times allows for a thicker yogurt, this will not result in Greek style yogurt. The refrigeration time does not change.
i also enjoy making my own fruit purees to flavour my yogurt. I also prefer to sweeten my yogurt with maple syrup or honey, just a bit goes a long way.

Have a toothache but can't make it to the dentist's office for a couple of days? Try putting a spoonful of coconut oil to the tooth for 10-20 minutes. It can help relieve the pain and draw out some of the infection while you wait for your appointment.
Remember, home remedies are not for everyone, check with a medical professional to make sure you are not putting yourself, or others, at risk.

Interested in trying wool dryer balls? We make and sell them now! Handmade, processed without any chemicals, and made from 100% wool. Selling them 3 for 20$, a limited time introductory offer. Pick up is free (Tues and Thurs from 5p-8p), delivery available for 5$ Wed evenings from 6p-8p for Ottawa's east end only (Orleans, Gloucester, Blackburn Hamlet), and we're looking into shipping. Instructions are included.

Try using cast iron pans for cooking as they transfer less chemicals to your food than non-stick ones.