LOST CAT

I was on holiday in Sydney.
I was walking around Leichardt when my attention was brought by
a lost cat poster. I am always sad when I see these but it broke my heart
when I read the poster, it said:

LOST CAT
My cat is lost and desperately
needs his medication.
He responds to the name "Yesto".

It made me really sad so had a look for him,
when I was in a quiet street where a cat might
be hiding in the bushes I called out his name.
Sadly i had no luck,
but if anyone happens to be in Leichardt it would be great
if you had a look for the poor soul.
if you do happen to find him, the poster said he was a Russian blue
and to call George: 0404 368 939

75 things you didn't know you could compost

The basics of composting are simple. Most people know they can compost fruit and vegetable peels, leaves, and grass clippings. But what about that tea bag you used this morning? Or the fur that collects in the brush when you groom your cat?

The following list is meant to get you thinking about your compost possibilities. Not every item on the list is for everyone, and that’s fine. Imagine how much trash we could prevent from going into the landfills if each of us just decided to compost a few more things. Here are 75 ideas to get you started.

From the Kitchen

1. Coffee grounds and filters
2. Tea bags
3. Used paper napkins
4. Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces
5. Paper bags, either ripped or balled up
6. The crumbs you sweep off of the counters and floors
7. Plain cooked pasta
8. Plain cooked rice
9. Stale bread
10. Paper towel rolls
11. Stale saltine crackers
12. Stale cereal
13. Used paper plates (as long as they don’t have a waxy coating)
14. Cellophane bags (be sure it’s really Cellophane and not just clear plastic—there’s a difference.)
15. Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
16. Old herbs and spices
17. Stale pretzels
18. Pizza crusts
19. Cereal boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first)
20. Wine corks
21. Moldy cheese
22. Melted ice cream
23. Old jelly, jam, or preserves
24. Stale beer and wine
25. Paper egg cartons
26. Toothpicks
27. Bamboo skewers
28. Paper cupcake or muffin cups

From the Bathroom

1. Used facial tissues
2. Hair from your hairbrush
3. Toilet paper rolls
4. Old loofahs
5. Nail clippings
6. Urine
7. 100% cotton cotton balls
8. Cotton swabs made from 100% cotton and cardboard (not plastic) sticks

Personal Items

It might be a good idea to bury these items in your pile. Just sayin’.

1. Cardboard tampon applicators
2. Latex condoms

From the Laundry Room

1. Dryer lint
2. Old/stained cotton clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces
3. Old wool clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces

   From the Office

   1. Bills and other documents you’ve shredded
   2. Envelopes (minus the plastic window)
   3. Pencil shavings
   4. Sticky notes
   5. Business cards (as long as they’re not glossy)
   6. Receipts

   Around the House

   1. Contents of your vacuum cleaner bag or canister
   2. Newspapers (shredded or torn into smaller pieces)
   3. Subscription cards from magazines
   4. Leaves trimmed from houseplants
   5. Dead houseplants and their soil
   6. Flowers from floral arrangements
   7. Natural potpourri
   8. Used matches
   9. Ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit

   Party and Holiday Supplies

   1. Wrapping paper rolls
   2. Paper table cloths
   3. Crepe paper streamers
   4. Latex balloons
   5. Raffia
   6. Excelsior
   7. Jack o’ Lanterns
   8. Those hay bales you used as part of your outdoor fall decor
   9. Natural holiday wreaths
   10. Your Christmas tree. Chop it up with some pruners first (or use a wood chipper, if you have one…)
   11. Evergreen garlands

   Pet-Related

   1. Fur from the dog or cat brush
   2. Droppings and bedding from your rabbit/gerbil/hamsters, etc.
   3. Newspaper/droppings from the bottom of the bird cage
   4. Feathers
   5. Alfalfa hay or pellets (usually fed to rabbits)
   6. Rawhide dog chews
   7. Fish food
   8. Dry dog or cat food

   I know that the longer I’ve had a compost pile, the more likely I’ve been to take a second look at something I was preparing to throw in the trash. “Hmm. Can I compost this?” is a frequent question in my house. And, as you can see, it’s surprising how often you can answer “Yes!”

   By Colleen Vanderlinden, Planet Green
   
   Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/75-things-you-can-compost.html?page=2#ixzz12y6eAd00

The free rice game!

Hello everyone!
I hope your having a great day!
I just wanted to bring up a website that I think is awesome,
that's right,
the free rice game!
In this game you have to take an ongoing quiz with your choice of subject,
for each question you get right, the sponsors of the website donate ten grains of rice to a family in need, play longer, donate more rice, and best of all, IT'S FREE!
Free rice game: http://www.freerice.com/
more websites like this: http://sites.google.com/site/helpingtheworld12/online-offline-places-to-go

Healthy caramel apples!

Caramel apples, everyone loves them,

but how to eat them without putting on weight?

here a recipe to make delicious, healthy

Caramel Apples!

6 organic apples
2 cups dates soaked in 1 cup water, and mashed down
2 tablespoons raw tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tiny pinch Celtic salt
2 cups walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or other nut of your choice

Pulse the nuts in a food processor and transfer to a bowl.
Poke a chopstick through 6 apples.
In a food processor, blend till smooth, the soaked dates, vanilla and salt.
Using a butter knife, apply the date paste to each apple. Swirl in nuts. Chill in the refrigerator. Enjoy this October delight!

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/healthy-caramel-apples.html?page=2#ixzz12P64lZYb

vegetarian day!

Hi everyone!
sorry I haven't posted for a while, but i have been very busy!
Anyway enough about that, I have something very exiting to say!
It's world vegetarian day!
here is an awesome vegetarian meal made with spring produce from http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/spring-minestrone

ingredients

• 100g small soup pasta, e.g. stelline (little stars)
• 2 leeks, trimmed
• 2 celery stalks
• 6 baby carrots
• 1 green and 1 yellow zucchini
• 3 tbsp extra virgin
• olive oil
• 1.2L chicken or vegetable stock or water, boiling
• 500g broad beans, shelled
• 100g shelled peas
• Sea salt and pepper
• Freshly shaved parmesan or pecorino
• 2 tbsp pesto
• 
  

Method

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the leeks and celery until soft. Add the carrots and toss well. Add the boiling stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the broad beans and peas for 5 mins in simmering salted water, drain and refresh. Peel the broad beans.
  
  Add the zucchini, broad beans, peas and pasta to the soup and simmer for a further 5 or 10 mins, keeping the colours bright. Season with salt and pepper and ladle into shallow pasta bowls.
  

  To serve
  

  Spoon a little pesto into each bowl and scatter with cheese.
  
  Serves 4.

Vegan Sources of Vitamins & Minerals

Calcium
broccoli, green leafy vegetables (such as kale, bok choy, collard and turnip greens), tofu, blackstrap molasses, chickpeas, many beans, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, flax seeds, brazil nuts, dried figs, dried fruit.

Iron
green leafy vegetables & sea vegetables, legumes/beans, nuts & seeds, blackstrap molasses, dried fruits, watermelon, prune juice, spinach, cereals, whole grains.

Magnesium
brown rice, cooked spinach, beans/legumes, almonds/nuts, dried figs, broccoli, cooked oatmeal, wheat germ/bran, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, bananas, peanuts.

Phosphorus
pinto beans, cereal grains, almonds, nuts, dried beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, brown rice, avocados, spinach, many vegetables, yeast.

Potassium
raisins, bananas, raw and cooked spinach, potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, winter squash, raw cauliflower, avocados, kiwifruit, dried fruits, tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, dried apricots.

Zinc
pumpkin seeds, whole grains/cereals, legumes, lentils, peas, soy foods, nuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, yeast, garbanzo beans, raw collard greens, spinach, corn.

Selenium
brazil nuts, whole grains, kidney beans (depending on the soil they are grown in), yeast.

Manganese
brown rice & whole grains, cereals, cooked oatmeal, wheat germ, nuts, seeds, legumes, cooked spinach & kale, black beans, almonds, avocados, pineapples, strawberries.

Molybdenum
beans, breads, cereals, cooked spinach, strawberries.

Pantothenic Acid
whole grain cereals, legumes, mushrooms, peanuts, soybeans, avocados, sunflower seeds, bananas, oranges, cooked collard greens, baked potato, broccoli.

Chromium
whole grains, nuts, broccoli, apples, peanuts, cooked spinach, mushrooms.

Biotin
cereals & whole grains, breads, yeast, almonds, peanuts, molasses, legumes.

Copper
nuts and seeds, whole grains, dried beans, mushrooms.

Folic Acid
legumes, lentils, oranges, whole grains, asparagus, spinach, romaine lettuce.

Iodine
iodine-rich sea vegetables, kelp, vegetables grown in iodine-rich soil.

Vitamin A
carrots, winter squashes (acorn and butternut), sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, apricots, spinach, kale, turnip greens, broccoli, red bell peppers and other greens.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
brown rice & whole grains, bread, pasta, oatmeal, brewers and nutritional yeast, legumes, cereals, sunflower seeds, nuts, watermelon, raw wheat germ.

Riboflavin
yeast, beans, cereals, whole grains, spinach, broccoli, wheat germ, mushrooms.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
legumes, brown rice, green vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli.

Vitamin B6
whole grains, peanuts, nuts/legumes, soybeans, walnuts, bananas, watermelon

Vitamin C
bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries, oranges/orange juice, grapefruit, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, turnip greens, spinach, potatoes, melon, berries, papayas, romaine lettuce, watercress.

Vitamin D
The most significant supply of Vitamin D comes from sunlight exposure on the skin. Vitamin D-2 supplements are available, as well as Vitamin D fortified plant milks & cereals. Fortified vegan products contain Vitamin D-2 (ergocalciferol) as opposed to animal-derived Vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol).

Vitamin E
safflower/vegetable oils, sunflower seeds, raw wheat germ, nuts, peanuts, green leafy vegetables, whole wheat flour, whole grains, spinach.

Vitamin K
green leafy vegetables, spinach, turnip greens, kale, parsley, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, soybeans and soybean oil, cabbage, green tea, tomatoes.

Vitamin B12
Red Star ‘Vegetarian Support Formula’ Nutritional Yeast, B-12 fortified non-dairy milks and cereals. Vegan B-12 supplements: VegLife (certified vegan) B-12 supplement, Twin Labs ‘Vegetarian Formula’ B-12 Sublingual Dots, etc.

this source of inormation came from Angel Flinn

Fruits and Veggies Matter!

Benefits of Fruits and Veggies

• Fruits and vegetables are important to overall health, adding essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. People who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthy diet tend to have lower rates of diseases such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
• Fruits and veggies are naturally low in calories.
• Consuming fruits and veggies satisfies hunger and helps stave off those cravings for empty calories.
• There’s nothing quite like biting into a fresh, crisp piece of fruit or a grilled, lightly seasoned vegetable. You just can’t beat it!
• With fruits and veggies as part of your daily meal plan, you will have increased energy. Seriously, you’ll feel a whole lot better.
• The National Fruit & Vegetable Program says that all fresh, frozen, dried, or canned fruits and vegetables and 100 percent juice products are acceptable — as long as you make sure there are no added sugars, syrups, salt, butter, or cream sauces.

Recommended Daily Dose
We’re all different and so are our dietary needs, depending on our health status, age, and other factors. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends a range from two to six and one-half cups per day. There’s no need to stress out about amounts or make things more complicated than they need to be; simply making fruits and vegetables the focal point of every meal will help you meet your recommended amount each day.

Dietary Supplements and Fortified Food
There are many fortified foods and dietary supplements on the market that can help, but nothing gives the full benefits like fresh fruits and vegetables. Even if you do take supplements, it is still recommended that you meet your nutritional needs primarily through foods.

BY Ann Pietrangelo