Still there are a few tips to getting Organic ingredients.

The first thing I recommend to getting organic ingredients, remember the closer you have towards scratch the more quality control you have. Yes, there are organic TV dinners. Now take a look at the content. Organic does not always equate to being healthy for you.  Organic sugar and fat are just as bad for you calorie and health wise as the non-organic. You may be missing some of the preservatives and chemicals, but fat is fat and calories are calories.

If you are going to spend your money on organic, go for the good stuff. Make your food dollar count.

Like they tell dieters, shop the outsides of the store.  This is the area where there is the produce, the dairy, the meat. All of these can now be found in organic varieties. Instead of that organic prepackaged enchilada, pick up some certified organic chicken, herbs, produce and tortillas. Remember the fresher the ingredients, the more nutrients that are in the ingredients.

You can skip the megamarket altogether as well. Many health food stores are now offering a wide variety of organic ingredients. I live in a small town and belong to a co-op. They offer organic flours, rice, oatmeal, eggs and milk. What makes this nice is that much from the co-op is more local than say the mega-market. For me organic eggs from the co-op come from right here in my own state. The ones at the grocery store came from across the country.

Eating organic can be a simple way of life. Think of the easy things that you can fix. My pizza crust recipe for example. I have on hand organic flour and yeast and oil. This is all stuff that I use on a regular basis. When I decided to go organic this was one of the first things I did, switch my staples as they ran out.

Organic cheese and vegetables can be bought at the co-op, farmers market or at the megamarket. I canned my own sauce, so it is not certified organic, but I know where they came from, and they were not grown with any chemicals. The same with my herbs I grew and dried this past summer.

This makes for a very simple meal.  One that I know is healthy and chemical free. There are no preservatives. Start with the simple basic things. The comfort food and build from there while you change your pantry over to organic staples.

Today’s recipe is one that I have used for years. It is not hard. It can be easier than ordering pizza. And trust me it is a lot less expensive. Make sure you use quality ingredients, preferably organic. But no, push comes to shove, from scratch is always better than processed, so use what you have.

Pizza Crust
2 Cups warm water – about 110 degrees F.
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons yeast

Whisk these ingredients together in a large bowl and let proof. That is a fancy term for letting the yeast start to work. You will know it is proofing when it starts to get foamy and you can smell the yeast.

Then add

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 Cups Bread Flour
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

Mix thoroughly and start to knead. Knead it until it is smooth and elastic.

Divide it up. For me this makes 3 good size pizzas.  Grease your pizza pans with olive oil. Start to spread out your dough. Gotta get your hands in this one. Work one pan and then another. Go back to the first. Once it has rested for a few minutes it will stretch out even more.

Top with your favorite ingredients. I have pizza sauce that I canned this summer with my own tomatoes. Then you can top with cheese and vegetables. OK so my kids like me to put meat on there too. It is up to you. Use your imagination, or like me, whatever you have in the fridge.

Bake at 475′ for 15 to 20 minutes.

I guarantee even the pickiest pizza eater will love this recipe.

The best thing about it? You know exactly what went into it. There is no harmful chemicals and preservatives. You are in control.

Let’s take a look at a natural cleanser that we have that we can substitute for some of those nasty chemicals. I guarantee it will be inexpensive, less toxic, get the cleaning job done and will leave your house smelling clean to boot!

After you have gone through all those bottles of cleaners and gotten rid of the ones that you no longer need, it is time to start looking for new cleaners. No, you won’t find them under your sink. Look instead in your refrigerator.

Lemons. In a pinch I have used the lemon juice that you can buy as well.

Lemon juice is 5% acid and antibacterial. This makes it a great cleanser.

Mix lemon juice with water and put in a spray bottle and you have a spot cleanser. You can use this on your counters, sinks, tubs and even your walls if you spot check it first.

Cleaning the microwave with a bowl of lemon juice and water makes that chore a snap. Just combine the two in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave to a boil for a minute or so. All you have to do then is wipe the microwave clean. It loosens all the stuff that has collected on the walls.

Does your garbage disposal have that funky smell? Well after you have juiced your lemon for other purposes, take the rinds and a few handfuls of ice and throw it in the disposal and run until the ice is gone. This will sharpen the blades and get rid of the odor in one quick and easy fix.

Straight lemon juice is a great degreaser as well. Just aid it to your dish liquid to give it a boast to get those really grimy greasy dishes clean.

Lemon can be used for more than just cleanser around the house too. If you have yellowing fingernails stick the tips of your fingers and nails into a freshly cut lemon. It will help whiten your nails.

For years girls who want to be blonds have used lemons natural lightening properties. Spray it into your hair and let it dry in the sun.

This isn’t a complete list by any means. Once you start using lemons as cleansers you will come up with many great uses for them. Your house will smell wonderful and it will be clean! I even place a few drops of Lemon Essential Oil in my steam mop. My floors get clean and the house smells great!