Do Cloth Diapers Really Make a Difference?

When disposable diapers were first invented, I bet parents thought they were the best thing ever.

But as interest in protecting the environment and avoiding toxins increased, parents have revisited the cloth diapers. Now we have all kinds of options in both disposable and cloth diapers.

The question for new mothers is – do cloth diapers really make a difference for your baby and the environment? Continue reading

Vegan Wacky Marble Cake Recipe

What’s the appeal of marble cake? Visually, the swirls of chocolate ribbons intermingling with the rest of the yellow cake are interesting and fun. In terms of taste, marble cake is not overly sweet. It’s chocolatey but not overpowering. My kids and hubby love marble cake, which we often buy from Costco. But I’ve decided to save money and feed them healthier snacks by making my own, this time vegan but still delicious.

Below is my own version of vegan wacky marble cake, adapted from Piece of Cake!: One-Bowl, No-Fuss, From-Scratch Cakes by Camilla Saulsbury:

Preheat oven to 350F

Spray an 8- or 9-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray (Cuisinart baking pans are my favorite). Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

In a glass measuring cup, mix together:

1 cup non-dairy milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well. Blend together with a wire whisk. Do not over-mix, or your cake will become tough. Whisk only until the ingredients are mixed. Using a spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, put globs of batter all over the baking pan, leaving spaces in between. Leave roughly half of the batter in the bowl.

To the remaining half of the batter, add:

3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk

Stir together until blended, but do not over-mix. Put globs of the chocolate batter in the spaces between the yellow batter in the pan. Take a knife and swirl the chocolate and vanilla batters together gently. Don’t overdo it!

Bake for 20-24 minutes, until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy! This marble cake is fluffy and moist. My son immediate ate 3 slices:

PS: If you try this recipe, do let me know how it goes!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Do You Know How To Protect Yourself?

In fact, I have been all too aware of breast cancer.

In the past year, two people close to me have been diagnosed with breast cancer, gotten mastectomies, and gone through chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

And then a few weeks ago, another person I know was found to have pre-cancerous calcifications in her breasts. She will have a double mastectomy to avoid cancer altogether.

Anyway, I’m telling you all this to let you know that we can do something to avoid cancer.

I came across an article that was empowering, because it gives us many different ways to reduce our chances of getting breast cancer. They all boil down to avoiding cancer-causing toxins in our food and environment:Continue reading

My Almost 100% Natural Anti-Acne Skin Care Regimen

For years now, I’ve been battling adult acne, and I’ve been looking in vain for skin care products that are natural and toxin-free.

Unfortunately, every time I switch to natural, organic products, my skin would break out again. I simply haven’t been able to find a product or combination of products that would help keep my adult acne at bay.

Until now.

After months and months of trying different products, I’ve finally found a skin care regimen that’s mostly natural and organic and free of the Dirty Dozen.

Below are the products I use, why I use them, and the effects they’ve had on my skin, as far as I can tell. It’s a pretty long list and I’m quite shocked that I would need so many skin care products on a daily basis! But keep in mind, I have combination skin, which means I practically need two sets of products: one for my acne-prone T-zone, and another for the rest of my face.

Continue reading

Make Your Own Non-Toxic Face Paints

In a previous post, I recommended a couple of non-toxic face paints for your kids (and yourself, too, of course).

Some of you responded that you’d rather make your own face paints. Well, that can certainly be done!

Here’s a very simple recipe I saw on the the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website, with two main ingredients:Continue reading