The Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen* and Weekend Plans

* information gleaned from the Environmental Working Group website after finding an outdated listing in Skinny Bitch.

I've been reading through the Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook for more nutrient dense recipes and right off the bat there's a section on buying organic. As my blog's name and heading indicates, I am mostly organic, but from reading the listing in the cookbook and then perusing the EWG website, it looks like I might need to get more organic for my family's sake.

The Dirty Dozen (These are the most pesticide filled of the bunch so buy these organic if possible.)

1. Apples - 98 percent of apples have pesticides (and we LOVE apples in my house)
   
2. Celery -  as many as 57 different pesticides!
   
3. Strawberries - as many as 13 different pesticides
   
4. Peaches
   
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
   
7. Grapes
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
    
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/Collard Greens
    

From that list I only buy 3 items consistently organic: apples, spinach and lettuce. I also consistently buy organic carrots. Sam's Club makes the lettuce (salad) and carrot purchases much easier and affordable (half of what Target charges and in bulk). 

Clean 15 (lowest in pesticide)

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet Peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms
    

I noticed that bananas aren't on the clean list so that's good (I guess) because we always have bananas on hand for a perfect snack.  Earlier this week I had to purchase a watermelon for $14 (it's a huge one, mind you) from Natural Grocers because my local store sold out of the $7 watermelons on Saturday. So looking forward to that ice cold sweet hydrating treat this weekend.

Other plans for the weekend: to work in the yard, bake some treats (and maybe do a yard craft with the kiddos), swim, watch some Dexter episodes, have some beers, experience our first home game of the season (from the comfort of my home), watch Stepbrothers (I missed this when it came out), make lumpia (a friend of mine has never tasted this Filipino delight so I'm making some for tailgating), take pictures, and hang out with my beautiful little family.

Any big plans for you this weekend?

Shifty

When I'm away from home my mind settles and I can focus on some things that I want to do vice the things that I need to do. I want to open up our rooms by either removing clutter or rearranging furniture to flow better. I also want to work on energy management projects (i.e. hang the south window curtain rod in the sunroom and transfer the drapes from the Gathering Room to the sunroom) and wall hangings for most of the rooms in the house.

I have ideas (so many ideas) for David's and Aubri's room. Scott hung their coat/backpack hooks (Bach Garment Holders, actually) last weekend (thank you, babes). These nifty hooks (which were spotlighted on Apartment Therapy years ago) have been in the basement waiting to be used. We have a couple hung by the front door already - I loved the design so much that I bought extra.


I plan to hang 2 Lil Davinci Art Cabinets above the hooks for the kiddos' keepsake masterpieces.  These frames hold up to 100 pieces of art while displaying the current masterpiece.  Emi has one and we have collected her artwork through the years. It's a great way to keep the really special pieces of art in one place (although we do still have an acid-free binder or 2 with other art pieces of Emi's).



I also plan to create a baseball themed alphabet painting and a distressed wood sign with the words from "You Are My Sunshine". (That's a favorite song to sing at bedtime.)

We painted the walls of the Gathering Room many years ago after texturizing the walls and we were so pleased with the outcome, we haven't hung much up on the walls since. I have 2 pieces of filipino art that my mom gave me on one wall.



And a wrought iron book shelf above the digital piano on the opposite wall...