Who here has gone the organic route?

**QuilterMom** · 11-02-2004, 03:51 PM

I often feel like it's just me!

We are not 100% organic (it seems impossible), but we are as close to 100% as we can be. We have also chosen to avoid products containing ingredients like aluminum, PEG, propylene glycol, SLS, fluoride, parabens, etc. as best we can.

Anyone else?

**kimmee** · 11-02-2004, 03:59 PM

I buy organic veggies and Hormone free meats - and I don't buy instant or mixes of anything - I would guess that we are pretty organic - I make our bread and any thing sweet. My only concern is dairy stuff... except eggs - cuz we have a do it yourself kit on that too

. I would like to get a goat and a mooee and make our own cheese and milk. Next year we will have two bulls for meat and we'd have chicken too if I could quit naming the dumb things!!

**homesteadmamma** · 11-02-2004, 03:59 PM

We have has much as possible. All our veggies are grown organically with absolutely no fertilizer other than the compost we do ourselves.

All our grain we purchase is organic and much of our food items are organic as well.

Were not at 100% although thats our goal. Will we ever get to it, I'm not sure. The cost of organic is unreal, but when you grow your own veggies it really cuts down on the cost.

**forestdale** · 11-02-2004, 04:02 PM

We are too, Kim. Like you, we aren't 100% but as close as we can comfortably be.

We all gave up soft drinks last year and now only drink water, tea, coffee, wine (all organic) and naturally brewed beer. I make lemonade from our lemon tree and I make iced tea when it's hot. I'm thinking of looking for an organic beer mix so I can make my own. We don't drink a lot but it's nice to have when friends drop by.

I find more organic food items in our mainstream supermarket now. I hope that continues as shopping at the organic supermaret can be expensive.

We also avoid certain products with harmful ingredients and when I shop for things I haven't tried before I refer to my little "Chemical Maze" guidebook that I carry when i go shopping.

**kaykwilts** · 11-02-2004, 04:22 PM

I would love to be able to do this but it is so expensive. I do buy my own grain and make bread from the flour I grind myself.
I get my wheat berries from the co-op. In the summer I grow a veggie garden and that's organic.

**kimmee** · 11-02-2004, 04:25 PM

Kay - how do you use the wheat berries - Do you have to grind thm or anything - I love honey wheatberry bread!!

**QuilterMom** · 11-02-2004, 04:54 PM

You are right about the prices being expensive! We have one grocery store (Publix) that has a pretty good variety of organics (they started their own private label/line), but they are still more expensive than our health food store (which has pretty ridiculous prices).

I am on my second attempt at a garden since the hurricanes wiped out the first. We also have a valencia orange tree and a myers lemon tree. We hope to add more (a variety) as we get our property situated.

I am also going to have to start trying to make our bread, hamburger buns, and hot dog buns.

Do any of you not eat meat? We don't eat pork or beef anymore, but still eat chicken, turkey, and seafood. We love the Morningstar patties and hot dogs.

**homesteadmamma** · 11-02-2004, 05:38 PM

We do not eat beef and have just given up pork. We eat chickens, turkey and fish that we catch ourselves. Our chickens and turkey are bought from a local farmer.

**kimmee** · 11-02-2004, 05:53 PM

I gotta have my beef.

**forestdale** · 11-02-2004, 07:36 PM

I don't eat any beef, chicken, turkey, pork or lamb. The only "meat" I eat is seafood, I started eating that again a few months ago. I don't try to disguise my food or pretend I'm eating meat when I'm not - ie, bean sausage, vegie burgers etc. I like not eating meat, it took a while to get really content with my decision, but now I feel so much healthier I know it's right for me.

**ymay** · 11-02-2004, 08:45 PM

We are in the not 100% organic club as well.

My family eats very little meat, my dh likes the odd steak and eats chicken and turkey.

He does alot of training and finds he craves protein when he is run down.

My dd has been a vegetarian for quite a while. She rarely ate meat as a child........perhaps in chill, but is quite determined to be a vegan. ...at least. My son hates meat.

I may have a bite or 2 of whatever dh has, but I find all meat products difficult to digest.

Fruit and veggie prices are killers here in the winter. Add on the extra price for organic in the winter and it blows our budget. But we love our fruits and veggies.

We also purchase organic soya products. We also try to avoid chemicals etc. in household products.

QM, you are not alone!

**mom2matty** · 11-02-2004, 09:55 PM

We are also in the process of changing to as much organic as we can......I have learned a lot from QM over the last many months! It is hard to find organic items here......believe it or not. We have 1 store (Henry's) that carries a good amount of them but they are really really expensive! I am hoping to do an organic garden this next year as well! We mostly eat chicken and turkey.......very little beef or pork anymore.

**doodlebug** · 11-02-2004, 11:35 PM

We are slowly becoming more organic. It's just sooo expensive! I buy organic gluten-free products, Laura's lean beef when I can find it, and organic milk. I also use "natural" dish detergent and dishwasher detergent mostly because it is scent-free and I find that a lot of scented products bother me. I also use natural deoderant and soap (dh and dd haven't been converted on these yet). I'm hoping to slowly go more and more organic & natural.

**Chea** · 11-03-2004, 03:11 AM

I am just starting on the journey to more natural foods. Its a process and one I'm just learning more about every day. We eat very little red meat but have so far to go!

**crdurham** · 11-03-2004, 12:20 PM

I am a newbie to this as well but am finding that I enjoy the taste of organic foods and actually feel better. My dh is a little slower adapting to this...but he had liked alot of the foods that I have bought. I am keeping as many chemicals out of my little ones body as possible.

Our local grocery store has their own line of organic foods and they are much cheaper than the health food stores and are just a little more expensive than regular. I buy Gerber brand chicken and eat fish and turkey. We still eat alot of ground beef....me and my sis are going in together and buying a side of beef when my parents get theirs this year. It will be all hay feed beef. We drink tea, water, kool aid, organic juice and promagrate juice here. But we are still eating/drinking regular dairy products.

I want to be as close to organic/natural as possible. I want to get the chemicals out of our food and home products as much as I can.

I get Organic Style and Body and Soul mag and they both have great articles and tips to living a organic/natural life.