Ysanne's blog

April garden update

"April is the cruelest month" says poet TS Eliot, but thankfully, this doesn't apply to our garden in sunny Malibu...
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March garden update

Here in Malibu, summer comes early! Don't get me wrong, it's not summer yet.....
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Spring basket from the garden

Fragrant sweetpea flowers are one of the hallmarks of an English Spring garden, so I'm delighted they're equally as happy to bloom in Malibu...
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Organic news

Organic farmers win legal case

Purveyors of conventional and genetically-modified (GM) crops (and the pesticides and herbicides that accompany them) are finally getting a taste of their own legal medicine. Minnesota's Star Tribune has reported that the Minnesota Court of Appeals recently ruled that a large organic farm surrounded by chemical-laden conventional farms can seek damages for lost crops, as well as lost profits, caused by the illegal trespassing of pesticides and herbicides on its property. Oluf and Debra Johnson's 1,500-acre organic farm in Stearns County, Minn., has repeatedly been contaminated by nearby conventional and GMO farms since the couple started it in the 1990s...
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Monsanto and the US Government

It's a scary truth that the biggest corporation developing genetically modified food crops share their highest ranking staff with the US Government, and vice versa...
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Raising a glass of juice to this hot mama

This beautiful lady's youthful health is attributed to her mostly raw vegan diet, but also, I bet her beautiful loving outlook on life is a major part of her health success! Click the link to watch the video of this extraordinary 71 year old lady. Sexy, youthful, vibrant and healthy raw vegan 71 year old lady
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Recipes and books

Book review: The Inspired Vegan

by Bryant Terry Published by Da Capo Press This exceptional book brings together Bryant Terry's passion for flavor and deep experience of food activism in such light and subtle measures that you could be fooled into believing the author is purely taste-led...
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Superdelicious Banana Bread

Lisa Josefsberg bakes banana bread so delicious you'd never guess it's wheat-free, sugar-free and dairy-free...
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Dolmades

If you have grapevines in your garden, it's time to learn how to make dolmades...
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Your emails

Can “hothouse” food be organic?

Question: "When a grocery store advertises "hot house" red or yellow peppers, are they considered organic?" from, Susan Dillard Answer: The only way you can be sure something is grown organically is if it is labeled "Organic" "Hot-house" means they have been grown indoors, perhaps under a plastic polytunnel, or perhaps under glass...
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Converted

Hi there, Just like to say, great website. I am now a full convert to organic fruit and veg etc. I'm addicted to the stuff. I actually have an organic box delivered each week, sort of boycotting the supermarkets these days, hardly any organic produce there these days, strange. Keep up the great work, David Tait
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Raw organic milk

I live in north East Fife, in Scotland and was brought up on raw "green top" unpasteurised milk, as it was, as nature intended. When this was banned in Scotland, I turned to ordinary pasteurised milk, but now, all milk, even organic, seems to be homogenised - but I read that in Australia, this type of milk treatment has raised health issues, mostly do with heart health...
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