Spray vinegar to get rid of weeds. It needs to be around 10% strength to work so pickling vinegar is best. Just fill a spray bottle with pure vinegar and spray on weeds. Be sure to coat the plants evenly.

The vinegar spray is said to be more effective on sunny and hot days. It is very effective so make sure to spot treat and not to spray on other plants.

Do you have some ecotips? Share them with us at blog@bynature.co.uk!

With up to 75% off, here is your chance to grab a real bargain on the super cute collections of La Queue du Chat.

La Queue du Chat – aka The Cat’s Tail – is a French Label of organic and fair-trade baby clothes. The cotton is certified by SKAL and AGRECO.

Cheeky the Cat, Fanfan the elephant and all their friends are here to present a très très chic French styling for eco-conscious little ones everywhere.

Pretty, fun and cuddly-soft, this range of clothes from the French fair-trade and organic label La Queue du Chat aims to be both beautiful and ethical. Since its foundation in 2005, the vibrant and cutie-pie brand is just that: good for the Earth, sensitive to the wellbeing of the cotton farmers, and tender on the sensitive skin of the babies and children who will wear it.

Only pure organic cotton grown without the use of pesticide or chemicals is used in the production of the brand’s range.

Care is also taken to the way in which the La Queue du Chat line is produced. Cute baby-things like these can only be truly fun if they are produced by means respectful of the well being of the artisans, something the founders are passionate about.

Packed with tenderness and happiness, La Queue du Chat is a real treat with a conscience!

GET A BARGAIN ON LA QUEUE DU CHAT

Eco-friendly area in natural beauty spot to feature electric charging points, ban on fast food giants and locally sourced produce Read the Article

Ratatouille is a delicious provencal vegetable stew which is extremely versatile. You can serve it on its own or as an accompaniment with fish or meat or with grains such as rice or couscous (my personal favorite).

My mum adds a delicious twist to it: preserved lemons. The flavour is wonderful and well worth the price.

You can buy preserved lemons here or make your own. This is quite easy to make just make sure that you do not overcook it and that you cut the vegetables to the recommended sizes below. Otherwise you will have a very tasty puree.

Here is a ratatouille recipe courtesy of Delias with my mum’s twist. Enjoy!

- Cooking Time 45mins

- Vegan

Serves 4



Ingredients

* 2 large aubergines
* 3 medium courgettes
* 2 medium onions
* 2 red or green peppers
* 4 large tomatoes, or 1 x 14 oz (400 g) tin Italian tomatoes, well drained
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 4 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 level tablespoon roughly torn fresh basil
* salt and freshly milled black pepper
* 1 or 2 preserved lemons (depending on size) they can be overpowering so use your best judgment.

Preparation

Begin by wiping the aubergines and cutting them into 1 inch (2.5 cm) slices, then cut each slice in half; the courgettes should be wiped as well and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) slices. Now put the whole lot into a colander, sprinkle generously with salt, press them down with a suitably sized plate and put weights (or other heavy objects) on top of the plate. Let them stand for about 1 hour – the salt will draw out any bitterness along with excess moisture.

Meanwhile chop up the onion roughly, deseed and core the peppers and chop these up too. Skin the tomatoes (plunging them into boiling water for a couple of minutes is the best way to loosen the skins), then quarter them, take out the seeds and roughly chop the flesh.

To cook the ratatouille, gently fry the onions and garlic in the oil in a large saucepan for a good 10 minutes, then add the peppers. Dry the pieces of courgette and aubergine in kitchen paper, then add them to the saucepan.

Next add the preserved lemon(s) diced, basil and seasoning of salt and pepper, stir once really well, then simmer very gently, covered, for 30 minutes.

After that time add the tomato flesh, taste to check the seasoning and cook for a further 15 minutes with the lid off to reduce the liquid.

BPA in the news again.

A study commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) have found high levels of the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) on 40 percent of store receipts they analyse.

BPA, a plastic hardener used to coat some thermal paper reacts with dye to form black print on store and ATM’s receipts.

Wipe tests conducted by the lab easily removed BPA, indicating that the chemical could rub off on the hands of a person handling the receipt.

Scientists have not determined how much of a receipt’s BPA coating can transfer to the skin and from there into the body. A study published July 11 by scientists with the Official Food Control Authority of the Canton of Zürich in Switzerland found that BPA transfers readily from receipts to skin and can penetrate the skin to such a depth that it cannot be washed off. This raises the possibility that the chemical infiltrates the skin’s lower layers to enter the bloodstream directly.

The BPA coating on receipt paper is an obvious concern for shoppers, but even more so to for the legions of people who staff cash registers and bag groceries at tens of thousands of retailers across the country.

Read Treehugger Post on what you can do to protect yourself

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