I knew a very wise woman from Kentucky who swore by the healthful properties of apple cider vinegar. She drank a spoon of it mixed with water daily and attested that it was an aid to good digestion.

We are enjoying using the rice vinegar, though we do miss the balsamic. Still, it’s nice to have the peace of mind knowing that we are serving up good health rather than health problems at our family table.

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

If your child misses the vanilla taste, you could always get a little organic vanilla and add it to the milk.

Hope this helps.

This isn’t an accurate statment. Pareve just means that the item was prepared in accordance to a certain standard. The item can indeed include animal substances. Our family is Jewish, and we have many products that contain animal sources that are Pareve.

The USDA classifies soil as organic after it has been pesticide free for 3 years. Unfortunately, they are notoriously lax about their definitions and regulations and organic just doesn’t mean what it used to.

I do not have an answer as to how long your ground will be contaminated now that your workers have stopped using Roundup. If it’s been used for years on your land, my guess is that it would be many years before the chemicals and chemicals into which they break down would disappear from the ground. This is the tragedy of herbicide and pesticide use…it poisons soil for future generations.

I wish I had more definite or happier information for you. You are right to be concerned about the toxicity of your land, now that it is has been contaminated with herbicide, and even more importantly, the health of you family, now that you have been exposed to these carcinogenic toxins. I am very, very sorry that this happened to you.

My suggestions for your future safety would be to replace your yard workers with skilled organic maintenance people who understand that poison is not to be used on your land or around your family. Your health and your ability to grow food for your family is much too precious to put at risk for the sake of a dandelion-free lawn.

Good luck, and thank you for taking the time to share your story, Judy.

My question is, now that we have replanted two other trees to replace the others, will they come in contaminated (apple and grapefruit)? How long does the soil need to heal? What do you recommend to kills weeds?

Thanks for your website — I was looking for real organic sweet pickle relish and thought Cascadian was good. I can’t stand what Whole Foods as pulled off (running down Wild Oats and taking them over) and now ripping off the consumer w/extraordinarily high prices and crappy quality! But now that they’re run out the competition, it stinks! Will hunt a few items down at Trader Joes but also must watch what they bring in as well. We definitely support our local farmers for produce. What a “pickle” we’re in throughout the U.S. Thanks, Judy

After 17 years of eating a vegan diet, the idea of substitutes isn’t one I really think about. Like you, I just enjoy what I eat for its own value, not because it mimics and animal product.

On the other hand, when people are transitioning to a healthier, plant-based diet, substitutes for familiar foods can be helpful to them as they make that important change. In my mind, fake meats and the like fall into that category. They aren’t what I would recommend for a long-term meal plan, but they can help folks to make an important and healthy change in their lives.

Thanks for taking the time to comment.