Air Freshners.....

The CFC's (choloflurocarbons) in aerosols are now illegal in the EU, but artificial air freshers are still an energy-intensive and toxic way to produce a 'nice' smell.  Each year the UK uses around 600 million aerosol cans, yet aerosol propellants contain flammable and nerve-damaging ingredients as well as tiny particles that can lodge in your lungs.  Fragrances of all kinds can provoke allergic and asthmatic reactions, also take into account the new advertising genius of 'botanical' and 'aromatherapy' plug ins - these again are nothing more than chemical creations with nothing beneficial to your home or body!


Replace artificial air fresheners with an essential oil diffusers, candles, incense (be careful of which one you choose, as these are have also been proven to be as bad as smoking), fragrant plants or flower arrangements (citronella, honeysuckle or lavender).


My favourite oil diffuser is the Aroma Stone by Absolute Essential one that stays on 24 hours a day at the cost of about 20c per day, it contains no water, you just place about 5 drops of the essential oil directly on the stone, and viola, a lovely smell!


And remember essential oils or aromatherapy, not only smells nice but you can use different oils to help with health issues, I regularly use Absolute Essentials Head Ease when I have a headache or migraine, it can often help and I wont have to take medication.  


Absolute Essentials have an amazing range of products and what I LOVE is that they are labeled so that I know which ones are Mother-to-be, Baby and Child friendly!  Check out their website www.absoluteessential.co.nz and if you wish to order anything I can get these into Rejuvenate for you!

Pumpkin is in abundance - Pumpkin and Spinach Lasagne

Well its that wonderful time of year when everything in the garden is fruiting at once, we've had a pretty good tomato harvest which has all gone into salads and into pasta and veges for our wee one.  Our perpetual spinach, just keeps feeding us, its amazing, every week it provides us with at least one vegetarian meal.

Our neighbours and friends from our old house popped over and gave us 2 pumpkins, I made a sensational Pumpkin and Spinach Lasagne, a total triumph!  I also made a pumpkin and lamb casserole in the crockpot, a total disaster, that went into the compost!  My husband wanted to give the other pumpkin away, but as pumpkin lasts I think I'll hold onto it.

Pumpkin and Spinach Lasagne

1/2 Medium Pumpkin, chopped, cooked in vegetable stock and mashed

1 Onion, chopped finely

2 Cloves garlic crushed

10 Large Spinach Leaves chopped finely

1 Large container Cottage Cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup of Edam Cheese

Salt and Pepper

6 Fresh tomatoes

San Remo Wholemeal or Organic Pasta

Pine Nuts

Use the left over stock from the pumpkin and cooked down the whizzed up or finely chopped up tomatoes, cook down in an open pot for 20 minutes or until it has reduced down to a thick sauce.

In a bowl combine Onion, Garlic, Spinach, Cottage Cheese, Eggs, 1/2 of the Edam and Salt and Pepper.

Assemble lasagne by placing a layer of the tomato sauce, followed by sheets of lasagne, Spinach mixture, pumpkin, continue until you have used all the ingredients, you should get about 3 or 4 layers depending on your container.  Sprinkle the top layer with the left over cheese and pine nuts.  Cook in a moderate oven for 35-45 minutes, enjoy!

Our Autumn table, our neighbours kindly donated Pumpkin, our yellow tomatoes and some beautiful flowers that my husband bought me!