20 Aug 10

Shelled Hemp Seeds

Shelled Hemp Seeds


Servings
5-7

Preparation Time
30 minutes

Ingredients
whole chicken
dill pickle
veganaise (mayo)
celery
red onion (purple onion)
hemp oil
hulled hemp seed (hemp nuggets)
salt & pepper

Directions
* Boil one whole large chicken about 30-45 minutes.
* Slice 1/4 of large red (purple) onion and 1 and 1/2 stalks of celery. Slices should be paper thin and then chopped/minced -the smaller the better.
* Tear chicken off bones and chop into bite size pieces.
* Mince 1 and 1/2 claussen dill pickles.
* Put all of the above in a large bowl.
* Add 4 serving spoon of veganaise (mayo).
* Add 1 serving spoon of hemp oil.
* Add 1 serving spoon of hulled hemp seed.
* Add 1/2-1 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
* Mix and Eat with your favorite bread, cracker, salad, or all by itself!






18 Aug 10

Have you ever wondered what is the big deal about Hemp clothes? Most of us know that hemp makes strong fabric that last longer than cotton, but what other reasons are there to choose hemp clothes over cotton ones?

Hemp is environmentally friendly. One of the reasons hemp is so good for the environment is that it naturally resists pests and out competes weeds. Hemp can be grown without pesticides or herbicides. Since hemp can be grown without these toxic chemicals it makes it healthier plant to get our fabrics from than cotton, which requires 50% of the worlds pesticides. Because hemp is a weed it grows well without fertilizers, in fact industrial hemp is 100% organic.

Some people believe that hemp fabric has a rough texture. The truth is that hemp can also be very soft. Hemp fabric is lightweight and strong. Compared to cotton hemp is three times stronger. Hemp is also resistant to mildew.

You can find hemp clothes in all kinds of styles, so do yourself, and the earth a favor and choose hemp!

Hemp Clothes and Fabrics

Hemp clothes come in many styles






17 Aug 10

Servings

Hemp Smoothies

Yummy Healthy Hemp Smoothie


Single

Preparation Time
15 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup Hulled Hemp Seed
1 tsp honey
3 pears peeled and cored

Directions
Place hulled hemp seeds in a small bowl.

Bring water to a boil and pour over hulled hemp seeds. Cover and place in fridge for 30 minutes or until cold.

Place pears, honey and hemp mixture in a blender and blend till smooth for about 3-4 minutes.

Pour serve, and enjoy.

This smoothie is more then 40% protein and is very high in EFAs.

Recipe courtesy of Eric at CHII






17 Aug 10

Fuel - The Film

Fuel by Josh Tickell

Fuel by Josh Tickell is his story about fuel.  How it has effected him, those around him, and the world, and what he is doing about. it.

There are numerous interviews with many people including celebrity activists such as Richard Branson, Wood Harrelson, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Larry Davis, Neil Young, and Robert Kennedy Jr.

Josh Tickell spent his childhood in Australia but went back to his mothers home state of Louisiana and was disturbed by what he saw.  The people of Louisiana get alot of there food from the water and these waters had been contaminated from the oil industry.  Louisiana creates more oil than any other state and the toxic waste from the oil industry is burned, dumped on land, or dumped in the water.  This has led to a abnormally high death rate, miscarriages, and birth defects, and sickness.

After some investigation Josh Tickell finds that the Environmental  Protection Agency, that is suppose to protect the environment in Louisiana, gets 90% of its funding from issuing permits to oil companies.

Throughout the movie the political ties to the big oil companies, and the corruption is revealed further.

Josh, believing that individuals are the ones that can make a difference goes on tour in his Veggie Van that runs on used cooking oil that he collects from fast food restaurants.

Josh keeps exploring the fuel industry, and alternative energy methods.  The film takes him over 10 years to create, but it is well worth the wait.  The message is that it is up to each and everyone of us to create change.  We are killing our planet, and we must be accountable and stand up and tell our government what we want.

Fuel takes a look back in time to the days of Henry Ford.  The Model T was designed to run on ethanol alchohol.  Ethanol is made from corn and is essentially “Moonshine”.  The ethanol fuel formula is Corn + Distillation + Fermentation = Ethanol.

Back in Fords time alcohol fuel had captured 25% of the fuel market in the midwest.  Standard Oil, founded by John D, Rockefeller started funding and amendment known as prohibition.  The prohibition law shut down all alcohol production including ethanol.  For 12-13 years of prohibition Henry Ford continued to produce ethanol cars but finally gave it up.

Now days oil IS running out.  It may not seem that way but we are using more oil all of the time, and oil is getting harder to find.  We are going to more obscure places to find oil, drilling deeper for it, and spending more money to refine the lower quality oil that we now extract.  We have to start using alternative sources of energy if we expect to leave a healthy planet for our children.

Many countries are using alternative energy sources.  In Germany the use of Biodiesel is encouraged by tax brakes that make it cheaper than gasoline.  Sweden is taking steps to be oil free by the year 2020.  All over europe smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles are used.

It seems the United States is the one of the worst threats to the environment.  The U.S. actually encouraged the sale of gas guzzling vehicles like the original hummer  by offer tax brakes on these big vehicles.  Sound crazy but why would they do that?  The reasoning was to stimulate the economy by having us buy more fuel.  It is time that we stop putting money ahead of health; Our health and the health of our planet.  The thing is, it is economically viable to use alternative fuels.  It is just a matter of priorities.  If Sweden can do it than so can North America.

So what is the solution to our dependancy on oil?  There are many alternatives, and we should use a combination of them to free ourselves from oil.

Instead of oil we can use Biodiesel or Electricity to power our vehicles.  There are other alternatives such as hydrogen too.

So whats the deal with biodiesel?  Some people say that it is no better than oil, that processing it is just as harmful, and that people will starve because we are using a food source for fuel.

I can tell you this:  Biodiesel is nontoxic.  It actually smells good.  It creates less emissions than oil based fuel.  It takes more enery to make gasoline than gas provides.

Biodiesel can be created with waste products.  The best source of biodiesel is algae, and it can grow in waste water which means that any city that has a waste water treatment plant could essentially produce biodiesel.

What about electricity to fuel vehicles?  We have the technology and it is totally viable.  Using solar cells we can charge an electric vehicle.  The sun is a huge source of free energy that we should be taking more advantage of.  I highly recommend watching the movie “Who Killed The Electric Car”.  That movie will open your eyes.  “Fuel” is an excellent film that everyone should watch.  It is educational and you will look at the world in a different way.  Show it to your children, and tell your friends.  Together, each of us, and all of us can make a difference if we truly want to.  We have everything we need to live in a clean, healthy, peaceful world where everyone has more than they need.  We can do it.

Visit  TheFuelFilm.com – Fuel






14 Aug 10

Banana Crumb Hemp Muffins

Servings – 10 muffins

Preparation Time

Banana Muffins Made With Hemp

Hemp Banana Muffins

15 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup hulled hemp seed

Directions
The crumb topping is what makes these banana muffins stand apart from the ordinary. They’re scrumptious! Prep Time: approx. 15 Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 20 Minutes. Ready in: approx. 35 Minutes.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and hulled hemp seed. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Recipe courtesy of Eric at CHII






13 Aug 10

The hemp industry is alive and well in Canada. Hemp was first grown in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia in 1906 by Louis Hebert. In the 1800′s hemp seeds were given out for free to farmers by the Lieutenant Governor of the province of upper Canada. . By 1938 hemp was official no longer grown in Canada, because of its association with psychoactive marijuana. Then beginning in 1994 hemp research license were issued. By 1998 Hemp was once again legally allowed to be grown.

Saskatchewan Hemp Farm

Canadian Hemp Farm In The Province Of Saskatchewan

If you want to grow hemp you must apply for a industrial hemp license, and a criminal record check is done with the RCMP.

Only certified seed can be used by Canadian farmers. Seeds cannot be saved and replanted for the next season.

Hemp is grown without pesticides of herbicides. Making Canadian hemp certified organic.

The crops are tested and regulated to make sure that THC levels are undetectable. Products created with hemp undergo quality control measures to make sure there are no traces of THC.

Today many hemp products are produced in Canada. There are shelled hemp seeds that are sold at the health food store. Other Canadian made hemp products that are on grocery store shelves are hemp protein powder (that comes in different flavors), hemp seed oil, hemp seed butter, hemp seed flour, and hemp beverages.

Although hemp is often grown for its fibre this is currently not the case in Canada. It is mainly grown for its seeds.

Due to the popularity of hemp it is likely that Canada could become one of the leading producers of this plant. The United States does not allow hemp production but they are the largest importers of hemp, a good thing for Canadian hemp producers considering Americans are our close neighbors. Canadian hemp seed products is a $20 to $40 million dollar market, and Canadian hemp companies are seeing 20-40% growth. The newly revived Canadian hemp industry looks like it will have positive economic, and environmental effects for years to come.






13 Aug 10

Henry Ford made a hemp car.  The plastic in this car was more durable than steel cars of the time.  Henry Ford would demonstrate how strong his hemp car was my smashing it with a sledgehammer.






13 Aug 10

Why is marijuana not legal? Why is marijuana not legal?
It’s a natural plant that grows in the dirt.
Do you know what’s not natural?
80 year old dudes with hard-ons. That’s not natural.
But we got pills for that.
We’re dedicating all our medical resources to keeping the old guys erect,
but we’re putting people in jail for something that grows in the dirt?






13 Aug 10

Hemp will not get you high.  Marijuana will.  The active ingredient in marijuana is THC.  In marijuana the amount of THC varies between 5 and 15% (maby even higher?).   Whereas is Hemp the percentage of THC is less than 1%, .03% to be exact.  That makes hemp like nonalcoholic beer.  It will not give you a buzz.

Hemp is used for a wide variety of purposes.  Originally used to make strong rope and clothing its uses have expanded to include food, biodiesel fuel, paint, building materials, biodegradable plastics, soap, and cosmetics.

Hemp Clothing

Hemp clothing is fantastic.  It is durable and lightweight, soft and resistant to mildew.  It last far longer than cotton, really making hemp the ultimate fabric.

Hemp as food

Hemp seeds are rich in protein and are now found on grocery shelves as oil, milk, and of course by themselves shelled or unshelled for healthy snacks.

Hemp For Fuel

Hemp can be converted into a non-toxic, environmentally friendly fuel called biodiesel that can be used without alteration to run diesel vehicals.

Hemp Building Materials

You can build an entire home out of hemp.  Hemp can be made into wood type products, concrete, bricks, and plastic pipes.

Hemp Plastic

Hemp plastic is superior to petrol based plastics because it is non-toxic and biodegradable. Hemp can be made into any kind of plastic including cellophane, styrofoam, fiberglass, and heavier plastics.

Hemp Cosmetics

The oil from hemp can be made into soap, moisturizer, and cosmetics.  You can find all kinds of cosmetic hemp products; There are lip balms, lipstick, and suntanning oil to name a few.






12 Aug 10

Back in the day on the poorest people wore denim jeans, everyone else wore hemp.  Of course it made sense to wear hemp because it was stronger and lasted longer than cotton.  Hemp is a part of American history.  In fact the declaration of independence was written on hemp.  Even though hemp is far superior to cotton it is no longer grown in the U.S.A.  Hemp clothing, and anything hemp related fell victim to the marijuana prohibition.

The United States hasn’t given up on hemp though, in fact they are the leading importers of hemp products.  It really is unfortunate that hemp is not produced in the U.S. as it has raised the price of hemp clothing.  Many people are still willing to pay extra for a better product, but hemp does not have to cost more.  Hemp is easy to produce and could easily be the same price as cotton fabrics.

Change comes slowly and most people would rather spend less for an inferior product.  Until hemp becomes mainstream it will remain pricey, and there will be limited hemp fashions.  As individuals we can do our part by buying hemp when we can.  Hopefully one day hemp will be as popular as cotton and we can have a choice in the kind of fiber we wish to wear.