SHOE POLISHI'm assuming most traditional shoe polishes are pretty toxic, since they smell really bad and contain warnings to apply only in a "ventilated area." What are some alternatives to make my shoes shine?Many commercial shoe polishes contain either trichloroethylene, methylene chloride, or nitrobenzene, all of which are suspected human carcinogens that can easily be absorbed through the skin. There are several safe, non-toxic alternatives to traditional shoe polish. To make your leather shoes shine again, all you'll need is some white, lint-free cloths, some water, and a bit of olive, walnut, or vegetable oil. First, remove dust and dirt from the outside of the shoes with a slightly damp cloth, then gently buff the surface dry. Pour some oil onto a new cloth and rub over the leather until the oil has been absorbed into the leather and the shoes are shiny. Alternatively, you can apply petroleum jelly to smooth leather (not suede or nubuck) to make it softer and less susceptible to cracking. Rubbing shoes with the inside of a banana peel will also make them shine, since banana peels are rich in potassium, one of the key ingredients of commercial shoe polish. To keep leather shoes looking their best, polish them once a month. Brushing the dirt off when you're through wearing them for the day can reduce build-up and reduce the need to polish them so frequently. Shoe polish can be extremely harmful to the environment. If you have old shoe polish around the house, make sure you don't dispose of it by washing it down the drain. Instead, save it for a hazardous waste collection program, which most municipalities organize at least annually. Contact your hometown sanitation department for more details. Shoe Polish/Care/Deodorizer:1) Cold Pressed Nut Oil, Olive Oil, Walnut Oil, or Beeswax: Apply oil/wax to leather then buff with a chamois cloth to a shine.2) Lemon Juice. Good for black or tan leather shoes. Follow by buffing with a soft cloth.3) Vinegar; Remove water stains on leather by rubbing with a cloth dipped in a vinegar and water solution.4) Petroleum Jelly. A dab of petroleum jelly rubbed into patent leather gives a glistening shine and prevents cracking in the winter.5) Vinegar. To shine patent leather, moisten a soft cloth with white vinegar and wipe clean all patent leather articles. The color of the leather may be slightly changed.6) Art-Gum Eraser and Sandpaper or Emery Board.Dirt marks on suede can be rubbed out with an art-gum eraser. Then buff very lightly an emery board.7) Add a shine by polishing it with the inside of a banana peel, then buff. QUICK HOT BREAKFAST CEREALone half a banana, sliced, or half cup raisins1 1/2 cups water2/3 cup Quinoa Flakes1/4 cup soy milk(vanilla works well)1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/8 cup maple syrup or honey2 tablespoons flax meal or flax seeds (optional)Place the raisins or banana in a small sauce pot with the water. Bring to a boil. Add Quinoa Flakes and stir constantly for 90 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in soy milk, cinnamon, syrup or honey, and flax.Spoon into a bowl. Enjoy! **absolutely do not skip the mint. I did on my first try and it really wasn't the same. One cup quinoa, rinsed (I used white, but this could also be incredible with red)2 cups vegetable broth2-3 cups of parsley, finely chopped 3/4 cup of mint, finely chopped 2 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped1 small cucumber, seeded, chopped (I used one from my fire escape garden!)3 scallions, chopped1/2 cup of olive oilJuice of 3 lemonsSalt and pepper to tasteCook the quinoa in the vegetable broth. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients and place in a large bowl. Add the quinoa. Mix everything throughly and refrigerate for one hour. Serve with grilled fish or with hummus on gluten-free toast. It's also great as a snack, totally on its own.  Raw Vegan "Cheesecake" with Almond-Date Crust (from The Laughing Giraffe)Almond Date Crust2 cups almond flour2 cups almond crumbs1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 cup maple syrup2 tablespoons coconut oil2 tablespoons date paste [blend up some dates to make your own if needed]Mix all ingredients together well by hand.Line 9-in tart pan or springform pan with plastic wrap and press crust to desired thickness with slightly moistened hands. Chill crust prior to filling, or dehydrate crust for 24-48 hours, chill, then fill.Cheesecake Filling3 cups cashews soaked (at least one hour)1/2 cup lemon juice3/4 cup raw agave3/4 cup coconut oil, melted1/2 cup water1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast1/2 teaspoon sea salt1/4 vanilla bean, scrapedBlend all ingredients in Vita-mix until completely smooth. Pour into prepared crust and chill in freezer for at least one hour to set. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.Yields one yummy 9-inch "cheesecakeCurried Apple Quinoa4 T butter1 T curry powder kosher salt 1 large apple, chopped 1/2 cup golden raisins 3 green onions, washed, trimmed, and sliced 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted Small handful of mint, choppedIn a large saucepan over medium-high heat add 4 tablespoons of the butter, the curry powder, and a couple generous pinches of salt, and cook for a minute or until the spices are fragrant. Stir in the chopped apples and raisins, and cook for about 3 minutes, enough time for the apples to soften up a bit and absorb some of the curry. Scoop the apples and raisins from the pan and set aside in a separate bowl. In the same pan, again over medium-high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir in the green onions, let them soften up a bit and then add the water, salt, and quinoa. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and use a fork to fluff up the quinoa. Stir in the apples, pine nuts, and chopped mint. Season with more salt and curry powder to taste.Along with the quinoa dish I made this robustly seasoned soup:  Thai-spiced Winter Squash Soup 1 acorn squash1 small pumpkin3 tablespoons unsalted butter1 14-ounce can coconut milk1 teaspoon (or more) red Thai curry paste 1-2 cups GF chicken stock (Pacific Organics)2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt (or to taste)Plain yogurtground nutmegPreheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the oven racks in the middle. Carefully cut each squash/pumpkin into halves (or quarters). Slather each piece of squash with butter, sprinkle generously with salt, place on a baking sheet skin sides down, and place in the oven. Roast for about an hour or until the squash is tender throughout. When the pumpkin/squash are cool enough to handle scoop it into a large pot over medium high heat. Add the coconut milk and curry paste and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and puree in a blender, you should have a very thick base at this point. Slowly add chicken stock a cup at a time to the blender as it is running, until the soup is the consistency you prefer (a vegetable stock could work here as well). Bring up to a simmer again and add the salt (and more curry paste if you like). Garnish individual bowls with plain yogurt and a dash of nutmeg. I had never made squash soup before. I had never used Thai red curry paste. It was a new adventure. It actually turned out a bit too spicy for me. I used a good spice blend from The Spice House, so it may have been stronger than what you would find at your local supermarket. (Although, I could be wrong.) I needed to cut the heat and went looking for some sour cream. I did not have any, but figured the plain yogurt should be ok. Boy howdy! It was perfect! Yogurt and curry should have been the obvious pairing. It was exactly what was needed to complete the rich creamy soup.