Ok, a little chat with my friend, Tatro, got me thinking I should investigate this baking soda/ baking powder matter further. So, here we go...

Baking Powder: "Baking Powder was introduced in the mid-1800s as a
leavener, or rising agent, for baked goods. It was created by mixing bicarbonate of soda (baking soda, an alkaline) with a mild acid, such as tartaric acid (cream of tartar). This was "single-acting" baking powder and created a rising action through the release of gases produced by the interacting acid andalkaline substances. It was called "single-acting" because the leavening gases were all released at one time—upon contact with the moisture in the batter. Today’s baking powder still contains baking soda as its alkaline ingredient, but uses a combination of acids, which creates a "double-acting" effect in which leavening gases are released once on contact with moisture, and again during baking. This "double-acting" baking powder is the only variety commercially available today." (www.watkinsonline.com)
Most companies add sodium aluminum sulfate to their baking soda to delay the reaction time between the powder and the water. This is unnessecarry, and over-consumption of aluminum may interfere with phosphate metabolism (http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v17je26.htm), but this is a very small concern for the average person. Oregon State University gives it a reading of "no known toxicity" (food.oregonstate.edu/glossary). It does not seem to be awful, but does give acidic readings in water (cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical), so as with anything that may acidify your body, I would keep it on the low intake list.
There are "all natural" baking powders out there that are "aluminum free" meaning they have not added the sodium aluminum sulfate and they are also called double action baking powders. Do a google search on "natural baking powder" and you will be presented with about 4 or 5 brands that make it. Some are also registered Kosher. A very helpful site to know exactly what's in your purchased baking powder is http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/BakingPowder.htm. It lays out a few different brands and tells you what's in them. Bob's Red Mill contains sodium phosphate, baking soda, calcium phosphate, and cornstarch. Frontier contains monocalcium phosphate, baking soda, and cornstarch. Watkins contains Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, baking soda, cornstarch, and monocalcium phosphate.

Make Your Own Baking Powder:
If you have run out of baking powder you may be able to make a substitution by using the following:
For one teaspoon baking powder = mix 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
If you are not using immediately, add 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch to absorb any moisture in the air and to prevent a premature chemical reaction between the acid and alkali.

Baking Soda: "Baking soda is found in its natural forms in mineral deposits found around the world. Sodium bicarbonate is actually a naturally occurring "substance" that you can find affecting all living creatures and things by maintaining the ph levels and carbon dioxide throughout the world. The use of baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, was not founded until the late1840's after the first deposits of sodium bicarbonate had been discovered." (www.bakingsodabook.co.uk)

This website gives an article about Arm and Hammer testing their baking soda on animals, and suggests you buy Bob's Red Mill Cruelty-Free Baking Soda: www.tangergreen.com/cruelty-free-baking-soda-boycott-arm-hammer-buy-bobs-red-mill

This website gives an article about how synthetically produced baking soda could help clear some CO2 emmissions: http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1188/81/

I guess what I have learned from my research on baking soda is that some is mined and some are created synthetically in a lab. I don't know which is morally superior, but I still think we will try to use as little as possible because we can't grow it, and therefore it is not a sustainable resource for us.

Corn Starch: "What is cornstarch made of and what exactly is it?
Cornstarch (called corn flour in Britain) is made from corn. First the corn kernels are soaked and the outer covering is removed. The embryo - the center of the kernel that would become a new corn plant if the kernel were planted - is also removed.What's left - mainly starch - is dried and ground up into a very fine powder. Starch is a long-chained carbohydrate that is produced by green plants through the process of photosynthesis. Other grains, like wheat and rice, and tubers such as potatoes, also store large amounts of starch that the plant uses for food."

http://www.seed.slb.com

This seems simple enough. I still don't know how to do it on my own, nor do I plan to try. Also, keep in mind that a good majority of the corn grown today is genetically modified, and reducing our reliance on corn would be a good way to counter the mono-cropping the world round.

Cream of Tartar:
"This is a powder made from the crystalline residue found inside wine casks and is refined from the brownish deposits into a white powder.

The acidity of cream of tartar helps add volume to egg whites while they are being whipped as well as adding stability to the egg whites after they are whisked.
C
ream of tartar is also used as the acid component in baking powder to react with baking soda to act as a leavening agent."
(http://www.drgourmet.com)

This one is definately naturally in abundance with how much wine is brewed in this world. Go for it consume it up! Wait, I take that back, it is an acid, so use moderately :)

CREAM OF TARTAR COOKIES
1 1/2 c. sugar1/4 c. lard1 egg1 tsp. vanilla1 tbsp. cream of tartar1/2 c. can milk
Mix all the above ingredients together. Add self rising flour to make a stiff dough. Roll on floured board. Cut and bake. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes until light brown. Makes 3 dozen.
(cooks.com)

"Cream of tartar is best known in our kitchens for helping stabilize and give more volume to beaten egg whites. It is the acidic ingredient in some brands of baking powder. It is also used to produce a creamier texture in sugary desserts such as candy and frosting, because it inhibits the formation of crystals. It is used commercially in some soft drinks, candies, bakery products, gelatin desserts, and photography products. Cream of tartar can also be used to clean brass and copper cookware." (www.ochef.com)

CONCLUSION: Well, now we know. Now we can consume consciously.

The McCoy Family

Month One of our Local Diet:

January is maybe the worst time to start a local diet in Kansas. We knew this going in, but started anyway. I was really idealistic and thought that if we just sent out enough emails we would find someone with some kind of produce they would want to sell us...potatoes, squash, apples, onions, something. Well, we found apples. Before we found apples we gave in and went to the grocery store and got produce. This is our first cave since January 1st. On New Year's Day we made our way to Jako Inc. over in Haven. Ken has a little store where he sells raw dairy goods, raw honey, eggs, apples (and apple products), popcorn, and meat. We made our first big purchase and headed home. (Picture)
Two weeks into our diet and I thought my kidneys were going to blow up. Way too much meat, cheese, and bread. This is basically what our diet was. This is when we decided to compromise and go to the store. We are still eating eggs everyday, but who is going to complain about that? So far, not us.
We are not totally local yet. We are emptying our cupboards. Our food is growing in creativity as our supply dwindles. It is getting very exciting as we progress. Our attachment to food is already different. When we used to think of doing something special on the weekends, going out to eat was an option, and is no longer available. We can't stop and get a snack anywhere anymore when out running errands. Indulgences are using our baking supplies to make great muffins or cookies. We are really figuring out what subbing honey for sugar does to a recipe. For now we still have sugar in the cupboard, so we use it some, but not always. Also, we just had waffles with no syrup, just honey and butter. It was awesome! I think it is my preference.
I have been toying with different ways to integrate produce into our diet locally. We still have gift cards to Bed, Bath, and Beyond from our wedding in September so I went and got one of those counter-top AeroGardens. It totally weirds me out. You don't use any soil, just store bought "nutrients." We aren't sure yet if we are going to keep it and give it a try or not, but I did get seeds for lettuce and cherry tomatoes if we end up wanting to. This ties into our ethical dilema, though. Where are those seeds from? Are they little freaks of nature created in a lab somewhere so they will grow short enough in one of these space saver greenhouses? Then, I thought I would get a sprout growing kit from tribest. This is also weird. No soil. Call me picky, but I feel like if I am going to integrate growing into my life I want there to be soil, and I want to know where the seeds come from, and I don't want to have to continue to buy seeds. Produce should reproduce. So, for now, we are starting a high-tunnel over on our land, and will hopefully be growing outdoor produce in the next month or so, and then comes Spring, Farmers' markets, and growing season. We should be in the home stretch if we can just figure out where our morals and health needs meet. Then, our biggest issue is keeping up with what comes in. Canning, dehydrating, freezing. It all makes me a little nervous, but it will be so exciting and rewarding.
The other thing that we are contemplating is where to stand on issues such as baking soda, powder, yeast, etc. Since baking soda and baking powder are made synthetically, we are going to use what we have left, then live without them. My feelings on yeast are that it is not really necessary to add yeast to our diet, but if we end up growing some hops this summer and making our own yeast, then we will use it. 'Til then, we will use what we have left, and decide when we are out whether or not we "need" it. We have ordered a raw cookbook, so this should take care of our cravings for treats in a healthy way. It will be interesting to try to combine local ingredients and raw food preparation. We may have hard times ahead of us. Luckily, we have plenty of tea to drink. (This is what I have turned to lately, since there a few things I am craving that we don't have.)

Where do they come from?

Baking Soda: "The baking soda we use for cooking is all made artificially. You add salt (sodium chloride) and limestone (calcium carbonate) in ammonia- the limestone is there to produce CO2 gas."

Baking Powder: "Baking Powder is a leavening agent that consists of a combination of baking soda, cream of tartar, and a moisture absorber (like cornstarch). It has the action of yeast but it acts much more quickly. It's used in batters where there is no acid present. such as many baked goods: cookies, cakes, pastries, pies, quick bread, etc.
It makes these types of food products voluminous by allowing gas formation when an acid comes into contact with it and/or when it's heated. Baking powder acts immediately upon addition of water, therefore a filler (usually cornstarch) is added to absorb the moisture and prevent premature activity."

*answers from wiki.answers.com