I haven't had the opportunity to sit down and watch a movie in ages. I believe the last time I stepped foot into a movie theater with Bryan was New Year's Eve 2004, no joke. I do watch tid bits of movies on TV from time to time, but to truly sit down and enjoy a movie is rare. I had heard about this documentary called "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" and while I wanted to watch it I just never made the time. Carolyn, my soon to be sister in law, told me I needed to watch the film. She told me that after watching the movie she changed her views on food (Have I told you how thrilled I am to have her in our family!? Loving the idea of holding conversations about food and nutrition with someone close to me!). After Carolyn mentioned this film twice I decided I just HAD to make the time for myself and watch it. It was an eye opening experience!
Basically the film is about an Australian man, Joe, who is overweight, has an autoimmune disease and is generally unhealthy. He decided to heal his body from within by making drastic diet changes for 60 days. Instead of the traditional diet of steak, potatoes, burgers, fries, ice cream, soda, and sugary cereals, Joe lives off of fresh fruit and vegetable juice. He carries his juicing machine everywhere he goes and only consumes water and juice. Along the way Joe meets Phil who is obese and ill and in danger of dying if he doesn't make lifestyle changes ASAP. By the end of the movie both men have lost hundreds of pounds, gotten off their medicine for their autoimmune disorders, started exercising and are generally in great health.
This movie was inspiring on may levels! Not only did these men lose some much needed weight, they healed their ailing body with food. Do you know how much money we could save on medicine and doctor visits if we just ate healthy? Phil's brother, nicknamed Bear, was highlighted in the movie. Overweight and ill, Bear suffered a heart attack. The medical care, pills, tests, therapies, etc cost him 56 THOUSAND DOLLARS when it was all said and done. The cost of daily juicing is about $10-$14 dollars. What a difference in money. And to think the heart attack could have been avoided in the first place had Bear eaten well, not put the extra stress on his heart and exercised.
According the movie, 60% of a typical American diet consists of high fat, overly processed foods. Meat is 30% of our diets, grains/starches are 5% and fruits and veggies are 5%. YUCK! Obviously this doesn't hold true for everyone, but for a typical American who guzzles fast food, soda, cakes, cookies, beer, steaks, and burgers it is a pretty good picture. When juicing you do not consume any meats, any starches, any processed or fatty foods instead you are living on 100% fruits and veggies. Juicing allows you to consume more healthy foods than if you actually took the time to chew and swallow the apples and carrots. I'm not recommending that people run out, stop eating and juice for 60 days! I am recommending that people start thinking about their food choices and how it affects their bodies. Cake or carrot juice? Sure the cake sounds tastier, but what is it doing for your health?
Starting this week Bryan and I are going to juice for 10 days. After that we are only eating clean foods for a total of a 21 days cleansing program. During this time we will not consume soda, coffee, alcohol, fatty or processed foods. Will we fail? Maybe; we are human after all. Will we succeed? I sure hope so! It is only 21 days! We are not doing this to be skinny or to join a new trend. We are doing this to be healthy. The benefits out weight everything. It is no lie that I have had a rough year with work stress. I have migraines and digestive issues despite eating what I believe to be mostly healthy foods. I am looking to end my headaches, help heal my tummy and to manage stress better. Bryan has high blood pressure for his age (bad genetics) and at his last blood draw his good cholesterol count was not very high so we are hoping to lower the blood pressure and increase the good cholesterol count. We have nothing to lose by eating fruits and veggies and water and clean foods.
Here is a link to Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. It does have commercials, but they are fast. It was an interesting documentary, at least for me. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
http://www.hulu.com/watch/289122/fat-sick-and-nearly-dead
Monday, December 26, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Another Reason Why
A few weeks ago my mom's beloved dog, Bert, passed away. I will never forget the day we brought that baby home from the Human Society. I was in college and decided to stop at the Human Society on the way home from school. My eyes fell upon this absolutely adorable ball of golden fluff. He was little and fluffy and had a fat round puppy belly. I wanted him, but seeing that I was living with my mom, I needed her permission. After she got off work, my mom, Matt and I headed to the Human Society where we happily adopted our little bundle of joy, Bert. Bert was a Yellow Lab mix. He was full of crazy energy and went downright insane once he was home. On his third night home he escaped from his kennel and tore the house to pieces! He ate a 12 pack of toilet paper, a few plants, the remote, a shoe or two, a couple of socks, a bath towel and even got into the bag of bird seed. He started throwing up and before long we were back at the Human Society hoping he would make it through the night. After spending two night at the vet's office we were allowed to take our baby back home. My mom and I took turns sleeping with him and spoon feeding him baby food because he was so weak and so sick. Yes, this was not the first or the last time I would nurse a sick animal back to a healthy existence!
While Bert was the family dog, he was really my mom's dog. I finished college, moved out, got married, bought my own home and started a family. Matt finished college, moved out, moved back, moved out, became engaged and is embarking on his own life. Since having Bert in our lives we have lost both of my grandmothers and a grandfather, my dad has died and other life events have taken place. Through all of this my mom had Bert to come home to. Regardless of what kind of day or moment she was experiencing, Bert was there as her constant companion. Animals are amazing being. They sense fear, illness, sadness and jubilation. Animals are ready to snuggle, receive a belly rub or go for a walk at the drop of a hat. Animals love you regardless of how they are spoken to or treated, for the most part. We welcome these furry little creatures into our hearts and into our homes, caring for them as if they were truly a member of our family. The love between a human and an animal is unique and amazing.
Bert started to slow down a few years ago. This past year you could really tell his age was catching up with him. A few months ago he started having what the vet believed to be seizures, although at one point they thought he had some type of infection. His thyroid was out of whack and he started on meds. He couldn't walk some days and for awhile my mom had to go back to spoon feeding him his meals. He perked up for a bit, but then he was back to where he started. The vet had considered doing a brain scan to see if he had a tumor. My mom was already paying money for thyroid medicine and now she was considering a MRI. Sadly, Bert passed away in his bedroom before she was able to schedule the scan. I got "the call" at 6:43am one cold December morning. My mom was a mess of tears and emotions and she told me poor Bertie had died around midnight. She was so distraught and upset that she ended up taking the day off of work. A few days later she received a sympathy card in the mail from the vet's office. I cried like a baby as I read the words and help the paw print they had sent her. Our little fluffy yellow ball that we rescued from the Human Society that sunny spring day was now in doggie Heaven. Our hearts were heavy with grief.
As I sit here thinking and writing about Bert, I cannot help to think about the millions of animals who are abused and mistreated every day. The dogs who are forced into breeding litter after litter of puppies, the chickens who are shoulder to shoulder in dark little coops never to see light so they can mass produce eggs, the little calves who are shackled and force fed in an effort to produce "tasty" veal, the cows who are fed diets that are not healthy for them only to be horribly slaughtered for mass human consumption, the turkey who are cooped up in inhuman confines of a pin and eventually slaughtered for meals. I cannot help to think about the abuse these poor, helpless animals are faced with daily. Life is life. We can debate the whole abortion topic, we can debate the hunting for meat topic, but when it comes down to it, life is life. Why is a sad pet owner any different than a vegetarian who is sad over the loss of an animal's life? To me, there is no difference. The next time you sit down to indulge in that burger or that chicken breast, think about where it really came from. Can you honestly bite, chew and swallow and digest a once living creature? I cannot bring myself to doing that.
Off my recyclable, veggie soapbox now ;)
While Bert was the family dog, he was really my mom's dog. I finished college, moved out, got married, bought my own home and started a family. Matt finished college, moved out, moved back, moved out, became engaged and is embarking on his own life. Since having Bert in our lives we have lost both of my grandmothers and a grandfather, my dad has died and other life events have taken place. Through all of this my mom had Bert to come home to. Regardless of what kind of day or moment she was experiencing, Bert was there as her constant companion. Animals are amazing being. They sense fear, illness, sadness and jubilation. Animals are ready to snuggle, receive a belly rub or go for a walk at the drop of a hat. Animals love you regardless of how they are spoken to or treated, for the most part. We welcome these furry little creatures into our hearts and into our homes, caring for them as if they were truly a member of our family. The love between a human and an animal is unique and amazing.
Bert started to slow down a few years ago. This past year you could really tell his age was catching up with him. A few months ago he started having what the vet believed to be seizures, although at one point they thought he had some type of infection. His thyroid was out of whack and he started on meds. He couldn't walk some days and for awhile my mom had to go back to spoon feeding him his meals. He perked up for a bit, but then he was back to where he started. The vet had considered doing a brain scan to see if he had a tumor. My mom was already paying money for thyroid medicine and now she was considering a MRI. Sadly, Bert passed away in his bedroom before she was able to schedule the scan. I got "the call" at 6:43am one cold December morning. My mom was a mess of tears and emotions and she told me poor Bertie had died around midnight. She was so distraught and upset that she ended up taking the day off of work. A few days later she received a sympathy card in the mail from the vet's office. I cried like a baby as I read the words and help the paw print they had sent her. Our little fluffy yellow ball that we rescued from the Human Society that sunny spring day was now in doggie Heaven. Our hearts were heavy with grief.
As I sit here thinking and writing about Bert, I cannot help to think about the millions of animals who are abused and mistreated every day. The dogs who are forced into breeding litter after litter of puppies, the chickens who are shoulder to shoulder in dark little coops never to see light so they can mass produce eggs, the little calves who are shackled and force fed in an effort to produce "tasty" veal, the cows who are fed diets that are not healthy for them only to be horribly slaughtered for mass human consumption, the turkey who are cooped up in inhuman confines of a pin and eventually slaughtered for meals. I cannot help to think about the abuse these poor, helpless animals are faced with daily. Life is life. We can debate the whole abortion topic, we can debate the hunting for meat topic, but when it comes down to it, life is life. Why is a sad pet owner any different than a vegetarian who is sad over the loss of an animal's life? To me, there is no difference. The next time you sit down to indulge in that burger or that chicken breast, think about where it really came from. Can you honestly bite, chew and swallow and digest a once living creature? I cannot bring myself to doing that.
Off my recyclable, veggie soapbox now ;)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Recipe: Pumpkin Pie
I was asked to bring a dessert this year to both my grandpa's house and my mother-in-law's house for our annual Thanksgiving Day celebration. I am really starting to enjoy baking and cooking so I decided to venture out of my comfort zone and tackle a pie. A few years ago I tried to make a pumpkin pie, but for some reason the filling never set. Who knows what I did, but I have been afraid of pie ever since. This year I was determined to bake a delicious pie for my family.
After much research I decided on this one particular recipe because frankly it sounded easy! I need easy recipes; the less steps the better the outcome, right!? On Monday evening I made two pies for Brennan's Teacher Appreciation Committee. I'll admit I tasted the batter and boy was it good. The smell of the baking spices filled my kitchen and I was hopeful for a sweet result. I'm happy to report they turned out perfect! I happily delivered my pies to St. Joesph on Tuesday morning....I had conquered pumpkin pie!! Tomorrow morning I will bake up two more pies to share at dinner with my family.
Pumpkin Pie
After much research I decided on this one particular recipe because frankly it sounded easy! I need easy recipes; the less steps the better the outcome, right!? On Monday evening I made two pies for Brennan's Teacher Appreciation Committee. I'll admit I tasted the batter and boy was it good. The smell of the baking spices filled my kitchen and I was hopeful for a sweet result. I'm happy to report they turned out perfect! I happily delivered my pies to St. Joesph on Tuesday morning....I had conquered pumpkin pie!! Tomorrow morning I will bake up two more pies to share at dinner with my family.
Pumpkin Pie
9 inch deep dish pie crust
15oz pumpkin
14oz sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, ground cloves (to your liking)
Preheat oven to 425. Mix all ingredients well, pour into pie crust. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 40 minutes.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Barlean's
If you know me at all, you know that I am NOT a medicine kinda gal. Sure, I believe that medicine has its place in our world and I have used many a meds in my day. If at all possible I like to treat whatever ailment we have with a holistic approach, see our results and then determine if a modern medicine intervention is needed. I am so very grateful for advances in medicine, but I am also grateful for natural remedies.
Brennan has always had bad skin. As a baby he has eczema on his body. When he was a toddler we sought out a pediatric dermatologist who told us he had hyper sensitive skin, add bleach to his bath water, use Vaseline versus lotion and other than that, we just had to deal with it. Then the poor kid was diagnosed with severe food allergies; I suspect much of his skin issues stemmed from an undetected, mild food allergy, but I will never know for sure. As he got older the eczema on his arms and legs started to clear up, but his little hands were a mess. Summer wasn't bad, but autumn through spring the little guy had horrible dry, cracked skin on his hands. At times the skin would pop open, bleed and then get infected. Some days even water burned his sore hands. I think it is worst in the winter months due to the cold temps, the wind and the overuse of hand sanitizer and soap. I have tried wrapping his hands in Vaseline at night, apply oil, you name it. We even resorted to steroids at one point, but nothing fully clear up his hands. I hate to see him cry and shiver in pain!! It seriously breaks my heart.
This past March I attended a seminar on the 4 A's (ADD, autism, asthma and allergies). Very long story short I ended up making him appointment with the presenter, a chiropractor who is very knowledgeable in holistic approaches to life. I showed her Brennan cracked, bleeding hands and after a long conversation, a medical history and some further tests, she suggested he was deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. Brennan is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, shell fish and fish. Rich, healthy oils are found in these foods, things that our bodies need in order to maintain its healthy, active lifestyle. She suggested I start giving him a daily dose of something called Barlean's. I had never heard of this before, but I was desperate to help him heal.
Barlean's is a brand of organic oil supplements. One of their products is something called an Omega Swirl. Basically it is a super powerhouse omega 3's, something my poor kid was totally deficient of. I had tried to find safe flax seed to add into his diet, but he refused the nasty oils and all of the seeds I found were made in a facility with nuts so I was out of luck. The doctor told me to buy the vegan brand which is totally fish/ shell fish free. After some research I discovered this was totally safe for him!!
Every night before bed Brennan takes a teaspoon of the "Total Omega 369 Vegan Swirl". It is a thick, rich, creamy berry flavor that truly tastes like dessert not a funky oil. It is packed with omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 oils which are essential in the aid of the cardiovascular system, body inflammation, immune responses, etc. OK, so after three days his skin started to smooth out. By five days the redness was gone and so was the pain. By the seventh day his hands were totally normal!! I was beyond amazed!! We did this for three months and Brennan's hands were soft, supple and he felt great. I decided I wanted to see if this stuff really did work so after the sixth month I didn't purchase any. It is expensive for the vegan swirl ($30/bottle....regular swirl is only $13/bottle, but it does last about 3 months) so I "justified" not purchasing the supplement due to money. At fist he did great and I started to doubt the supplement. Every week I would inspect his hands and like I said, at first they were great. As the month went on I noticed his skin appeared a bit rough. Soon the redness appeared. Last week I noticed his hands were really rough, itchy and redder than before. On Thursday his little hands were so cracked they were bloody and he couldn't apply anything on them without cry out in pain. I made a beeline to the store for the swirl and on the first day I used my mom judgement and gave him two doses. On Friday and Saturday he had regular doses. Today is Sunday and I swear his hands have cleared up! There is no blood, they are not red and and they are so soft. I do not care how much this supplement costs, I promise to buy it and keep him on it at all times. Despite my fruitless efforts over the years, a plant based holistic approach healed my son!
www.barleans.com
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Orange Vinegar
I stumbled upon this homemade cleaner recipe tonight and I must say, I am quite excited to try this one out! You know about my weird love for cleaning with vinegar. Well I have found a great mate for my stinky cleaning solution: oranges!! The recipes calls for:
3/4 gallon white vinegar
Peels from 3 large oranges
Slice the orange peels to fit inside the gallon jug opening, pop the lid on and shake well. The vinegar will need to sit for 1-2 weeks or until the orange peels have made the vinegar pleasant smelling. Be sure to shake the jug really well at least once a day during this time. The mixture can be used for cleaning counter tops, sinks, bathrooms, windows, you name it. Best of all it is safe, non-toxic to the environment and humans, easy to produce and cheap! I plan to make some tomorrow once I buy my oranges. I am also going to make two small spray bottles using lemon and lime peels. I love the cleaning power of vinegar and I love the small of citrus so this is a win-win situation for me!!!
Happy cleaning!
3/4 gallon white vinegar
Peels from 3 large oranges
Slice the orange peels to fit inside the gallon jug opening, pop the lid on and shake well. The vinegar will need to sit for 1-2 weeks or until the orange peels have made the vinegar pleasant smelling. Be sure to shake the jug really well at least once a day during this time. The mixture can be used for cleaning counter tops, sinks, bathrooms, windows, you name it. Best of all it is safe, non-toxic to the environment and humans, easy to produce and cheap! I plan to make some tomorrow once I buy my oranges. I am also going to make two small spray bottles using lemon and lime peels. I love the cleaning power of vinegar and I love the small of citrus so this is a win-win situation for me!!!
Happy cleaning!
Recipe: Beer Cheese Soup
The weather has been cold and rainy...the perfect weather for a warm, hearty soup! I am not a big soup fan, but there is something about a really good beer cheese soup that gets to me. Bryan and I usually go to J. Buck's each February for Valentine's Day and this is where my love for this particular soup blossomed. I'll admit, this is not the healthiest meal, but it is warm and steamy and filling, just perfect for a blustery autumn day.
I read about 15 different recipes and each one was slightly different from the other. Knowing what I like and what Bryan will eat, I made my own version and it is pretty damn good if I say so myself! Tweak the ingredients as needed to fit your needs. Then sit back and enjoy a nice bowl of soup!
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of finely chopped carrots
1.5 cups of finely chopped celery
1.5 cups finely chopped onion
Minced garlic (fresh)
1 teaspoon of hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
Cayenne pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups of broth (veggie or chicken)
2 cups of beer (I used Bud Light)
1/3 cup of butter
1/3 cup of flour
4 cups of half & half
6 cups of cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
Directions
1. In a large pot combine carrots, celery, onion, garlic, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper, broth and beer. Cook on low-medium heat until the veggies are the consistency you desire. I believe I cooked my veggies for about 30 minutes.
2. In another pot warm butter, stir in the flour. Slowly add in the half & half and whisk until it gets thick. Take the pot off of the heat, then add in the cheese, stirring constantly until everything is mixed well. Be sure to keep this cheese mixture warm otherwise it will start to harden.
3. Slowly stir the beer mixture into the cheese mixture.
4. Add in the spicy brown mustard, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes until everything is heated.
This was not a kid-hit in our house. Brennan told me he is too young to drink beer and Alex told me it smelled like a butt so they had grilled mozzarella cheese sandwiches that evening. Bryan and I loved this soup!
I read about 15 different recipes and each one was slightly different from the other. Knowing what I like and what Bryan will eat, I made my own version and it is pretty damn good if I say so myself! Tweak the ingredients as needed to fit your needs. Then sit back and enjoy a nice bowl of soup!
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of finely chopped carrots
1.5 cups of finely chopped celery
1.5 cups finely chopped onion
Minced garlic (fresh)
1 teaspoon of hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
Cayenne pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups of broth (veggie or chicken)
2 cups of beer (I used Bud Light)
1/3 cup of butter
1/3 cup of flour
4 cups of half & half
6 cups of cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
Directions
1. In a large pot combine carrots, celery, onion, garlic, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper, broth and beer. Cook on low-medium heat until the veggies are the consistency you desire. I believe I cooked my veggies for about 30 minutes.
2. In another pot warm butter, stir in the flour. Slowly add in the half & half and whisk until it gets thick. Take the pot off of the heat, then add in the cheese, stirring constantly until everything is mixed well. Be sure to keep this cheese mixture warm otherwise it will start to harden.
3. Slowly stir the beer mixture into the cheese mixture.
4. Add in the spicy brown mustard, ground mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes until everything is heated.
This was not a kid-hit in our house. Brennan told me he is too young to drink beer and Alex told me it smelled like a butt so they had grilled mozzarella cheese sandwiches that evening. Bryan and I loved this soup!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
What's For Dinner?
I live with meat eaters so that means from time to time I must make dishes that contain my beloved furry friends. I usually try to stick with chicken, turkey or lean cuts of pork, but every once in a while the crew wants beefs. I am all about making meals that are healthy, easy to prepare and can possibly stretch into two dinners. For that I turn to my buddy, the cow, aka beef pot roast.
When I make a roast I usually cook it in the meat in a crock pot. I love the fact that I can turn the pot on and forget about any prepping for hours on end. I try to buy the leanest cut of beef possible, but I will admit that sometimes I just buy the cheapest cut. I place the roast in the pot, add some water, slice up an onion and add a variety of seasonings and spices such as basil from my garden, garlic, salt and pepper, oregano, rosemary, etc. Then I turn that pot on high and walk away. If I remember I turn it at some point, but this is not a necessary step. About an hour before I plan to serve dinner I slice or shred up the meat and cook it in the juices. Mashed potatoes are always a hit, but sometimes I just slice up potatoes and carrots and toss them in the crock pot. Before I serve dinner I always make sure I reserve some of the meat and juices for another meal.
That other meal would be beef 'n noodles. In a pot boil water and add whole wheat egg noodles until al dente. In another pot add a can of "cream of" soup. I like cream of mushroom, but you could use any cream of soup of your choice. Add a little milk to thin it out along with the meat and juices from the night before. Bring to a boil and add to the drained noodles. Cook for a few minutes until everything is heated and mixed. Serve with your favorite veggies as a side along with some fresh fruit.
Super easy, inexpensive, healthy....that's my kind of meal!
When I make a roast I usually cook it in the meat in a crock pot. I love the fact that I can turn the pot on and forget about any prepping for hours on end. I try to buy the leanest cut of beef possible, but I will admit that sometimes I just buy the cheapest cut. I place the roast in the pot, add some water, slice up an onion and add a variety of seasonings and spices such as basil from my garden, garlic, salt and pepper, oregano, rosemary, etc. Then I turn that pot on high and walk away. If I remember I turn it at some point, but this is not a necessary step. About an hour before I plan to serve dinner I slice or shred up the meat and cook it in the juices. Mashed potatoes are always a hit, but sometimes I just slice up potatoes and carrots and toss them in the crock pot. Before I serve dinner I always make sure I reserve some of the meat and juices for another meal.
That other meal would be beef 'n noodles. In a pot boil water and add whole wheat egg noodles until al dente. In another pot add a can of "cream of" soup. I like cream of mushroom, but you could use any cream of soup of your choice. Add a little milk to thin it out along with the meat and juices from the night before. Bring to a boil and add to the drained noodles. Cook for a few minutes until everything is heated and mixed. Serve with your favorite veggies as a side along with some fresh fruit.
Super easy, inexpensive, healthy....that's my kind of meal!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Just Another Reason
When people find out I am a vegetarian, I usually get the myriad of questions and opinions.........
Why??!!
What do you eat if you don't eat meat?
How do you get your protein?
But meat tastes so good!
Well I couldn't ever do that.
Animals were made to be eaten.
Animals cannot feel anything.
God made animals for us to eat.
Seriously, I could go on and on. Usually I just smile and let the person talk and very rarely do I comment. This is my choice and while it is not the lifestyle for everyone, it is the best choice for me. The one type of comment that just boils my blood is the statements about animals being created to eat/they are less then humans/they do not feel. This just pisses me off beyond words. Just because they cannot talk with words doesn't mean animals cannot feel emotional and physical pain! Animals can feel hunger, they can feel the pain of an injury, they can feel scared. Think about your pet; I know my dogs get quite excited when I walk in the door. They cannot wait to jump up, get a pat on the belly and sometimes they even bark back at me when I talk to them (Want a treat? Let's go for a walk.). My dog Miles gets frequent ear infections. I know he feels pain when his ear is infected because I have held him in my lap as he whimpered and hung his head in pain. I have watched deer in the woods behind my house raise their tails on alert as they sense danger around them (usually my barking dogs!). To say that an animal deserves to die simply because they cannot speak is abhorable.
Now, I know most people do not eat dogs, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to post this video. The dog in the video is being reunited with her owner after the owner served a year in the Middle East. There is no way anyone can tell me this animal is not expressing her emotions. It is very clear that this animal is beyond excited that her master is back with her. Listen to the pup whimper and cry (for over a minute!), watch her tail wag, look at her body curl up as close as possible to her loving owner. This animal, like every other living thing, has feelings. Reason number ONE why I live a vegetarian lifestyle.......
http://www.godvine.com/Mommy-and-Doggy-Reunite-After-a-Year-Apart-343.html
Why??!!
What do you eat if you don't eat meat?
How do you get your protein?
But meat tastes so good!
Well I couldn't ever do that.
Animals were made to be eaten.
Animals cannot feel anything.
God made animals for us to eat.
Seriously, I could go on and on. Usually I just smile and let the person talk and very rarely do I comment. This is my choice and while it is not the lifestyle for everyone, it is the best choice for me. The one type of comment that just boils my blood is the statements about animals being created to eat/they are less then humans/they do not feel. This just pisses me off beyond words. Just because they cannot talk with words doesn't mean animals cannot feel emotional and physical pain! Animals can feel hunger, they can feel the pain of an injury, they can feel scared. Think about your pet; I know my dogs get quite excited when I walk in the door. They cannot wait to jump up, get a pat on the belly and sometimes they even bark back at me when I talk to them (Want a treat? Let's go for a walk.). My dog Miles gets frequent ear infections. I know he feels pain when his ear is infected because I have held him in my lap as he whimpered and hung his head in pain. I have watched deer in the woods behind my house raise their tails on alert as they sense danger around them (usually my barking dogs!). To say that an animal deserves to die simply because they cannot speak is abhorable.
Now, I know most people do not eat dogs, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to post this video. The dog in the video is being reunited with her owner after the owner served a year in the Middle East. There is no way anyone can tell me this animal is not expressing her emotions. It is very clear that this animal is beyond excited that her master is back with her. Listen to the pup whimper and cry (for over a minute!), watch her tail wag, look at her body curl up as close as possible to her loving owner. This animal, like every other living thing, has feelings. Reason number ONE why I live a vegetarian lifestyle.......
http://www.godvine.com/Mommy-and-Doggy-Reunite-After-a-Year-Apart-343.html
Saturday, October 15, 2011
GMO: Part One
I subscribe to a daily email newsletter offered by Dr. Mercola. I like these emails because they contain articles filled with information about food, health, supplements, etc. I don't particularly care for the ads highlighting his supplements, but I guess the man is just trying to get the word out. Anyway, I usually only open the articles that are of interest and/or pertain to the health of my family. The other day I decided to open the link to an article on genetically modified organisms (GMO) and as usual I was sadden and surprised by what I read.
I had no idea how closely linked Monsanto and the FDA were until I started reading the book, "The UnHealthy Truth". This book opened my eyes to the "good old boys club" mentality shared between the FDA and Monsanto. To read how certain people have held positions of power between the two entities and how laws, regulations and rules have intertwined really makes me stop and wonder just how and why these two are so closely linked together. Why would a government agency that was created to help regulate food safety be so closely linked to a trillion dollar biotech company? I, like so many others, feel they are up to no good.
So with this all said, when I opened the Dr. Mercola article, my eyes fell upon this quote: "If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it." - Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, quoted in the Kansas City Star, March 7, 1994
This quote speaks volumes to me in many different ways. Obviously this man realizes how harmful GMO's are to not only our health, but to the animals and the environment as well. Did you know Europe has basically banned foods made from GMO's? If a product does contain GMO's it must be clearly labeled. In Europe there is virtually no GMO's on store shelves yet when you compare this to the food produced and consumed in the US, the rate of GMO's is about 75%.
So in a nutshell we have two options: buy organic foods as they cannot/do not contain any GMO's or try to get better labeling laws established so consumers can decided which foods to purchase. Here's where it gets tricky. Many activists and organizations have tried to create a law forcing the labeling of GMO on food. The government is very much against this. Why you may ask? Let's say you go grocery shopping and see milk, eggs, meat, veggies, fruit, rice, cereal, pasta and cookies available to you, one produced with GMO's and one produced without GMO's; which would you be more likely purchase? For the record, I would buy the all natural foods. Let's say 90% of the shoppers in that store buy non-GMO foods, pretty soon the store managers will stop stocking and ordering GMO produced foods because they will lose money. If the stores are not stocking the GMO foods the manufacturers will not produce products that contain the GMO and the farmers will not allow the use of GMO crops. If this happens Monsanto will feel the loss. They will not be able to produce their altered versions of seeds and pretty soon they will not have much revenue coming in. The good old boys that work between the FDA and Monsanto will not be living the high life on their six figure salaries and pretty soon life and work will be a bust for them all. It is a cycle. Go back and re-read the quote from above....what context do you take it in now? Will the skull and cross bones represent the poison pulsing through the food produced with GMO's or does it represent the future for Monsanto and it's money should labeling laws go into effect? Hmmmm.......
Sadly Monsanto exercises a lot of control on Capitol Hill and in the DC area thus referring back to the government based FDA link once again. Lobbyists have worked feverishly the past twenty years to stop any type of labeling laws that would destroy what these biotech companies have created. A grass roots organization in California is trying very hard to get a bill passed at the state level that would require the labeling of all GMO's on foods. The hope and idea is that this bill will pass in California, of of the largest populated states in the US with a vast following of organic, anti-GMO followers. If it passes in California, the big food companies will be forced to make changes to their products and product labels. Imagine if Kellog's or Keebler had to print two labels as well as create two different foods. One product and label would state their cereals and crackers contain GMO's and another product and label would be free of GMO's. This is going to take a lot of time and energy and money and in time Kellog's and Keebler will hopefully only purchase non-GMO grains. The idea of passing this at state level is to bypass the big wigs in Congress. Sneaky, but in the grand scheme of it all, not as sneaky as Monsanto and the FDA.
Next up.........the effects of GMO's on our health, wellness and safety.
I had no idea how closely linked Monsanto and the FDA were until I started reading the book, "The UnHealthy Truth". This book opened my eyes to the "good old boys club" mentality shared between the FDA and Monsanto. To read how certain people have held positions of power between the two entities and how laws, regulations and rules have intertwined really makes me stop and wonder just how and why these two are so closely linked together. Why would a government agency that was created to help regulate food safety be so closely linked to a trillion dollar biotech company? I, like so many others, feel they are up to no good.
So with this all said, when I opened the Dr. Mercola article, my eyes fell upon this quote: "If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it." - Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, quoted in the Kansas City Star, March 7, 1994
This quote speaks volumes to me in many different ways. Obviously this man realizes how harmful GMO's are to not only our health, but to the animals and the environment as well. Did you know Europe has basically banned foods made from GMO's? If a product does contain GMO's it must be clearly labeled. In Europe there is virtually no GMO's on store shelves yet when you compare this to the food produced and consumed in the US, the rate of GMO's is about 75%.
So in a nutshell we have two options: buy organic foods as they cannot/do not contain any GMO's or try to get better labeling laws established so consumers can decided which foods to purchase. Here's where it gets tricky. Many activists and organizations have tried to create a law forcing the labeling of GMO on food. The government is very much against this. Why you may ask? Let's say you go grocery shopping and see milk, eggs, meat, veggies, fruit, rice, cereal, pasta and cookies available to you, one produced with GMO's and one produced without GMO's; which would you be more likely purchase? For the record, I would buy the all natural foods. Let's say 90% of the shoppers in that store buy non-GMO foods, pretty soon the store managers will stop stocking and ordering GMO produced foods because they will lose money. If the stores are not stocking the GMO foods the manufacturers will not produce products that contain the GMO and the farmers will not allow the use of GMO crops. If this happens Monsanto will feel the loss. They will not be able to produce their altered versions of seeds and pretty soon they will not have much revenue coming in. The good old boys that work between the FDA and Monsanto will not be living the high life on their six figure salaries and pretty soon life and work will be a bust for them all. It is a cycle. Go back and re-read the quote from above....what context do you take it in now? Will the skull and cross bones represent the poison pulsing through the food produced with GMO's or does it represent the future for Monsanto and it's money should labeling laws go into effect? Hmmmm.......
Sadly Monsanto exercises a lot of control on Capitol Hill and in the DC area thus referring back to the government based FDA link once again. Lobbyists have worked feverishly the past twenty years to stop any type of labeling laws that would destroy what these biotech companies have created. A grass roots organization in California is trying very hard to get a bill passed at the state level that would require the labeling of all GMO's on foods. The hope and idea is that this bill will pass in California, of of the largest populated states in the US with a vast following of organic, anti-GMO followers. If it passes in California, the big food companies will be forced to make changes to their products and product labels. Imagine if Kellog's or Keebler had to print two labels as well as create two different foods. One product and label would state their cereals and crackers contain GMO's and another product and label would be free of GMO's. This is going to take a lot of time and energy and money and in time Kellog's and Keebler will hopefully only purchase non-GMO grains. The idea of passing this at state level is to bypass the big wigs in Congress. Sneaky, but in the grand scheme of it all, not as sneaky as Monsanto and the FDA.
Next up.........the effects of GMO's on our health, wellness and safety.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Recipe: Tuscan Beans
I stumbled across a super easy, super healthy recipe in one of my many magazines and decided to make it for dinner last night. Seriously, it was really tasty, filled us up and best of all was healthy. Alex didn't eat anything for dinner because he was in a mood, but Brennan gobbled it up.
Ingredients:
1lb white beans
8 cups water
garlic
Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper
Directions:
1. Rinse beans and place in a crock pot. Cover with 8 cups of water.
2. Add in garlic and Italian seasoning to your liking.
3. Cook on high until beans are soft and tender and most of the water has been observed.
A couple of things....
1. The original recipe said to cook the beans on high for 3h 15m. I'm not sure what is wrong with my pot because it took more like 7 hours. Last night's dinner was actually tonight's dinner because the beans were still too hard at 5pm. Once the beans were cooked I placed them in the fridge. I think they actually tasted better this way because the flavors had a chance to mesh.
2. I used diced garlic from the fridge. I buy this little glass container of garlic that is already diced and ready to use rather than using dried garlic. Schnucks was totally out of fresh garlic otherwise I would have used that. I have no clue how much I used, maybe 2-3 tablespoons?
3. The original recipe called for cannellini beans. I looked at Walmart, Schnucks and Shop-n-Save with no luck so I went with white northern beans as the recipe said it would be a good substitute. I wonder if subbing these beans altered the original cook time?
In addition to the beans I served a green salad, crusty french loaf bread and a small side of clementine oranges. The oranges were mainly for the boys because getting them to eat salad is like asking them to eat a turd! It was a healthy, filling dinner that's for sure!
Beans are an excellent source of nutrition. They are high in minerals, fiber and protein. One cup of white northern beans is about...........200 calories; 12 g of fiber; 12% of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of calcium; 21% RDA magnesium; 35% RDA potassium; 45% RDA folate; 16% RDA of vitamin B6; and 20% RDA iron. These beans are also very low in sodium. Beans are a wonderful addition to soups, salads, stews and as a main dish.
Ingredients:
1lb white beans
8 cups water
garlic
Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper
Directions:
1. Rinse beans and place in a crock pot. Cover with 8 cups of water.
2. Add in garlic and Italian seasoning to your liking.
3. Cook on high until beans are soft and tender and most of the water has been observed.
A couple of things....
1. The original recipe said to cook the beans on high for 3h 15m. I'm not sure what is wrong with my pot because it took more like 7 hours. Last night's dinner was actually tonight's dinner because the beans were still too hard at 5pm. Once the beans were cooked I placed them in the fridge. I think they actually tasted better this way because the flavors had a chance to mesh.
2. I used diced garlic from the fridge. I buy this little glass container of garlic that is already diced and ready to use rather than using dried garlic. Schnucks was totally out of fresh garlic otherwise I would have used that. I have no clue how much I used, maybe 2-3 tablespoons?
3. The original recipe called for cannellini beans. I looked at Walmart, Schnucks and Shop-n-Save with no luck so I went with white northern beans as the recipe said it would be a good substitute. I wonder if subbing these beans altered the original cook time?
In addition to the beans I served a green salad, crusty french loaf bread and a small side of clementine oranges. The oranges were mainly for the boys because getting them to eat salad is like asking them to eat a turd! It was a healthy, filling dinner that's for sure!
Beans are an excellent source of nutrition. They are high in minerals, fiber and protein. One cup of white northern beans is about...........200 calories; 12 g of fiber; 12% of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of calcium; 21% RDA magnesium; 35% RDA potassium; 45% RDA folate; 16% RDA of vitamin B6; and 20% RDA iron. These beans are also very low in sodium. Beans are a wonderful addition to soups, salads, stews and as a main dish.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Cleaning
I feel like all I do is clean. I live with two little boys, a grown man (boy) and three dogs so needless to say I have a lot of dust, dirt, smears, accidents and whatnot all over my house. Brennan suffers from bad seasonal and environmental allergies so I really do have to be a conscious housekeeper. Skipping a dusting or being laxed on vacuuming can mean a world of difference to him, especially in the autumn when his asthma symptoms are at its peak. I used to just clean and wipe and scrub and spray without much thought. I was (am) busy and just wanted to get the job done. I'm not really sure when or how I started to re-evaluate the way I cleaned, but somewhere in time I decided I needed to start being more responsible. If I care about the food I put on the table I should care about what is actually on the table touching our bodies, right?
My absolute favorite cleaner of all time is plain old white vinegar. Some people think it smells, but I do not mind it. I have added some lemon to it in the past, but usually it is just vinegar in a spray bottle. I clean almost everything with vinegar. My windows, stove top and the bathroom faucet shine beautifully after a vinegar wipe down. It is great for cutting through grease on the counter tops and stove top. Alex has a bit of an aim issue so I use vinegar to clean out that old gross pee smell. I also throw a little into the rinse cycle of the washer when I am washing towels and undies (the laundry doesn't smell like vinegar so don't worry).
Baking soda is a great mild abrasive. If you have a stain on your counter make a little paste of vinegar and water and apply it straight to the stain. Wait a few minutes and then rinse with clean water. I have never been unsuccessful with this trick. Sometimes my kitchen drains gets a funky odor. I dump some baking soda down the drain, add a little vinegar and lemon juice and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I toss in some ice cubes and turn on the garbage disposal followed by a hot water rinse. So far so good on drain odor! Baking soda is also great at absorbing odors. Try placing some in a small dish in your car and/or the fridge and freezer. I keep a small container under my car seat.
If you like to just buy a store brand I recommend Method and Seventh Generation brands. I love Method brand's citrus scent (pink bottle). I use that spray everywhere possible! Seventh Generation makes an all natural anti-bacterial spray that I really like. I am trying hard to steer clear of anti-bacterial soaps and cleaning products, but the germaphob in me just cannot resist, especially during cold and flu season! Seventh Generation and Method brands make a variety of cleaners including all purpose sprays, glass cleaner, dishwasher detergent, laundry care products, toilet bowl cleaner and dryer sheets.
My absolute favorite cleaner of all time is plain old white vinegar. Some people think it smells, but I do not mind it. I have added some lemon to it in the past, but usually it is just vinegar in a spray bottle. I clean almost everything with vinegar. My windows, stove top and the bathroom faucet shine beautifully after a vinegar wipe down. It is great for cutting through grease on the counter tops and stove top. Alex has a bit of an aim issue so I use vinegar to clean out that old gross pee smell. I also throw a little into the rinse cycle of the washer when I am washing towels and undies (the laundry doesn't smell like vinegar so don't worry).
Baking soda is a great mild abrasive. If you have a stain on your counter make a little paste of vinegar and water and apply it straight to the stain. Wait a few minutes and then rinse with clean water. I have never been unsuccessful with this trick. Sometimes my kitchen drains gets a funky odor. I dump some baking soda down the drain, add a little vinegar and lemon juice and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I toss in some ice cubes and turn on the garbage disposal followed by a hot water rinse. So far so good on drain odor! Baking soda is also great at absorbing odors. Try placing some in a small dish in your car and/or the fridge and freezer. I keep a small container under my car seat.
If you like to just buy a store brand I recommend Method and Seventh Generation brands. I love Method brand's citrus scent (pink bottle). I use that spray everywhere possible! Seventh Generation makes an all natural anti-bacterial spray that I really like. I am trying hard to steer clear of anti-bacterial soaps and cleaning products, but the germaphob in me just cannot resist, especially during cold and flu season! Seventh Generation and Method brands make a variety of cleaners including all purpose sprays, glass cleaner, dishwasher detergent, laundry care products, toilet bowl cleaner and dryer sheets.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Do You Know What's in Your Food?
Do you really, truly know what ingredients are in your food? When I cook at home I feel like I have a semi-decent grip on what we eat. I buy ingredients that are as minimally process as possible and I try to buy as much local and/or organic foods as I can. I look for no hormones, all natural, etc. because I really do care about what pulses through my family's body. For example, my snack tonight consisted of an organic tomato, rBGH free mozzarella cheese and basil that came from my backyard garden. Breakfast this morning was 100% rolled oats with honey from my friend's father (he keeps his own bees), hormone free/organic yogurt and organic strawberries. To me, these foods are real and healthy and provide nourishment.
In a perfect world my family would eat well 100% of the time. I would be lying if I said we never ate at a fast food restaurant. Some nights we have Boy Scouts, soccer practice and a staff meeting and that makes prepping a good, healthy meal at home next to impossible. We try to eat at healthier restaurants like a Panera Bread, but sometimes true fast food is what we grab. While it doesn't sit well with me (in more ways than one!) I do allow it to happen. Last week we had the nasty fried bug in the nachos incident at Taco Bell and that has really impacted us. Up until yesterday we hadn't consumed a single bite of fast food for seven days. Then I stumbled upon an article written by David Zinczenko (co-author of the "Eat This Not That" book series) that just blew my mind. Once again, I am appalled and downright disgusted by what is dumped into fast food....can we even call it food? I know fast food is not the best option, but I really didn't know how many fillers were added to it. How can a chicken sandwich have 50+ ingredients? Why does it have 50+ ingredients? Needless to say I am once again questioning our food choices. Did you know......
A KFC Chunky Chicken Pot Pie has 82 ingredients?! I have made pot pie before. My pie consisted of a flour crust (homemade so I knew what went into it), some mixed veggies, white meat chicken breast, spices, milk, etc. Apparently the KFC version is filled with gelatin to give the sauce the appearance is viscosity. Gelatin is made from collagen found inside of animal bones and skin. The pot pie also contains red dye #40, L-cysteine hydrochloride and "chicken flavor". Basically the flavor of the actual meat is so overpowered by all of the extra ingredients they need to throw in some artificial chicken flavoring. Yum?
A McDonald's Big Mac has 95 ingredients. You would think beef, lettuce, cheese and bread would be simple, but some of the ingredients include ammonium sulfate, calcium disodium edta and high fructose corn syrup.
A Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich has 83 ingredients. To look at it you would think a chicken breast, a flour bun, some spices and a pickle would do, but boy would you be wrong. Apparently there are 10 sources of sodium in the sandwich along with TBHQ, blue dye #1 and dimethylpolysiloxane. OK, my spell checker doesn't even recognize half of these words!
After reading these alarming additives I am beginning to re-evaluate how I can easily make a healthy crock pot dinner on our "fast and furious nights". I'd rather be a little rushed than fed my boys preservatives that are also found in dog food, perfumes and varnish.
In a perfect world my family would eat well 100% of the time. I would be lying if I said we never ate at a fast food restaurant. Some nights we have Boy Scouts, soccer practice and a staff meeting and that makes prepping a good, healthy meal at home next to impossible. We try to eat at healthier restaurants like a Panera Bread, but sometimes true fast food is what we grab. While it doesn't sit well with me (in more ways than one!) I do allow it to happen. Last week we had the nasty fried bug in the nachos incident at Taco Bell and that has really impacted us. Up until yesterday we hadn't consumed a single bite of fast food for seven days. Then I stumbled upon an article written by David Zinczenko (co-author of the "Eat This Not That" book series) that just blew my mind. Once again, I am appalled and downright disgusted by what is dumped into fast food....can we even call it food? I know fast food is not the best option, but I really didn't know how many fillers were added to it. How can a chicken sandwich have 50+ ingredients? Why does it have 50+ ingredients? Needless to say I am once again questioning our food choices. Did you know......
A KFC Chunky Chicken Pot Pie has 82 ingredients?! I have made pot pie before. My pie consisted of a flour crust (homemade so I knew what went into it), some mixed veggies, white meat chicken breast, spices, milk, etc. Apparently the KFC version is filled with gelatin to give the sauce the appearance is viscosity. Gelatin is made from collagen found inside of animal bones and skin. The pot pie also contains red dye #40, L-cysteine hydrochloride and "chicken flavor". Basically the flavor of the actual meat is so overpowered by all of the extra ingredients they need to throw in some artificial chicken flavoring. Yum?
A McDonald's Big Mac has 95 ingredients. You would think beef, lettuce, cheese and bread would be simple, but some of the ingredients include ammonium sulfate, calcium disodium edta and high fructose corn syrup.
A Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich has 83 ingredients. To look at it you would think a chicken breast, a flour bun, some spices and a pickle would do, but boy would you be wrong. Apparently there are 10 sources of sodium in the sandwich along with TBHQ, blue dye #1 and dimethylpolysiloxane. OK, my spell checker doesn't even recognize half of these words!
After reading these alarming additives I am beginning to re-evaluate how I can easily make a healthy crock pot dinner on our "fast and furious nights". I'd rather be a little rushed than fed my boys preservatives that are also found in dog food, perfumes and varnish.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Taco Barf
Yuck!!! Just had a really gross experience with Taco Bell, or as Brennan is now referring to it, Taco Barf. We do not eat out very much. For starters it is just gross to eat a lot of fast food when you can cook healthier options at home. Plus, fast food is expensive. I can easily make healthier burgers for so much less money at home so why drive through the line? We typically eat out 1-2 times per week. Eating out usually consists of what we feel is actually food, restaurants like Chipotle, Bread Company, Jason's Deli, etc. We eat at these places because they offer safe, healthier options such as organic mac & cheese, organic cuts of meat, rice, black beans and so forth. As much as we limit our fast food we kinda have a Taco Bell issue. Well, we HAD a Taco Bell issue. This is one place that is safe for Brennan, cheap, fast and usually fairly tasty. Granted it is not the healthiest, but there was something about the place that we just really liked.
Last night Bryan and I went to wedding. Then we met up with some friends to drink and laugh and have a good time. Bryan and I didn't go to bed until 2am after a night of alcohol indulgence. The boys stayed at my mom's where they went to bed late and got up early. Needless to say it was a Taco Bell kinda day when lunch rolled around. As I started to unpack the drive-thru bags of cheese rolls up, burritos and nachos I realized they messed up Bryan's order. We were minus two tacos. OK, no biggie, just an order mess up. But then I heard Brennan gag. Inside his nacho chips were something he hadn't order....fried bugs!!! I have no clue what kind of bugs they were, but they were fried and crispy and black and totally revolting. I scooped up all of the food, even the chewed up and "spit it out right now!!" chunks, tossed it back into the bags and drove to Taco Barf. I politely explained that not only was my order incorrect, but we had bugs in our nachos (I tossed a few inside a baggie for evidence). The manager looked horrified as I held up my buggie baggie and apologized profusely for the mistakes. I got our money back and suggested they close up and clean out their supplies. I know this will not happen because they were still placing drive-thru orders as I stood there. I did warn two people, both with young children, to not eat there due to health concerns.
I can honestly say that Taco Barf is off our list of places we will eat from. True, this could happen at even the nicest of restaurants. This is a great lesson as to why we should just cook/eat at home!
Last night Bryan and I went to wedding. Then we met up with some friends to drink and laugh and have a good time. Bryan and I didn't go to bed until 2am after a night of alcohol indulgence. The boys stayed at my mom's where they went to bed late and got up early. Needless to say it was a Taco Bell kinda day when lunch rolled around. As I started to unpack the drive-thru bags of cheese rolls up, burritos and nachos I realized they messed up Bryan's order. We were minus two tacos. OK, no biggie, just an order mess up. But then I heard Brennan gag. Inside his nacho chips were something he hadn't order....fried bugs!!! I have no clue what kind of bugs they were, but they were fried and crispy and black and totally revolting. I scooped up all of the food, even the chewed up and "spit it out right now!!" chunks, tossed it back into the bags and drove to Taco Barf. I politely explained that not only was my order incorrect, but we had bugs in our nachos (I tossed a few inside a baggie for evidence). The manager looked horrified as I held up my buggie baggie and apologized profusely for the mistakes. I got our money back and suggested they close up and clean out their supplies. I know this will not happen because they were still placing drive-thru orders as I stood there. I did warn two people, both with young children, to not eat there due to health concerns.
I can honestly say that Taco Barf is off our list of places we will eat from. True, this could happen at even the nicest of restaurants. This is a great lesson as to why we should just cook/eat at home!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
50's Housewife Cleaning
Today I came across this funny blog post and I just couldn't stop myself from reposting it. Call me absolutely crazy, but I would LOVE to quit my job and be a stay at home, back to the basic, back in time, kinda wife and mother. These days I am dreaming about June Cleaver and Donna Reed, wishing I could zap myself back a good 40-50 years and live life as a 100% focused mom and wife. Granted, there are some modern day advancements I would miss such as blogging and Grey's Anatomy, but I yearn for days of super clean houses, simpler times and a strong sense of family. Maybe I am just having a moment in my life, who knows! Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share, enjoy! (Sorry for any weird, off colors, not sure how to fix it since I copied this!)
(I borrowed this from the blog http://www.jenbutneverjenn.com/2010/05/keeping-of-house-1950s-style.html)
I’ve compiled the advice, and here’s the daily housekeeping schedule I’ll attempt to follow for the 50s Housewife Experiment:
(I borrowed this from the blog http://www.jenbutneverjenn.com/2010/05/keeping-of-house-1950s-style.html)
I’ve compiled the advice, and here’s the daily housekeeping schedule I’ll attempt to follow for the 50s Housewife Experiment:
- Throw back the covers
- Open up the blinds and windows
- Freshen up
- Make and serve breakfast
- Clean up breakfast
- Complete a 10-minute exercise regime
- Shower, do hair and make-up, get dressed
- Gather a basket for tidying. As the rooms of the home are tackled, pick up items that aren’t where they belong and place them in a basket. Redistribute them where they should be as you enter a new room
- Straighten up the living and dining room, including picking up potential clutter, light dusting, fluffing / straightening pillows, and watering plants or flowers
- Make the beds
- Tidy the bedroom, including light dusting
- Hang up any clothes that may be about or ensure dirty ones are in the hamper
- Do a light tidy of the bathroom including removing and replacing used towels, refilling toilet paper and soap (if needed) and cleaning the sink and basin area including soap dishes
- Review the menu for the current day and the next and compare it to what’s currently available in the home. Make note of anything that needs to be prepared ahead of time or marketing (shopping) that needs to get done
- Begin long-advance preparations for dinner (such as making dessert)
- Wipe down kitchen work surfaces and inside the fridge
- Dispose of garbage
- Rinse dish cloths and hang to dry
- Sweep or mop the kitchen floor
- Handle errands that might take you out of the home (such as marketing, volunteering, going to the post office, getting an item fixed, etc), bookkeeping, correspondence, or indulge in a hobby
- If returning from the grocery store, wash vegetables, wrap them and put them away. Place rest of groceries or purchases in their proper place
- Have a quick lunch <- Yoinks?
- Start advance food conditioning like crisping vegetables or thawing frozen foods
- Handle weekly chore for the day (more on that below!)
- Set the table for dinner
- Arrange the living room for evening enjoyment (such as “the Mister’s” newspaper, book, and cigarettes)
- Do a quick sweep of the floors and ensure entrance ways are clear
- Prepare a special dish for dinner
- Freshen up before the husband returns from work. Consider changing into something more festive if the day dress is plain
- Set out a tray with equipment for making cocktails, should “the Mister” want to serve drinks before dinner
- Greet husband “gayly”
- Serve dinner
- Clear table and wash dishes
- Pour boiling water down the sink to ensure pipes are flushed
- If necessary, pack the husband’s lunch for the next day. Set aside a lunch tray in the refrigerator for yourself if having leftovers
- Set table for breakfast
- Ensure breakfast foods are available and do any make-ahead preparations for it
- Shoot yourself in the head Enjoy an evening of relaxation
If that isn’t enough, each day there is a once-a-week chore to tackle, which is basically a deep clean of a particular room. It’s not your typical “wipe the tub” cleaning. Nope. It’s stuff like:
- Use metal polish on bathroom fixtures
- Clean and disinfect all kitchen appliances
- Scald and disinfect bread boxes and garbage pails and bins
- Replace flowers with fresh bouquets
In addition, laundry should be done at least twice a week (including bedding) and floors should be mopped / vacuumed on a similar schedule.
There is also a recommendation in there to try to squeeze a 10 – 30 minute nap in the afternoon (if not because you’re actually tired but to “look more refreshed” for he-who-wants-to-be-greeted-with-prettiness when he gets home).
While there were certainly brand name cleaning products available to her, the 50s housewife used a lot of simple household products as well – such as baking soda, vinegar, lemon, castile soap and borax – not to mention a good deal of elbow grease. She used things like cheese cloth, rags and old newspapers instead of paper towels. This actually all suits me fine as I figure these are all environmentally friendly options – and who knows – they might even work better than the contemporary products.
I’d also like to note - and will bold this so that a certain someone sees it - that all the guides indicate that a husband shouldn’t expect to be waited on hand and foot. He is fully capable of putting away his coat when he arrives home, fetching and putting away the objects he uses and properly hanging and / or putting his clothes away after undressing. Extras like helping with the dishes after dinner are also "courteous contributions."
There is also a recommendation in there to try to squeeze a 10 – 30 minute nap in the afternoon (if not because you’re actually tired but to “look more refreshed” for he-who-wants-to-be-greeted-with-prettiness when he gets home).
While there were certainly brand name cleaning products available to her, the 50s housewife used a lot of simple household products as well – such as baking soda, vinegar, lemon, castile soap and borax – not to mention a good deal of elbow grease. She used things like cheese cloth, rags and old newspapers instead of paper towels. This actually all suits me fine as I figure these are all environmentally friendly options – and who knows – they might even work better than the contemporary products.
I’d also like to note - and will bold this so that a certain someone sees it - that all the guides indicate that a husband shouldn’t expect to be waited on hand and foot. He is fully capable of putting away his coat when he arrives home, fetching and putting away the objects he uses and properly hanging and / or putting his clothes away after undressing. Extras like helping with the dishes after dinner are also "courteous contributions."
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Recipe: Creamy Tomato Rigatoni
I have really missed blogging! Work responsibilities have thrown me for a loop and by the time I get finished with family life I am just too darn tired to blog. I need to start making time for blogging because it is my little get away from the hustle and bustle of real life.
Anyway, autumn appears to be in full swing around here. That doesn't mean we will not see 80 degree temps again until next year, this is St. Louis after all! I love summer, but autumn is pretty high up there on my list. I love the sights and sounds and smells of the season. I especially love the food that represent autumn. I have been doing a lot of cooking lately and I cannot wait to share my recipes. Tonight I made a very simple pasta dish. While this isn't necessarily an autumn dish it sure was tasty and comforting after a weekend of camping in the cold. Best of all, my boys GOBBLED this down in record time. I think this may be one of the pastas that I will add into my regular rotation. Served with a green salad and crusty bread, you have yourself quite the meal!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 white wine
1 can of crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 heavy whipping cream, warmed to room temp
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound whole wheat rigatoni
basil to taste
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan, add chopped onion and cook until onion is soft.
2. Add the chopped garlic and saute until you can smell the strong garlic odor.
3. Add white wine and cook down until almost evaporated. Stir often.
4. Stir in crushed tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 15-20 minutes.
5. Stir in heavy whipping cream, season with salt, pepper and basil.
6. While the sauce cooks a bit longer, boil the rigatoni until just tender. Drain and return to pot.
7. Combine pasta and sauce and serve with sides of your liking.
Again, not the healthiest, but yummy! I used canned organic tomatoes since my garden tomatoes have not produced much this year. The basil was from our garden and tasted great.
I need to start taking pictures and posting my creations!!
Anyway, autumn appears to be in full swing around here. That doesn't mean we will not see 80 degree temps again until next year, this is St. Louis after all! I love summer, but autumn is pretty high up there on my list. I love the sights and sounds and smells of the season. I especially love the food that represent autumn. I have been doing a lot of cooking lately and I cannot wait to share my recipes. Tonight I made a very simple pasta dish. While this isn't necessarily an autumn dish it sure was tasty and comforting after a weekend of camping in the cold. Best of all, my boys GOBBLED this down in record time. I think this may be one of the pastas that I will add into my regular rotation. Served with a green salad and crusty bread, you have yourself quite the meal!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 white wine
1 can of crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 heavy whipping cream, warmed to room temp
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound whole wheat rigatoni
basil to taste
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan, add chopped onion and cook until onion is soft.
2. Add the chopped garlic and saute until you can smell the strong garlic odor.
3. Add white wine and cook down until almost evaporated. Stir often.
4. Stir in crushed tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 15-20 minutes.
5. Stir in heavy whipping cream, season with salt, pepper and basil.
6. While the sauce cooks a bit longer, boil the rigatoni until just tender. Drain and return to pot.
7. Combine pasta and sauce and serve with sides of your liking.
Again, not the healthiest, but yummy! I used canned organic tomatoes since my garden tomatoes have not produced much this year. The basil was from our garden and tasted great.
I need to start taking pictures and posting my creations!!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Recipe: Fajitas
Every Sunday morning I sit down with my pad of paper and pen and I create a weekly meal plan for dinners. Breakfasts and lunches are fairly easy, but dinners can be a bit of a struggle for many reasons. While I try to limit most of our evening activity I can't totally exclude everything. Thursday is our busy night thus far, with soccer practice AND Tiger Cubs so on that evening so we usually eat dinner out someplace semi-healthy (think Bread Co). Alex is also in this super picky food mood right now so it is no telling what he will or will not eat. Seriously, the kid could scarf down chicken on Tuesday and by Thursday he hates it....so is the life of a 4 year old! Right now the boys, especially Brennan, are on a Mexican kick so at least once a week I try to make something themed around beans, rice and cheese. I am a vegetarian and by the looks of Alex's food preferences he is leaning towards a mostly meat-free diet so beans are a great source of protein for us. I know Brennan is getting protein from the chicken, but the beans are an added bonus of protein, fiber and other vitamins/minerals.
Tonight I decided we would have fajitas. I hate cooking meat so I was quite happy when Bryan volunteered to grill the chicken. Best of all, we cooked everything outside so my kitchen stayed fairly clean! Here is the recipe we used for Tequila Lime Chicken and Veggie Fajitas:
Ingredients:
1lbs of all natural, organic chicken breast
Tequila (to your liking, we just splashed some in to mix all of the ingredients)
Lime juice (to your liking)
4 peppers (I used a combo of red, orange, yellow and green)
Onion
Fajita dry mix (I used a store bought brand, but it contained the least amount of ingredients)
1 cup water
Whole wheat and/or corn tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.
Directions:
1. Place sliced chicken breast, tequila, lime juice, 1/2 cup water and half of the fajita dry mix into a zip lock bag, marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Slice onion and peppers into strips; place veggies into zip lock bag along with the rest of the tequila, lime juice, 1/2 cup water and the rest of the fajita mix, marinate at least 30 minutes.
3. Place chicken breast slices onto grill, discarding marinade mix. Grill until fully cooked.
4. Place veggies inside a grilling basket, discarding marinade mix. Grill to your liking (I prefer tender-crisp).
5. Once all the meat and veggies are grilled start assembling your fajitas and enjoy!
Bryan likes meat, veggies, shredded cheese and hot sauce. Brennan will only eat meat, beans and shredded cheese on his fajitas. Alex likes black beans, sour cream and shredded cheese fajitas. I make mine with black beans, veggies, shredded cheese and light sour cream. I guess in a true sense these are not traditional fajitas, but I love making them because everyone can make their dinner to their specific liking. I served black beans and fresh kiwi as sides. It was a hit with everyone!
Tonight I decided we would have fajitas. I hate cooking meat so I was quite happy when Bryan volunteered to grill the chicken. Best of all, we cooked everything outside so my kitchen stayed fairly clean! Here is the recipe we used for Tequila Lime Chicken and Veggie Fajitas:
Ingredients:
1lbs of all natural, organic chicken breast
Tequila (to your liking, we just splashed some in to mix all of the ingredients)
Lime juice (to your liking)
4 peppers (I used a combo of red, orange, yellow and green)
Onion
Fajita dry mix (I used a store bought brand, but it contained the least amount of ingredients)
1 cup water
Whole wheat and/or corn tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.
Directions:
1. Place sliced chicken breast, tequila, lime juice, 1/2 cup water and half of the fajita dry mix into a zip lock bag, marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Slice onion and peppers into strips; place veggies into zip lock bag along with the rest of the tequila, lime juice, 1/2 cup water and the rest of the fajita mix, marinate at least 30 minutes.
3. Place chicken breast slices onto grill, discarding marinade mix. Grill until fully cooked.
4. Place veggies inside a grilling basket, discarding marinade mix. Grill to your liking (I prefer tender-crisp).
5. Once all the meat and veggies are grilled start assembling your fajitas and enjoy!
Bryan likes meat, veggies, shredded cheese and hot sauce. Brennan will only eat meat, beans and shredded cheese on his fajitas. Alex likes black beans, sour cream and shredded cheese fajitas. I make mine with black beans, veggies, shredded cheese and light sour cream. I guess in a true sense these are not traditional fajitas, but I love making them because everyone can make their dinner to their specific liking. I served black beans and fresh kiwi as sides. It was a hit with everyone!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Breakfast
Of all of the meals and snacks eaten, I am a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the entire day. After resting and repairing your body all night long, you need healthy, nutritious foods to get your system up and running. I am always amazed at what people believe is food, especially breakfast foods. Sure, my family indulges in the occasional doughnut and on rare instances I do let the boys buy a box of sugar laden cereal, but these "treats" are eaten on special occasions like vacation or on Saturday morning. During the week I make it a point to serve a healthy breakfast every morning. As a preschool teacher I ask my students, usually during circle time, what they ate for breakfast. I usually hear Pop Tarts, Coco Puffs, Toaster Strudels or nothing at all. The last response concerns me more than a bowl of Honey Smacks. How can a parent send their child, especially a tiny child, off to school with nothing in their tummy?!
Breakfast does not have to be some elaborate, time consuming task. While we always eat at the table, one could easily create a portable healthy meal to feed in the car or at the bus stop. Here is a list of easy breakfast ideas:
Pancakes: I like to make double batches of whole wheat pancakes on Sunday morning. After we eat I layer pancakes between pieces of wax paper and freeze them in a zip lock bag. When the boys want pancakes on Tuesday morning all I do is reach into the freezer bag, grab a few frozen pancakes, pop 'em in the microwave and in less than one minute we have hot tasty cakes. In addition to making our pancakes with whole wheat flour, I also add in yummy extras such as pureed pumpkin & cinnamon, diced apples, pureed or whole blueberries (fresh or frozen depending what I have on hand), mashed banana and on occasion a few tablespoons of chocolate chips. If you add in fruit the cakes are sweet enough to even forgo the traditional maple syrup, making these super easy to eat on the run. And speaking of syrup, did you know that Log Cabin, Aunt Jemima, etc is NOT maple syrup? It is just high fructose corn syrup mixed with a bunch of artificial flavorings and other ingredients. Schnucks, Dierbergs, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc all carry 100% maple syrup. It is pricier compared to the $1.00 bottle of "syrup" you can get at Schnucks, but it is real, all natural maple syrup from a tree. I buy our maple syrup for about $6 at Trader Joe's. A little goes a long way!
Waffles: If you cannot make your own whole wheat waffles, but whole grain frozen waffles. Top with a smear of butter (peanut, almond, sunflower, soy) and some fresh sliced strawberries or banana and you have a fast, easy meal.
Burrito: Stuff a whole wheat or corn tortilla with scrambled egg, low fat cheese (and some diced veggies if so desired). You can eat this as you walk or drive.
Smoothie: Pour milk (skim, almond, rice, soy or coconut) into a blender with fresh/frozen fruit and a little low fat yogurt. If you have protein powder add in a teaspoon or tablespoon for added protein.
Oatmeal: I "stole" this recipe from my friend, Maria. Before you go to bed add 2/3 cup of old fashioned oats to 2/3 cup of milk (skim, almond, soy, rice, coconut....I like coconut milk). Mix and place in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to eat the next morning, pop the oats in the microwave and top with anything of your liking. I love to add a dash of cinnamon, a small scoop of sunbutter and some sliced banana. Yum!
Yogurt: A cup of lower sugar yogurt topped with sliced fruit and a few tablespoons of granola is a fast, healthy breakfast. Try Greek yogurt for added protein.
Other quick, easy, healthy ideas are fresh fruit such as apples and bananas, dried fruit packets (look for the sugar content), whole wheat cereals with higher protein/lower sugar content such as Kashi varieties, sunflower/soy/peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread/tortilla or a whole grain bagel with low fat cream cheese and sliced fruit.
Breakfast does not have to be some elaborate, time consuming task. While we always eat at the table, one could easily create a portable healthy meal to feed in the car or at the bus stop. Here is a list of easy breakfast ideas:
Pancakes: I like to make double batches of whole wheat pancakes on Sunday morning. After we eat I layer pancakes between pieces of wax paper and freeze them in a zip lock bag. When the boys want pancakes on Tuesday morning all I do is reach into the freezer bag, grab a few frozen pancakes, pop 'em in the microwave and in less than one minute we have hot tasty cakes. In addition to making our pancakes with whole wheat flour, I also add in yummy extras such as pureed pumpkin & cinnamon, diced apples, pureed or whole blueberries (fresh or frozen depending what I have on hand), mashed banana and on occasion a few tablespoons of chocolate chips. If you add in fruit the cakes are sweet enough to even forgo the traditional maple syrup, making these super easy to eat on the run. And speaking of syrup, did you know that Log Cabin, Aunt Jemima, etc is NOT maple syrup? It is just high fructose corn syrup mixed with a bunch of artificial flavorings and other ingredients. Schnucks, Dierbergs, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc all carry 100% maple syrup. It is pricier compared to the $1.00 bottle of "syrup" you can get at Schnucks, but it is real, all natural maple syrup from a tree. I buy our maple syrup for about $6 at Trader Joe's. A little goes a long way!
Waffles: If you cannot make your own whole wheat waffles, but whole grain frozen waffles. Top with a smear of butter (peanut, almond, sunflower, soy) and some fresh sliced strawberries or banana and you have a fast, easy meal.
Burrito: Stuff a whole wheat or corn tortilla with scrambled egg, low fat cheese (and some diced veggies if so desired). You can eat this as you walk or drive.
Smoothie: Pour milk (skim, almond, rice, soy or coconut) into a blender with fresh/frozen fruit and a little low fat yogurt. If you have protein powder add in a teaspoon or tablespoon for added protein.
Oatmeal: I "stole" this recipe from my friend, Maria. Before you go to bed add 2/3 cup of old fashioned oats to 2/3 cup of milk (skim, almond, soy, rice, coconut....I like coconut milk). Mix and place in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to eat the next morning, pop the oats in the microwave and top with anything of your liking. I love to add a dash of cinnamon, a small scoop of sunbutter and some sliced banana. Yum!
Yogurt: A cup of lower sugar yogurt topped with sliced fruit and a few tablespoons of granola is a fast, healthy breakfast. Try Greek yogurt for added protein.
Other quick, easy, healthy ideas are fresh fruit such as apples and bananas, dried fruit packets (look for the sugar content), whole wheat cereals with higher protein/lower sugar content such as Kashi varieties, sunflower/soy/peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread/tortilla or a whole grain bagel with low fat cream cheese and sliced fruit.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
The Mac Daddy
I've been cooped up in my house with a fever virus along with my 4 year old son. Between doses of Tylenol, episodes of Dora and Diego and a lot of snuggles, I managed to catch up on some real news from around the world. One story in particular caught my eye because I thought I had read the small headline wrong. I thought I read "1,690 Calorie Burger", but that couldn't possibly be correct. I mean, that is a TON of calories for a sandwich, almost a daily serving of calories. I adjusted my glasses and reread the headline. It was no joke! Denny's is unveiling a burger that weighs in at 1,690 calories!!
The burger is called the Mac'n Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt (The Mac Daddy for short). The Mac Daddy consists of two slices of buttered grilled potato bread, a beef burger patty layered with slices of cheese, a scoop of prepared macaroni and cheese pasta, a "Frisco" tomato based sauce and it is topped with another slice of cheese. It is served with a side of french fries. So many things ran through my mind when I read this description. First, who in their right mind would even want to eat this massive pile of crap? It makes me nauseated just looking at it. I cannot imagine how greasy this thing must be. Can you picture the heartburn, upset stomach and gas that is likely to follow ingesting this? I really wonder who created this burger. Who thought meat topped with cheese and pasta would be a tasty combo? I wonder if Denny's has any type of food nutritionist working within the company. Anyone in their right mind would know this is by far one of the unhealthiest "foods" out there; who approved this creation? I can't even call it food because real food doesn't attempt to kill you.
Tonight for dinner I made whole wheat pancakes, scrabbled organic eggs, organic all natural bacon and fresh watermelon slices. Sure the bacon is not the healthiest and one could argue that eggs are not the best option either, but I had a sick kid who requested this and happily ate almost every morsel on his plate. When compared to the Mac Daddy the bacon and eggs pale in comparison, calorie wise. If I added all of my calories up correctly, my dinner was only 395 calories.
I'm really curious who would eat this monstrous burger and why. Anyone care to share? I know I have secret lurkers so share if you dare! ;)
The burger is called the Mac'n Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt (The Mac Daddy for short). The Mac Daddy consists of two slices of buttered grilled potato bread, a beef burger patty layered with slices of cheese, a scoop of prepared macaroni and cheese pasta, a "Frisco" tomato based sauce and it is topped with another slice of cheese. It is served with a side of french fries. So many things ran through my mind when I read this description. First, who in their right mind would even want to eat this massive pile of crap? It makes me nauseated just looking at it. I cannot imagine how greasy this thing must be. Can you picture the heartburn, upset stomach and gas that is likely to follow ingesting this? I really wonder who created this burger. Who thought meat topped with cheese and pasta would be a tasty combo? I wonder if Denny's has any type of food nutritionist working within the company. Anyone in their right mind would know this is by far one of the unhealthiest "foods" out there; who approved this creation? I can't even call it food because real food doesn't attempt to kill you.
Tonight for dinner I made whole wheat pancakes, scrabbled organic eggs, organic all natural bacon and fresh watermelon slices. Sure the bacon is not the healthiest and one could argue that eggs are not the best option either, but I had a sick kid who requested this and happily ate almost every morsel on his plate. When compared to the Mac Daddy the bacon and eggs pale in comparison, calorie wise. If I added all of my calories up correctly, my dinner was only 395 calories.
I'm really curious who would eat this monstrous burger and why. Anyone care to share? I know I have secret lurkers so share if you dare! ;)
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Apple Picking
Last Friday was an absolutely beautiful day. The sky was brilliant blue with not a cloud in sight. The temps were mild and a slight breeze was in the air. It was the kind of day that begs you to be outside having fun. Brennan had a half day of school due to teacher meetings and I get off at noon every day so I decided we would make the most of the gorgeous day. After contemplating a variety of ideas I decided we would go fruit picking at Eckert's in Illinois. I was expecting to go peach picking, but I was thrilled to find out it was opening day for honeycrisp apple season!
Honeycrisp apples are our absolute favorites! Honeycrisps are created by pollinating Macoun and Honeygold apple varieties. The outcome is a sweet, lightly tart, firm apple. We like to eat them in their natural form, but I have also made applesauce, apple pie and apple crisp with them and all of the goodies were tasty.
Bryan decided to surprise us by taking off two hours early. After a quick lunch we loaded up the car and headed over to Belleville. We usually take the river ferry across the Mississippi, head into Grafton and visit the Eckert's in Grafton, but that day we decided to explore the Belleville location. This particular Eckert's is about 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis so it was a nice drive that allowed one tuckered out 4 year old an opportunity to cat nap!
I will never go apple picking on a weekend again; Friday afternoons are the way to go! We walked right up to the tractor and instantly boarded the wagon. Peaches were still available for picking so we gathered boxes and bags and headed out to the orchards. The boys had so much fun riding on the tractor/wagon ride. I'll admit, I had fun, too! The driver was an older man who was so sweet. He drove us out to the apple trees first and we picked two big bags of apples. Alex thought it was so neat that he could eat apples straight off the trees. Brennan was dying to pick peaces so we loaded the tractor again and headed to the peach orchards. These peaches were the biggest peaches I had ever seen! Brennan stashed on in his pocket and decided he would eat it later (he dropped it so many times it bruised all over, though). We loaded up the tractor again and headed back to the country store. As we sat high in the wagon my eyes fell upon the acres and acres of farm land filled with fresh fruits and veggies. Oh how I wish I could live on a farm! Most people are shocked when I say this, but I really wish I could live in the country, growing my food and tending to a few animals. I guess you could say I have changed a bit! It was such a neat time watching the boys explore, pick the fruit, eat it right off the trees, chase grasshoppers and have a good time. I love knowing that we have opportunities to show our boys where their food comes from, who tends to the fruits and veggies, who cares for the farmland, etc. Many times were take our food for granted. It is easy to grab a handful of greens or a bag of apples at the local grocery store and never once think about who planted the seed and tended to them all season long or to think about how did that zucchini get from the farm to the kitchen table.
Tonight, right before bed, I am going to make some homemade applesauce with some of our apples from Eckert's. Tomorrow morning when the boys wake up they can enjoy some warm cinnamon applesauce with their breakfast. The following recipe is SOOOOO easy, it tastes great and the smell is heavenly (imagine autumn bursting from your walls).
Ingredients:
Apples (I usually use 6-8 big apples, it all depends on how much you want to make)
1/2 cup water
Ground cinnamon (to your liking)
*1/4 cup real sugar (if desired; could also use Truvia, Stevia, etc.)
Slice apples, place into crock pot. Add water, cinnamon, and optional sugar. Turn pot on low and in a matter of hours enjoy your applesauce. I leave the skin on the apples because there is a lot of fiber and nutrients in the skins, however you can peel this off if desired. I like my applesauce warm, but it is also very good cold.
Honeycrisp apples are our absolute favorites! Honeycrisps are created by pollinating Macoun and Honeygold apple varieties. The outcome is a sweet, lightly tart, firm apple. We like to eat them in their natural form, but I have also made applesauce, apple pie and apple crisp with them and all of the goodies were tasty.
Bryan decided to surprise us by taking off two hours early. After a quick lunch we loaded up the car and headed over to Belleville. We usually take the river ferry across the Mississippi, head into Grafton and visit the Eckert's in Grafton, but that day we decided to explore the Belleville location. This particular Eckert's is about 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis so it was a nice drive that allowed one tuckered out 4 year old an opportunity to cat nap!
I will never go apple picking on a weekend again; Friday afternoons are the way to go! We walked right up to the tractor and instantly boarded the wagon. Peaches were still available for picking so we gathered boxes and bags and headed out to the orchards. The boys had so much fun riding on the tractor/wagon ride. I'll admit, I had fun, too! The driver was an older man who was so sweet. He drove us out to the apple trees first and we picked two big bags of apples. Alex thought it was so neat that he could eat apples straight off the trees. Brennan was dying to pick peaces so we loaded the tractor again and headed to the peach orchards. These peaches were the biggest peaches I had ever seen! Brennan stashed on in his pocket and decided he would eat it later (he dropped it so many times it bruised all over, though). We loaded up the tractor again and headed back to the country store. As we sat high in the wagon my eyes fell upon the acres and acres of farm land filled with fresh fruits and veggies. Oh how I wish I could live on a farm! Most people are shocked when I say this, but I really wish I could live in the country, growing my food and tending to a few animals. I guess you could say I have changed a bit! It was such a neat time watching the boys explore, pick the fruit, eat it right off the trees, chase grasshoppers and have a good time. I love knowing that we have opportunities to show our boys where their food comes from, who tends to the fruits and veggies, who cares for the farmland, etc. Many times were take our food for granted. It is easy to grab a handful of greens or a bag of apples at the local grocery store and never once think about who planted the seed and tended to them all season long or to think about how did that zucchini get from the farm to the kitchen table.
Tonight, right before bed, I am going to make some homemade applesauce with some of our apples from Eckert's. Tomorrow morning when the boys wake up they can enjoy some warm cinnamon applesauce with their breakfast. The following recipe is SOOOOO easy, it tastes great and the smell is heavenly (imagine autumn bursting from your walls).
Ingredients:
Apples (I usually use 6-8 big apples, it all depends on how much you want to make)
1/2 cup water
Ground cinnamon (to your liking)
*1/4 cup real sugar (if desired; could also use Truvia, Stevia, etc.)
Slice apples, place into crock pot. Add water, cinnamon, and optional sugar. Turn pot on low and in a matter of hours enjoy your applesauce. I leave the skin on the apples because there is a lot of fiber and nutrients in the skins, however you can peel this off if desired. I like my applesauce warm, but it is also very good cold.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Recipe: Pasta Con Broccoli
I absolutely love pasta and this particular recipe is so easy and so tasty. My boys devour this pasta dish and Brennan usually asks for seconds. I have attempted to make a few tweaks here and there in order to add to the nutritional content. The following recipe is based on four servings. I serve this dish with salad, garlic bread and fruit so we usually have a very small amount of leftovers (about enough for one leftover lunch). Enjoy!
Ingredients:
8 ounces of large whole wheat pasta shells (original recipe calls for regular white flour noodles)
2 cups of fat free half & half (original recipe calls for full fat half & half)
4 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 small can of all natural tomato sauce (original recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of sauce)
1 cup of broccoli
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
*Original recipe calls for 2/3 cup of sliced mushroom, but we do not care for mushrooms so I do not add them.
Directions:
1. In a large cooking pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until about half-way done. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
2. Add cream, butter, garlic, tomato sauce, broccoli, salt & pepper. Bring to a hard boil.
3. When noodles are fully cooked and sauce has thickened, add in the mushrooms. Stir to combine.
4. Remove the pasta from the heat, add the Parmesan cheese and toss.
5. Enjoy!
I have made this with fresh broccoli as well as a bag of steamed broccoli. The men in the house prefer the bagged broccoli because they like softer, well done veggies. I prefer the fresh broccoli, but as long as they are chowing down on that green stuff I'll eat whatever! I buy florets rather than chopped broccoli, but that is just my preference. I also prefer the real block of parm cheese as compared to the dried variety that comes in the green shaker can. I usually buy a small triangle of Parmesan cheese, shred it, use some in this recipe and save the rest for either lasagna or whole wheat pizza pockets.
Ingredients:
8 ounces of large whole wheat pasta shells (original recipe calls for regular white flour noodles)
2 cups of fat free half & half (original recipe calls for full fat half & half)
4 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 small can of all natural tomato sauce (original recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of sauce)
1 cup of broccoli
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
*Original recipe calls for 2/3 cup of sliced mushroom, but we do not care for mushrooms so I do not add them.
Directions:
1. In a large cooking pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until about half-way done. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
2. Add cream, butter, garlic, tomato sauce, broccoli, salt & pepper. Bring to a hard boil.
3. When noodles are fully cooked and sauce has thickened, add in the mushrooms. Stir to combine.
4. Remove the pasta from the heat, add the Parmesan cheese and toss.
5. Enjoy!
I have made this with fresh broccoli as well as a bag of steamed broccoli. The men in the house prefer the bagged broccoli because they like softer, well done veggies. I prefer the fresh broccoli, but as long as they are chowing down on that green stuff I'll eat whatever! I buy florets rather than chopped broccoli, but that is just my preference. I also prefer the real block of parm cheese as compared to the dried variety that comes in the green shaker can. I usually buy a small triangle of Parmesan cheese, shred it, use some in this recipe and save the rest for either lasagna or whole wheat pizza pockets.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm
Every time I log onto my computer I am taken to the Yahoo main page where news stories run across the middle of the page. The stories are usually highlights of current events, Hollywood gossip and politics, but sometimes they throw in fun, random articles. The other day when I logged on an article about food popped up so I decided to read it. It was interesting and a bit scary to read.
Did you know…….
- The food our grandparents ate is not the same food we eat today, nutrition-wise? The food we consume today contains fewer nutrients than food produced 40 years ago. Researchers looked at over 40 different foods and discovered the following decreases in nutritional content:
· Protein 6%
· Calcium 16%
· Iron 15%
· Riboflavin 38%
· Vitamin C 20%
- Cow’s milk contains hormones that may cause cancer. In the 70’s, a typical cow produced 10,000 pounds of milk annually; today a cow produces about 20,000 pounds annually. Cows sure didn’t change, but their feed did. Cows are typically fed an added hormone of rBGH or rBST (recombinant bovine somatotropin). rBST has been linked to cancers such as breast, colon and prostate.
- Conventional produce can contain as much as nine different types of pesticide. The Environmental Working Group lists peaches as the worst fruit, due in part to its thin, delicate skin. Apples, celery, blueberries, strawberries and spinach are also high on the EWG’s list of pesticide laden produce.
- Over the course of the past 40 years, the number of daily calories available to Americans has increased by 500 calories. That is about 52 extra pounds of fat per person per year! We can thank easier access to fast foods and processed foods for this.
- Even the composition of a chicken has been altered in the past 40 years. When we compare a chicken in 2011 to a chicken from the 1970’s we see 266% more fat and 33% less protein. This is due to modern farming practices such as cramped housing environments and unnatural diets.
- Eating a nutritious diet costs 10 times more than eating junk food. Researchers have calculated the cost discrepancy between healthy food and junk foods and found that 2,000 calories of junk food rings up at a measly $3.52 a day. For 2,000 calories of nutritious foods, the researchers plunked down $36. What worse it that out of every dollar consumers spend, only 19 cents goes toward the food. The other 81 cents goes toward marketing, packaging and manufacturing.
These statistics really make me question the foods I buy and prepare for my family. Last week I stopped by Aldi’s to buy some flowers and noticed how cheap the fresh produce was priced so I bought plums, nectarines, cherries, apples, bananas and grapes. All of that produce, the flowers, a box of graham crackers cost under $16. What a great deal, right?! Then I read this and I questioned what I had just fed my family. Nobody should ever have to question their food! Where did food go wrong?
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Recipe: Sweet Potato Muffins
I love muffins, cakes, cookies, you name it. Usually these goodies are not too healthy, but I have found a great recipe for whole wheat sweet potato muffins. I think they are pretty darn healthy so I feel good feeding these to my family. The boys love these muffins! They are a hit in our house. Best of all? They smell incredible as they bake. It is sorta like autumn in a cup!
Directions:
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