sourdough beginnings

I've been waiting all week to use this stuff... what I am finding out about cooking my own food for the first time... it actually takes time. Imagine that. I'm so used to having things ready NOW or grabbing something quick and easy and nowadays, I've realized that if its quick and easy, most likely, there has been a nutritional sacrifice somewhere along the road. Food takes time.

Take, my sourdough bread...
It has taken me a long time to try this. I just wasn't ready... but what has been really interesting about this whole "real food" process... Readiness comes in time. With new cooking skills has come the desire to actually try new things. Crazy. And... like anything else... practice makes perfect (or at least better than before!). Cooking has become a joy to me. Its so fun! (This should offer much hope to those of who who dislike anything "kitchen". I am a recovering kitchen-phobe. There is hope!)

The nutritional benefits of homemade sourdough bread have been my latest of readings. (HERE is a good basic article about such benefits.) Commercial yeast is full of hidden MSG and is not the "natural" way to make bread rise. So, making my own sourdough bread from scratch proved to be a little more complicated than I anticipated. I couldn't just mix stuff together, bake it, then eat it??? It would take me a WEEK to get the right dough!??!!? Ya, it does... but it has been such a cool process!!!

I followed the recipe from Nourished Kitchen found HERE:

photo source: sourdoughstarter2.jpg

Wow... is this how people in the olden days made bread?! YES! And we wonder why gluten intolerance has risen since the introduction of processed grains?!

Traditionally prepared sourdough, even when made with wheat, can usually be tolerated by those who are gluten intolerant (because the sourdough starter is a live active culture. It is probiotic bread that has been soaked and the gluten has been effectively broken down by the yeast and bacteria in the starter) CRAZY!

Ok, so if I would have read this a month ago, I would be lost and confused and turned off... Well each in their own time right?

So here is the beginnings of my sourdough starter... I am planning on using it for THIS recipe on Sunday. Its funny.. there is a lot of prep work, but once you have an established sourdough starter, it is like a fountain of dough that you can continually use for baking. Dough that you know is not commercially processed and dough that you have looked after and guarded :)

I bought a sourdough starter from Cultures for Health to make sure my sourdough would be okay, since it was my first time.

So, here is my sourdough starter on day 5. It finally started bubbling! ITS ALIIIIVVVVEEEE!

Anywho, lots of new things going on in my kitchen... mostly, I'm actually in my kitchen... HA! thankful for a way to serve my family so practically.. their food!

salt salt bo balt

so... I don't want to burst another bubble, but mine was recently burst when I learned that not all salt is created equal.

Table salt (what is in restaurants, or maybe in your cupboard - Morton's brand, and others) is a highly processed chemical concoction.
This post HERE helped me understand the difference between True Sea Salt and commercially processed salts.

She does video blogs too and I find these very helpful to see the visual evidence.


Here is the brand she recommended : Redmond Trading Co. RealSalt

this is a super simple, and inexpensive way to make a change in your kitchen. baby steps! :)

Proposition 37

I know there is quite a stir, among other things, with Proposition 37. The California ballot initiative requiring the labeling of genetically modified food in the great ol' state of California. This is my own personal lengthy review, you have been warned ;)

There are great arguments on both sides of the fence and if you desire to actually read the text of the proposition, here it is:
http://www.kcet.org/news/ballotbrief/elections2012/propositions/prop-37-read-the-text.html

I know I am no medical expert, or scientist by any means, however, through about a year of researching, studying, and asking questions, the issue of the food we consume has been on my mind and through our change to eating real, whole food, I can see both sides of the equation. 

Though I am not that old, I have been a life long Republican to the core. So, supporting a measure like this might seems like I've gone off on the hippie bandwagon. However, when it comes to food and health, my research has led me to places that I didn't want to go. It really is an unfortunate thing that you can't "unlearn" something. The reality behind all that is "genetic engineering" is quite frightening. 

Genetic engineering is the manipulation of DNA from plants inserting them with another molecule or substance. For instance, most Genetically modified seeds are inserted with a virus. A virus that makes the crop withstand pesticide application. So, normally if you sprayed Round Up Weed Killer on a little corn stalk, it would wither and die. However, a Genetically modified corn stalk has been hardwired to resist the Round Up Weed Killer and can be sprayed with heavy amounts of pesticide and still remain alive.



Sure, this seems to be the solution to world hunger! We can genetically modify seeds so we can have less weeds and bugs and less crop failure. However, this model is proving year after year to be unsustainable. Land is producing less. Farm workers are getting sicker from the increasing need for more pesticide. Dirty farm water flooded with pesticide is seeping into unsuspecting farms (hence the big spinach outbreak a few years ago, the water was tainted, not the plant itself). What was once thought of the "savior of the hungry" is turning into the problem of the century. More pesticides, year after year, more resistance to the pesticides, more pesticides (which were created after we had access to Hilter's labs in Germany after WW2 and discovered "Agent Orange" the nerve gas used in wars. Pesticides are simply a slight modification of "Agent Orange").

Gene mutation is the stuff of science fiction and while many people will balk and cry foul at the thought of cloning human life, it is already being done in the laboratory with genetically modified food. 

All these scientific reasons are well and good, and I am no crusader for the environment. God gave us the earth to populate, enjoy and from it, reap a harvest. However, not all "science" is wise. Not only do the scientific arguments make sense, the health side of things is increasingly concerning. NO long term human studies have been done on the safety of these crops. NONE. NONE. NONE. And, the way that these crops and other products of Big-Agricultural Food Processing (think aspartame, rBGH, etc) have had a pretty shady and shameful way thought the FDA and USDA. Secrets, lies, and very sneaky things done to get these crops approved for use. 

Back to Prop 37. Yes? No? Well, I read the entire proposition and have read PROs and CONs. And you know what, it is up to you to do your own research on the topic. 

The Proposition is not perfect. No law is. Only the Bible, God's law is perfectly right. So, in this case, I believe the good outweighs the bad. 

Yes, some things are exempt (mostly because there are previous laws and regulations on the labeling of those foods that they could not get around) and the opponents say it will create frivolous lawsuits and cost the government $1 million in new patrolling agencies.

This is a very silly argument. The food label in general is a beast. Do you see how many "objections" and "statements" need to be on a standard label? 
It must list the serving size, vitamin content, fat, saturated fat, protein, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, full ingredient list, it must say if it was produced in a facility producing wheat, soy, or fish. It must say where it was made, what country. It must have detailed Daily Value table. It must say who made it and the address of the corporation that produced it.

All that proposition 37 would add to this list, would be two words following an ingredient in the list that is ALREADY there. "genetically engineered". It would also prohibit using the word "natural" on product packaging if that product used genetically modified ingredients because it is very clear that the Generically modified corn is not natural corn.

Don't you want to know what is in your food? I think the majority of people don't want to know... and those who are making genetically modified food DON'T want you to know. 

They claim it will raise prices. However, they are already proving the point of their opposition, people won't want genetically modified food. The NO on 37 website claims "it will force manufactures to use higher priced ingredients." GOOD!!!!!!! Manufacturers shouldn't be using crud chemicals in food! This is a wake up call to scientific "food manipulators." Stop messing with our food. It is a deeper issue than money. It is our health. 

Sure, it will be an inconvenience to people to relabel stuff. I worked in graphic design and I know how much of a pain it can be to redesign a company's logo and branding. But this isn't requiring that! ADD TWO WORDS TO THE INGREDIENTS LIST... and stop lying and claiming something is "natural" when it is not... Genetically modified food... don't you want to know?

Again... I don't want to part of the world's largest science experiment. And from what potentially diet epidemics are yielding (increases in obesity, allergies, auto immune disease, cancer, diabetes, autism, etc...) I choose to say no thanks. Many other countries of the world have banned GMOs and hopefully America will follow suit. Many major companies, Kraft, Mars, Wal Mart, already label their food like this in the UK... so, just tell us too..

so for me, I'm inking the yes box for proposition 37. that's all :)

coconut oil

As I began reading into healthier ways to eat... something kept coming up... coconut oil... coconut oil... and then some more coconut oil... Interesting. Before researching what we consumed, I honestly had never heard of this oil. I knew of vegetable oil (and never thought to ask... what veggie is this oil from!?), canola, and olive. That's about it. So when coconut oil had been touted... I wonder why my head had been stuck in the sand! Well... it is a more expensive oil... and... the FDA says it isn't good for you. Ergo, no promotion on any federal diet websites or ads.

So if the FDA hasn't put their dietetic stamp of approval on it... why am I posting about why you should use it? Well... the FDA has approved it as a food... but they don't approve it as a recommended oil for health claims. Why not?

The lipid hypothesis. (Lipid meaning fat) What is that you say? Basically... some docs made health claims that the fat in your diet was directly related to the fat on your body, and the junk in your arteries. Hence, the lowfat craze that followed in the 20th century. However, this hypothesis is just that... a hypothesis. And what is a hypothesis, its a guess... granted, and educated guess, just a guess nonetheless... Look mom, I remembered something from 10th grade Chemistry! Yay!!

So, people got word from these studies that all fat in the diet needed to be eliminated because it directly caused heart disease. Of course, if doctors told people that, I can see why people jumped on the bandwagon... well... since those initial studies (started in 1850!) most if not all, have been disproven... BUT, no dietary updates have been made to the Federal Diet Recommendations! Why? Well... try to follow me here...

If fat is bad.... we must avoid it... we must not consume food that contains fat... but we still want to drink milk, eat cheese, and use butter to flavor food... so what is the solution?... imitation fat (trans fat)... substances or chemicals that taste just like real fat, but are "calorie-free" and appear "healthier"... ahhhh! a solution! or is it really?...

What has proven time and time again to be the case, the imitation fats that have saturated our diets (soybean oil, hydrogenated oils, including fake sweeteners like aspartame, nutrisweet, etc) these are the true culprits for heart disease (and a host of other diet related medical conditions).

What is the bummer about these imitation fats... yes, they may taste just like butter... but when the get past your tonuge and begin to travel the inside of your body, your body doesn't know what to do with them!!! Are they really fat... no... Are they a protein... well no... What is it!??! And what do I do with it?! And what happens often in the body, the body can't absorb it and they adhere to walls of arteries, stay in the bloodstream, or

Some physicians believe that trans fats also:

• Accelerate aging
• Compromise the immune system
• Damage the lungs
• Damage reproductive organs and their processes (including infertility and prenatal complications)
• Contribute to mental decline and chromosomal damage
• Increase problems with mental functioning such as autism, ADD, ADHD, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, and depression
• Increase the risk for arthritis and autoimmune disease

All very bad things... but if we are to avoid fat like the government says, then what do we eat if the imitation stuff is worse for us?!

I'm so glad you asked! Well, back to that lipid hypothesis again... which has been proven to be just that, a hypothesis. What studies continue to reveal is that food is a complex blend of molecules and that foods are meant to be consumed whole entities. Not removing the fat from butter to lessen the calorie load... Butter eaten as butter... in manageable quantities.

Scientists are continuing to try to figure out God's universe day by day... and more and more. Amazing. The protein in an egg white isn't properly utilized or absorbed unless it has the fat of the egg yolk to help assimilate it into your body. Pastuerized milk that has been heated so high that it kills off the good enzymes that help your body absorb all of the lactose in the milk. That is why we as a nation are eating lots of "fat free" stuff and yet obestity is on the rise like never before. Granted, people eating McDonald's and Baskin Robbins everyday doesn't help either... but all of this combined eating of nutritionally void food takes a toll on your body...

Ah. So what in the world is okay to eat and what will give you the most bang for your nutritional buck... Real food. Whole Food. But even that is being blurred a little these days. Companies are marketing their food as "all natural" "real whole grain" and many more confusing unregulated phrases.

But, if you look into the history of the world, what has been the food that has sustained people...

"Coconut oil has been used for centuries as a vital source of food for health and general well being in traditional communities of tropical regions.Recent research verifies traditional beliefs that the coconut palm is “The Tree of Life” and that, just like any other pure, whole food, coconuts and virgin coconut oil have a significant role to play in a well balanced, nutritious diet. Abandoning unhealthy lifestyles and reverting to natural foods can help to reverse many of the diseases that have manifested in our bodies through the highly refined diet of our modern society.

Virgin coconut oil is one of the safest oils to cook with. It does not contain trans fatty acids and does not break down, even at high temperatures, unlike many other oils. 
Coconut oil is known as the "energy fat" and is favoured by dieters, athletes, and body builders. It is slightly lower in calories than most other fats and oils and is processed in the liver and converted directly into energy. 

Virgin coconut oil is also used for making soaps and lotions."1
Studies and historical research has shown that unrefined organic coconut oil is the best oil for you... You can cook with it, take it by the spoonful, use it as body lotion, or among many other things, make deodorant!

Fat is good for you. In order to properly assimilate food into your body, you need fat, the carrier. Without fat, you are forcing other body organs and parts to overwork themselves by trying to handle all the protein and vitamins without their #1 officer: fat.

Women especially need fat in their diets. If you want more info on that look HERE and HERE.
Researchers are realizing that the amount of fat in your diet does not correlate to the amount of fat you will gain by eating it. Granted if you eat cheap, nasty, processed fat (fake fats and oils that are in almost every fast food, restaurant, and processed food)... you will get fatter...
But, if you stick to whole, unrefined, minimally processed organic fats, the benefits to your body are undeniable.

Now, the thought of using coconut oil can be daunting. I HATE HATE HATE the smell and taste of coconut. Personally... if I see or smell heavy coconut, I'm out! I think it was all the exposure to cocnut chapstick as a child... I don't know... But... I have found that depending on the brand and type of coconut oil, the smell and flavor varies...
For the LEAST amount of coconut smell... buy the Organic Cold Pressed Unrefined Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. I know... a mouthful, but they sell it at Whole Foods, Amazon.com, and now at Costco by the barrel! Wa hooo!

You can use it in place of any oil... I sauté with it, bake with it, fry in it, pop popcorn with it... anywhere oil is called for, substitute it in... except in salad dressings that call for olive oil... the taste will be very different in that case ;)

Hope this helps a little bit into knowing the good in whole fats. There is so much info out there and it makes sense in my head, I just hope it makes sense written in my silly little blog :)

xo
J

Tart Gummy Snacks

I found a rather successful recipe for gummy snacks that my kids have really enjoyed.

I found a good brand of organic fruit snacks (Costco's Tutti Fruitti Organics), but there is still some added sugar... So... in an effort to try to cut out as much processed stuff as we can, here come gummies!

My husband could eat gummy bears all three meals a day. Thankfully, this isn't a common practice and though he didn't fall head over heels for this recipe... the kids loved it!

Now, it contains gelatin, which is the base for jell-o but its not the aspartame-laden stuff from the jell-o box. And, if you didn't know... gelatin is from the bones of animals and it matters if the animals were sick or healhty when they collected all the gelatin, so it's important to buy a brand of gelatin that is from health, pastured raised animals. The Great Lakes brand one of the best and Amazon will ship it right to your front door :)

Tart Gummy Snacks

Adapted from Mommypotamus' Sour Gummy Stars

- 3 Tablespoons grassfed gelatin 

(gelatin from the bones of grass fed animals)

-1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice... I also tried orange juice sucessfully. Try to eliminate as much pulp as possible

- 3 Tablespoons raw local honey (found at local farmer's markets)

1. Whisk together all ingreidnets in a sauce pan over low heat until it is all melted, stirring constantly because it easily burns

2. Pour into silicone molds (the .99 ikea ones at the checkout line work great!)

3. Freese for 5-10 minutes until firm upon touching them

4. Pop out and keep at room temperature

(note... these begin to get really chewy and hard after a day or two, so best to make a little at a time for little mouths)

(also... I would test them out yourself first to make sure they are suitable for the age of your child. You know what chewiness they can handle, so just be mindful of that)

fruity leathers

I don't know of any child who doesn't like a fruit roll up.. I mean, come on. You give a 30 year old a fruit roll up and they instinctively wrap it around their finger and start sucking on it like they are 5. 

Anyways... I've been experimenting with a way to make these from scratch because basically fruit roll ups are not really fruit roll ups, they are refined, processed sugar roll ups... which, is no bueno.

Enter the purchase of an appliance that has been on my list for a while... a dehydrator! I am having a little too much fun with this thing. Fruit Leathers, dried fruit, dried herbs and greens for smoothies... wa hoo!

I had a few recipes flop on my quest for the perfect fruit roll up, but I finally found something that works, tastes good, and is super simple... If you have a "warm" setting on your oven, or if your oven can go down to 130-150 degrees, then you can use that! But mine doesn't... enter the dehydrator. 

It is another kitchen appliance but it is a work horse and has been a fun addition to the real food way of living... I found THIS one on sale but I know there are lots of other brands that are great too. The Excaliber dehydrators (like the one in the video) are the best but I didn't want to drop a huge chunk of change for something I wasn't sure I would use. Sometimes the one I bought goes on even more of a sale at Amazon so check it out!

For the recipe, I used the video tutorial here:

super simple, easy and amazing!!!

BERRY FRUIT LEATHER

-Puree your berries (Raspberries, Strawberries or Blackberries seem to work best for me)

-add some unsweetened organic applesauce (organic apples as the ONLY ingredient)... or make your own apple or pear sauce/puree.

-Pour the mixture into a pot on the stove and heat on low to thin out the mixture, stirring frequently.

-pour onto fruit leather trays (and spray with a little coconut oil), or onto a silicone baking sheet (anything non stick)

-thin the mixture on the tray only slightly. It should be about 1/4" - 1/8" thick on the tray.

-dehydrate away! usually between 8-12 hours depending on how thick you make your layer of puree.

     ...you will know they are done when it is not goopy in the center anymore. 

-peel off and store!

     ...you can use wax or parchment paper to store them easily (and make it look even more like a fruit roll up)

My Swat team approved! I seriously couldn't get a picture of him holding it up because he eats the stuff so fast!

no added sugar, no ascorbic acid and no sad kids... let me know how it goes if you try it out!

A Shoppin'

We were updating our family budget and Ian asked me to write out what I have been purchasing over the last few months and from where.. I showed and friend and she said it was super helpful, so.. maybe it can help someone...

as a recovering processed food and taco bell addict... I know this can be overwhelming... but, take it little by little and it is doable!


BURBANK FARMERS MARKET - Saturday Mornings - 8am-12:30pm
I try as hard as I can to make it every week... sometimes I shop solo and sometimes we make it a family trip... but we try not to miss our market morning :)

-Pastured Cage Free Eggs from happy chickens - $6 for 20
-All produce (You are forced to buy and choose from what is in season)
 ... for instance, this week I bought... organic... berries (blueberries, red + yellow raspberries, strawberries), spinach, mixed greens, broccoli, kale, cilantro, onions, peaches, plums, pluots, nectarines, grapes, oranges, cantaloupe, zucchini, beets, tomatoes.
- Raw Local Honey

ORGANIC PASTURES DAIRY HUB -  Saturday Mornings - 10am-1pm . the farm comes down to sell only from 10am-1pm at a little parking lot in Los Angeles
Again, we try to make this every week because we get our meat and dairy from them!

- 1/2 Gallons of Raw Whole Milk
- 1 or 5 pounds of Raw Cheddar cheese
- Raw Butter or Raw Cream (To make butter!)
- 1 pound packs of Raw Almonds
- 1 pound packs of Grass Fed Beef

TRADER JOES
Why Trader Joe? They have a large selection of Organic Products and all TJ brand food is not made with any GMOs.

- Organic - Unpasteurized Orange Juice
- Organic Whole Milk Unsweetened Yogurt
- Raw Milk New York Sharp Cheddar or New Zealand Grass Fed Cheddar (If I run out of Organic Pastures)
- Bagged Organic Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts

- Organic Produce that I might have missed from Farmer's Market

- TJ Cranberry, walnut, gorgonzola dressing (though we are trying not to use it all the time... it does have canola oil in it...)
- Bagged Organic Lettuce (if I run out of my Farmers Market bounty)
- Pomegranate Seeds
- Organic Ketchup, Mayo, Mustard, and Dijon
- Boxed Cereal - Gorilla Munch (for me! hah!) + Barbara's Peanut Butter Puffins (for Ian :)
- Trader Joe Brand Nitrate Free Lunch Meats - Roasted Turkey + Ham
- Applegate Brand "The Great Organic Hot Dog" - Grass Fed Beef with No Nitrates or yucky stuff
- Corn Tortillas

- Ezekiel 4:9 Low Sodium Bread

- Honey Wheat Hot Dog Buns + Hamburger Buns

- KerryGold Unsalted Butter for cooking and baking
- Corn Bread Mix
- Organic Marinara Sauce
- Organic Brown Rice
- Organic Pastas - Whole Wheat or Rice Pasta
- Organic Quinoa
- Stevia Powder
- Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Freeze Dried Strawberries, Blue Berries + Raspberries
- TJ Brand Cereal Bars (handy to have for car rides and such...) though ideally making my own is preferred because even the TJ brand has some additives in it.

COSTCO
They have really expanded their range of organic options at really affordable prices.

- Organic Packaged Chicken Breasts ($5.99 per pound) -or-
- Organic Whole Chickens ($2.99 per pound)

- Organic Corn Tortilla Chips

- Frozen Fruit
   . Berries - organic Raspberries, BlackBerries, and Strawberries
   . Pineapple Chunks
   . Tropical Medley - Mango, Pineapple, Papaya, Strawberries
- Naked Juice - Green Health Monster (my kids love this stuff so its nice to have on hand)
- Organic Carrots (The huge pack of raw carrots - for snacks, side dishes and carrot juice)
- Organic Free Range Chicken Broth (Pack of 3)
- Organic Fruit Snacks - Pack of 24 Tutti Fruiti
- Organic Peanut Butter
- Organic Maple Syrup - when available
- Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Organic 100% Orange Juice
- Bananas
- Organic Multigrain Bread (The one with the sunflower seeds baked into the crust!)
- Organic Whole Wheat Pasta (Variety 3 Pack)

AMAZON.COM
The subscribe + save option is super handy. All delivered to my front porch.

- Coconut Oil
- Trace Minerals Kids Vitamins
- Bob's Red Mill Products

SPROUTS
Close to our house and coincidentally, the same super market my mom shopped at when I was little... it was formerly a Vons :) + they have "Car carts" and mini shopping carts that my kids just love. I would go here just for the fun they have with the carts.

- 1/2 Gallons of Raw Whole Milk (If I run out before Saturday morning)
- Organic Produce that I might have missed from Farmer's Market
- Popcorn Kernals (in the big bins)
- Dude Ranch Late July chips (for Ian's lunches)
- Quinoa Pasta - Linguini or noodles
- Baking Supplies
   . Aluminum Free Baking Powers
   . Baking Soda
   . Organic Vanilla
   . Bob's Red Mill Flours, Flax Seed Meal, and Wheat Germ
   . Organic Sugar + Brown Sugar (I still use this occasionally in baking)
- Beans  - I still used Organic Canned... working on the dry beans slowly...
- Organic Spices
- Organic Coleman's Chicken Nuggets (to have on hand in case my own run out...)
- Organic Sprouts Brand Mac + Cheese
- Organic Tomato Paste
- Organic Diced Tomatoes (to have on hand for last minute salsa concoctions)

MY PARENTS YARD :)
When their trees are a bloomin, its great! :)
- Avocados
- Lemons

TARGET
This haven has become an infrequent stop... and amazingly, we have saved so much money by staying away! No more $20 dollar section raids ! :) So, I greatly limit all purchases here. They don't offer many organic options and their produce has always gone bad so fast for me, but some of their baby and kid food options have helped me out.

- Organic Baby Food Pouches - My kids both still down these... and if they will eat straight up sweet potato puree... hey, I'll take it!
- Plum Organics Kid Snacks - to have on hand just in case I'm stuck in traffic or for long trips to disneyland where fresh food later in the day is hard to keep cool.
- Archer Farms Organic Fruit Leather - No added sugar

.............................................................................................................

Obviously, I don't buy every item each week... but this is just a sampling of goodies that regularly hang out in our pantry and fridge. Farmers + the Dairy Hub is a Saturday staple... and I usually alternate Sprouts and Trader Joes from week to week with Costco every 2 weeks or so... And... I'm sure I have missed a bunch of things... I'll update this list when I find new goodies or add things to our regular rotation... Crazy to write it all out in one place... It looks like we are piggys and eat a ton of food! :)

I'm so thankful for friends who have helped me in this journey in answering all of my crazy questions to help me actually feel comfortable shopping on my own... you know who you are ;)

Why Cut Out Processed Food?

A very helpful list from a cool site: 100 Days of Real Food as to the WHY behind cutting out Processed Food:

Why Cut Processed Food

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-reasons-to-cut-out-processed-food/

1. Processed foods are an illusion, often appearing to be healthy (with claims like low fat, low carb, vitamin fortified, no trans fat, contains omega-3s, etc.) when these foods are in fact the very thing making a lot of Americans unhealthy, sick, and fat.
2. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer – four of the top ten chronic diseases that kill most of us – “can be traced directly to the industrialization of our food” according to Michael Pollan.
3. Making smarter (and sometimes more expensive) food choices now may reduce your healthcare costs later in life.
4. Why would one want to eat a processed food-like substance that is scientifically designed to never rot?
5. The food industry has proven that it is not very good at seasoning our foods by adding way too much salt, sugar, and/or oil to almost everything.
6. When you eat white bread and other foods made with white flour (which is a highly processed version of wheat) you are basically consuming empty calories with far less nutrition than the whole-wheat or whole grain alternatives.
7. It is estimated that up to 90% of processed foods* in the supermarket contain either a corn or soy ingredient in the form of an additive under a variety of different names. Now how is that for eating variety?
8. Cutting out processed foods could lead you to experience a variety of personal health benefits such as having more energy, losing weight, improving regularity, or just feeling healthier overall.
9. Rather than counting calories, watching fat grams, or reducing carbs for “healthy eating,” simply eat whole foods that, as Michael Pollan puts it, are more the product of nature than “the product of industry.” It certainly is less complicated.
10. It just makes plain old sense to fully understand what you are eating, be able to pronounce everything on the list of ingredients (if there is a list), and know exactly where that food comes from…don’t you think?

*Statistic courtesy of a food scientist interviewed on the documentary “Food, Inc”

And... the HOW... how in the world can you avoid Processed Foods????

How to Avoid Processed Food in General

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-defined-a-k-a-the-rules/

Here are some general lifestyle changes to consider instead…

1. Read the ingredients label before buying anything. For years, if I even looked at food labels, I was reviewing items such as fat grams, calorie count and sugar content. While this may be important to some, the best indicator of how highly processed a food is can actually be found in the list of ingredients. If what you are buying contains more than 5 ingredients and includes a lot of unfamiliar, unpronounceable items you may want to reconsider before buying.
2. Increase your consumption of whole foods especially vegetables and fruits. I am sure you’ve heard similar advice a thousand times, and I hate to tell you that it couldn’t be more true. This will help to displace the processed foods in your diet, and will actually make your food selections in general very simple. No more counting calories, fat grams, or carbs when your only concern is selecting whole foods that are more a product of nature than a product of industry.
3. Buy your bread from a local bakery. I actually used to eat white bread, but what I bought for my husband from the grocery store was what I thought was whole-wheat bread. When we finally checked the ingredients and found 40 different itemson the list, including white flour and sugar, we decided it was time for a change. Why would there be so many on the list if it only takes a handful of ingredients to make bread? We since started buying our bread from Great Harvest Bread Company. Not only do they grind their own wheat every morning, but their honey whole-wheat loaf only has five ingredients – whole-wheat flour, water, yeast, salt and honey.
4. In addition to your bread choice, when selecting foods like pastas, cereals, rice, and crackers always go for the whole-grain option. And don’t just believe the health claims on the outside of the box.  Read the ingredients to make sure the product is truly made with only 100% whole grains – not a combination of whole grains and refined grains which is unfortunately how a lot of “whole grain” products are made. The white flour or other refined grain alternative is simply high in calories and low in nutrition.
5. Avoid store-bought products containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and those “that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients” according to Michael Pollan. Despite the mixed research on if HFCS is really worse for you than good ol’ white sugar, it just happens to be “a reliable marker for a food product that has been highly processed”.
6. Don’t order off the kids’ menu. The next time your family is out to dinner try to avoid the kids menu. Those selections are most often things like pre-made chicken nuggets, fries, and pasta made with white flour, among other things. Instead try assembling some sort of side item plate (like baked potatoes and whatever else your kid will tolerate) and/or try sharing some of your meal.
7. Visit your local farmers’ market the next time you need to restock your fridge.According to Michael Pollan not only will you find “food that is in season, which is usually when it is most nutritious”, but you will also find a selection of pesticide-free produce and properly fed meat products. It is also better for our environment to purchase locally grown products as opposed to the supermarket produce, which travels on average 1500 miles from the farm to your plate.
8. Lastly, to once again quote Michael Pollan, he says to “eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.” If you had to peel, chop and deep fry potatoes every time you wanted French fries then you might not eat them very often. Only eating “junk food” such as cakes, sweets, and fried foods as often as you are willing to make them yourself will automatically ensure the frequency is appropriate.

So... I hope this helps give some perspective and guidelines that you can easily remember... and keep in your purse or in a .pdf on your phone to reference while grocery shopping.

dinner ideas

I wanted to do a little post on some dinner recipes that I have have reached "go-to" status in our abode.

Dinners have probably been the biggest challenge for me in transforming what our food looks like on a daily basis. Putting together a full family meal for my fam or for dinner guests used to consist of canned soups and veggies galore, packets of premade spices, cheap chicken or meat, grands biscuits, every night... you might think, well, what is so bad about those things? Well, all of it is processed... cooked and prepared by some gigantic factory. We can't be truly sure what is in all that food because of the lazy labeling laws in the US. "Natural flavoring" or "citric acid" are costumes for many yucky chemicals that are banned in most countries in the world. No joke.

So, basically... getting back to traditional eating. Cooking things from scratch with high quality, good ingredients. The "benefit" thing that has come from the industrialization of the American food system is cheap food... which has yielded rises in obesity, allergies, disease, and chronic conditions that plague this country.

Anywho, in my own kitchen, I am on a mission no to get back to the basics. Cooking good, quality whole food meals that don't come from a box with a happy glove on it.
For these recipes, just assume organic produce, meat, and dairy. If you are on a tight budget, spend the money on the dairy and meat to reduce your exposure to antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones.

FIRST COURSE
With dinner, we have added a dark leafy green salad (mixed baby greens, spinach, and/or kale +chard). Even sweet Cade has begun to eat this and now knows he is going to eat his salad with his dinner. Seriously, it is doable with your kiddos! Start small and use dressing and fruit and they will take little steps :)

So, in addition to our nightly salad, here are some dinner faves...

Chicken Fajitas
 - I make this all the time now! It is SO simple and SO SO SO delicious.
We make chicken tacos, chicken nachos, or just eat the mixture plain!

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas 1 yellow onion, sliced
3 sweet peppers, sliced
1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs
1/4 to ½ cup chicken broth, depending on preference
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cumin
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
Squirt of lime juice
Tortillas
Fajita fixings

Combine sliced onion and peppers in the bottom of a greased crockpot. Lay chicken on top of veggies. Pour chicken broth over top. Sprinkle everything with cumin, salt, and chili powder. Give a nice quirt of lime juice over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or on High for 4-6 hours). When meat is done, shred with two forks and stir back into juices. Serve meat mixture with slotted spoon on tortillas with your choice of fixings.

Pasta + MeatBalls
A bag of whole wheat pasta, quinoa pasta, or rice pasta + a jar of organic marinara sauce (or make your own sauce!)
+ add a cube of sweet potato or zucchini puree (I try to make these when the veggies are at my favorite farmer at the farmers market and freeze for use over the next few months) to the sauce while it simmers to add some veggie points.
+ add turkey meatballs or grass fed beef meatballs . TJ has yummy premade frozen turkey meatballs. Or you can make your own!

Make Ahead Frozen Meatballs RecipeThe Players

• 3 eggs from pastured hens

• 1 small onion, chopped (or half a large one)

• 1 1/3 C. bread crumbs (or cooked brown rice)

• 2 1/4 tsp. salt (find real sea salt)

• 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 1 Tbsp. Italian herb blend

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

• 3 lbs. grass-fed ground beef (see resources)

The How-ToPreheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the next six ingredients and mix well. Finally, add the beef and mix well. Shape the meatballs into one inch balls (should make approximate  100 meatballs). Place in single layers on ungreased 1-inch deep baking pans and bake at 400F for 10 minutes, until done.
Drain the fats and store for later use or (heaven forbid!) discard.
Once the meatballs and pans have cooled to the touch, place the meatballs (tray and all) into your freezer to “flash freeze” them. After they’ve frozen, remove the meatballs from the trays and transfer to plastic freezer storage bags or other freezer storage.
Keep stored in freezer and remove only as many meatballs as you need at a time. You can thank the flash freezing for that. It helps each meatball hold its individual shape and not stick to the other meatballs around it. This way, you can remove as few or as many meatballs as you need for whatever you’re serving up.
Reheat make ahead frozen meatballs on the stove, in sauces, or in the oven (350F for 20 minutes).
Enjoy!

Homemade pizza
1 Slice of Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread - or our other favorite... the Costco Organic Multigrain Whole wheat bread
Spread leftover marinara sauce (from pasta that week-that includes the veggie puree) and top with Raw Cheddar cheese + toppings
-bake in toaster oven for 10-15 minutes...
(I make two each for adults, and one for the kids)

Breakfast Burritos
-Scrambled Pasture Raised Eggs using real butter to "grease" the pan.
-lightly coat a griddle with coconut oil, cut up white and/or red potatoes into 1" pieces, "fry" until they are browned, stirring frequently
-cook two-four slices of nitrate free bacon
-add bacon and eggs to the potatoes and stir fry together, chopping and mixing up the goodies all together
-add to a homemade tortilla or a whole wheat (NO enriched flour!) tortilla and enjoy a breakfast burrito!
-or eat the mixture plain with a piece of ezekiel toast buttered or with berry preserves.

BBQ Chicken Salad
This salad is the main course, so we don't have an additional salad with this one :)
-Place 1-3 Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts in your crock pot and pour one full bottle of Organic BBQ Sauce (TJ has a yummy one) over the chicken. Cover and crock pot for 8 hours... When putting together the salad, shred the chicken and use the excess bbq sauce for extra dressing.
-Darky Leafy Greens
-corn, boiled, then stripped for kernels
-black beans (organic canned is good if you don't have a bunch of black beans on hand :)
-home made tortilla strips, or organic corn chips crunched
-add shredded cheddar cheese
-add basil, tomato, cilantro and green onions if you like...
-Organic Ranch Dressing - look for a Ranch without soybean or canola oil
Mix it all up and be happy!

Taco Lettuce Wraps
-Use big Iceberg Lettuce slices for a little bowl
-fill with grass-fed taco meat (browned with homemade McCormick Taco Seasoning)
-top with usual toppings - avocado, cheese, cilantro, sour cream

DIY Taco Seasoning
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and store in air tight container

Vegetable Soup
The one I make is a secret family recipe. So you will have to just come over to my house when I make it and try to figure it out. Seriously, I have been forbidden to post it :)
There are lots of recipes online especially on Pinterest. You can easily find one and just experiment!

Good ol Baked Chicken 
This was a monday night staple in our house growin up!
-Use skin-on chicken and just sprinkle some Seasoning Salt on top of chicken on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes until it is cooked (use a meat thermometer).

-use boneless chicken breasts - dip in egg - dip in whole wheat organic breadcrumbs and lay on lightly oiled foil lined baking sheet - bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes or until it is cooked (use a meat thermometer).

-Try this recipe: Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Breast, 1/2 c parmesan cheese,1 c Greek yogurt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt 1/2 tsp pepper,spread mix over chicken breasts, bake at 375 45 mins

-use boneless chicken breasts - dip in egg - dip in whole wheat organic breadcrumbs and lay on lightly oiled foil lined baking sheet - bake at 375 for 40-

Side Dishes
-Homemade tortilla chips

These are amazing!!!!! They taste so fresh and incomparable to bagged chips!!!

HOME MADE TORTILLA CHIPS: Ingredients:  1 package flour tortillas or 1 package corn tortilla 2 tablespoons oil 
Directions: 1 With a pastry brush, paint a very light coating of oil on one side of each tortilla. 2 Stack the tortillas greased side up in an even pile. 3 With a sharp, heavy knife (or serrated knife) cut the stack in half, then into quarters, then into eighths. 4 Separate the pieces and arrange them greased side up on a lightly oiled baking sheet. 5 Toast the chips in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until they are crisp and just beginning to brown lightly; watch them closely so they don't become over baked.
Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-tortilla-chips-4378?oc=linkback

-Homemade Salsa (I'll post this amazing recipe later)

-Whip up some Quinoa, cous cous, or brown rice.

-Good Ol Steamed or roasted Veggies . Make this a staple in your meals. I prefer the taste of steamed veggies... broccoli, green beans, brussel sprouts (yes! I have begun to eat brussel sprouts! what?!?), carrots... you can steam all sorts of veggies! add good butter and enjoy!
-home made biscuits - these are so easy.

Basic Fluffy Biscuit Recipe 

    Ingredients:

• 2 cups pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil

    1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix the pastry flour and baking powder together in a small bowl.  Then pour in the milk and oil.  Stir until the flour mixes completely with the liquids.

    2. If your mix is still a bit doughy, sprinkle in a little bit more flour, and mix with a fork until you can handle the dough with your hands.

    3. Oil a pizza pan or a plain cookie sheet, then roll your dough out onto the oiled pan.  Use a biscuit cutter (or just a household cup) to cut your dough out into as many biscuits as you need.

    Hint: The biscuits will be much fluffier if the dough isn’t rolled down really flat.  Roll the dough out so that the top of the dough is a half an inch to an inch above the pan, before you cut the dough into biscuits.

    4. Slip the biscuits into the oven, and bake on 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden.

    Butter and jam go well with this fluffy biscuit recipe, especially if you’re using the biscuits for breakfast.

So... I hope these are helpful for you! A little peak into my kitchen... I am learning, changing, and slowly getting used to new normals... to cutting up my own onions and peppers instead of buying bagged... actually trying new recipes from the cookbooks that have sat on my shelves begging for use...  making my own sauces and spice packets... hello! If I can do it... anyone can!!! :) Baby steps...