This one's for you Carrie & KC
I don't buy everything organic...I follow the dirty dozen & clean 15 lists. I won't buy GMO produce so sometimes the only other option is organic (depending where you live/shop). The dirty dozen plus are a list of fruits/veggies that have been found to have larger amounts of pesticides, generally the fruit/veggie has thin skin so absorption into the fruit is easier. The Clean 15 list are the "safe" fruits/veggies that you don't need to buy organic because their pesticide level is fairly low. Here they are:
DIRTY DOZEN +
Apples
Celery
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Grapes
Hot Peppers
Nectarines (Imported)
Peaches
Potatoes
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet Bell Peppers
Kale & Collard Greens
Summer Squash
Blueberries (not technically on the list, they were removed but I still buy mine organic)
CLEAN 15
Asparagus
Avocados
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Sweet Corn (more on this later)
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Mangos
Mushrooms
Onions
Papayas
Pineapples
Sweet Peas (Frozen)
Sweet Potatoes
So, now what? You have the list...how do you make sure everything is clean and safe for your family to enjoy? As soon as I get home I fill my sink up with about a gallon of water. Add vinegar, usually about 3-4 cups. I put all my fruits and veggies in the water and allow them to sit for 15-20 minutes, usually just enough time for me to put the remainder of my groceries away. Then give them a clean water rinse, sit out to dry before putting them away. For smaller fruit, strawberries and blueberries for example, I use a bowl. Fill with water and add 1/8 to 1/2 cup of vinegar, sit for 15-20 min and rinse with clean water. This trick not only cleans off pesticides (up to 98% bacteria and pesticides) but it keeps my fruit/veggies fresher longer. When you spend the extra money for organic produce any little trick to make it last longer is totally worth it (IMO).
You can also make a spray mix, I use this when we travel to make sure our fruits and veggies are clean. Mix 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar. Spray on fruit/veggies then rinse with water. Enjoy!!
Another trick I use is storage...not all fruits/veggies belong in the fridge. Where you keep them can make a difference in how long they stay fresh for you. Some release gas, others don't and not all of the gases they release are compatible. Have you ever opened your fridge and smelt something awful coming out of the bottom drawer? Only to look and see the veggies you bought days ago are no good? Most likely they were stored with other fruits/veggies that are giving off gasses that make them ripen faster/spoil.
I know...another list! These are good lists though...using these tricks will help you save money. I can honestly say that since I've learned about this stuff I've been able to make small changes to our kitchen and we barely ever throw out fruits/veggies. Usually Brexton will enjoy a bite of something and not want anymore of it...I can only eat so many apples/pears in a day before I'm tired of them! If only I could find a refrigerator lock that would work at our house...problem solved.
Refrigerate:
Apples
Apricots
Canteloupe
Figs
Honeydew
Don't Refrigerate:
Avocados
Bananas (unripe)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Tomatoes
Keep Away from all the above (gas releasers):
Ripe Bananas
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Lettuce (other greens, kale)
Parsley
Peas
Peppers
Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Watermelon
I hope this info will help with your next shopping trip. Little tricks like these have helped me keep my kitchen more organized and keep our food fresher longer. There is nothing worse than going to make your dinner and opening the fridge to find the pepper that you needed for your recipe is bad. I'm not going to the store, with 2 kids, in the late afternoon for a pepper...tips and tricks can hopefully help those situations disappear!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Quick & Easy Turkey Taco Chips
Sometimes I feel frantic when dinner time rolls around...on those long days when we leave the house at 815 for pre-school drop off and don't come home until 4pm. Who wants to cook after being gone all day? Thank goodness for turkey taco chips (a weekly meal at our house). It's quick, easy, includes veggies and a meal all 4 of us enjoy (I know, sometimes I don't believe it either)!!
1lb organic ground turkey
Tortilla Chips (we use R.W. Garcia Organic Corn Tortilla Chips)
Shredded Cheese (we use 365 organic mozzarella & cheddar)
Avocado
Tomato
Salsa (we use Whole Foods Mango Salsa)
Simply Organic Southwest Taco seasoning
Sour Cream
Pre-heat oven to 350
This one is easy...I cook the ground turkey on stovetop, drain, add spice pack.
Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (easy clean up if nothing else)...add a layer of chips. Cover with turkey (or beef/chicken) and cheese. Place in oven for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Both my boys LOVE sour cream so I decided to try and mix it with avocado and salsa one night. Avocados are packed full of nutrients so it was worth a shot. They loved it...it was such a hit that sometimes they ask for it with their Cheese Quesadillas. Score 1 point for mom!!
I'm sure putting the rest together is easy. This meal has been perfect for our family all year long. It's not something that I ever re-heat so sometimes I do have a little to throw away but all in all it's a success in our home!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Why do I do it?
A few people call me crazy...some wish they had the time/energy to spend as much time in the kitchen as I do and others are clueless. To each their own, I don't judge others on how they do things and I expect the same respect back. Easier said than lived of course!
Do I usually cringe when I see one of my kids eating goldfish, cheez-it's, or other processed food? I ABSOLUTELY do but for many different reasons. I know it's not good for them, but they barely eat anything like that so I try not to make a big deal about it. When I think of the effort, time and commitment I put in every day to what my family eats it is a HUGE deal. It's personal for me, what my kids eat, VERY personal. I can handle the eye rolls from other mom's, I can deal with the silly comments, but I try my best not to make it an issue in front of my boys. I don't want them to feel different, but honestly they are. The saying "you are what you eat" holds true in our home.
I'm proud of the fact that I pointed to a McDonald's sign and asked my 4 year old what it was and his response was "a big yellow M." He then asked if it was for Maddox...innocent and adorable. I will keep that for as long as possible. I know my days are going to be limited and with more field trips and adventures they will be exposed to it. I do, however, hope I can teach them to make smart choices when it comes to food.
Maddox (4) has such a limited interest in food...he dislikes any/all vegetables, will eat 4 or 5 things for dinner and loves snacks, chocolate, ice cream, etc. A boy after my own heart...I would skip dinner for dessert any day of the week. I try my hardest every day to make sure his diet is as nutrient rich as possible...it's a challenge. If it means adding sweet potato puree into the pancakes then so be it. I've added carrots into brownies, cauliflower into "cheese and chips," as well as pumpkin into muffins/waffles/etc. I've found as long as I add a few dark chocolate chips...the rest usually slides by! Maddox has SPD, he had a speech delay and went thru Early Intervention. After all the reading I've done about SPD I learned that removing gluten (and dairy) can help with some of the struggles kids might go thru. I've seen the changes Maddox has gone thru since removing gluten and it's worth all of the extra time I spend in the kitchen.
Brexton (2) is my amazing eater. He enjoys vegetables, pasta, any type of fruit, celery, broccoli, anything and everything. He is also my gluten intolerant guy...he grabs his tummy and says "mamma ow" after having a piece of regular pizza. How do you argue with that? You don't. When he was a month old I went to the chiropractor to find out what was going on with him (he was constantly uncomfortable and vomiting thru his nose). The chiropractor did some tests and advised me to remove gluten and dairy from my diet (I was breast feeding). Within days the vomiting from his nose stopped and he was a much happier, and comfortable, baby. What mother wouldn't make those changes for their baby?
Why stop as they get older?
Growing up I remember lots of fruit in the house, standard staples...apples, grapes, oranges, etc. I also remember lots of chips, doritos, box mixes and sugary cereals. My mother had good meals for us and we didn't make a habit of going to fast food chains...luckily I have never been a big fan of them (except for Wendy's Fries and Frosty's, something about the salty and sweet combination) but to a lot of families they are considered a "staple" or normal meal. That saddens me.
We, meaning those like myself, are the minority. Most people have no idea what a GMO is, Monsanto, or the dangers behind artificial sweeteners. I'm most likely not going to reach a lot of people but I want to make sure those that decide to read my blog will walk away with some knowledge on a topic I think is extremely important. For not only my generation (30 somethings) and our health but the health of our children and the generations that follow. Personally I believe we owe our children that much.
Every recipe you will find on this blog will be as organic as possible, nothing with preservatives or artificial sweeteners, gluten free, and be made as healthy as possible...while still tasting good. When I have the ability I will also include substitutions to make the recipe dairy free as well. I've thought about switching to dairy free but for right now it's a task that I can't undertake...kudos to those of you that do. It's inspiring to me, maybe one day...but not any day soon.
Live, Laugh, Love, Healthy & Happy
~BakingMamma
Do I usually cringe when I see one of my kids eating goldfish, cheez-it's, or other processed food? I ABSOLUTELY do but for many different reasons. I know it's not good for them, but they barely eat anything like that so I try not to make a big deal about it. When I think of the effort, time and commitment I put in every day to what my family eats it is a HUGE deal. It's personal for me, what my kids eat, VERY personal. I can handle the eye rolls from other mom's, I can deal with the silly comments, but I try my best not to make it an issue in front of my boys. I don't want them to feel different, but honestly they are. The saying "you are what you eat" holds true in our home.
I'm proud of the fact that I pointed to a McDonald's sign and asked my 4 year old what it was and his response was "a big yellow M." He then asked if it was for Maddox...innocent and adorable. I will keep that for as long as possible. I know my days are going to be limited and with more field trips and adventures they will be exposed to it. I do, however, hope I can teach them to make smart choices when it comes to food.
Maddox (4) has such a limited interest in food...he dislikes any/all vegetables, will eat 4 or 5 things for dinner and loves snacks, chocolate, ice cream, etc. A boy after my own heart...I would skip dinner for dessert any day of the week. I try my hardest every day to make sure his diet is as nutrient rich as possible...it's a challenge. If it means adding sweet potato puree into the pancakes then so be it. I've added carrots into brownies, cauliflower into "cheese and chips," as well as pumpkin into muffins/waffles/etc. I've found as long as I add a few dark chocolate chips...the rest usually slides by! Maddox has SPD, he had a speech delay and went thru Early Intervention. After all the reading I've done about SPD I learned that removing gluten (and dairy) can help with some of the struggles kids might go thru. I've seen the changes Maddox has gone thru since removing gluten and it's worth all of the extra time I spend in the kitchen.
Brexton (2) is my amazing eater. He enjoys vegetables, pasta, any type of fruit, celery, broccoli, anything and everything. He is also my gluten intolerant guy...he grabs his tummy and says "mamma ow" after having a piece of regular pizza. How do you argue with that? You don't. When he was a month old I went to the chiropractor to find out what was going on with him (he was constantly uncomfortable and vomiting thru his nose). The chiropractor did some tests and advised me to remove gluten and dairy from my diet (I was breast feeding). Within days the vomiting from his nose stopped and he was a much happier, and comfortable, baby. What mother wouldn't make those changes for their baby?
Why stop as they get older?
Growing up I remember lots of fruit in the house, standard staples...apples, grapes, oranges, etc. I also remember lots of chips, doritos, box mixes and sugary cereals. My mother had good meals for us and we didn't make a habit of going to fast food chains...luckily I have never been a big fan of them (except for Wendy's Fries and Frosty's, something about the salty and sweet combination) but to a lot of families they are considered a "staple" or normal meal. That saddens me.
We, meaning those like myself, are the minority. Most people have no idea what a GMO is, Monsanto, or the dangers behind artificial sweeteners. I'm most likely not going to reach a lot of people but I want to make sure those that decide to read my blog will walk away with some knowledge on a topic I think is extremely important. For not only my generation (30 somethings) and our health but the health of our children and the generations that follow. Personally I believe we owe our children that much.
Every recipe you will find on this blog will be as organic as possible, nothing with preservatives or artificial sweeteners, gluten free, and be made as healthy as possible...while still tasting good. When I have the ability I will also include substitutions to make the recipe dairy free as well. I've thought about switching to dairy free but for right now it's a task that I can't undertake...kudos to those of you that do. It's inspiring to me, maybe one day...but not any day soon.
Live, Laugh, Love, Healthy & Happy
~BakingMamma
Veggie Pasta in the "Magic Pot"
When I read about this little thing called a "Deep Covered Baker" from Pampered Chef I knew I needed to have one. Stoneware...LOVE, faster cooking times...LOVE, Pampered Chef...LOVE, and versatility to cook dinner and dessert in 1 pan...LOVE. Right now it's in a beautiful deep cranberry, it looks pretty on your table (especially around the holidays)! Anything from Pampered Chef is considered an investment for my kitchen...since I'm in the kitchen all the time it's important for me to have quality products that are going to last (not the cheap purchase from the discount store that might make it 6 months). Erin was great...take a look at her page here: Pampered Chef with Erin
On pasta night (usually Wednesdays in our house) I pull out the Deep Covered Baker and a saute pan.
I'm picky about how my veggies are cooked or else I would just use the Deep Covered Baker for the entire dish.
1 Box Quinoa Pasta (we use Elbows...order thru Amazon)
1 Organic Red Pepper (chopped)
1 Organic Green Pepper (chopped)
1 Bunch Organic Broccoli
1/2 Sweet Onion (chopped)
1 Clove Garlic
1 Cup Shredded Cheese
1-2 Cups Trader Joe's Pasta Sauce
1 Tbs EVOO
Pour the box of Quinoa into the Deep Covered Baker (or boil in pot). If using DCB add water and put in microwave for 4 minutes. Take out and stir, this pasta will stick together more than regular pasta so mixing while cooking is important. Put in microwave for additional 5 minutes...if not al dente add another 2-5 minutes (depending on your microwave). Drain water and leave pasta in DCB.
While pasta is cooking...saute on medium high heat add EVOO and clove of garlic (using press or slicer). Stir garlic so it doesn't burn...add veggies. Saute for about 5 minutes...I like my veggies still crisp rather than floppy and soft.
Once veggies are done, to your liking, add into DCB (or regular pot). Add pasta sauce and cheese...mix and ENJOY!
I serve with a side salad usually...mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, walnuts/almonds, balsamic dressing.
Live, Laugh, Love, Happy & Healthy
~BakingMamma
On pasta night (usually Wednesdays in our house) I pull out the Deep Covered Baker and a saute pan.
I'm picky about how my veggies are cooked or else I would just use the Deep Covered Baker for the entire dish.
1 Box Quinoa Pasta (we use Elbows...order thru Amazon)
1 Organic Red Pepper (chopped)
1 Organic Green Pepper (chopped)
1 Bunch Organic Broccoli
1/2 Sweet Onion (chopped)
1 Clove Garlic
1 Cup Shredded Cheese
1-2 Cups Trader Joe's Pasta Sauce
1 Tbs EVOO
Pour the box of Quinoa into the Deep Covered Baker (or boil in pot). If using DCB add water and put in microwave for 4 minutes. Take out and stir, this pasta will stick together more than regular pasta so mixing while cooking is important. Put in microwave for additional 5 minutes...if not al dente add another 2-5 minutes (depending on your microwave). Drain water and leave pasta in DCB.
While pasta is cooking...saute on medium high heat add EVOO and clove of garlic (using press or slicer). Stir garlic so it doesn't burn...add veggies. Saute for about 5 minutes...I like my veggies still crisp rather than floppy and soft.
Once veggies are done, to your liking, add into DCB (or regular pot). Add pasta sauce and cheese...mix and ENJOY!
I serve with a side salad usually...mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, walnuts/almonds, balsamic dressing.
Live, Laugh, Love, Happy & Healthy
~BakingMamma
Dark Chocolate Perfection in the form of a Brownie
Some chocolate perfection...in the form of a brownie
6 oz. Dark Chocolate (I use Trader Joe's Organic 72% Cacao Belgian Dark Chocolate Bar)
1/2 cup Organic Coconut Oil (Trader Joe's)
1 cup Organic Light Brown Sugar (loose, not packed)
1/2 cup Almond Meal (you can make almond meal by grinding whole almonds)
1/4 cup Sorghum Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
2 Organic Eggs
2 tbs vanilla (homemade is best)
1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (Trader Joe's) or Mini Chocolate Chips (Ghirardelli)
Pre-Heat oven 350
Line 11x7 baking pan with foil, make sure it overlaps the top (easy clean up) and spray with Coconut Oil spray (Trader Joe's)
Using a microwave safe bowl add 6 oz. Dark Chocolate and Coconut Oil...microwave for 45 seconds...remove and stir. Continue process until chocolate is almost completely melted (2x usually does the trick for me).
Set aside
Mix together Brown Sugar, Almond Meal, Sorghum Flour, and Baking Soda. Beat eggs and combine with dry ingredients, stirring only a few times. Then add Vanilla and melted chocolate. Beat for 2-3 minutes on low...batter will be thick (very different consistency from those yucky boxed mixes most are used to).
Using a spatula put into baking pan...again, batter is thick so you will need to maneuver it around the pan. Add a sprinkle of dark chocolate chips on top (if nothing else it looks pretty).
Bake for 33-35 minutes...mine comes out perfectly after 34 minutes.
Leave in pan for about 15 minutes....remove sides with overlapping foil and allow to cool.
Brownies are easier to cut when cool but are delicious warm!
I don't have a picture to post right now but after thinking about these brownies I'm sure within the next few days I will make some and post a picture for you to enjoy.
Although these are higher in calories than I would normally like (Coconut Oil is PACKED with calories) they are good quality calories. When you dessert...make sure you do it right
Original recipe is here: Gluten Free Goddess Dark Chocolate Brownies
Live, Love, Laugh, Happy & Healthy
~BakingMamma
G-Free Oatmeal, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (DELISH)
I was looking for something fabulously yummy yet healthy that we could enjoy for breakfast...on those mornings where time is not on our side! Getting 2 kids plus myself out of the house by 815 has been quite interesting, especially when Brexton enjoys lounging before breakfast and really dislikes getting dressed. He would much rather run around the house naked than eat breakfast, get clothes on and especially have his shoes put on. Maddox would much rather watch countless hours of TV and have a picnic breakfast on a blanket in front of said TV...imagine if we had DVR when we were growing up?! Ahhh....the innocence of childhood.
I found this recipe (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/healthy-banana-chocolate-chip-oat-muffins/) on one of my favorite sites and tweaked it a bit. Since it wasn't gluten free that was my first mission...I've tried many different flour mixtures and have discovered certain mixtures work best with certain types of baked goods. Since there were no spices included in the original recipe I tested a few different ones and this is what I came up with...
1 1/2 cups Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix
1 cup Trader Joe's G-Free Oats
1/4 cup organic raw sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
2 large organic eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
1/4 cup skim/almond/soy milk
1 large extra ripe banana
2 tsp cinnamon
2 large organic eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
1/4 cup skim/almond/soy milk
1 large extra ripe banana
2 tsp cinnamon
Pre-heat oven to 400
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together (Pamela's, Oats, Sugar, Baking Powder & Soda)
Mix eggs until frothy, add honey, applesauce, skim (soy/almond) milk, and banana.
Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until incorporated...add chocolate chips and cinnamon
Fill muffin cups until 3/4 full...bake for 16-18 minutes (turning pan halfway thru cooking time).
Cool a few minutes before transferring to wire racks.
I got 15-17 muffins out of the batches I've made so far...depending how much you fill the cups before baking.
Store in fridge for up to 3 days and put remainder in freezer bags and freeze (for up to 2 months).
Store in fridge for up to 3 days and put remainder in freezer bags and freeze (for up to 2 months).
The boys and I enjoyed them for breakfast the following morning. Nick doesn't like bananas but he said these were really good (3 out of 3 stars in this house)!! The entire batch was gone 2 days later...between our boys and our neighbors the kids have emptied the plate...provides them with healthy banana and oats (2 things Maddox wouldn't eat alone)!!
Since my big guy is home sick from school today I might have some extra time to post a few more recipes! I have so many to share...although I haven't been posting I've been busy creating! I FINALLY got a KitchenAid Mixer for Mother's Day (wanted one for about 10 years now) and it has made everything so much easier. I was very happy to say goodbye to my cira 1982 hand mixer in the awful beige/yellow color (UGH). I'm awful as posting...life gets so busy and at the end of the day all I want to do is veg out with Nick for an hour before crashing for the night. If there were only a few more hours in the day...except on the days that seem to last forever of course!
Live, Love, Laugh, Happy & Healthy
~Bakingmamma
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Pumpkin Choc Chip Cookies
Although I hate to see the summer season go, especially since we live at the beach, I LOVE all things Fall. From the colors to the food. Some of my favorite days since becoming a mom have been all of us at home in our pj's all day, watching the boys play while I'm making a nice dinner for us to enjoy.
I made these Pumpkin Choc Chip cookies yesterday afternoon, with Maddox as my amazing helper, and they are already gone! No sugar, all organic and oh so yummy!! I enjoyed a few with a small bowl of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream last night and was in heaven. For you cookie fans these are different than your standard cookie...they have a more cake-like texture.
As always all ingredients I use are organic and whenever possible I try and substitute for sugar.
Pre-heat oven to 375
1 cup organic canned pumpkin 1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Stevia 1 cup organic applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp organic milk
1 egg 1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups gluten free flour (I use Pamela's Mix) 2 cups mini organic choc chips
2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp ground cinnamon
In a medium sized bowl combine pumpkin, stevia, applesauce, oil and egg.
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
Dissolve the baking soda with milk and stir into pumpkin mixture. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Batter will look different than your standard cookie batter, the applesauce doesn't absorb like sugar does.
Once mixed together add vanilla and choc chips. Adding too many choc chips will overpower the taste of the pumpkin...I prefer to use mini chips because you get smaller bites of chocolate so you can really taste the pumpkin!!
Place on greased cookie sheet, I use a cookie scoop so the cookies are about the same size and cook evenly. Place in pre-heated oven for 8-10 min. Cookies are best while cold...keep in fridge and snack as desired!!
I'm also making them into mini muffins for the boys, they freeze well and can be a healthy breakfast for those on the go mornings!
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