Syrup vs. Maple Syrup

I started back at work the week before last and forgot how busy the days get! I really want to keep up with the blog though, so I am trying for once a week. As we continue to purchase organic foods, I decided that I would like to start giving advice on easy changes that you can make towards eating organic. I know that it is a lot to take on, so my advice is to start making small changes and gradually they will add up. I suggested in an earlier post to start buying organic milk and eggs- I think this is an easy switch and a very important one! The food that I want to review today is SYRUP. Syrup is not something that we use very often around my house, but every now and then we have those sweet Saturday mornings where we get to be lazy and do things like make home-made pancakes. A few months ago, we did just that and my husband went to the store and came home with organic maple syrup. Now I have to be honest here- I had never had maple syrup before this, and for some reason I thought it was not going to taste good- I really don't know why I thought this! Maybe it was because I had always used the typical reduced-sugar syrups before and just thought that was the only way to go? ( I also thought maple syrup was something that only people from up North ate!) Anyway- the point is, the syrup tasted great! And then I got to reading labels...and of course I was shocked by the "regular" syrup's label... again, I couldn't pronounce the ingredients and really was just dumb-founded...if I didn't recognize what the ingredients were in the syrup, then what the heck are we actually eating?!?

I took pictures of the label from the "regular" syrup and the organic maple syrup. I think the difference in the ingredient lists is pretty awesome.

"Regular" Syrup Ingredients: Corn syrup, High fructose corn syrup, water, contains less than 2% of natural and artificial flavors, cellulose gum, salt, caramel color, sodium benzoate and sorbic acid (preservatives), and sodium hexametaphosphate.

All I can think is, "huh?" What is this crap we are putting in our bodies?!!! (And if you read one of my first posts, you'll remember that 80% of corn grown in the U.S. is from GMO's. Notice the first two ingredients in the regular syrup come from corn. )

Organic Maple Syrup Ingredients: Pure Maple Syrup.

Wow...who knew it could be so simple!

Besides not having any preservatives and being chemical-free, organic maple syrup even has some health benefits! Two teaspoons of maple syrup provides 22% of the daily value of manganese and 3.7% of the daily value of zinc.

Organic maple syrup is more expensive than conventional syrup, but I think that the taste is stronger, so a little bit goes and long way and should last some time. (I found a 12 oz. jar at Target for $6.99.) And while we are on the subject of syrup, I would like to suggest a great pancake mix for all of us busy people who enjoy making pancakes, but don't always have the time to make them from scratch! Whole Foods brand makes a delicious organic, 100% whole wheat pancake and waffle mix. All you need to add to it is organic milk!

So, next time that you are purchasing syrup, remember to choose the Simply Organic version, and buy the organic maple syrup!

Morning Glory Muffins

Organic Whole Cane Sugar is made from dried, unrefined, naturally evaporated sugar cane juice. The cane juice, rich in molasses, vitamins and minerals, is extracted, clarified, evaporated and crystallized. It can be used as a one-for-one replacement for refined white sugar.

I like to make a big batch of muffins and freeze most of them. That way, I can just grab one or two as needed. (They thaw out great in the refrigerator.) Along with a piece of fruit or bowl of yogurt, they make a great breakfast. They also make a great snack!

I want to start including prices for my recipes so that you can determine if your budget allows you to purchase any of the organic ingredients. The only ingredients that I had to purchase for this recipe was the apple butter, wheat germ, and an apple, which cost a total of $9.

*I could not find organic apple butter or wheat germ. However, the apple butter had no added sugar and only two ingredients listed: “fresh apples and apple cider.” The wheat germ was listed as “no solvents used” and explained why: “Some wheat germ is processed with solvents such as hexane to strip the perishable oil and valuable Vitamin E from the germ. The resulting defatted wheat germ is added by some companies to their products and labeled as “wheat germ.” If a product you use is made with “wheat germ,” but doesn’t list the Vitamin E content, we suggest that you ask the manufacturer to explain.”

Morning Glory Muffins

Adapted from All Recipes

Makes 24

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cups organic whole cane sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple-peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg
2 egg whites
½ cup apple butter*
¼ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons wheat germ*

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil 24 muffin cups, or coat with nonstick cooking spray. (I found organic cooking spray at Wal-Mart.)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, apple butter, oil and vanilla.
In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in carrots, apples and dried cranberries. Stir in apple butter mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about ¾ full.
3. Sprinkle the wheat germ and walnuts evenly over the muffin tops.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

Reasons to Make Your Own Baby Food

If you think making your own baby food is for hippies or stay-at-home Mom's only- think again!





As I said in my first post, I have a nine month old baby boy. When he started eating solid foods, I began making my own baby food! I did it at first to save money. In the beginning, when when he was just being introduced to solid foods, his portions were small and I would spend less than $10 on organic produce and it would last me over month!



Reasons to make your own baby food:



1. Making your own baby food is easy and I think it's fun! An hour in the kitchen can get you a month's worth of food. (or more if your really good!)



2. Home-made baby food is pretty. I couldn't get over the colors of the food I made- everything was so bright and pretty! Have you ever noticed that jarred baby food, no matter what it is, all has a brownish color to it? It's not pretty...



3. Home-made baby food tastes good! If you wouldn't eat it, do you really want your baby eating it?



4. Home-made baby food is healthier. You know where the food is coming from and it will not have any preservatives. (Always choose organic when making baby food. Any amount of chemicals is too harsh on their little systems.)



5. It costs less to make your own baby food- most of the time. I found that I could make all vegetables and some fruits for much less than I would pay for a jar. However, some organic fruits (mainly apples and pears) came out to be the same price.



Recipes coming soon!

Quick Panko-Crusted Chicken

I am always looking for quick dinner recipes, and I made this chicken as an alternative to my usual “there’s no food in the house” recipe, baked chicken breasts. The seasonings can be jazzed up a bit for adults or lightly seasoned and cut into strips to make “chicken nuggets” for the little ones. Chances are you have flour and eggs already, so to me this recipe only has 2 ingredients- chicken breasts and panko. (And if you have these ingredients as well, you are really in luck!)

Save this recipe for those nights when you stare into the pantry and ask yourself, “What the heck are we going to eat for dinner?!?”

$ Money-saving Tip: Instead of dredging the chicken breasts in flour, sprinkle on the flour- this way there is no excess left behind and you will not waste any good, organic flour! (It's not cheap!)

Quick Panko-Crusted Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded about 1/2 inch thick

2 tablespoons flour

2 egg whites, beaten

3/4 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) *Couldn't find organic*

3 tablespoons canola oil

Salt

1. Place the flour, egg whites, and panko in three seperate, shallow bowls. Season the chicken breasts with salt. (And any other seasonings you like.) Sprinkle the flour evenly on both sides of the chicken breast. Dip the chicken into the egg whites, then the panko, pressing the crumbs in.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken breasts and cook over moderate heat until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes (depending on size of chicken). Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on the chicken, then flip and cook another 5-8 minutes until golden brown and cooked all the way through.

3. Remove chicken from pan and serve as is or cut into strips to make "chicken nuggets."

Grassy=Gamey?

This will be a short blog- just wanted to share my experience of eating grass-fed beef for the first time! I found a one pound package of organic, grass-fed ground beef at Target on sale for $4.99. I had always heard that grass-fed beef tastes gamey, so I thought I would make something to "disguise" the taste. I used the beef to make tacos (yes, organic shells, seasoning, and cheese also)- I am happy to report that the tacos did NOT taste gamey and were actually quite delicious! Now, I am aware that I did sort of mask the taste with taco seasoning, so I will buy the meat again soon and make something else with it and I will let you know how it tastes ; )

Slowly, but Surely

Ok, so I'm kind of on a blogging binge today. The reason is I go back to work next week (aaagghh), so I want to get as much out while I have some time on my hands! After next week, my goal is to blog a new post (does that make sense? I'm new to all this blog lingo...) once a week. So- enjoy the overload of thoughts for now!

What I want people to take most from this blog is bits and pieces of advice that can be applied to their life and hopefully make a change for the better. I'm not expecting (or suggesting) that anyone go crazy and throw out all their food and start buying 100% organic. But I would like for readers to learn new things and maybe make a few changes about how they eat. Then, slowly, but surely, you will come to appreciate organics and make better choices.

I've come up with a list of easy ways to start making gradual changes towards chemical-free eating:

1. When shopping for produce, refer to the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 shopping lists. The Dirty Dozen lists produce that should always be purchased organic, they are the most contaminated. The Clean 15 is just the opposite! It lists the 15 least contaminated fruits and vegetables.

2. Start reading labels! I can't say this enough! Get to know what is in the food you are eating. YOU make the decision if what is in the product is healthy for you.

3. Shop local farmer's markets. The food may not be certified organic, but ask if it is chemical free. You'll find local produce and a great price. The Baton Rouge area has Red Stick Farmer's Market every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in various locations.

4. Grow your own herbs. I was not blessed with a green thumb, but this is one thing I can handle! Not only will your herbs be chemical-free, but you will save money as well! The average price for a small package of organic herbs is $3.99.

5. Start buying organic milk and eggs. This is an easy one to switch to because just about every grocery now carries organic milk and eggs, so there is no searching on your part. Next time you reach for that fat-free skim milk, grab the organic variety instead!

Just So You Know...

Just so you know, I'm not trying to preach about how awful the food industry is or how great organics are- BUT- I do want to share a few random things that I have learned so that others might have the same "aha" moment I did.

1. The majority of soybeans, corn, and cotton grown in the U.S. are from GMO seeds (Genetically Modified Organisms). They were made to resist being killed from applications of Roundup (weed killer). **Read a few labels in your kitchen- you may be shocked to find that soy is in a lot of foods- and if it isn't organic, chances are it is from a GMO**

2. Arsenic is used in chicken feed.

3. People who eat organic foods reduce their pesticide intake by as much as 90%.

(The information is from Organic Manifesto, which I highly recommend reading!!!!)

While we are on the subject of what is in our food, please take some time in your kitchen and really read what is in your food. I have always been a label-reader, but in the past it was the Nutrition Facts. Now I look at the ingredient list as well! It is shocking to find what is really in your food. One of the most surprising for me was bread crumbs- as I went to toss them out, I thought- "well, it's just finely ground bread- can't be that bad, right?" WRONG! I think it had 20 ingredients in it, most of which I couldn't pronounce!

TIP: Make your own bread crumbs! It's a perfect way to use any leftover or stale bread. (Saves money too.) Just toss bread pieces in the food processor and your done! You can always freeze the bread crumbs in an airtight container if you have extra.

So, what exactly does organic mean? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) puts it this way: "Organic crops are raised without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Animals raised on an organic operation must be fed organic feed and given access to the outdoors. They are given no antibiotics or growth hormones."

When shopping, be sure to look for the USDA Organic seal- otherwise the product is not what it claims to be. Also, beware of products labeled "natural"- this term has no real meaning. If you do see something labeled as natural, be a smart consumer and read the label! Then decide for yourself if it is actually a healthy product.

The Transition Begins!

I have always been interested in eating healthy, wholesome foods (for the most part...everything in moderation, right, Mom?) and have recently become very interested in Organics. After reading Skinny Bitch a few years ago, I immediately was disgusted by all dairy and meats. My vegan phase lasted for about a month (I found it way too difficult to keep up with in South Louisiana), so I then gave up all meat and bought organic dairy products. I felt much better knowing that I was not getting any of the antibiotics/steroids/pesticides found in these products. I was a happy vegetarian for about a year and half and then while pregnant, began to eat meat again. I know, I know- bad timing, huh? I didn't want to ingest the awful things found in meat and dairy, yet I passed them right to my unborn baby! It just goes to show what those pregnancy hormones can do to a girl's thinking!
So, this leads us to present day- my sweet baby boy is nine months old. He is breastfed and has been eating organic foods since he could say "grrbuduhjuh." I recently started to wonder why I don't take the same care for myself as I do for my baby. I also happened to see an ad for Maria Rodale's book Organic Manifesto. After a quick google search I knew this book was for me and immediately ordered it. The book basically expanded upon many things I already knew and opened my eyes to new things in the food industry that just really grossed me out. I'll save all of the how and why's for another post, but for now just know that after reading the book I was changed. It was sort of what I needed- a little kick in the butt if you will. So this is where the transition begins: I donated/threw out all of the non-organic/conventional/toxic foods in my pantry and refrigerator and vowed from that point on my family would only purchase organic or local foods and certainly not anything with ingredients I can't even begin to pronounce.
I have included before and after pictures of my pantry. I will say that after I threw everything out I did have an "oh s*it" moment- like what have I done?! Can we afford this?! But YES, it is worth it, and we will find a way to fit it in our tiny budget!!! ( And when I say tiny, I mean tiny- so if we can afford it, you can too!)