FREE online conference

There is an FREE online conference called GMO: What You Need to Know going on soon. 4 more days to register for FREE. I encourage all to sign up and listen. We all need to be informed about what we are eating. Please sign up:

http://www.entheos.com/GMOs-What-You-Need-to-Know?c=Friends-of-the-Earth

From the website:

January 27-30, 2014

Join Stacy Malkan and 15+ leading scientists, farmers, medical doctors, business leaders, advocates, and wellness experts to learn about the genetic manipulation of our food system, how to avoid GMOs, and why this matters for the health of your family and future generations. Your choices today will decide the future of our food!

Pictures from our garden

I apologize for my hiatus but we've been busy enjoying the summer, beach vacation, amusement parks, purging the house (a late spring cleaning), family visiting, and last of all purchasing a house which is requiring tons of repairs to be done, taking up tons of time! For the first time EVER we have a successful garden. I have always had the brownest thumbs and plants just die when I look at them. This year I enlisted the help of the kids with weeding, planting, and watering and we have success! In addition to our planted garden, our berry patch is bursting with berries! It's all very exciting around here ;)

Here are some pictures:

A tiny strawberry

Echinacea

Corn is getting big!

Basil! My fav fresh herb!

Green tomatoes

Tons of tomato plants

Rosemary

Cucumbers

Bright green frog camping out in our pond

Berries

Squash. Picked two today!

A view of the garden

Deep in the berry patch

Look, there's a little girl growing in the garden!

Lots of peppers!

Jailed himself

Strawberry shortcake monkey bread cupcakes recipe review

Strawberry Shortcake Monkey Bread Cupcakes...wow, that's a mouthful! A mouthful of yumminess! These "cupcakes" are gluten free and grain free, and can also be made sugar and dairy free!!! You would absolutely never know these are gluten free. They are just that good. The whole recipe can be found over at Real Sustenance. I made some very minor changes and I'll tell you what I did but go over and check out her blog because it's great! Especially if you are gluten/grain/dairy/sugar free!!! I've made these twice now (in the same week) and everyone is requesting I make them again.

The recipe says it makes 10 "cupcakes" (though I don't really find these to be very cupcake like, more muffin like) but I used a regular muffin tin and was able to get 12. It would be great to be able to double the recipe (which I haven't tried yet) but almond flour is not cheap my friends. Which brings me to the next thing...

The second time I made them I used flour I made from grinding up sunflower seeds in my vitamix. These still came out GREAT with a slightly different taste since you can really taste the sunflower seeds. I also have heard that mixing sunflower seed flour with baking powder or soda at a certain ratio can turn it green. When these first came out of the oven they were not green. After sitting for a little while they maybe had a slight green tinge, but was only noticeable because we were looking for it.

I used 1/2 ts of salt both times instead of 1/4 ts. 1/4 ts just didn't seem like enough. They were not at all salty, so I highly recommend that.

I used butter and cane sugar but there's options in the original recipe for not using either if that's something you avoid.

The second time I made them I forgot the powdered sugar glaze and it wasn't missed, so skip it if you like.

Overall these were great and I will continue to make them. Thank you realsustenance.com for this amazingly healthy recipe.

I think I may try blueberries next time...though that completely changes the name of them ;)

Cheese Stuffed Baby Peppers

These little baby peppers are so delicious and easy to make. Thanks to our long time family friend, Lori, for the great idea! This is a very versatile recipe. You can use any combination your heart desires. My favorite is mozzarella, Parmesan, and jack. I've also used cheddar. You just toss the cheese with salt, pepper, fresh chopped garlic (though I've used dried minced garlic when I didn't feel like chopping) and any other herb you would like. Great appetizer, snack, or side dish! My kids gobble these up! They can be made on a grill or in the oven with a pepper rack, or in the oven packed in a oven safe dish (I've used round pyrex dishes and packed them in there so they can all stand up. You just want to make sure the sides of the dish are taller than the peppers. The pepper rack is really awesome for this, highly recommended.)

Cheese Stuffed Baby Peppers
by Amanda @ Natural and Organic Lifestyle

1 lb baby bell peppers, organic
Approximately 1 lb of cheese, any combination  you like (parm, moz, jack, cheddar, etc)
3 cloves of garlic, minced, organic
Salt to taste (I use about 1/2 ts)
Pepper to taste (again I use about 1/2 ts)
TS or to taste of any herb you like, I've used thyme, parsely, and basil

Shred cheese and toss with salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs. Slice the tops off of the peppers and remove seeds. Stuff with cheese to the top and place in pepper rack or oven safe dish. Repeat for all the peppers. If using a pepper rack and your pepper is too small for the hole (also keep in mind they will get soft when cooking and will squish a little) stick a toothpick through the pepper across the hole to keep it in. Place on grill and cook until cheese is melted. Or place in oven at 350 degrees (though 400 works too if you're cooking something else at the same time, very forgiving) for 10-20 minutes until cheese is melted. Let cool slightly, the cheese will be hot, then serve!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

GMO: crops to avoid, companies to avoid, and companies to support

Of course, the best thing to do to avoid GMO's is to stay away from packaged foods and avoid whole foods that are currently gmo'd. Cook from scratch. Grow and preserve your own food. Join a local organic CSA.

According to the Non-GMO project, the following crops are the highest risk crops of being gmo:

• Alfalfa (first planting 2011)
• Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crop)
• Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
• Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)
• Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)

The following crops are at risk for contamination:

• Beta vulgaris (e.g., chard, table beets)
• Brassica napa (e.g., rutabaga, Siberian kale)
• Brassica rapa (e.g., bok choy, mizuna, Chinese cabbage, turnip, rapini, tatsoi)
• Curcubita (acorn squash, delicata squash, patty pan)
• Flax
• Rice

At this time, the following companies are companies that either have products that contain gmo's and/or donated a significant amount of money to defeat the labeling of gmo's:
 List provided by http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/11357-blacklisted-12-food-companies-to-avoid.html

Campbell’s - $250,000.00

• Healthy Request
• Wolfgang Puck Soups
• Pace Foods
• Pepperidge Farms
• V-8

Cargill, Inc - $202,229.36

• Truvia Natural Sweetener
• Shady Brooks Farms
• Diamond Crystal Salt
• Liza
• Nature Fresh
• Peter’s Chocolate
• Wilbur Chocolate
• Honeysuckle White
• Rumba Meats
• Good Nature

Coca Cola -  $1,164,400.00

• Vitamin Water
• Smart Water
• Dasani
• Nestea
• Minute Maid
• Honest Tea
• Odwalla
• Vitaminenergy

Con-Agra - $1,076,700.00

• Orville Redenbacher’s Organic
• Hunt’s Organic
• Lightlife
• Alexia
• Healthy Choice
• Hebrew National

Dean Foods -  $253,950.00

• Horizon
• Silk
• White Wave

General Mills - $908,200.00

• Nature Valley
• Fiber One
• Cheerios
• Cascadian Farm
• Muir Glen
• Lärabar
• Gold Medal Organic
• Food Should Taste Good

Heinz/Hains Celestial - $500,000.00

(Hains is actually owned by Heinz, Phillip Morris, Monsanto, Citigroup, Exxon-Mobil, Wal-Mart and Lockheed Martin)

• Earth’s Best
• Spectrum Organics
• Garden of Eatin’
• Casbah
• Rice Dream
• Soy Dream
• WestSoy
• TofuTown
• MaraNatha
• Mountain Sun
• Walnut Acres
• Fruiti di Bosco
• Health Valley
• Bearitos
• Bread Shop
• Celestial Seasonings

Kellogg’s - $632,500.00

• Kashi
• Muslix
• Nutrigrain

• Bear Naked
• Morningstar Farms
• Gardenburger

Kraft - $551,148.25

• Snapple
• ReaLemon
• Triscuit
• SnackWell’s
• South Beach
• Boca
• Back to Nature
• Nabisco

Nestle -   $1,169,400.00

• Pure Life
• Pelligrino
• Perrier
• Poland Spring
• Gerber

• California Pizza Kitchen
• Tribe Mediterranean
• Sweet Leaf Tea

PepsiCo $2,249,661.61

• Miss Vickie’s
• Sun Chips
• Aquafina
• SoBe
• Harvest Crunch
• Dole
• Ocean Spray

• Tropicana
• Miranda
• Tazo
• Quaker
• Naked Juice
• Mother’s

Unilever – $467,000 (source)

• Salada
• Knorr
• Ben & Jerry’s

 Here is a list of companies that are GOOD options:

• 7th Generation
• Amy’s Kitchens
• Apple and Eve
• Applegate
• Azumaya
• Blue Diamond
• Bob’s Red Mill
• Bossa Nova
• Cal Organics
• Cedarlane
• Cell-nique
• Choice Organic Teas
• Clif Bar/ Nectar Fruit
• Coombs Family Farmers
• Cosorzio All Natural
• Country Choice
• Crystal Geyser Alpine Water
• Doctor Kracker
• Dr. McDougall’s
• Dr. Praeger
• Eat Raw
• Echo Farms
• EcoMeal
• Eddie’s Pasta
• Eden Foods (The only company NOT using harmful plastic in the lining of their cans as bonding agent!)
• Edward and Sons
• Endangered Species Chocolate
• Ener-G
• EnvironKiz
• Fantastic Foods.
• Giving Nature
• Golden Temple
• Go Naturally
• Greenway Farms
• Harvest Bay
• Hawthorne Valley
• Ian’s Natural Foods
• Koyo Organics
• Lakewood
• Lesser Evil
• Let’s Do…Organics
• LifeStream
• Living Harvest
• Lundberg Family
• Madhava
• Murray’s Chicken
• Nasoya
• Native Forest
• Natural by Nature
• Nature Factor
• Nature’s Path
• Newman’s Own Organic
• Organic Prarie
• Organic Valley
• Pacific Naturals
• Pamela’s
• Peace Cereal
• Petalumi
• Rapunzel
• Real Foods
• Republic of Teas
• Road’s End Organics
• San J
• Sensible Foods
• Seven Star Farms
• Sunergia
• Tasty Bite Indian
• Terra Nostra
• Texmati
• Theo chocolates
• Think Organic
• Turtle Island Tofurky
• Vermont Mystic Pie
• Vitasoy
• Vita Spelt
• Vivani Chocolate
• Wizard’s Saucery
• Woodstock Farms
• XOXOXO chocolate
• Yogi Tea
• Zija
• Zoe’s Granola

Super Silky Lotion

This is a super silky, hydrating lotion. Caution: when it goes on it looks very shiny (which is why I've hesitated on posting this) BUT it soaks in rather quickly and the shine goes away. This is a wonderful lotion I've been making for quite awhile and our whole family loves it. I was able to order all these items from Amazon, so that's an option if you can't find them locally.

Super Silky Lotion
by Amanda @ Natural and Organic Lifestyle

1/2 cup organic coconut oil
1/2 cup organic grapeseed oil
1 cup raw organic shea butter
Optional: Essential oil for fragrance, I use about 10 drops

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Store in an airtight container. Makes 2 cups.
Slather on =)

I'm brewing kombucha!

Don't know what kombucha is? Well I'll tell ya...
Kombucha is a fermented tea which has been consumed for thousands of years, an ancient elixir. Though the benefits of kombucha are completely based individually, some benefits it's known for are improving digestion, clearer thinking, and increased energy.
Here is a list of some other benefits from Kombucha Kamp website:

*Probiotics – healthy bacteria
*Alkalize the body – balances internal pH
*Detoxify the liver – happy liver = happy mood
*Increase metabolism – rev your internal engine
*Improve digestion – keep your system moving
*Rebuild connective tissue – helps with arthritis, gout, asthma, rheumatism
*Cancer prevention
*Alleviate constipation
*Boost energy – helps with chronic fatigue
*Reduce blood pressure
*Relieve headaches & migraines
*Reduce kidney stones
*High in antioxidants – destroy free-radicals that cause cancer
*High in polyphenols
*Improve eyesight
*Heal excema – can be applied topically to soften the skin
*Prevent artheriosclerosis
*Speed healing of ulcers – kills h.pylori on contact
*Help clear up candida & yeast infections
*Aid healthy cell regeneration
*Reduce gray hair
*Lower glucose levels – prevents spiking from eating

I'm not saying it will do any of these things for you, but it might. None of these statements have been approved by the FDA (haha, all the more reason to try it!) and I am not a medical doctor #disclaimer =)

Brewing kombucha is something I've wanted to do for quite awhile. I never started because I couldn't find a bottle of plain flavored kombucha locally, never really thought of ordering a bottle online. Well, I finally ordered a case, and then they sat in the fridge for awhile. FINALLY I did some research and decided to start brewing. I didn't have a SCOBY to start with though. I found instructions on how to grow my own, but apparently that is no longer recommended since the strength of kombucha that's allowed to be sold retail is not able to grow it itself. So I was stuck. No one I know brews is so I couldn't snag one from a friend. Finally I decided to order one from http://www.kombuchakamp.com/ They seemed very reputable and there are tons of articles and how-to's on brewing kombucha. I highly recommend visiting their site if  you have any interest in brewing. I was very excited when it arrived and wanted to start brewing right away! But somehow I failed to notice you need a gallon sized container (How did I miss that???) So I ordered one because I couldn't find one locally. I was itching to start and everytime I tried something was missing!!! FINALLY the jar came and I was able to start brewing. Here's a picture of my brew on the first day:

Today is day 8 and I took my first taste of the brew. You're supposed to take a straw and put it under the SCOBY and take a sip. Yeah, I kind of looked at it for a minute thinking "I really have to drink something with that thing floating on top???" I did it though. It tasted great! I think I'm going to give it a few more days of brewing though since this is my first time. I want to see how it tastes if you go longer. Not sure what my preferred "kombucha taste" is.
Here is a picture of it today:

The SCOBY multiplies every time you brew and a new one is formed. I think this is a really cool process. Next I need to figure out how I'm going to flavor it!!! So exciting! I know...I'm a dork.

And, by the way, I actually tried to grow my own SCOBY even though it was doubtful it would work:

Uh, yeah, a month later and nada. So save yourself the time and buy one! Or if you're local to me, I'd be happy to pass one on. Like I stated above, each time you brew a new SCOBY is formed. Fun stuff!

There is an initial cost to brewing your own kombucha, but over a few batches you'll make it back in what you would have spent if you bought bottled, and you'd have a far superior product. I think I spend $25 on the SCOBY and $10 or so on the gallon size jar. Considering a bottle in the store can range anywhere from $3-5, you'll make back that money quickly.

More later on my adventures with kombucha!

If you've tried brewing kombucha I would LOVE to hear about it!

Hot Tonic

I was just making a fresh batch of this and it occurred to me I've never shared this recipe here before. This tonic is so good for many ailments. It was developed by a naturopathic physician. The ingredients have been used for centuries with powerful antioxidants and disease fighting properties. It's been known to help people with arthritis as well as many other ailments. It clears the nasal passages which makes it powerful for colds and flu.

Note that this is very spicy. You can mix it in water or with honey to make it easier to take. Though, my kids take it straight on a spoon, so pull your panties up and try it ;) Do not take it on an empty stomach.

For a three week cleanse:
Week 1: 2 TB a day with each meal
Week 2: 3 TB a day with each meal
Week 3: 4 TB a day with each meal
After that 2 TB a day is a good maintenance.

In a blender, blend up: (organic ingredients are highly recommended)

1 bulb garlic (not a clove, a whole head), peeled

1 small yellow or red onion, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks

1 piece of fresh horseradish (about the same size as the onion) peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks

1 or 2 fresh, small hot red peppers, seeds removed and cut in 1 inch pieces

1 piece of fresh ginger (about the size of the onion) peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks

apple cider vinegar to cover (about 2 cups)

This will last 2 weeks at room temperature or months refrigerated. Shake before use.

Makes about a quart.

Delicious Baked Potato Casserole

This is good, so good! Now that I'm looking at the picture I'm wondering why it's been so long since I've made it! This is a hearty casserole that can serve as a main dish or side dish, or bring it to a potluck! Very versatile!

Also, apologies for the lack of posting for the last month. I find as we near spring and the end of the school year there isn't as much time for writing and posting. I have many articles and recipes in the works, so those will be coming in the future. We like to wind down our school year by mid-May to allow for a much needed long summer. Not to mention, it's SO hard to concentrate when it's been so cold for so long and it's warm again!

Enjoy this recipe!

Delicious Baked Potato Casserole
by Amanda @ Natural and Organic Lifestyle

3 lbs organic potatoes (6-8 depending on size)
1 cup organic milk
1/2 cup organic sour cream
2 cups organic shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 - 1 ts of good salt, or to taste
Pepper to taste (I like about 1/4 ts)
1/2 ts organic garlic powder
1 lb organic turkey bacon, cook and crumbled, divided
Green onions to garnish

Boil or bake potatoes until tender. Once potatoes are done, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. With a hand or stand mixer, beat potatoes with milk, sour cream, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir in half the bacon and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining bacon, cheese, and green onions. Bake for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Broccoli Cheese Rounds

These little gooey rounds are a great appetizer, lunch, or side dish. These are a great way to get veggies into picky eaters. Lucky for me I really don't have to get fancy with broccoli to get my kids to eat it thanks to the "broccoli monster" game my hubby created when our oldest was one or two. It consists of the kids eating the tops off the broccoli and then the broccoli monster gobbles up the stem, complete with loud sound effects. It was really great, all the kids LOVE broccoli and eat a ton of it now. Unfortunately for hubby, they still expect him to play the game, 8 years later (aside from our oldest who always declares that he eats his own stems now). They even save the stems for the broccoli monster if he's not home in time for dinner. Nothing like cold, slimy broccoli stems wrapped in a napkin waiting for you when you walk in the door ;)

Anyway, back to these rounds. Luckily for the broccoli monster the stems are all incorporated in and it would be really hard to save stems from these. Though I do have to say our three year old did find a way to liberate a stem. These taste great on their own or dipped in just about anything. And I do mean anything, lol. I think last time we had them there was a variety of dipping going on consisting of ketchup, mustard, ranch, and blue cheese. All were a success with the dippers. Please don't take my word on that and blame me if you gag after dipping them in blue cheese or something, I only dipped them in ranch =) I can't vouch for the sanity of my kids dipping pleasures.

Plus I made these grain-free! Other recipes I've seen all incorporate bread crumbs, which you could do, but I used almond meal.

Broccoli Cheese Rounds
by Amanda @ Natural and Organic Lifestyle
Makes about 20 rounds (about 2 inches wide)

2 heads of broccoli
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 ts good salt
1/4 ts ground pepper
1/2 ts garlic powder
1 1/2-2 cups almond meal, start with 1 1/2 cups and if your batter ends up to gooey you can add more (you could use bread crumbs here if you want)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop the broccoli real small and steam until tender. If it's small enough it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to steam it. Let it cool for a few minutes. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. With your hands, form into patties, I make mine about 2 inches wide but you can do any size you want. Place patties on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes and then flip them and bake for another 15 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Let cool a little before serving. Enjoy!