Healthy Snacks To Go

Have you ever felt like all you have to offer your children is over processed food when it comes to quick snack ideas? I know I have.

Passionate Homemaking is hosting a giveaway of a new ebook from Kitchen Stewardship called Healthy Snacks To Go. I am anxious to look into this book. I know I am always on the lookout for healthy, kid approved snacks for my kids.

The book is on sale right now for $6.95, but if you are interested in winning your own copy head on over to Passionate Homemaking for a review of the book and to find out how to win it.

Mother's Market Deals

Here are my favorite deals at Mother's Market this week.

Organic Healthy Greens $1.49

Organic Tangerines $.99 lb

Organic Blueberries $2.99 (My son's favorite)

They also have a number of great monthly deals right now.

You can go here to check out the rest of the great sales at Mother's market.

Thanks Organic Deals

Health Food Store And Co-op Locator

I was doing a little research this afternoon trying to find out how many health food stores there are nationally and I stumbled across allstays.com. They have a very large list of natural food stores and co-ops listed by city and state.

If you are looking for something in your are you might give this site a try. It had many national chains as well as local stores listed.

Naturally Maintaining Milk Supply While Sick

This past week has been a bit challenging for me due to having a new baby as well as 2 children and myself fighting colds. I was having some trouble with milk supply anyone so being sick has really not helped. Add on top of that the added stress of a still very sick father and trying to figure out how to care for him and trying to get a house ready for sale. Needless to say I am a bit stressed right now. I asked my husband this morning what it is like to sleep more then 1-2 hours in a row. I know I should not complain because this is just a season and it will pass, but for now I am exhausted.

I decided to start looking into some ways to help increase my milk supply naturally and frugally. Here is what I came up with. Hopefully it works.

1.) Lactation cookies- I originally tried these when I was nursing my son 2 years ago. I seem to remember them working ok. Even if they don't work they are really yummy and filled with healthy ingredients. The recipe I linked to calls for a lot more sugar then I am willing to use. I will probably half it this time or use a natural sweetener such as honey. I may also try using coconut oil or applesauce instead of butter.

2.) Fenugreek- This has been used for years by women trying to increase milk supply. It is safe and not very expensive. I found mine at a local health food store.

3.) "Try" to nap

4.) Vitamin C to fight my cold. I have been taking my kids chewable immune defense vitamins from our healthy food store. As an added bonus they have whole food concentrates in them as well.

5.) Lots of water and a healthy diet- It is amazing how much more milk I have when I remember to drink water. A well balanced diet is very important for quality milk.

6) Nurse or pump more often.

Hopefully these things will work. I will keep you posted.

Free Coconut Oil

Tropical Traditions is offering a FREE 16oz organic gold label virgin coconut oil until midnight Wednesday March 17. You do have to make a $16 minimum purchase, but I think this is completely worth it considering this is a $25 value as well as all the incredible benefits of this oil.

Make sure to check out their weekly specials to get the most out of this deal. They have some great products on sale. I am planning to try out some new ones.

I found out about this deal from Heavenly Homemakers. Make sure to stop by her blog to get a referral code so that you can add a free coconut oil uses and recipe book to your order.

Baby Steps To Healthy Living: Whole Grains

When most people start their journey to healthy eating they immediately think about dry, cardboard tasting whole wheat bread, brown rice, and other supposedly tasteless foods. If not cooked correctly this can be true, but there are so many ways to use whole grains as well as tons of different varieties.

Today I would like to focus on a few well known varieties as well as a couple new ones that you may or may not have heard of or tried before. Eating a wide variety of whole grains in your diet is important.

There are many different topics you can focus on when it comes to grains such as soaking, spouting, and sourdoughs. To keep things simple today I will try to stick with just the basics of what whole grains are, how to cook them, and how to ease your family into eating them.

Getting your family to eat whole grains:

The first thing I would recommend to help ease your family into this transition is to start slowly eliminating white flour from your diet. I started by using 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat flour in recipes and then slowly using more wheat as we became accustomed to the flavor and texture.

The same rule can apply to brown rice. Start mixing it with regular white rice and then slowly add more brown rice.

Types of whole grains:

Wheat flour-

There are 2 types of wheat flour that are typically used in baking: Hard red winter wheat and hard white spring wheat. Winter wheat is what you will usually find in the grocery store when you are buying wheat flour.
Spring wheat is best for baking because it yields a lighter texture and color when baked. You can usually find this in a grocery store or health foods store. You may have to look a little harder for it though.
Another option would be to grind your own wheat for flour. Grinding your own flour is much healthier as well as giving you fresher flour. This is something I would love to start doing as soon as I am able to get a grain mill. The cost of grinding your own flour is actually cheaper in the long run once you purchase your mill.

Brown Rice-

Brown rice is a great whole grain. It does have a different texture then white rice, but it is so much better for you.

Oats-

Oats can be used in so many different ways. Most people think just about a bowl of oatmeal, which can be really yummy, but there are other ways to incorporate them into your diet. I will often toss some in when I am baking bread or muffins. Another way I get oats into our diet is to grind them up and add them to meatloaf instead of bread crumbs. I have even used them ground up as a flour in oat and nanner drops (yummy!)
One of our favorite ways to eat a bowl of oatmeal is to either soak it overnight and cook it in the morning or to cook it in a crock pot over night. I will then add some cinnamon, salt, milk, butter, and honey. You can then top it with fruit for some extra nutrition.

Millet-

Millet has a great nutty flavor to it. These tiny seeds can be used in a couple of ways. I will typically add them to baked goods for an extra crunchy texture or cook them like you would rice and serve as a side dish. Instead of using water when cooking millet try chicken broth for extra flavor.

Quinoa-

This is one of my husband's favorite grains. He is a runner and quinoa is very high in protein. If you eat very little meat like my family and you are looking for another way to add some protein to your diet quinoa is a great alternative. I usually cook it the same way you would rice. It has a cute little "tail" that sticks out of the grain when it is cooked. Quinoa can be a bit pricey so make sure to look for it in the bulk food section where it is usually cheaper.

Popcorn-

Believe it or not popcorn is a whole grain. Make sure to buy organic corn. I will cook popcorn for my kids on the stove with some coconut oil or butter and sea salt. Sometimes we add some Parmesan cheese. They absolutely love popcorn as a snack. It is filling and low in calories.
Making your own popcorn is FAR superior to microwave popcorn. We avoid microwave popcorn when we can. It has lots of added preservatives as well as genetically modified corn.

How to store whole grains-

Whole grains will keep a long time if stored correctly. I often buy grains in bulk to save money. I am planning to get some large 5 gallon buckets to keep them in. I then transfer smaller amounts to glass jars as needed. I love to display my glass jars full of grains, beans, and other baking ingredients. They are so pretty.

Great Post On Lowering Your Grocery Budget

Catherine at A Spirited Mind wrote an excellent article on how you can buy natural foods and still stay on a budget. Since that is the topic of this blog and I have been so swamped the last several months I thought you might be interested in reading it. It is always nice to see someone elses's perspective on a subject.

Baby Steps-Healthy Oils

Oils and fat are things I grew up being taught that they should be avoided. I was a teenager during the whole fat free trend. My mother still believes this is the best way to go. I on the other hand have had a change of heart. Maybe I am wrong, but I feel that the body needs fat to run properly, but like all things it should be used in moderation. Fat is naturally occurring in foods that are left alone and not messed with by man made ideas. Have you ever noticed that the low fat milk is cheaper then the whole milk? I can not figure out that one considering they have to work harder to get the fat out of the milk.

After doing a lot of reading and research of the last several years I have come to the conclusion that the healthiest forms of fat and oil include olive oil (mentioned many times in the Bible as a healthy oil), coconut oil, butter, ghee, and if you have nothing else lard.

Yep, I said lard. I don't know if I could eat it, but it is a naturally occurring and cheap form of fat. I have seen it mentioned in the Maker's Diet and Nourishing Traditions. Both are great books to have in your library if you have not read them yet.

Olive Oil
Your best bet with olive oil is extra virgin olive oil. It has an excellent taste and is the best for your body. You do need to make sure that olive oil is not super heated or it will lose all of it healthy benefits. It is best used as a marinade, dressing, or dipping oil. I will admit that I have used it in baking before when I have been out of anything else.

Another great use for olive oil is as a moisturizer for your hands and legs after a shower. It does not stay greasy and absorbs very quickly. I have hear that this is what women in Italy do and have you ever noticed how beautiful these women are?

You can buy extra virgin olive oil in most grocery stores. Lately I have been getting mine at World Market in large bottles for around $8-9.

Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a high in saturated fat oil that comes from, you guessed it, the coconut. It has been used by people for many years, but has just recently become popular again by those of us who do not live in a tropical climate. At first I was very unsure about using this oil do to the saturated fat, but my mother started putting about 1 teaspoon in her oatmeal every morning and the doctor could not believe how much her cholesterol had come down.

Thanks to Lindsey at Passionate Homemaking for pointing out this article excerpt from Sue Gregg about why we should not fear coconut oil.

According to Sue Gregg, “There is a double reason not to fear coconut oil. First, it is highly debatable that saturated fats cause heart disease. Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD in The Cholesterol Myths (www.NewTrends Publishing.com) presents the facts of exhaustive research over the decades to disprove this theory. Secondly, the saturated fat of coconut oil is different than the long chain fatty acids of meats and also of polyunsaturated fats.” Read the full article here.

Coconut oil has been said by some to be a miracle oil for it's many health properties and uses which include:

Diaper rash ointment
Deodorant (recipe coming soon)
Lotion
Cooking
It is heat resistant and great for cooking
Heart health
Diabetes
Cholesterol lowering
The list goes on and on

If you are interested in reading more about the health benefits of coconut oil you can check them out here.

Coconut oil can be bought in bulk online with Azure Standards or Mountain Rose herb. If you are concerned about price you may consider buying a large amount and splitting it with a friend.

Other places I have seen it area at Walmart (Spectrum brand) and all health food stores.

Some other good oils to consider...
Sesame oil
Peanut oil
Unrefined sesame oil
Palm oil
Grape seed
Flax seed

Lindsey has a great article regarding these oils here. I considered getting more in depth with them, but this post would get really long if I did, and I think Lindsey does a great job.

Oil to avoid:
Canola oil
This has been considered one of the most healthy oils in the last several years and is nearly impossible to avoid in processed foods.

I can say first hand that it is not good for the body. I used it to make doughnuts before I studied it and became very ill. To the point of the Dr doing a sonogram to find out why I was having such terrible intestinal distress. They never found anything, but I began to notice that whenever I used my canola oil the pain started all over. Needless to say I tossed the bottle.

What is canola oil? I got to thinking one day olive oil comes from olives, peanut oil comes from peanuts. What in earth is a canola? I discovered that canola is a highly processed oil that comes from the rapeseed plant which is considered toxic in it's natural form. Well that was it for me on using this so called healthy oil.

Other oils to avoid include:
ALL hydrogenated oils
Soy, corn, and safflower
Cottonseed

These have all been linked to heart disease, fertility issues, learning disabilities, as well as many other things.

Well I think that about sums up my view on oil. They may be a bit more expensive then some other products on the market, but you only need to use them in small amounts. I think my health is more important then saving a few dollars.

As an afterthought if you are wanting to cut down the cost of baking you can always swap out butter for applesauce, bananas or other fruit. This will also cut down on the amount of sugar you need to use as well.

Thanks for hanging in there for this LONG post.

Baby Stepping Your Way To A Healthier Lifestyle On A Budget

Today I am starting a series on ways you can slowly work your way into a healthier lifestyle. I know first hand just how overwhelming it can be. When I began my journey about 4 years ago I had no clue where to start. I then started looking at the cost of it all and just about changed my mind. So today I think we should begin with looking at the budget.

Of course, everyone has a different budget to work with so I do not want you to feel that you have to strive to do the same thing as I or any other person would do. If you are interested in looking at my personal grocery budget you can read about it here.

One of the hardest things for me to get over was the fact that it is OK to spend money on food. There is such a huge craze right now to see how much you can get for as little as possible. I will admit that I have been a huge couponer, and still am to some extent. The only problem was that I was discovering that I was coming home with less then natural food. In most other cultures food is something to be enjoyed. As Americans we tend to be in a hurry and want as much as possible for as little as possible. So my husband and I decided that we must remind ourselves it is OK to spend money on food. I am not saying we spend a huge amount, but we have learned to buy the best quality food we are able to with what we have been given.

So what are some tips to staying on a budget while eating healthy, whole foods?

1.) Stop buying processed foods and save your money for the better quality real stuff. You will be better off. If your great-grandmother would not recognize it don't eat it.

2.) Make a list/menu and stick to it. No more impulse buys. This is probably where I struggle the most. If I fail to make a menu we are more likely to eat out and just buy what looks good. This is a big budget buster. When you go to the store have a list and do your best to stick to it.

3.) Make as much of your own food as possible. You may be thinking that you will be spending all your time in the kitchen. You will be there a bit more then before, but modern conveniences have also helped to cut time in the kitchen, such as a bread makers and crock pots. You can also dedicate one day to cooking ahead and freezing meals. This works well for me. The extra time you spend preparing your food will pay off in the long run. Keep things simple.

4.) Search for local food. You are most likely to get the most bang for your buck this way. To help you find sources of local food check out my post here.

5.) Shop with cash. Try to have a predetermined amount for the month and take that weeks amount shopping with you. You are less likely to overspend this way. If you are sticking to your weekly menu and shopping list this is somewhat easier to do. You can even try to adopt the envelope system that Dave Ramsey recommends. This is what we have done. It is one of our methods we are using to get out of debt. Getting out of debt is a HUGE goal we are working on. If you have not already taken Financial Peace University high highly recommend it.

6.) Buy on sale and stock up when you can. If you learn to watch for sales and clearance prices at the right times of the year you can buy things at their lowest prices and save tons of money. For example today I bought 4 pounds of shredded cheese. I really did not need that much, but I got it for around $8. It fit in the budget so I bought it. I took it home and portioned it into 2 cups per baggie and froze it. This should be enough to last us the rest of the month.

Another way to stock up is after the holidays or buying in season. Soon after Thanksgiving and Christmas I can almost bet you there will be some cans of pumpkin, meat, and other baking supplies marked way down.

7.) Be creative and flexible. If you run out of an item before your next shopping trip try to find an alternative. There have been many times we have run out of something and the kids will of course be asking for it. I have had to tell them to wait many times. I will not say that I do not ever give in, but I try to make them wait. It is good for them to learn this lesson and it also helps with the impulse buys that will most likely happen when you go to the store for that 1 item causing you to blow your budget.

8.) Watch for sales on Amazon. I have found many organic items on sale with Amazon lately. I will do my best to highlight them when I see them. If you have any Swagbuck gift cards saved up you can easily score some free or cheap organic/ natural food.

Tomorrow I am planning to post about where you should start to make the changes in your diet to help ease your family into this new way of life.

Here is my proposed schedule of posts for this series. I am open to suggestions.
Week 1-Baby Steps and Budget
Week 2- What, Where, and Why? Food groups
Week 3- Frugal ways to buy natural personal care and toiletry items.
Week 4- Household items
Week 5- Anything I may have left out.

I would love to have you join me. I am thinking about starting a monthly post with a link so everyone can share their progress stories. That way we can all help each other along with additional ideas and support.

50 Beans/Lentil And Rice Recipes With Links

Photo Courtesy of Photobucket

After buying a lot of bulk beans and rice last week I decided I needed to look for some inventive ways to use them so we do not get bored with just beans and rice. I have obviously not had a chance to try all of these, but I have made a few. All of which were quite good.

I tried to look for recipes that did not include meat to make these more frugal, but there may be some that do have it in the ingredient list. Of course you can always adapt the recipe to your taste and budget.

I also tried to find recipes that did not require strange or expensive ingredients, but were still varied and interesting, including two desserts. (Check out the recipe for chocolate hummus at the bottom.)

Italian and Mediterranean
Minestrone
Pasta e Fagioli
Italian Black Beans and Rice
Hummus and Veggie With Pita
Falafel

Indian
Curried Lentils and Rice
Chola (Channa Masala)
Butter Chickpea Curry
Lentil Curry Dip
Lentil Curry Snack
Dhall

Southwest
3 Bean Chili
Taco Salad
Rice and Bean Burritos
Taco Soup
Taco Pizza
Mexican Lasagna
Spanish Rice With Bean Dip
Bean Quesadillas
Layered Bean Enchilada Casserole
7 Layer Tortilla Pie
Pintos With Mexican Spices and V8
Arroz con Leche (Mexican Rice Pudding)

Southern
Red Beans and Rice

Soups and Salads
Chickpea Soup
Chickpea Pasta
Lentil Soup
Split Pea Soup
Black Bean Soup
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Lentil Curry Soup
Moros y Christianos
Chickpea Salad
Pasta Bean and Veggie Salad

Indian (American)
Indian Fry Bread (Tacos)

Asian
Pho
Chinese Fried Rice

Caribbean
Caribbean Rice and Beans

Misc.
Lentil and Rice Casserole (Easy, cheap, and YUMMY!)
Lentil Soup With Mashed Potatoes (Think shepherd's pie)
Black Beans and Rice Burgers
Bean Chili Over Baked Potatoes (Just like it says. Leftovers over baked potato)
Caramelized Onions and Beans
Lentils In Butter With Veggies and Cornbread
Sauteed Crispy Chickpeas
Savory Lentils and Rice
Chickpeas With Sweet Potato ans Summer Veggies
3 Bean Casserole
Black Bean Tortilla Bake
Chocolate Hummus (I think this sounds interesting)

OK, after putting this together I am hungry!

More Bulk Food Fun

I wish I would have taken a picture of my bulk food purchase yesterday. There was enough to fill up the back of my small SUV! My husband and I decided to make a quick run to Yoder Saturday morning to restock on some staple items. We had so much fun shopping and spending some time together without the kids.

Here is a breakdown of what I came home with....

Carriage Crossing- 2 HUGE cinnamon rolls. We are talking dinner plate size. Total these were less then $3! (definitely an item we "needed")

Yoder Meat Market-I already stocked up on meat from Satchel Creek so we just poked around and bought 2 things of raw milk cheese on sale BOGO, hydroponic, organic tomatoes, and a little cheese snack. I think we spent around $7-8

Yoder Bulk Foods-Our main reason for going........

25 lbs oats

10 pounds black beans

10 pounds pinto beans

10 pounds red beans

5 pounds split peas

50 pounds of flour (No grain mill yet, sigh. I store this in my big freezer)

5 pounds of cornmeal

10 pounds of rice

5 pounds of lentils

6 pounds sugar (Yes, the processed bad stuff. The holidays are coming and my extended family does not care for the natural sweeteners)

Lots of different spices

About 1 lb sea salt

I think that is it unless I left something out. Total for the bulk food store $105! Not too bad. This should be enough to last us 4-5 months. With the meat I bought earlier in the week I am hoping to only have to buy produce and eggs the rest of the month. We will see how it goes. Yes buying natural food is a little more expensive, but when you consider how many things you are not buying it almost evens out.

Lunchbox Limbo

I have been searching for ways to get my picky 4 year old to eat healthier foods without a fight. I am sure this is something that most moms go through. I was so excited when I stumbled onto the blog Lunchbox Limbo. Amanda has some really good ideas for helping ease your kids into healthier eating habits. I love all the cute ways that she presents the food to her children so that even healthy foods can be fun.

This is an example of one of the creative lunches you will find at Lunchbox Limbo. It is called"Pinkalicious". Pinkalicious just happens to be one of my daughters favorite books. I will have to give this one a try. For many more inspiration and seasonal ideas on making your kids lunch boxes healthy and fun make sure to check out Lunchbox Limbo.

A Whole Foods Budget

I had planned to do a post on dairy foods and where to find them today, but I have decided that I should start with a rough break down of my grocery budget instead. I thought it might help to see where I am coming from and what I have to work with.

I would like to start out by saying that I realize every person has a different budget. Some have more to spend then others as well as more mouths to feed. I feel it is extremely important not to get bogged down with the numbers or to think that what one person is able to do should be what you strive for. Each family should try to do the best they can and be good stewards of what the Lord has given them. So if you can only put beans and rice into a whole foods budget instead of grass fed steak and organic produce that is completely OK as long as you are doing what is right for your family.

I would also like to say that I do not feed my family a completely unprocessed, organic diet. I too am still working on trying to transition everything over as I am able to. I am still in a learning process as well. Sometimes I am not able to get organic things into my budget so I try to at least strive for a whole food such as conventional produce, beans, or cheese. At least it is real food.

I promise tomorrow I will start into each food group and navigating the grocery store, but I felt it was important to get the basics down first.

My budget every month is typically $250-$300 a month feeding 2 adults, a 4 year old and a 19 month old. Before I started a whole foods diet I would spend around $400-$500 a month. So I am actually saving money. How you may ask? Well we quit buying junk and convenience food. Yes they may be quick and easy, but at what expense?

I would also like to say that I feel it is OK to spend money on good quality food. I went through a time recently where I was so concerned about paying off debt that I thought our grocery budget was a good place to skimp. I have since learned that it is better health wise to cut other areas of the budget and try to keep as much money as possible in the grocery budget. Think of it as preventative medicine.

Another way I save money in our budget is by making almost everything we eat. You may think that I spend all my time in the kitchen, but you would be surprised. With all of the modern conveniences that we are spoiled with these days I am able to get things done a lot quicker. For example a bread maker, food processor, crock pot, and a yogurt maker. These things take minutes to get started and save me a ton of time in the kitchen.

What are some things I try to avoid in our foods? Hormones, antibiotics, MSG, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and preservatives, hydrogenated oils, white sugar, and white flour. If you look at the ingredients in most store bought items you will see at least 1 if not many of these. Even in the so called "all natural" items. Don't let yourself be fooled.

I think I have gotten a little off track here. Back to the budget.

Meat-
Beef $25 a month
I typically buy our meat once a month from a local cattle ranch. I know where my beef is coming from and how it was raised. They even offer tours. The nice thing is they have a store here in town and they have Fill Your Freezer Friday where everything in their freezer case is 50% off! This make things like ground beef $2.50 a pound. Not too bad. If you live around here the ranch is called Satchel Creek Steaks. Go check them out.

Chicken $? Not sure. I stock up when it's on sale and it lasts for several months
I try to buy Smart Chicken brand at Dillons when it is on sale. I can also get it at farmers market or Satchel Creek Steaks.

Fish $10-15 a month
I live in a land locked state so I have to buy this frozen at the grocery store. I usually find wild fish fillets on sale for $1 each at Target. This can easily be stretched by making fish sticks or fish patties.

Grains and Flour
I buy these in bulk from an Amish bulk foods store in Yoder. If Azure Standards would ever start delivering in my part of the country I may get it from them. I buy 25 pounds of locally grown whole wheat flour for $10 and freeze it in smaller freezer bags. I wish I had a grain mill, but not yet.

I buy beans from a local health food store in bulk.

Produce
I try to buy these in season at the cheapest price possible and freeze or can the extras. Today I had a ton of apples that I decided to make into applesauce. I often get these at farmers market, grocery stores and Aldis (Not always organic, but it fits in the budget)

Milk $30 a month
From a dairy or conventional if I have to.

Misc. What ever is left.

Like I said this is a really rough breakdown of my budget, but hopefully it gives you some kind of idea of what I have to work with.

Stay tuned for my series on transitioning to a whole foods diet and navigating your way through the grocery store to find the most nutritious foods.