Percolated Coffee

What happens if your power goes out? If your anything like me, one of the first things you think of is "How am I going to make my coffee!?!?".  Since we have a gas stove, we bought a percolator. It takes about 20 minutes to brew but it makes a nice strong cup of coffee!

Inside, there are levels showing ho high to fill the water.  Mine has a 4, 6 and 8 cup option.

After (or before) you fill your desired amount of water, you put this piece into the pot.

This holds the part that contains the coffee and allows water to shoot up through the pipe and onto the coffee grinds.

We've been really into buying organic whole bean coffee and grinding it every other day or so. This allows for the freshest cup of coffee you can get in your kitchen. This is one of the bags of coffee that we tried. It's one of the better ones but not the best. As with almost everything we buy, it is ordered from Amazon.com

Awhile ago, my aunt gave me a version of the magic bullet. This works great as a coffee grinder.

A coarse grind is best for the percolator. We also have a reusable K-cup for our Keurig which the coarse grind also works well for.

I usually measure 1 tbsp of coffee to each cup of water.

Put the lid on the coffee part, then the lid on the pot.

Set stove on high. Once it starts to boil, lower to about medium and time it for about 7 minutes.

You can see the coffee pop up and down in the clear knob on top.

Pour in your favorite mug and enjoy!

I like to use a tsp of organic sugar and vanilla almond milk to give it more flavor.  :)

Why You Should Add This to Your Daily Diet

 Not all fats are bad! Did you know there are fats you can eat that promote the burning of body fat? Who would have thought to eat fat in order to burn body fat. But what foods contain those good fats? Avocados are are great source of this fat. A whole avocado has about 250cals. and 28g of fat but dont let that turn you away. Avocado helps you feel full longer with 9.8 g of fiber, 2.9g of protein, 17.5 g calcium and 708mg of potassium.  They also contain antioxidants that are good for eyes, help slow aging and may even fight cancer. Eating avocados with other fruits will make it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients from the others. Vitamin c, e, carotenoids, selenium, zinc, phytosterols and omega 3 all help with inflammation. Minimizing osteo and rheumatoid arthritis. I add about  1/2 an avocado in almost all my smoothies. Ive also put thin slices on sandwiches instead of mayo. A great substitution on salads, BLT's, turkey wraps, and even grilled chicken sandwiches.

Garden

I wanted to share the status of my gardening. :)

 I had a bunch of spinach planted but for whatever reason it did not make it. I planted some new seeds about 2 weeks ago and am please to see that it has already sprouted its first set of true leaves which is further than the last ones ever made it. Since I eat a ton of spinach, I planted about 20 more seeds and I really hope I get a good turn out!

 I am super surprised to see these bell pepper plants doing so well! I had saved these seeds from organic peppers I bought from the food store, I let them dry out for about a month and now have 10 beautiful little plants growing very nicely.  I also have a few jalapeno plants growing pretty well.

 This mesclun lettuce mix I planted said it would be ready for harvest in 30days. Here we are a month later and I don't think it appears to be ready yet. There was about a week where I thought all my plants wouldn't make it. Ironically, the weather took a turn for the better and the sun has been shining bright, right into my house and all my plants really perked up. If you look toward the top left of this picture, you can see some of the lettuce leaves are starting to turn red. This is a great sign since about half of this mix is supposed to be red lettuce.

 <-- Maybe a better picture for the reddish leaves?

 Here is my basil! I really thought these were going downhill but they are now doing wonderfully. All have their first set of true leave (actual basil leaves). I'm having a hard time holding back from picking them. They look and smell so good!

 My cherry tomato plants are growing well. They seem to be gaining strength and I can't wait to see the pretty little red fruit! The smaller plants in this pot are yellow pear tomatoes. I hope they taste as good as they look.

 I think the cucumbers are the most interesting. They have very pretty, rather large, fuzzy leaves. I also find it so cute how they grab onto whatever is near. It kind of gives you a realization that plants are living things. I have 3 of these in a pot and a tomato cage in for them to grab onto.

Here is a closer picture where you can get a better visualization of the fuzzy leaves and the vines. Although this vine apparently hasn't found its way to hold onto the tomato cage yet.





Almost all of my plants are doing quite well, especially since the weather is nicer. I haven't had to use my plant lighting in about a week now. Ive started digging out the space I'll be using for when I'm ready to bring my plants outside. My toddler and I even planted some more seeds to ensure we will have a lot to look forward to. Wondering what I planted? Here's a list of everything I have going right now;
Zucchini, Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Jalapeno Pepper, Celery, Romaine Lettuce, Cherry Tomato, Yellow Pear Tomato, Mesclun Lettuce, Spinach, Basil, Sage, Cilantro, Chives, Mint, Lavender, Chamomile, Scallions, Brussels Sprout, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Carrots and although its a little early, we planted some corn. I also planted an orange seed which sprouted! Not sure how far that one will go though because 1; it's a tree and 2; it's a warm climate fruit so it would have to be brought in for any chance of survival through winter.
I look forward to sharing more when my outdoor garden is finished. Only a few more weeks!

Hiding Greens in Mac & Cheese

 If you ask me, that looks like a kid who's enjoying her food! I think the secret is to start them with green food young. That way, as they grow, they don't automatically refuse something because of color. As you can see from the picture, my almost 11 month old is devouring this super mac & cheese.

 I was kind of excited when my husband brought home this brand  instead of the Annie's brand that we usually buy which only has organic pasta.

So simply cook up a box of this awesome organic mac & cheese, as usual.

While your pasta is cooking up, quickly heat up about a cup of organic frozen chopped spinach. If your heating in a pan, you can use a splash or 2 of organic chicken broth or vegetable broth.

After spinach has been cooking for a few minutes, throw it in a small food processor and run it until its almost baby food.

After the mac & cheese is prepared, mix in your spinach.

               

I'd say this meal is a winner!

What Supplements Do You Find Helpful?

I had been noticing, for awhile that I have a hard time getting through the day. At first it was easy to blame on pregnancy. But since it's been almost a year since my 2nd baby was born, I couldn't really use that excuse anymore. Was it because I was overweight? No, because even after I had lost 20lbs, I was still exhausted all the time. Of course having 2 toddlers would wear anyone out, but I was even struggling to cook and play simple games. I would manage to push through the day, the best I could for the sake of their well being but I couldn't live like this forever.

My husband had several supplements in the cabinet so one day I added the into my breakfast routine. Whoa! Burst of energy! Multivitamin, Omega-3, Probiotic and Vitamin D-3. The next day I went without taking the D. Is it a surprise that I was lethargic again? I found my answer. The bottle that we had was 2,000 IU of vitamin D-3 gel caps. But how do the make those cute little squishy, easy to swallow gel caps? Gelatin. I don't think I can emphasize my disgust for how gelatin is made. My hunt for a gelatin free vitamin D began.

My mother-in-law said that vitamin D-3 is the best, most potent D available so make sure, when purchasing this supplement, you opt for the D-3 over D or D-2. Trader Joe's only have plain D on their shelf so I went over to Whole Foods. What a selection they have! They must have a hundred varieties of probably every vitamin. I wish I took a picture to post but I suppose you will just have to go see for yourself!

I ended up going with this liquid form of vitamin D-3.
I was really looking for a 5000 IU serving but I didn't see one available without gelatin. This cute little bottle recommends 2 drops to give you the 4000 IU so I guess it would be safe to assume each drop is 2000 IU. I LOVE this product! I take 3-4 drops either into my smoothie or right on my tongue. The ingredients are simply Vitamin D-3 and extra virgin olive oil to give it a substance.

It took me a few minutes to understand exactly how to get it to drip. It says to just turn it upside down. Not obvious in this picture, but there is a tiny tube, less than an inch long and you need to position the bottle as if you are pouring through the tube. (I hope that was a good explanation.) Once you figure it out, it's super easy.
Just under $15 gives you months of use. The box says it contains 300 servings of 4000 IU so even if you double it, like me, your still getting a good 5 months out of this tiny bottle. I don't think it gets any better this but if I find that it does, I will share.


What about fiber? For several years now, I've used Benefiber (thanks to my dear cousin Jamie). While this is a great product and I don't see anything wrong with it, I have found one better.

Here is a comparison:

                                                                Benefiber            Clear Fiber
Serving Size -   2tsp                    1Tbsp
Calories -         15                        10
Carbs -           4g                      5g
Dietary Fiber -    3g                       5g
Soluble Fiber -     3g                       5g
Price -        $9.59/8.6oz                 $15.99/9.5oz

Clear fiber is a little more expensive and takes just a little longer to dissolve but it is organic! And if you wanted to do the math and incorporate the higher price with the higher nutritional value then I'd bet its about equal. :)

Vitamin C I don't take too often. Honestly, my only reason is that I take my vitamins pretty early and since I brush my teeth first thing in A.M., I dont quite enjoy the sour taste. I know, poor excuse. But I do have a Trader Joe's bottle in my house, compliments of my sister-in-law. I would definitely suggest these.

Adult Multivitamins

I have a huge problem with multivitamins. If I don't eat a substantial amount of food then I get sick to my stomach. I've also been trying to avoid certain ingredients such as soy and gelatin. (Dangers of soy.)  (How is gelatin made?)

The One A Day weight smart is the multivitamin I have been taking which has put me close to vomiting numerous times. This vitamin does contain gelatin and soy, along with artificial colors and titanium dioxide which is a carcinogen.

I wont be purchasing this one anymore.
Note: Price is about $9 for 50 one a day tablets.


The first vitamin that I found myself happy with was Deva Vegan Multivitamin & Minerals on Amazon.com. If you look on the Deva website, you can see a full list of ingredients for all of their products. I was pleased that they are free of GMOs, yeast, wheat, gluten, milk, sugar, salt, starch, preservatives; animal products, byproducts or derivatives. And no soy either, so I found this very satisfying. They are about $18 for 2 bottles of 90 count one a day tablets.

For argument sake, I went to Trader Joe's to see if they had a similar vitamin for a better price. I ended up purchasing their brand multivitamin & mineral antioxidant. These were about $8 for 100 tablets but they recommend 2 per day. They are gluten free & no yeast, sugar or starch.
This bottle does not express to be non GMO or not containing ingredients produced from disgusting animal parts but I did notice that several ingredients have a parenthesis saying "vegetable source".

I will definitely continue the use of the Trader Joe's brand but will then be buying Deva. I think the Deva brand gives you more for your money while also giving you the confidence that you will be taking the healthiest product available.

Vegetarian Chili

 Yum. A very enjoyable vegetarian meal. I temporarily gave up meat, not sure if ill go back. But I was starting to feel like everything I was eating was cold. I needed a warm up! So, I made up this chili recipe. My husband (a meat eater) and I were both very pleased with the outcome.

Ingredients

1 bag Kidney Beans
1 bag Barley
1 bag Lentils
3 cups fresh Spinach or 1pkg frozen
3-4 Large or small bag baby Carrots
1 Yellow Onion
15 Cherry Tomatoes
1 Box Vegetable Broth
2-3 Tbsp low sodium Chili Powder
3Tbsp hot sauce or a jalapeno pepper (or both)
Pecorino Romano
Cheddar cheese 
Pasta (optional)

Now, I used chicken broth because Im used to it and didn't think about the the fact that it comes from chicken. Haha. Next time I will use vegetable broth.

Also, I suggest not using dried beans, barley, ect. because they take FOREVER to cook. Whole Foods sells these ingredients in the freezer section. They are totally precooked, organic AND in biodegradable packaging. Feel free to add more varieties of beans. I do not suggest canned because any metal in canned goods is lined with BPA. Few companies make their products BPA free.

1. Add veggie broth to pot and set on medium.
2. Chop up carrots, onion, tomatoes and (if using) jalapeno.
3. Add all ingredients, except cheeses, to pot and let cook for 1-2 hours. Stirring occasionally.
4. Cook pasta of choice shortly before the chili is done. I like to add a little olive oil to the water to prevent pasta from sticking, but this isn't necessary.

I try to keep my pasta intake to a minimum so I enjoyed just the chili. But for the pasta lovers, put some pasta in a bowl then cover with several scoops of chili.

5. Top with grated pecorino romano and cheddar cheese. I like to buy the cheese blocks and use a hand grater. Pre-grating or buying already grated cheese is an option as well.

Note: If using dried beans, cook almost thoroughly before adding other ingredients.

What's In YOUR Vitamins?

I thought vitamins were supposed to be healthy. Why have I found so many UNhealthy ingredients?
I wasn't sure what was the best vitamins for my kids so I asked their pediatrician to prescribe what she thought was best. Not thinking much about it, I filled the overpriced vitamins ($30 each per month) and was giving them to my girls for a few weeks.When I started to really become aware of toxins and carcinogens in food, It came to my mind to look at the ingredients in these vitamins. What the heck have I been giving my kids!?!?! And a doctor prescribed this?!?!?
.
In the liquid infant vitamins the active ingredient was fluoride! Are you aware of the health hazards of ingesting flouride? AND my then 9 month old was ingesting it on a regular basis!
Shall I start on the inactive ingedients?

Caramel color - Artificial flavors are usually derived from petroleum.
Cherry flavor - Artificial
Glycerin 
Methylparaben - Parabens can mimic the action of estrogen which can cause breast cancer growth & decrease sperm quality.
Polysorbate 80 - Linked to infertility
Purified water
Sodium Benzoate - Worsens symptoms of ADHD (diagnosed or not).
Sodium Hydroxide - Used in drain and oven cleaners but deemed same for food? Read More

Here are the ingredients in my toddlers vitamins, also prescribed by the pediatrician.

Active Ingredient: Fluoride

Other Ingredients:

Artificial Cherry Flavor - Artificial flavors are usually derived from petroleum.
Absorbic Acid - When not organic, it is likely derived from Genetically Modified corn.
Aspartame - Can cause headaches, brain tumors, brain lesions and lymphoma.
Cholecalciferol - Form of vitamin D
FD&C Red #40 Aluminium Lake - Produced from petroleum. Causes hyperactivity in children.Carcinogenic
Folic Acid
Gelatin - Made from animal skin and bones. Do I need to further explain how gross this is?
Lactose -  A sugar extracted from milk
Magnesium Stearate - If not vegetarian, it likely comes from animal fat.
Mannitol - A sugar alcohol.
Niacinamide - Vitamin B3
Povidone - Synthetic polymer derived from petroleum.
Pyridoxine - Vitamin B6
Riboflavin -  Vitamin B2
Silicon Dioxide - Anti caking agent. When used as a food additive, anything over 2% is.considered unsafe      but natural silicon dioxide found in fruits and veggies helps promote strong bones and joints.
Sucrose - Table sugar. Non organic sugar is usually made from genetically modified sugar beets or genetically  modified sugar cane
Thiamine - Vitamin B1
Vitamin A Acetate
Vitamin B12
Vitamin E Acetate 

 I have discontinued use of these vitamins. After hours of reading ingredients, I believe I have found a great children's vitamin.

 Yummi Bears Organics Multi-Vitamin

Free of: yeast, wheat, milk, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, allergens, gluten, casein, gelatin, artificial flavors, artificial colors, salicylates and artificial preservatives.

These vitamins are cute, colorful, tasty
and my daughter loves them!

They have real sugar in them but Id much rather a little bit of something real over any amount of something artificial.

 So whats in these little guys that makes me love them? Well, nothing artificial or made from animals.

Ingredients: Vitamins A, C, D3, E, B6, B12, Niacin (B3), Folic Acid, Biotin (Vit H), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Calcium, Potassium Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc.
 
Other Ingredients: Organic evaporated cane juice, organic tapioca syrup, pectin, citric acid, natural flavors (strawberry, orange, pineapple, grape), natural colors (black carrot juice concentrate, annatto, tumeric, purple berry juice concentrate) and sodium citrate.

Yummi Bears Organics are vegetarian approved so no ingredients made from animals.

Did I mention they are certified organic?

I purchased these on Amazon.com. $11.99 for 90 vitamins. Children can take up to 3 a day. I noticed when you click to open the link it only shows a picture of the non organic version which does contain gelatin (yuck). But I did receive the organics. :)



What about us adults? Coming Soon: Information on Adult Vitamins & the best option I can find.

Sources: befoodsmart.com, wikipedia, rxlist.com, buzzle.com

Wild Blueberry Hemp Smoothie

This smoothie is delicious! Packed with nutrition and just full of berry flavor. I had read that hemp was good for you so I wanted to squeeze it in somehow.

Hemp is a super food with many health benefits such as weight loss, increased energy, recovery from disease or injury, reduced inflammation and heart health.

Curious about the relation of hemp and marijuana? I was. They are both species of the cannabis plant. Example; Hemp is to marijuana as chihuahua is to wolf.

 Ingredients


3 Cups Fresh Spinach
1/2 Avocado
1 1/2 Ripe Bananas
1/2 cup Vanilla Yogurt
1 cup Frozen Wild Blueberries
1 cup Vanilla Hemp Milk
1 tsp Hemp seeds
4 ice cubes

Add all ingredients (except hemp seeds) into food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Add hemp seeds on top or mix into smoothie.

Makes enough for 2.

Super Easy Tomato Basil Mini Pizzas

 So easy a toddler can do it!
We made this very simple and tasty dish into a learning experience by counting each ingredient and letting Alexa top the pizza's. Obviously she can't use knives or ovens so parental guidance is required. But leave the details to the kids and you'll both enjoy it.

 I lightly toasted the bread while we counted out 15 cherry tomatoes, 10 spinach leaves and 1 clove garlic. Alexa put all the ingredients into a small food processor along with a few basil leaves. After everything was blended together, I took out the blade and she piled our custom tomato "sauce" onto the toasted bread.

 I sliced up some extra spinach for mine.

Then grated some pecorino romano cheese over everything.

  

It's probably a good idea to prepare yourself with extra cheese. If your anything like my toddler, half of it will end up in your belly before the pizza even goes in the oven.

We managed to get a good amount onto the pizzas (and the floor). I put the plate right into the 350 degree oven for 15 min. And having dogs made the floor clean up much easier. :)

 This is the one loaded with spinach.




 I actually made the same thing the night before for dinner but I used english muffins, which are much more enjoyable. I'll give you a quick picture view of that one...

If you aren't spinach obsessed, like me, you can adjust your tomato-spinach ratio.

 Yum! Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese.

 English muffins look nicer and taste best. But, really, any bread works for this recipe.

    Enjoy!