Kit's Organic Review

I was given the opportunity by the very nice people at Clif Bar to try their new Kit's Organic bars.

Named after the co-founder, Kit Crawford, Kit's is a simple organic bar.

They are gluten free, soy free, and dairy free as well as certified organic (they also take care to make sure everything is free from GMO's).

I was sent a sampling of their 4 flavors:

Cashew

Berry Almond

Chocolate Almond Coconut

Peanut Butter

My favorite was the chocolate almond coconut, which was no surprise to me...I love chocolate.

A close second was berry almond.

Both of those were bursting with flavor.

The cashew and peanut butter were good, and filling, but the flavors were more mild.   The chocolate and berry were like having a party in my mouth.

The bars are chewy, not dry in the least, and full of flavor.  They are filling and perfect for when you are out and about or when you need a snack mid-morning/day.

Each bar has a simple list of ingredients (all of which I could pronounce) and to know that the ingredients were selected with as much care as I would put into my own creations made me feel good about eating it.

I am always excited to try bars.  I love the individual packaging and single serving so that I can't have the opportunity to over indulge.

But since they can be expensive I would only recommend ones I would want to spend my money on...Kit's is definitely one I would consider purchasing.

You can keep up with the gang at Clif by checking them out on Facebook and Twitter.

What are your favorite flavors for a snack bar?

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Abuzz

The internet is abuzz with news about California's proposition 37.

If you don't know what that it is it is the proposition to label genetically modified foods.

I think the most disheartening reveal from the slurry of information out there is that some of the organic companies that I love are paying to say "No" to GMO labeling.

To me that seems completely counter intuitive, but when Pepsi/Kellogs/General Mills, etc own you they own your thoughts as well.

Such a shame!

I don't want to be preachy but I just have to say if you have nothing to hide then should not be concerned about labeling.

If you are proud of the product your produce you should not be concerned about labeling.

I found this chart on the website of the Cornucopia Institute (a 501c who promotes family scale farming).

Larabar put out a message today addressing their position on the "No" side.

Dear LÄRABAR Community,

We hear your passion and concerns regarding California Proposition 37, and we acknowledge the strongly held views on this topic.  We would like to restate – LÄRABAR products do not use any GMO ingredients, and never will. As a further sign of our commitment, we are in the process of enrolling our brand in the Non-GMO Project.

Like most food companies that sell products beyond California, General Mills (the parent company of LÄRABAR) is not in favor of state-based labeling laws.  General Mills believes labeling regulations should be set at the national level, not on a state-by-state basis, as Proposition 37 would mandate in California.  To learn more about General Mills’ position on Proposition 37, we encourage you to read more here.

We welcome your constructive, respectful feedback and will make sure that your comments are shared with General Mills.  For further questions or to share your comments, please contact us.

Simply yours,
The LÄRABAR Team

My issue with this missive is if you oppose state labeling why not spearhead national labeling?  Would it be so hard to spend some of that money to lobby for nationwide labeling?  Show the consumer community that you don't have anything to hide.

That is my rant for today, it has been sitting in the pit of my stomach all week.

To get a bigger breakdown of who owns the organic industry see this chart.

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Hop on Over to My House

Can I tell you what joy it is to have a package waiting on your front porch when you get home?

Seriously I love getting mail and boxes.

This week I got this box on front porch:

You can't see it but I did a little dance (scarred the neighbors a little) and tore into it to see what the goodies were.

Do you like what you see?

Me too :)

This is Lollihop.

Lollihop is a subscription service which, monthly, delivers to your door a box of treats.

These aren't just any treats they are healthy and organic.

The subscriptions start at $18.95 a month (what better last minute gift than this as Christmas is only 2 days away).

The items in the box are hand curated by nutritionists, who ensure the healthy quality and then taste test to make sure customers will be satisfied.

This is a great way to be exposed to new foods and sample something before you consider buying a full size version.

The selections change monthly, but just look what December had in store:

I lost the Larabar to my daughter who loves a "bar" and the Pop Corners were snatched by my oldest son who, at 9, is a snacking machine.

I was super pleased with the selections and variety (plenty of salty and sweet).

I don't know if I would buy the subscription for myself I think I would have more joy giving it to a friend and letting them see how good healthy food can be...afterall I do so want to help bring people into a healthier way of life.

Would you like to try Lollihop?  What sort of foods would you want in your box if you got one?

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A Visit to the Dairy

I was asked by my friend Pamela if I wanted to go with her, and some friends, to Homeland Creamery.

Homeland Creamery is a local dairy out of Julian, NC.  They use organic practices, but don't obtain the government seal of organic because they would have to leave their land untouched for 7 years.  That would be pretty hard for them to do since they grow all of the food they feed their cows (just to ensure that nothing has been sprayed on it).

We started our adventure with a fun, but VERY chilly, hayride around the farm.

As you can see by the plethora of blankets that we were chilled.  Pamela and her youngest daughter are a great example of how body heat provided a nice additional way to warm up.

We were showed the various pastures where they keep their milk, pregnant, "teenager" (ages 6-12 months), and 2 year old cows.  In total there are 400 cows...man that is a lot.

We learned that the average life a milking cow is 16-18 years.  After their milk wanes they are sent to a beef farm for slaughter.  Apparently the dairy cow makes a better steak because it is a leaner meat.

It doesn't matter to me, I am still not going to eat them.  Owen when he heard they were slaughtered for meat thought about giving up on meat altogether...I think it made him sad to connect a face to his meal.

The saddest fact I took from the tour was that a week after birth male babies are sold to beef farms.  I realize they don't produce milk, and are thus not an asset to a dairy farm, but I feel very bad for them never getting to bond with their mother.

Upon the end of our ride we saw a baby calf, who the children were able to bottle feed if they wanted.

The calves have to be bottle fed because they aren't allowed to nurse from their mothers.  Instead they are given formula so that the mother's milk can be stored for people...something just seems backwards to me.

The last part of the tour was a stop in the milk parlor.  It was a little scary looking.

We ended our day with some ice cream, cake batter flavor.  No matter how cold they were the kids were shaking and shivering, but they ate every last bit of the ice cream cup they had.

My children all thanked me for taking them on this field trip.  I think they were truly excited to see how a dairy farm works and to see where their milk comes from...plus there was ice cream.

Thanks Pamela for asking me if wanted to come.  It was a great experience to share.

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Hugh Jass Salad and Cookies

It may seem a little contradictory to have a salad followed by a cookie.

However in my mind I can eat the cookie because I was good and had a salad.

The salad I ate was one hugh jass salad.

One that could not be contained by a normal bowl I had to upgrade to a bowl that normally holds popcorn for movies.

In my salad was:

1 head of romaine chopped
1 C fresh spinach chopped
1 C fresh broccoli chopped
1 oz New York sharp cheese diced
1/2 C Fantastic World Foods taco filling
a splash of Italian dressing
3 Tbsp hemp hearts from Manitoba Harvest

I shared a portion of this goodness with Andrew (who commandeered my salad this weekend...seriously took the bowl from me and then consumed about 1/3 of what was in it).

The vegetables all came from my CSA share and the taco filling was a great find at Lowe's Foods.

Lowe's has a section that has reduced grocery items (often lots of organic items end up here...I guess people just aren't buying them but that turns out to be good for me) and can help making eating healthy food a little cheaper.  You should check and see if your local grocer offers something like this.

After my consumption of veggies it was time for one of these:

I am sure you recognize these as the ever popular Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie.

What you wouldn't be able to tell is that they were veganized...WOOHOO!

I simply swapped the butter for Earth Balance and the eggs for flax eggs.

Simple changes equal healthier cookies.

After having been to Costco to pick up these

I will be able to make LOTS of cookies !!!

I hope you all are having a happy Tuesday. 

It is unseasonably warm here in North Carolina, supposed to be 70 today.  How is the weather in your neck of the woods? 

In case you don't have it here is the Nestle Recipe:

2 1/4 C all purpose
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 C Earth Balance softened
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp vanilla
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax and 6 Tbsp water) *
2 C chocolate chips

*mix the flax and water and allow to sit and thicken

Combine everything and spoon out batter onto cookie sheets.

Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes per batch.

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Happy Friday and a Rudi's Giveaway

Well another Friday is here...YEAH for the upcoming weekend and for game 5 between the Phillies and Cardinals (GO PHILS!).

I am a big baseball fan and just had to give a quick shout out to my team!

Well from my title you can guess that I have a giveaway which I am bringing to you courtesy of the wonderful, and friendly, people at Rudi's Organic Bakery.

I have, for two lucky readers, a coupon for a free loaf of bread and a sandwich holder (which is oh so cute).

I was very generously gifted two loaves of Rudi's to sample.  They sent me Colorado Cracked Wheat and Rocky Mountain Sourdough (which was voted by readers of Vegetarian Times Magazine to be the TOP sourdough bread).

I am so glad that they sent me the sourdough because where as I LOVE wheat, and on my own would have purchased that from the grocery store, I would NOT have bought the sourdough.  I have never enjoyed the vinegar flavor in the dough. 

Let me say now that I am a reformed girl. 

I tried their sourdough and was blown away by the mild flavor...not to mention the soft texture. 

I toasted a slice up immediately and had a snack.  My kids were home from school and decided to join in.

Now let me just say that my kids are big fans of bread and have killed this loaf of sourdough, I think I've got a slice left.  And that is consumption in one days time.

Because it was a beautiful Indian Summer day we enjoyed our toast outside.  My daughter enjoyed the sweetness of the whole wheat and my son had sourdough.  My oldest son, Owen, (who didn't allow himself to be pictured) remarked that he would "even eat the crust on this bread...other bread NO WAY!  This bread YES!"  Pretty good since I could threaten him with many things and never get him to eat the crust on his bread (no not even telling him it will put hair on his chest works).

If you aren't familiar with Rudi's you might want to get acquainted. 

They are out of Boulder, Colorado and began baking their artisan bread in 1976.  They use organic ingredients and all ones you can pronounce (which I find important when I am selecting food to feed my family).

"Baked on the bright side" Rudi's offers 15 sandwich breads, 4 artisan breads, 8 buns and rolls, 4 tortillas, 8 bagels and English muffins, as well as numerous gluten free offerings and pizza dough.  Truly something for everyone and you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy it :)

Now you are all probably ready to make yourselves eligible for the giveaway.  All I need you to do is comment on this post and tell me which loaf of bread you would pick up from Rudi's. 

If you would like an additional entry get a friend to comment (you need to leave a second comment telling me you sent someone over and who they were).

Be sure to leave me a way to contact you!

The giveaway will be open until next Friday the 21st!

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Isn't it Ironic...don't you think

It's like rain on your wedding day.  It's a free line when you've already paid. 

No I'll stop as I am not going to recite Alanic Morissette's "Ironic" for you instead I would like to relay a message of irony.

This past Sunday on the way to church my husband and I had a conversation about food.

We often talk about food, we love it and enjoy just about all aspects of it.

Since watching films such as:  Food, Inc., Fast Food Nation, and The Real Dirt on Farmer John we are quite a bit wiser about food.  We have made a point to learn where our food comes from and how it is treated.

I've become vegetarian since gaining my knowledge and my husband and three children now only consume organic meats and grass fed beef (that is when they eat those items). 

This past Sunday though my husband and I were lamenting that the knowledge we have gained is almost like a burden.  In the past we would have thought nothing about going through a drive through and picking up a biscuit for breakfast. 

Now we can't think about eating fast food, or conventional food for that matter, without feeling ill and guilty.  Having to take time and effort to research restaurants, if we want to go out to eat, or checking all of the ingredients on packages to make sure the dreaded high fructose corn syrup isn't present really takes an effort.

Now please don't stop reading at this point and think I am whining about having to spend extra time to eat healthy.  I gladly spend the time because I care about the food that we eat and I want to ensure, more then anything, that my children aren't filled with chemicals and that they know what various fruits and vegetables actually look like in their natural state (not in French fry form or strawberry milkshake).

Back to my story :)  My husband and I just lamented that ignorance seemed simpler.  On the flipside however we have felt that burning need to share our knowledge of food to educate others...we just haven't really figured out how (other then my blog). 

Now we agree that there is NO WAY we could revert back to the old ways.  Lucky for us a reinforcement, that eating the way we do is the right path, was waiting for us at church.  Steve Tate from Goat Lady Dairy came to speak to the adults of the church during the Sunday school hour. 

Goat Lady Dairy is a local organic farm that produces goat cheese (yeah obvious I know from the name) but they also have a thriving CSA that has 150 participants.  Goat Lady hosts dinners and weddings and at every available opportunity they share the passion for locally grown organic food saying "when you change a person's relationship with their food, you change them, and the world, forever."

Steve is an ordained minister who aptly connects the ideas of caring for the land and animals to leading a Christian life.  His point is why wouldn't you want to let animals express their chickeness (scratching the ground searching for worms) and cowness (eating grass and clover) when we are given the opportunity to express our humaness every day.  Why would you want to eat chicken that has been kept inside, in the dark, for its entire short life and fed a cocktail of drugs to keep it from getting too sick?  The better, more healthy and humane, approach would be to allow the chicken to run free (without stress of being cooped up) and enjoy life until the end has come.  In the end that produces a healthier meat that will more adequately nourish your body.

Steve left us with some pretty heavy information (pun fully intended) that a recent study stated 50% of the adult population of the U.S. would be obese by 2030.  Holy Cow!  That signals to me that we need to do something about our food and our habits.  When you hear a staggering figure like that you should feel compelled to make a lifestyle change.

My husband and I left realizing this was exactly what we needed to hear.  Irony or not we were affirmed in our dedication to eating from farm to fork.

So without sounding too preachy, and I am pretty sure it is too late for that, I leave you with this.  Take an interest in your food.  Find out where you food comes from and respect your body enough to care for it.  Nurture and nourish it as it is truly a gift given to us by a God (or whatever higher power you put your faith in).

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G-O G-O GoMacro Go!

I feel a bit like a cheerleader this morning and just wanted to cheer the yumminess of GoMacro macrobars (sorry that you can't see me jumping up and flailing my arms around).

I received a pack of 3 bars to review from GoMacro.

I received Cashew Butter, Granola w/ Coconut, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip.

Now I just knew peanut butter chocolate chip was going to be my favorite, so I saved it and the first bar I sampled was granola with coconut.

Man oh Man!  The bar was chewy and flavorful. 

I was concerned that the taste would be similar to cardboard, as some "healthy" bars lack flavor and consistently even though they contain all of the right nutrients.  Not these bars they were similar to something you would make fresh from your own kitchen.

I actually lost the bar half way through to my daughter who decided it was her "treat" and she would finish it up.  No worries though I was glad to share the goodness.

I have sampled the Cashew Butter, and the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip.  Both are very mild in flavor and not overwhelming.  You get the chewy, almost like fresh baked, goodness in each bite. 

All in all the granola was my favorite although I can't wait to get to the store and pick up a few other flavors and see how they fair (I have my eye on Cherries N' Berries).

They are very filling and it made a great breakfast for me before heading to church this past Sunday. 

For those of you who haven't heard about GoMacro let me tell you just a little bit about this eco-conscience big picture company. 

The companies co-founders (Amelia Kirchoff and Jolanta Sonkin) are a mother-daughter team who built their business from Jolanta's new macrobiotic diet (she used it to help heal from cancer...see here). 

Their bars are

• gluten free
• USDA organic
• Vegan
• Macrobiotic

What is macrobiotics?  Well it is based on the following principle:

1. Foods are the foundation of health and happiness.
2. All foods are composed of antagonistic and complementary elements which determine their yin and yang qualities.
3. Foods should be unrefined, whole and natural. 
4. As much as possible, foods should be grown locally and eaten in season.
5. Grains are the staple food of mankind 

GoMacro food supports the 5 principles and a desire to help the planet.  They purchase their supplies from small growers and farms that care for their workers and the environment (their growers are listed here).  On their site they state that if "nature didn't make it we do not use it." 

The desire to help the planet also comes in the form of packaging (not just the organic pesticide free food).  The wrappers for the bars are made from a film that is biodegradable and compostable.  The boxes that the bars come in is made from 100% post consumer corrugated waste.  Which means you can take the boxes and recycle them OR you can plant them directly in the ground as seed starters.

These macrotreats are really all around a wonderful product and is something you can feel good about eating and sharing with others.  Give them a try and let the wonderful women, Amelia and Jolanta know how much you appreciate their dedication to helping us have a healthier lifestyle.

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What in the World?

Do you ever look around and see things that make you say "What in the world?"

I've been looking around this past week and have seen some strange things, for example:

Apparently you can make jelly/jam out of just about anything.

Around my house there have been some things to give me pause

That is a large Tonka truck tied to a kids car you push with your feet.  I can only imagine with the kids were doing when they rigged this up, although I am quite certain I would have been nervous to see it.

Around the house there are oddities like this little fella hanging out in my plants

The one item that was not odd, but absolutely fantastic was our sample of Let's Get Pickled (who are absolutely the nicest people and their customer service is incredibly prompt) marinated garlic. 

What was it marinated in?  18 year old white balsamic vinegar...WOOO!

I opened the jar and thought "MAN is the family going to enjoy this." 

I wish there was smellavision because the garlic was so fragrant and large.

From their site:

Our super jumbo garlic is locally grown in Gilroy, California.

We use the freshest vinegar and garlic that are known to provide excellent health benefits.

Many studies show that fresh garlic has positive impacts on a wide range of health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, colorectal and gastric cancer, prostate cancer, and unhealthy cholesterol levels. Garlic's proven antioxidant, antibiotic and antibacterial properties deliver a powerful preventative boost as well.

Marinated garlic with skin on, can age for up to 30 years and it only gets better with time. Just keep it in a cool, dark place. You can eat this by itself or as a side dish with your favorite food, or add it to your salad. Vinegar can be used for cooking or as a salad dressing too.

Now I don't eat meat, but everyone else in my family does.  So it was with pleasure (but much guilt) that I prepared this steak for my family.  Now to be fair the meat was organic and fed a grass fed diet (which is what cows were meant to eat).

For starters I roasted the garlic in the toaster oven for about 20 minutes to bring out its flavor

I removed the skins and put it in my magic bullet along with a splash of olive oil to help make the mixture smooth.

Salt and pepper your steak

Then smear with the garlic mixture...use it all as the more garlic the better.

(sorry the photo is so dark my husband, who is helping here was blocking out all of the light)

Saute in a pan.  You'll want to make sure you only turn the steak once.  I cooked the steak about 7 minutes per side.

And your final result is this:

The kids and husband scarfed this up and admitted it had the best flavor yet.  I have to give all the credit to my garlic...thanks so much Let's Get Pickled.

I cannot wait to try more recipes with the garlic and share them with you...I am sure there will be some garlic and potatoes this week (my favorite combination).

I will make this one obvious plug give Let's Get Pickled a try I promise you will not be sorry and you will be amazed at the flavors and speedy service (seriously I don't know how my shipment reached me so fast).

I will be curious to see if eating it makes you do this:

"What in the world?"

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