Maneuvering Life and Motherhood with Twins Plus One
Category: Organics
Organics does not have to cost a fortune. Find out about some great products and food items that will truly enhance your organic lifestyle, Karie shares some of her organic options and products.
Breakfast is by far my most favorite meal of the day. I wake up starving. Sounds completely foreign to most, but honestly I have trained my body to eat within the first hour of waking. For you fitness guru’s – fist and chest bump. Carbs are also a devilish delight, but when you are eating clean certain carbohydrates are totally off limits and not friendly to your food regimen. I personally love me some beak filling carbohydrates. Toast…bane of my breakfast existence. Roasted potatoes and eggs…a close second for some fabulous food to nosh on with my coffee. Best of both worlds is sweet potato hash and scrambled egg whites, coupled with chicken chorizo.
So last night while contemplating what to whip up for dinner I opted for brinner (breakfast+dinner). I knew I had a tough crowd to serve, The Chad and my four footers. Each of the four foot people provided little feedback as to my culinary adventure for menu options of the evening. Being the head of household, or I’m delusional enough to believe so, I opted for brinner. Luckily I had all my ingredients ready. A trip to my local Sprouts just a few days prior proved fruitful as I picked up a fresh batch of chicken chorizo. If you have yet to try some, please do so. Rivaling the traditional pork and beef chorizo the chicken has amazing flavor and leaner. Great for those calorie counters and clean eaters like myself, no added sugars or fats.
Frying up my chorizo and scrambling some egg whites I wanted a carb. Knowing full well I was headed tot he gym for some weights and cardio I wanted to prep my body for the nutrients needed to sustain 90 minutes of intense exercise. I opted for some sweet potatoes. None like the sweet potatoes we have all been accustomed to at Thanksgiving dinners. You see those are called a yam, we however, interchangeably use the term sweet potatoes because they taste sweet. Sweet potatoes can have a hannah white, pale flesh and are loaded in vitamin A, biotin, vitamin C, they help regulate your blood sugar and are a healthy carbohydrate because of the amount of fiber and your body will thank you for all the anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal properties. I digress on the health aspect. The sweet potatoes and chorizo might be a meal to scoff, but please leave the guffaws until after you whet your palette with this sweet and spicy fall dish. Better yet, have it any time of the year if you happen to have a local butcher who would be kind enough to whip up a batch of chicken chorizo for you.
Taking these blond beauties I merely shredded them on a cheese grater. Some of you may opt for a food processor, I like the extra workout you get in shredding these bad boys by hand as I am reminded of cooking in the kitchen with my mother. Feeding a crowd like mine for brinner, breakfast or to make some tasty latkes I would suggest at least 5-6 medium sized potatoes. My kids love sweet potatoes so I had to use more, you be the judge based on your families appetite. After shredding I tossed them into a large frying pan that had been coated with coconut oil. Another super food I absolutely adore that you can use for anything and everything. Smoothies, baking, frying, or if you are like me a shot all by itself, but I am a fan of coconut so I don’t mind the taste or the smell I have found it to really accentuate my cooking on all levels when used properly.
Moving past the wonders of coconut oil as I can digress again, we have shredded the potatoes, they are in the pan that is coated with coconut oil, just make sure that your potatoes are evenly spread out across the pan for even cooking. This will ensure every inch of your potatoes become a hash as they brown and crisp. I cooked mine over medium-low heat for about 20-30 minutes to guarantee they were nice and crispy all the way around but still had enough sweet, soft, fleshy bites in the middle. Toss those into a serving dish or right onto your plates, sided with scrambled egg whites and chicken chorizo and you have yourself a sweet and spicy meal that is out of this world. Enjoy!
Utensils Needed:
2, 10-12 inch skillets (one for potatoes, other for chorizo and eggs)
We have all been lied to. A world where everything we eat, drink, sleep and breathe is completely fine. Fukushima, well that was ionizing radiation as a cancer preventative. Genetically modified (GMO) foods are completely fine and have no negative lasting impact on our bodies. For years, farmers have been cross breeding plants for hardiness and for food variety so the splicing of genomes in a laboratory to create a new tomato that is immune to Roundup is no different. Organic, its a scam. The new bottled water fad and sure to die a slow and painful death much like global warming.
Dinner’s New Tomato
Angry yet? You should be. For the second time in a month I have had a troll Scandinavian dwarf strongly suggest to me on Facebook how ridiculously wrong I was for supporting the organic movement and opposing GMO’s.
Let me be clear though on my stance with GMO food products; I AM in favor of a farmers agricultural tactic to cross breed plants in a field (nature does this on her own too), I AM NOT in favor of Dr. Kevorkian playing test tube roulette with a new breed of tomato for my dinner. I support the organic movement because I was educated about organic. I did not hop on some fad toting, band wagon of the newfangled fashion called organic. I did not wake up one day and make the Laissez-Faire decision to just up and rid my pantry and fridge of conventionally farmed, GMO laced foods. Did I clean out my pantry of the majority of those products? Absolutely, maybe not all at once, but I eventually did.
Why you ask?
In 2008 I delivered my twins and found a support group later that year for mothers of multiples. Among our group was a very well educated woman who yielded a fancy science degree, I will spare you her details, however she explained the facts and science of genetic modification (present state), organic foods, farming, how you become USDA organic certified, blah, blah blah. I soaked up every minute. Why? Because why not? I had nothing to gain or lose from her sharing her knowledge, or did I? What I had not mentioned to this point is this amazing woman’s journey defeating breast cancer. She defeated her progressive breast cancer and has been cancer free during the time I have been honored to call her friend. Her battle also included a diet rich in organic fruits, vegetables and meat and dairy products free of hormones or additives. While I am not a doctor and make no claim of the science, I did apply common sense and hear a truly moving situation.I also applied this new found knowledge to another friend who also had breast cancer. A survivor or Stage IV, double mastectomy, reconstruction and lymph removal. She DOES NOT eat an organic rich diet, staying her course she still frequents all fast food joints, drinks large quantities of diet soft drinks, and just 18 months ago underwent another round of cancer treatment for a form of oral cancer found in her mouth and lymph nodes. She has continued failing health including joint inflammation, thyroid, diabetes, and a gamut of other ailments.
Which path would common sense direct you to choose?
Imagine my surprise when in 2011 I receive a phone call from my physician alerting me to an abnormal pap. Her phone call included “biopsy”, “cancerous cells of the cervix”, “advancing cancerous tissue.” I was in a panic. While my family had integrated organic into our diet, we still fancied some fast food and I still partook in an occasional Starbucks; I had not completely overhauled my lifestyle. November of that year, while undergoing a very painful surgical procedure to remove the cancerous cells and tissue I vowed to change my life for the complete good. My family went full organic. While we already had integrated the fruits and vegetables and milk, meat purchases were still from traditional farming, until that day.While nothing is wrong with traditional farming I could not support this mode of food production. The chemicals, the hormones, the pesticides, none of it seemed right or natural to me as someone who had been touched by cancer and as a mother. From that day forward I have been cancer free and my paps have all been normal every six months.
A little over a year ago my mother-in-law was diagnosed with Stage III ovarian cancer. Her treatment was and is aggressive. When we spoke shortly after her diagnosis she mentioned how doctors said if she was going to eat certain foods they had to be organic due to the pesticide interaction with her chemotherapy. I found great irony in that statement. So I went further and researched chemotherapy and an organic diet. At best I found the naturopathic and alternative healing methods like the Gerson Institute and the Breville Method, all supported an organic rich diet of fruits, vegetables and pesticide free proteins. Nowhere did any of the well known cancer sites indicate that cancer patients should be eating a diet rich in organic fruits and vegetables, in spite of the fact that each of these people I know, all strangers to one another shared the same simple fact of eating an organic diet during their cancer treatment. For the conservatives out there I beg the question, what does a doctor gain from making this medical suggestion? If organic is purely a ploy for higher taxation and a fascist movement towards primitivism then why not exploit this venture, especially when physicians and the medical field are supported so heavily by big Pharm and the liberals?
Quite alright, we can save the Ayn Rand style debate for another day.
Do I dream of one day a world where we are free of harmful chemicals in our foods? Positively yes. My Rogerian beliefs is that we are all inherently good, so I favor for optimism in any outcome. Do I claim any health benefits that organic foods are more nutritious? Absolutely not. I am merely making an educated decision for myself and my family based on the research and real life experience of the effects of a diet with conventional farming versus organic farming; cancer or no cancer. I am a protagonist for a diet free of laboratory created, genetically modified foods and substances. When science tinkers around in the genomes and the DNA structure of plants for “improved” purposes I wonder what happens when that DNA is introduced into our environment outside of a lab. My personal research found that children with food allergies, autism, digestive disorders, chronic illnesses and cancer increased dramatically with the introduction of GMO foods. Here is the timeline:
1980 the first GMO was patented for the use to “gobble up oil spills,” because you know that has been a HUGE success
1982 an insulin produced by genetically modifying E.coli bacteria is on the market
1994 the Flavr Savr tomato is approved by the FDA for sale on grocery shelves and promoted for its delayed ripening and longer shelf life than conventional tomatoes
1996 the GMO resistant super weeds appear, weeds are found to be resistant to the herbicide glyphosate
1999 over 100 million acres worldwide are dominated by GMO
2011 Bt toxins (a soil bacteria GMO, engineered to be kill insects such as moths, butterflies, caterpillars) found in humans, specifically the blood of pregnant women being transferred to the fetuses.
From 1997 to 2011 the CDC reported that children with food allergies, digestive problems, chronic illness and skin disorders increased by 50%. Based on the above timeline, I can correlate that negative effects of GMO to our health. The FDA approves drugs on a daily basis that have a side-effect list as long as an ingredient list on a processed food box laden with GMO. Proven fact, Prozac which was and is the most highly prescribed anti-depressant starting in the late 80s has had the longest clinical study, spanning 20 years and is still being studied, continues to releases new and harmful side-effect which include the following: suicidal thoughts and behavior, birth defects, premature labor, severe skin reaction, insomnia, stuffy nose, sneezing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, tremors, dry mouth, low libido, dizziness. Oh and my personal favorites: heart defects in newborns, lung problems in newborns resulting in improper adaptation to breathing outside the womb, and last but not least, an increased risk of the baby developing AN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER.
Argue that GMO is perfectly safe, despite the fact we do not have enough research, hence the Prozac reference. Argue that organic may be more expensive and it’s a scam. But when adults result to insults, personal attack, and the “if you don’t listen to what I am saying” since I think “I am right” attitude, I just stop responding. Now this is about you and your feelings, not respecting my choice of which I respect yours. I have no problem with anyone’s choice regarding organic, and I am not opposed to hearing their side, especially if new information of some compelling nature is shared. Maybe I am wrong. I am okay with that, but for now, until I have concrete scientific proof that the long term effects of GMO, herbicides, pesticides and hormones are safe and the whole ban GMO is bullshit, organic is always my choice.
The most permanent trend among parents and kids these days is healthy! Healthy habits such as eating, drinking and going green with foods and food delivery products. These habits are fostered by the parents with their children from the beginning to culminate a healthy lifestyle throughout generations. Not only are these life choices a clean way of life but they help to keep our planet clean and reduce the overall carbon footprint.
Brita® is a company that is listening to parents and the way they want to teach their kids healthy habits. Brita® has developed the Brita® Bottle designed just for kids. The filtration company known for water filter pitchers and water filtration for the home has developed a fun, affordable, and convenient solution for kids to drink great tasting water on the go.
No more purchased bottles of water.
No more worries about lead leeching water bottles.
No more worries about plastic leeching water bottles containing BPA.
Brita® offers three fun, bright colors in kid-friendly styles. 13 ounces of water can be refilled time and time again without having to replace the filter until you hit the 40 gallon mark, or every two months if your child drinks the recommended amount of water per day. Sadly, only 15% of school-age children drink the recommended amount of water the body needs to refuel and replenish (i). An even more pathetic and striking fact is that on average, school-age children consume six sodas per week (ii).
Why not promote a fun and easy way to drink water that is portable, green, and saves you money?
The water bottles are dishwasher safe, are fully recyclable, and can replace over purchased plastic water bottles a year. Fill up the Brita® Bottle anywhere and on the go because the filter is built inside. Don’t fill up our landfills with all that plastic and think about all the good we are doing by not allowing that plastic to leach into our ground water and water systems.
But the benefits do not end there! With every purchases of a Brita® Bottle for kids receive a free children’s book. Hurry though this awesome offer wont last long, so be sure to head to your local Meijer or Meijer brand store to pick up your Brita® Bottle and be sure to visit http://www.scholastic.com/brita/ for more details.
i. Hudson, William (2011, April 18). “For Children, Where’s the Water?†Accessed from: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/18/water.school.children/index.html
ii. Strum R, Powell LM, Chriqui JF, Chaloupka FJ. Soda Taxes, Soft Drink Consumption and Children’s Body Mass Index. Health Affairs. 2010;5:1052-1058 http://www.kickthecan.info/sugary-drink-consumption
Automobile owners generally think of basic maintenance to the vehicle to consist of lube, oil, and filter replacement. By filter I mean the air filter that feeds air into the engine for better performance. What most car owners do not think of for basic maintenance is the intake filter in the cabin of the vehicle. Much like a homes intake filter for the central air unit, a vehicle has a cabin air filter to keep the air clean and fresh.
I received my Purolator Breathe Easy Car Filter and immediately began to read the instructions. The packaging indicated that the install would be rather simplistic. However upon reading the instructions I began to doubt the “ease” of this installation.
Copyright of The Five Fish & CKH Enterprises
Enlisting my husband who has been working on cars as long as he can drive he immediately began to dive in and reading the instructions thought to start disassembling my dash to reach the cabin air filter. Being a mom I had a gut feeling something was not right and that breaking any factory seals would be a strict “No-No” for this job. Furthermore, the product would not boast the ease of use installation as a selling point for this product.
So I did what any woman, girl, and or female would do and I snatched the Owner’s Manual from teh glvoe compartment and sought out in the index “cabin air filter.” VOILA, there was the entry and the picture page to help walk through what to do.
Copyright of The Five Fish & CKH Enterprises
The instructions indicated to start unlocking screws and clips in the instrument panel in order to access the air filter. Whereas the manual stated to push in two tabs in the GLOVE COMPARTMENT of my 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan in order to access the air filter. Wouldn’t you know it, the installation took all of three minutes where the included instructions stated 28 minutes total installation time. As a busy mom, I don’t have that kind of time.
Copyright of The Five Fish & CKH Enterprises
Sadly I also saw how neglected my poor people mover has been treated due to my lack of knowledge about cabin air filters. Look at all the gray and black nastiness that is caught in this air filter. Clearly I have not touched this filter since the day my car was bought at the dealership. More so I am saddened that vehicle maintenance shops INCLUDING dealerships do not mention this awesome and inexpensive fix for better cabin quality while riding in the car. Imagine all the particulates and agitates in the air that wreak havoc on your allergies and overall breathing in the cabin. Especially if you are one who uses the re-circulate option on the air in the vehicle, just breathing in all the extra dirt that was NOT caught by the filter. I know that the product stands by it’s name with breathing easy now in my car and knowing my kids will breathe easier as well. Do not take my word for it, take out your owners manual and take a look at your filter yourself to see the difference and then replace to feel the breathing difference. You can find Purolator retailers on their site where the filters are offered at a variety of auto centers and general merchandise stores.
DISCLAIMER:Â THIS IS A SPONSORED POST ON BEHALF OF Purolator Air Filters, Â I WAS COMPENSATED FOR MY TIME BY POSTING THIS INFORMATION AND IN NO WAY WERE MY PERSONAL VIEWS COMPROMISED OR ALTERED.
My small readership of only the half dozen of you lovely humans know that I tout and rant and rave about a healthy diet and clean food. Organic is tantamount for consumption in my house, if I cannot buy ALL organic I seriously have a small amount of guilt that runs through my obsessive compulsive mind that wishes to negate the effects of unclean food on my children. Yes, I am a bit extreme. My husband will be so happy that I am making such strides publicly about my OCD. Oh I digress early.
So the other day I took the opportunity to have lunch with my son. I do not do this often due to my work schedule and lately his behavior has become worrisome to me. I attributed some of this to poor eating habits (high sugar or carb foods and lower protein intake), and I know I can control what he puts in his body, or at least I can influence him in an educated and informed fashion where he will listen so I used the lunch date as my opportunity to have the food talk. While I know some of his behavior is in part to only having two weeks remaining in school, I have seen a trend prior to this onset of summer fever.
Knowing full well that the school lunch menu has been upgraded with the recent flyer’s we have seen and the boasting of a “salad bar” I took the opportunity to dine with my son and his fellow classmates. When in Rome right?
Shuffling into the school cafeteria it was like a cattle call with ropes and subdivisions for eating, ordering, and keeping the herd of children in line for the assembly of a meal. My son called his name so that his account could be debited and I then ordered the full lunch; soup, salad bar, juice and the meal for the day. I had an option between a mystery meat BBQ sandwich of sorts, “Burger Buddies” which were prepackaged and resembled White Castle sliders, and chicken strips. I opted for the item that looked semi-discernible and partially edible, chicken strips. Next I was offered “cheesy mash potatoes” by the lunch staff.
I stopped in my tracks in awe of the slop of shit being offered as food and a food product not only to my child but other children. The resemblance of orange, yellowish tinged drywall mud is what I thought these tasty bites looked to be, laying lukewarm in a stainless steel commercial serving pan. Politely I declined the “carbs” for my meal and moved along in the line. Choosing the 1% milk that I was pleasantly surprised to see offered. Progressing further into the line of food offerings I come across the “soup” offering which is not published near the warming unit in order to determine what exactly is being served for the day and upon inspection, I again declined to add to my menu of items to eat. Finally I end at the salad bar. I. am. breathless.
The only items of food I could clearly identify as edible, clean, and in pristine condition and something I would serve to my children and eat in mass quantities myself. Chopped romaine, iceberg lettuce, baby spinach, broccoli florets, slices of celery, slices of oranges, sliced heirloom tomatoes, all gleaming and shiny, brightly colored, but not wilty, and all screaming EAT ME. I then did what any right minded human would do is load up on this in mass quantities, untainted by salad dressing. I could not damage these beauties in their natural state and was as I said, breathless, and beside myself that this is the only food items that could be identified without question.
Sorry I ate all the beautiful tomatoes first
Sadly, there was plenty to go around and my fear was that this food was going to be thrown out, while the mystery meat food items would be saved to serve at a later date, even more worrisome. What was even more pathetic was the lack of the education staff eating these same foods being served to the children. I watched closely as they all retreated to the “lounge” to circle amongst their kin or retreat to eat something other than what was being served to the very children they educate each and every week day. Adding injury to insult were those who were the overseers in the cafeteria sipping on their Starbucks branded lattes and what not.
I continued to eat and enjoyed what I thought to be a safe choice for a school lunch option and I watched my son dig into his “burger buddies” and then we had a conversation about how it tastes good but the food was not really good for him. A prepackaged burger “meal” which after some research I found were HUGE in the 80s as a Burger King spin-off product in public schools, still being offered today.
DEPLORABLE.
My son’s lunch mate and loosed lipped little girl who had rather quite a bit to say for saying nothing at all tapped my shoulder and said, “LOOK! See all that grease…” As she squeezed her mystery meat BBQ sandwich that oozed levels of grease and oil that could lube any anal tract before a good colonoscopy. I wanted to vomit, giggle like this little girl at the sight of the filth permeating from the mystery meat, and scream and throw a tantrum and ask everyone what the fuck they were thinking that the food these children were eating was acceptable. Moreover I could not fathom that any EDUCATOR and those fit to oversee the education and mental growth and capacity of my children did not have enough where with all and knowledge to know that the “food” these children were consuming was basically a candy coated version of fast food.
But we all know that soda machines and lack of physical education is the reason for obesity right?
Let me further add this to the mix. Lunch begins at 11:50 for my second grader, of which they do not always arrive right at 11:50 to eat, thus he is shorted time to eat. At about 8 minutes after 12 the lights went dark in the cafeteria and the aids put up two fingers as if to signal the kids. I leaned over to my son and asked what this was about and he said, “We have to be quiet and finish our lunch and go outside to recess so we have to hurry.”
WHAT!?
Since when did the elementary school lunch system become similar to the military where these kids were commanded to shovel their food before running drills. I mean seriously, I wasn’t even done eating and by the looks of my plate I really did not have much on my plate, but yet had to shovel. Not to mention I didn’t even drink much of my milk, so I chugged that and moved along with the second grade cattle. But not before catching a glimpse at the other children who were forced to hurry themselves with their beverage and rather than being afforded the opportunity to drink it they had to pour their remaining milk box into a giant bucket. Again I said WHAT THE FUCK. Gallons upon gallons of milk in this bucket, only to be wasted by being washed down a sewer trap or drain. The silver lining here…..they recycle the milk cartons.
Are you angry yet? Shaking your head? Needless to say, I am typing this post to share my disdain. To share in the fact that we need to make a difference with our schools and our educators and those who make decisions on behalf of our children’s futures because this does not just include the classroom but the entire educational experience. I for one will be making sure to pack his lunches to not only save extra money each month but to also control what my child eats and that I know he is getting a nutritional lunch based on common sense standards and not some bogus food pyramid where supporting fast food is accepted and widely hidden to the parents the true details of what is really in our kids school lunch program. How about some transparency Mesa Schools? How about some real change in spite of cut backs, let’s cut the butterfly releases, growing meal worms, and bullshit education and institute health education at it’s finest starting with basic foods and not over-processed, grease injected byproducts passed off as a protein source.
Traditional stocking stuffers are sweet treats, but they do not promote any health and face it, they promote unhealthy habits and the “okay” from parents that treats like these are perfectly acceptable. While candy and sweets may be alright in moderation and once in an odd while, they are not a good influence for our children. So while compiling my gift guide and ideas for fabulous stocking stuffers and maintaining of the healthy organic lifestyle I have created for my children I found HAPPYFAMILY Foods which is a great line of snacks, bites, munchies, and drinks for babies, toddlers and the entire family.
About HAPPYFAMILY:
A few short years ago, HAPPYBABY was the first premium baby brand to enter the market in 5 small stores in New York City—at a time when there were no homestyle options for parents to feed their children. Processed foods or homemade baby food—which can be time consuming for busy families—were the only options. A lot has changed, and we are now the leading premium brand of baby and toddler meals in the U.S.—sold in over 13,000 stores with 9 different lines of optimally delicious organic foods for your growing family.
Our family added to our stockings this year the HAPPYSQUEEZE super fruit and super grains organic smoothie. Perfect for an in between meals snack, a morning pick me up, or just because. My family love these, not only because they are totally portable anywhere, even fitting right into the Santa Shoes as my kids call them, but they taste great, are great for you with the USDA certified organic, and they are affordable. Who says that eating right and healthy has to cost your kids and family a fortune.
HAPPYFAMILY foods has a variety of lines for all stages of your family with baby foods, toddler snacks and drinks, but HAPPYFAMILY also offers a line of books and DVD’s to enhance your healthy lifestyle in all aspects. Their products are available at local retailers and specialty stores like Whole Foods and Kroger brand stores. Try adding these snacks to your Santa Shoes this year and your kids might thank you.
“Disclosure: I was provided with samples of HAPPYFAMILY Squeeze at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.â€
Did you have the same old boring Thanksgiving? How about the same old boring turkey sandwiches following Thanksgiving from all the leftovers? Well why not kick up your holidays, your sandwiches, your meals altogether? Or do you have a foodie or chef extraordinaire in your family for your gift giving? I know personally I have an aunt who is an amazing chef, needless to say I think I inherited my cooking gifts from her and my grandmother, and she is always on the lookout for fabulous foods.
So I know I would love to gift to her some eccentric gifts and foods for everyone to enjoy with her creations. One year I made her a rhubarb chutney, another some black eyed peas and this year I would love to gift her some jenkins jellies hell fire pepper jelly. I was skeptical at first, as with any foodie as to what exactly the consistency and taste would yield on my palate. Surprisingly enough the jelly is amazing!
A burn to the mouth and tongue for sweet to the taste is this amazing delicacy married from the harvesting of fresh peppers and sweet jelly. More over the jelly is made with organic ingredients, no preservatives or artificial colors. The packaging is delectable, with a traditional jelly jar, simple sticker affixed to the front with the quaint rope to fasten the jelly spoon to the side of the jar. A wonderful gift of food that keeps on giving for so many different options for food. We actually had Jenkins Jelly on our turkey meatloaf the other night and boy howdy, this really got my southwestern taste and passion for spice. I could taste the peppers and a bit of habanero or jalapeno, it was awesome to feel the burn and the sweet all at once. But the flavor was piquant enough to fill the senses without the numbing burn from the pepper. The flavor would be wonderful on some southwestern, jalapeno cheddar bisquits that I love to make with my turkey chili.
Now if you really want the proof in the pudding…or in this case the jelly, Hell Fire Pepper Jelly has already received celebrity recognition from Chef Mario Batali, actor Ed Begley, Jr. and actress/cousin Gwyneth Paltrow. In addition to the celebrity endorsement is the philanthropy attached to jenkins jellies which is always a plus for The Fish Family since we love to help our world and community where we can, a percentage of jenkins jellies’ profits go to the Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund and Green Wish.
Some back history about Jenkins Jellies:
After buying a home inHighland Park with an abundance of fruit trees, L.A. actress Hillary Danner planted a vegetable garden and began making jelly. A family friend encouraged her to create a unique pepper jelly with an extra kick.
Always up for a challenge, Hillary joined with her longtime friends Maria Newman and Chef Jared Levy to do just that. Organically growing a variety of peppers in Hillary’s backyard, she created a jelly with the perfect balance of where sweet meets heat. The end result was their first product: Locally produced, gourmet and handcrafted Hell Fire Pepper Jelly.
Available for purchase online at www.jenkinsjellies.com or at select Dean & DeLuca locations across the country for an SRP of $12 per 11.9 oz jar and $8 for a 4.8oz jar. Sure to be a chef’s favorite as a stocking stuffer or a foodies gift of taste, Jenkins Jellies is sure to be an affordable and delicious gift to enjoy past the holiday season.
“Disclosure: I was provided with a jar of jenkin jellies at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.â€
While debating and circling ideas about credit policy and guidelines with my fellow co-workers a comment in regard to organic foods was brought about. I mentioned the word organic and a myriad of comments came flying at me. A barrage per se of assumptions, half ass remarks that were lacking credibility and a sound argument for which they could post upon. An even farther fetched comment was made, “I bet you are one of those parent’s that won’t even vaccinate your kids.”
I finally drew the line in the sand.
Feeding your kids organic foods is NOT the same as not vaccinating them. Protecting them from the harmful effects of DDT remnant water and dirt is not the same as choosing not to vaccinate against debilitating illnesses like polio. Apples and carrots, totally different. Of which I was offended a the comment. So much has been convoluted about buying and eating organic. The word organic is more or less a marketing ploy to those who are unaware of the meaning. When I hear or comprehend the word organic I think of something completely raw, unmodified, untouched, pure, wholesome and positive. I am really quite unsure why people have such a negative connotation surrounding organic.
Maybe the lack of education that the reason I go organic is because my kids will taste their foods, they will appreciate their foods, they will be able to identify foods that are outside of the norm of green leaf lettuce, bananas, apples and grapes. My kids know about fresh granola, fresh raisins that are not stuffed into a box, they know about peppers and cabbage and kale chips. One of my twins only drinks soy milk, of which I only buy organic. He is a soy freak, this makes my heart happy knowing he is making his own health decision because I have positioned him in life to appreciate and enjoy the flavor of good, raw, healthy foods. Not processed, double processed, oiled, trans fat, Round Up immune foods that could lead to build up of carcinogens in his body that he simply cannot process.
I breathe easy at night knowing that my daughter will not mature prematurely because of hormones in her foods and milks. She will not be susceptible to the dangers of breast cancer or other cancers due to choice in diet. Her drink of choice is water or milk. If they indulge in anything other than that it is generally an organic tea brewed by the sun. She snacks on organic baby carrots and could be the spokesgirl for Stoneyfield organic yogurt. My daughter lives and breathes for yogurt.
My head will hit my pillow ever so gently at night knowing that my eldest son has become more focused on an organic diet. The free radicals and processes in most foods I believe interfere in his brain function. I cannot make medical claims, but I can see a dramatic difference between the foods he eats at home and the foods he may eat at school. He has more energy and he craves those healthy foods and not the junk.
Our bodies become addicts to the shit, yes shit, in these foods. Including the ones with noticeable tastes due to chemicals. My meats taste better, my milk is smoother, my bread is healthier. Just remember that organic is a lifestyle and a choice. You can choose to live healthy or you can choose what would seem to be healthy.
The holiday season is upon us and some of us are still reeling the effects of the Halloween hangover with indulging too heavily into sugary snacks, candy bars, or we drank too many sugary drinks, alcoholic beverages and the like. But now are we crest into Thanksgiving, the epic holiday of overindulgence some of us may not want to partake in the overeating, pie hole stuffing of sweet desserts, and of course the alcoholic drinks to celebrate. So how does one or anyone combat the temptations and the sugar hangover from Halloween? Well I was introduced to HINT water.
HINT water is a sugar free, no sweetener, “hint” of flavor water beverage. I personally think it is a great beverage to help curb cravings for your sweet tooth and it is filling because of the amount of pure water you are putting into your body. 16 ounces of water in each HINT bottle is just the start to your total 64 ounces of recommended water intake daily.
I found HINT at my local Sprouts Marketplace and Whole Foods in the bottled water section and I found it in many different flavors: cucumber, raspberry-lime, blackberry, honeydew-hibiscus, mango-grapefruit, pomegranate-tangerine, watermelon, lime, kiwi-strawberry, and pear. All the sweetness of the fruit without the calories, sweetener and empty calories found in soda and juice.
HINT is great for even after the holidays if you are going to kick off your new diet plan or New Year’s resolution because the water of HINT can help you keep your goals and stay on track. By no means am I stating or endorsing that this will help you lose weight, but as someone who lost 65 pounds through diet and exercise after having my twins and is now down 13 pounds on the HCG diet, HINT has been a companion of mine during my weight loss journey. When I have a moment of weakness where I may have a sweet craving, I reach for a bottle of HINT, with zero calories, zero sugar, and all natural flavor not to mention no funky aftertaste often associated with other similar drinks. HINT is water through and through and sure to keep you hydrated through the holidays without the guilt.
Now if the holidays are still wreaking havoc on your system and you are feeling the holiday bloat, drink up with lots of water and add some Usana Digestive Enzyme to your daily vitamin intake to help ease the holiday bloat, upset stomach, and ease normal digestion after large meals. USANA’s Digestive Enzyme is unique in that it contains an enzyme found in the blend called lactase. Lactase assists in the digestion of food containing lactose. In addition, USANA’s Digestive Enzyme is different from others on the market because it contains spirulina, a nutrient-rich blue-green algae “super food†that contains chlorophyll. Chlorophyll supports the body’s natural processes for eliminating toxins from the body*.
With these two products and a whole lot of HINT you are sure to feel free of the holiday hangover.
“Disclosure: I was provided with a bottle of HINT and USANA at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.â€
As an organic family we have tried to seek out as many organic products in our lifestyle as possible. More so than foods, but also our hygiene products since these are the items in our lives that leave the largest footprint, so why not reduce that. On the look out for holiday stocking stuffers and gifts I found something wonderful for my husband. He is always the hard one to shop for and he was also the most skeptical about organic products.  I found the most wonderful gift for him that he can use daily and is good for his  skin and the environment with recyclable packaging, no alcohols, and no harsh synthetics. A little more about Herban Cowboy which makes me love their product even more, is how they got started and what they stand for:
Starting a personal care company on a few thousand dollars, in a log cabin on a dirt road with no Internet and a questionable phone line, could be classified as crazy. The fact that we were broke wasn’t a plus. After ruining all our hand me down pots and pans developing our first formula, hand filling our first bottles of shave cream and taking our first order to the local rural post office where we were greeted with long stares; we got it running.Â
We realize everyday millions of tons of personal care products are used globally which could be made much healthier for humans and the environment. We wanted to create personal care products that are both healthy and have minimal environmental impact. We believe small changes in our everyday routine, like switching a can of aerosol shave cream to a recyclable tube of organic shave cream, can collectively have a long-term dramatic benefit to human health and the environment.Â
People think it is fancy now that our products are carried by noted retailers, shipped internationally and mentioned in magazines; but, the reality is we’re just happy that Herban Cowboy products contribute to the growing environmental movement by making it easy for people to ‘go green’.Thanks for being part of our story.
Be a part of their story, choose a new holiday gift for the man in your life. Herban Cowboy is an inexpensive, organic gift your man will enjoy using. I know my husband was thrilled at the results from using Herban Cowboy Shave Cream and After Shave Balm with carrot and cucumber. No itchy feeling, a smooth glide as he said when using the shave cream and he said that the after shave balm wasn’t harsh or drying. He also said it helped him in preventing razor burn, bumps, and possible in grown hairs. As I said, add this to your man’s life and enter to win my giveaway of an Herban Cowboy gift set which includes a full size bottle of Herban Cowboy Shave Cream and a full size bottle of After Shave Balm. Here is how you can enter to win:
Visit Herban Cowboy and tell me what product you would love to share with the man in your life.
Be sure to Like Herban Cowboy on Facebook and follow them on Twitter
Tweet this giveaway daily: Add #vegan & #organic to your gift giving win a shave kit for him with @Herban_Cowboy & @KariewithaKÂ https://thefivefish.com/organic-grooming-herban-cowboy
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Contest ends November 25th @ Midnight AZ time
As always: No Purchase Necessary, available to US and Canada residents. One entry per household. US postcard entries also acceptable if you do not have access to the above entry options, no limit to postcard entries as long as all are received before the close of the contest, email contests@thefivefish.com for your postcard entry details or to use email as your postcard entrance as these entries will be logged by the administrator of the blog. Winners will be chosen by “And the Winner is†Failure to adhere to the aforementioned rules set forth by this contest will result in forfeiture of your entry with no notice. Facebook does not promote, endorse, nor sponsor this review and giveaway and will be held harmless. As always, good luck and enjoy. My opinions herein are my own and are no way influenced by the receipt of a free product, they are an honest reflection of myself and my review of the integrity of the product.
Frying up my chorizo and scrambling some egg whites I wanted a carb. Knowing full well I was headed tot he gym for some weights and cardio I wanted to prep my body for the nutrients needed to sustain 90 minutes of intense exercise. I opted for some sweet potatoes. None like the sweet potatoes we have all been accustomed to at Thanksgiving dinners. You see those are called a yam, we however, interchangeably use the term sweet potatoes because they taste sweet. Sweet potatoes can have a hannah white, pale flesh and are loaded in vitamin A, biotin, vitamin C, they help regulate your blood sugar and are a healthy carbohydrate because of the amount of fiber and your body will thank you for all the anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal properties. I digress on the health aspect. The sweet potatoes and chorizo might be a meal to scoff, but please leave the guffaws until after you whet your palette with this sweet and spicy fall dish. Better yet, have it any time of the year if you happen to have a local butcher who would be kind enough to whip up a batch of chicken chorizo for you.
After shredding I tossed them into a large frying pan that had been coated with coconut oil. Another super food I absolutely adore that you can use for anything and everything. Smoothies, baking, frying, or if you are like me a shot all by itself, but I am a fan of coconut so I don’t mind the taste or the smell I have found it to really accentuate my cooking on all levels when used properly.
Quite alright, we can save the Ayn Rand style debate for another day.
