Life Juicer [Giveaway]

Juicing has become very popular in the last few years. Natural, fresh, raw juices can be very nutritious and packed full of fruits and vegetables. Skip the store-bought, sugar-laden juices and make your own with a Viatek Life Juicer. Enter to win a Life Juicer below! 

Deliciously Savvy Is Hosting a Giveaway For 1 Lucky Winner to Win a Life Juicer from Viatek! This is normally retailed at $300 but is on sale right now for $150 on Viatek's Website! There are so many fabulous reasons that this is one of the best juicers that you can buy so enter today & Good Luck!

Sponsored By: Viatek

Hosted By: Deliciously Savvy

Co-Hosted By:

Amy & Aron's Real Life Reviews // Mom Junky // My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life // To Kitchen, With Love // Primitive Gypsy // IMHO Views, Reviews and Giveaways // Seasonal Family Fun // Heartbeats~ Soul Stains // My Silly Little Gang // PaulaMS' Giveaways, Reviews, & Freebies // Michigan Savings and More // Capri's Coupons

PLUS a Big Thank You to all of the Blogs Helping to Promote This Fabulous and Healthy Giveaway!

FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ PINTEREST

1 Lucky Winner Will Receive a Life Juicer Of Their Very Own!

$300 RV

And Now The Giveaway!!!

Giveaway Dates ~ 03/28 9PM EST until 04/21 11:59PM EST

Entrants must be 18 years old to enter and giveaway is open to US residents only.

Any Questions Email Me At mcushing7 (at) hotmail (dot) com.

This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated or associated with Facebook,

Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This giveaway is valid only

in the United States. Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter.

This giveaway will end at 11:59PM (EST) on 04/21/2016.

Good Luck! Enter Below

Also we all “love it if you like us” on Facebook!

By Supporting Our Blogs Via Social Media You Are Helping Us To Provide Fabulous Prizes For Amazing Future Giveaways! Good Luck & Thank You!

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How I Save the Bees [#CTWW]

I have always been scared of bees because of the fear of getting stung. I remember walking through a grassy field when I was a kid and getting stung on the bottom of my foot. Ouch! As I have grown into an adult and started to question more of the world around me, I realized there is no need to be afraid of bees. Society makes us think that bees are dangerous. People always seem to run away from them. If you leave the bees alone, they will leave you alone. I tended to the tomato container garden behind the purple cone flowers being frequented by huge bumble bees with no stings. The buzz of the bumble bees actually became comforting for me.

Let's change our perception of bees to being the source of our food. Bees pollinate the majority of food crops in the world. Therefore, the decline of bees should alarm everyone. What foods will we lose if the bees are not around to pollinate the majority of worldwide crops?

This week's challenge:

This week, take action to protect honey bees. Please choose at least one action from the following list:

• Plant at least one native, flowering plant in your yard. Avoid hybrid plants ... they don't produce enough nectar or pollen and are useless to bees and other pollinators.
• Plant a vegetable garden.
• Let pests live (natural pest controllers, like Lady Bugs, need them for food).
• Keep your lawn and garden pesticide-free.
• Eliminate chemicals in your home.
• Provide a year-round, clean source of water for bees (rainwater collection, a small garden water feature, bird bath, etc.).
• Leave some dead trees or plants in your yard ... bees will nest in them. Or, place a bee house in your garden.
• Buy organic food.
• Take up beekeeping.

As the gardening bug has already bit me for this season, I have been buying plants and planting, and buying and planting. I have spent a lot of time outside during the past week. As I do the daily "garden and yard tour," I have made notes about where I can apply the above actions to protect bees. Below, I cover what actions I have already implemented and the actions I am planning on implementing in the coming month.

Native, Flowering Plants
Every year, I purchase a 3-5 plants to plant in the garden bed in front of the house. I focus on perennial, cold temperature tolerant, flowering and deer resistant plants. A variety of different colored and sized flowers is important to attract different bees.

To Do - start a flower garden in the back yard, close to the vegetable garden. The blackberry and newly planted blueberries bushes also need some bees. Maybe I can add some flowering plants to the herb garden.

Question - how can I tell if the flowering plants are hybrid or not? I have been able to find some heirloom vegetable plants, but how do I know if the Shasta daisy or the phlox is a hybrid or not?

Vegetable Garden
Check! Vegetable garden, herb garden, blackberry and blueberry bushes in the back yard. Tomato container garden in front of the breezeway.

To Do - plant more herbs in the front garden bed (edible garden). They are deer resistant and edible.

To Do - expand the container garden in front of the breezeway is companion plants for the tomatoes.

To Do - add a water feature to provide clean source of water for bees.

Dead Trees and Plants
There is an area behind the back fence between us and the house behind us. Honeysuckle, wild grape vine, weeds and other random plants provide a natural habitat for animals, critters, and bugs. Whatever is too big for the compost or will take a long time to break down goes over the fence.

Chemical Free House and Yard
A bucket a day keeps the weeds away! I have reinstated the daily weed pulling, at least until I get most of them knocked down. I stopped using chemicals in the yard 3.5 years ago and after a couple of years of not pulling weeds, we have grown super weeds in the yard. Luckily, weed pulling is therapeutic and relaxing for me, so I have been spending 30-60 minutes outside during baby's naps pulling weeds.

>> Are there any features of your garden or yard that help to protect and sustain the bee population??

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Growing Your Own Food with Gro-ables

This post brought to you by Gro-ables. All opinions are 100% mine.

Every year, I learn more and more about gardening and make bigger and bigger plans. The back yard garden will continue as in previous years. The front yard container garden that I started last year will be expanded. And, I am still formulating my plans for an edible front yard garden (if only the deer and critters would not eat my plants). That being said, I would still call myself an amateur gardener. I look at friends and others who have elaborate gardens and I yearn for more knowledge and experience. When you would like to start a garden, but fear that you do not have the knowledge and experience, Miracle-Gro Gro-ables pre-packaged seed pods offer an easy way to grow your own herbs and vegetables from seed.


Miracle-Gro Gro-ables are seed pods that are designed to simplify the growing process so that it is not overwhelming and confusion. Soil types, sunlight requirements, and spacing can be overwhelming, even to an experienced gardener. After selecting about 10 types of seeds for the garden, even I get overwhelmed by all of these requirements. This new product from Miracle-Gro guarantees the seeds to grow, when used as directed. Seeds are available in herbs and vegetable varieties. I love the ease of planting seeds for as little as $1.29-$1.49 per seed pod. This is very affordable when you consider the cost of seedlings and grown plants.


I will be growing Cilantro and Globe Tomatoes. I hope to use both in a simple homemade salsa recipe.

Easy Salsa Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup of globe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup of onion, chopped
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tsp jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
Dash of salt

Dire​ctions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Serve with tortilla chips.

I am already getting excited about some of the warmer days that we have had. Seed catalogs have been pursed and the garden planning has begun. Miracle-Gro Gro-ables are a great way to amend the seeds I saved from last year to guarantee great results.

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Reduce Food Waste With Portion Control [#CTWW]

This week's challenge:

This week, monitor food portion sizes and cook accordingly. Even if you are cooking once for more than one meal, pay attention to portions and resist cooking more than necessary, which often leads to waste. Need help determining portion size? This site will give you a general discussion on the topic with some clever ideas on how to determine a proper portion. The Calorie Counter is a search tool. Type in the food you want to make and it'll bring up calories associated with various servings sizes ... the first listing is typically considered a proper serving. The idea, here, is not to restrict calories or in any way "diet." Instead, we are educating ourselves on portion sizes and then cooking just enough so that we eliminate food waste.

I would love to be a mom who does not waste food. I'm not! Some days I beat myself up over it and some days, I tell myself that I am doing the best that I can. I am doing so much more than the average person. I should be content. Well, I am content for a few days and then I start to feel guilty. Just yesterday, I threw away 75% of a head of green leaf lettuce. I did not use it up before half of the head of lettuce turned black (into the compost it goes). I bought the green leaf lettuce to have a few leaves with a dish. I did not need a whole head of lettuce, so it gradually ended up in the back of the fridge.

With the spirit of Change the World Wednesday, the goal is to monitor food portion sizes and not waste food by making too much. Have you ever found that leftover container in the back of the fridge? The food molded and you were disappointed because you were looking forward to eating those delicious leftovers? I have! I would like to focus on meal planning and learning how to tell portion sizes as the strategies for eliminating food waste.

Meal planning is a great tool for determining exactly what you need to purchase at the grocery. Before I go to the grocery, I try to have an idea of what I will cook in the coming days. That way, I can buy just enough for the meal and for leftovers. My family enjoys having leftovers for lunch in the day or two after the dinner is cooked. Doing the majority of grocery shopping (I love it!) and cooking (I love it also!) has taught me how much my family usually eats. Anything that is leftover from a meal is packaged in appropriate sized containers. Bigger containers for my husband. Smaller containers for myself. Anything left in the fridge 2-3 days later is put in the freezer. Using 2 cups glass containers is an easy way to control portion sizes for leftovers. Plus, they are small enough to fit into the freezer.

Learning portion sizes can be quick and easy. From my experience, it usually takes less than one week to get a hang of portion sizes. Use the links above to determine appropriate portions for each of the foods you are serving. When dishing out a meal for your family, take out the measuring cups and spoons. After a few times, you will know how much rice is in one serving. I always knew that we tend to eat more rice and pasta than we should, so I looked it up. According to the USDA, one serving of rice equals 1/2 cup of cooked rice and one serving of pasta equals 1/2 cup of cooked pasta. That is pretty small, but if you think about eating 1/2 cup of rice with veggies and/or meat on top, it is actually pretty filling.

Don't worry! You do not have to calculate every calorie and measure everything you eat. Spend a few days getting to know what the portion sizes are for the foods that you eat and cook. If you are eating the right types of foods (real, whole foods), you will not overeat because these foods are filling. After you determine the correct portion sizes, appropriately plan meals and leftovers. When all else fails, you can freeze most foods.

>> How do you reduce food waste??
  

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Quick Smoothies with Cheribundi Smoothie Packs [Review]

Smoothies are one of my guilty pleasures. I love blending concoctions of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and proteins to create a thick and satisfying drink. When I am sick, smoothies are the best way for me to quickly and easily get vitamins and nutrients. The creations and combinations of ingredients are endless. My favorite combinations include fresh fruits and vegetables with frozen berries. Cheribundi Organic Smoothie Packs provide a convenient way to make smoothies with great flavor and an excellent source of antioxidants.

Cheribundi Organic Smoothie Packs      
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Certified Organic
Convenient packaging
Great flavor
Excellent source of antioxidants

Each package contains more than 20 ripe, organic tart cherries. Growing up in Europe, tart cherries were available everywhere. I love the taste of them and the health benefits. Tart cherries are a great source of antioxidant, especially anthocyanins, which help to block the enzymes that cause muscle inflammation. Nothing better than a tart cherry smoothie for a post workout recovery drink. Tart cherries are also great for other inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

Cheribundi uses a proprietary juicing process that retains all of the nutrients, power and taste from the tart cherries. This "gentler juicing" process does not require higher temperatures to extract. Cheribundi products contain 100% pure juice without added water, sugar, or preservatives. Juice is flash pasteurized at the packaging stage to kill bacteria. I love that Cheribundi is committed to minimal processing. When I cannot get some foods fresh, I prefer to buy products that are minimally processed.

Each Cheribundi Smoothie Pack contains frozen tart cherry puree that is used to blend with your selection of smoothie ingredients. The packs should be kept in the freezer until ready to use.

Now that we have covered the basics of tart cherries as a superfruit, let's make a smoothie! I prefer for my smoothies to contain fresh ingredients (fruits and/or vegetables), a dairy (yogurt, milk), and/or a protein (almond butter, protein powder, etc). This combination of ingredients is a great post-run smoothie. The vitamins and nutrients replenish the body and help muscles to recover.

Creamy Tart Cherry Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients
1 Cheribundi Organic Smoothie Pack - Tart Cherry
1/2 organic banana
1 tbsp hemp protein powder
1/2 cup organic grass-fed 6% plain yogurt (can sub non-dairy yogurt or milk)

Directions: Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until combined. Enjoy!

I like that the frozen Cheribundi Smoothie Pack provides a little bit of ice and coolness to the smoothie. The tart cherry puree has a distinct flavor, but not tart once you mix it with your smoothie ingredients. If you prefer sweeter smoothies, add a natural sweetener like honey or a few dates. Next, I'm going to try a vegetable smoothie with Cheribundi Tart Cherry Smoothie Packs.

Cheribundi Organic Smoothie Packs can be purchased at your local Whole Foods Market.

Connect with Cheribundi on Facebook and Twitter.


>> What is your favorite smoothie combination??

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

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How to Get Kids to Eats Vegetables and Fruits [Review]

Even before getting pregnant, I had goals and visions of a child who would eat and try everything. I swore that I would do everything possible not to have a picky eater. Following the Baby Led Weaning (aka Baby Led Solids) philosophy will hopefully decrease the chances of a picky eater. If appropriate, I offer the baby the same table food we are eating. Setting an example for my child by offering him the same foods that we eat is a good way to ensure healthy eating habits. Of course, not all children are made the same and not all children will try what you offer them (I have been offering avocado for weeks now...he is not taking to it). Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables is a great resource and innovative tool for parents who would like for their children to learn to enjoy eating fruits and vegetables.

Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables       ($19.99, free shipping)
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Award winning
Equal focus on vegetables and fruits
Suitable for ages 6 months - 5 years

The concept of Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables is simple. Children copy what other children are doing. If a child sees another child eating a vegetable or a fruit, they will do the same. This concept was discovered by the creator of the DVD after she realized that her daughter was more willing to try a new fruits and vegetables when she observed another child eating the new fruit or vegetable. There must be something about watching a person your own size versus an adult. Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables is broken up into twelve chapters, each 6-8 minutes long, that focus on twelve fruits and vegetables. Each chapter shows a child eating the fruit/vegetable in a similar setting as you would at home. (You wouldn't put a big plate of broccoli florets in front of your kid?!? :) )

Subject: 10 month old baby boy

Background: We have been using Baby Led Weaning, offering appropriately sized and prepared table foods to our baby. While he can munch on most things, hard fruits and vegetables like raw carrots are avoided because of the potential choking hazard. He has two bottom teeth.

Results:
First, I watched a chapter of the DVD with my baby in my lap. I wanted to see what the DVD was all about before I sat the baby down to eat. The baby was intrigued by the DVD for a couple of minutes and then lost interest.

Second, I brought the laptop into the kitchen so he could see the other kids eating while he had the food in front of him. I placed a couple slices of avocado on his tray. When we started on solid foods, we offered avocado and he tried it, but he has not been as keen on it over the past couple of months. No biggie here. We will keep offering. Maybe he does not like it now, but he might in the future. Back to the DVD. I played the Avocado chapter. Again, he watched for a minute or two, touched the avocado, put it in his mouth, and then pushed it around or dropped it on the floor.

I realized that watching Copy-Kids and offering the same fruit/vegetable will probably work better when he is a little older. Although babies younger than 10 months understand what is going on around them to some degree, they do not really take in and process what they are seeing. Furthermore, continuing to watch the DVD and offer the same food will help the baby understand what is going on and copy the kids on the DVD. Be aware that it might take a few times of watching the DVD before your child mimics the behavior of Copy-Kids. Repetition is key.

If your children are picky eaters or you would like for them to try new fruits and vegetables, Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables could be a great tool for you to try. The DVD is simple, straight-forward, and could be effective in the right setting.

Disclosure: Please remember to supervise your children, especially babies, when they are eating foods. The DVD is not a replacement for adult supervision. I received one or more of the products mentioned to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

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Reduce BPA Exposure from Food Packages [#CTWW]

This week's Change the World Wednesday challenge comes at just the right time. I have been working on my emergency preparedness kit and restocking the pantry with what else by canned and prepackaged items. To make things a little more interesting, the challenge in front of me is as follows.

This week ban BPA from your life. Need some ideas? Avoid canned foods, including prepared soups, vegetables, sauces, soda and beer. Don’t microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Say no to printed receipts; they contain BPA. 

An audit of my pantry showed a number of items in cans. Since can lining potentially contains BPA, my task is to find these products in safer containers. The table below shows the items, the container I usually purchase these products in and what changes I plan on making to the container. 

Some items are only available in cans, so I will plan on freezing or caning (in glass jars) the fresh vegetables myself. I prefer to eat vegetables fresh, so the items I buy in jars are mostly legumes and vegetables.

Product	BPA Package	Non-BPA Package
Beans	Can	Buy and store dry in glass
Tomatoes	Can	Freeze or can fresh in glass
Tomato Sauce	Can	Glass jar
Soup	Can	Aseptic (paperboard carton)
Jalapenos	Can	Freeze or can fresh in glass
Coconut Milk	Can	TBD

A little side story for you...

During the last grocery trip, I was shopping for ingredients to make a Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe that called for canned tomatoes. As I stood in the canned goods aisle, the little "greenie" on my shoulder reminded me of this week's challenge. I turned around and went back to the produce section to pick up 5 tomatoes. I decided they would taste better and I would eliminate exposure to BPA and one more can going into the recycle bin.

>> What are some items in your pantry that can be switched for BPA-free packaging??

  

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Wordless Wednesday: Rotten Fruit

I strive to be good about not wasting food, but sometimes life (and babies) get the best of us. Four organic nectarines and one homegrown Purple Cherokee tomato are going in the compost. :(

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Apple Sauce vs. Apple Butter

I have always been a huge fan of apple butter. This summer, my dad gathered apples from their organic
apple tree for me. I decided to make apple butter and can it. After a little research, I noted that I needed to add a little acidity and to thin the apple butter a little to reduce the air bubbles in the jars. As I was filling the canning jars with the apple butter, I was faintly reminded of apple sauce. I was curious: what is the difference between apple sauce and apple butter?

Here are the main differences:

• Apple sauce is prepared quickly, while apple butter cooks for a long time (up to 10 hours)
• Apple sauce has a lighter color (shorter cooking time), while apple butter has a darker color (longer cooking time)
• Apple sauce has water added, while apple butter has spices added
• Apple butter is thicker and more caramelized due to the longer cooking time
• Apple sauce is typically pureed or mashed, while apple butter is spreadable and has a smooth, thick consistency
• Apple sauce is used as a side dish, while apple butter is used as a spread/condiment because of its rich flavor

>> Do you prefer apple sauce or apple butter??
  

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Nesco Digital Food Dehydrator [Giveaway]

Prize:

Nesco Gardenmaster Digital Pro Food Dehydrator

ARV $170

Hosted by:

A Lucky Ladybug
and 
M.O.O.N.

"New Digitally Controlled" unit! Top mounted fan eliminates liquids dripping into the heater chamber. Expands to a giant 20 trays so you can dry large quantities all at once! 1000 watts of drying power means you can dry more, faster. Patented Converga-Flow® forces heated air down the exterior pressurized chamber, then horizontally across each individual tray, converging in the center, for fast, even and nutritious drying. If you are an aspiring gardener or love to visit your local farmers market, then you need a dehydrator.  There is no better and easier way to preserve in-season produce than to dehydrate it.
Fast, Powerful Fan! A quiet, 2,400-RPM motor and specially designed 4-1/2 inch fan mean faster, more nutritious drying.  Adjustable Thermostat!  The adjustable 90-160 degree F digital control gives you the flexibility to get the best results.

 As needs grow, this four-tray unit can be expanded with accessory Add-A-Trays®, up to 20 trays (20 sq. ft.) Drying pressure adjusts automatically to the number of trays.  Included  accessories: No-Spill Fruit Roll Sheet, Clean-A-Screen®, Jerky Spice Packet and Cure.

**If you are a company and would like to see your brand advertised in a M.O.O.N. event similar to this please contact MakeOurOwnNetwork@gmail.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway
"Make Our Own Network" solely organized this event and I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are 100% my own and may differ from your own or even those stated in this post. All Natural Katie is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. This giveaway is open to the Continental US only (because of shipping costs) and will end on August 29th, 2013

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Garden: Katie vs. Squirrel

Good potting soil

+ organic fertilizer

+ tomato plants from local nursery

+ ripening fruit

= Big Boy tomato munched by squirrel!

After thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided to cut off the 1/4 eaten by the squirrel and eat the rest myself! The Big Boy tomato was delicious!

I do have bird netting around the front of the pots to keep deer out, but over the past few months, it has gotten a little loose as I go over and under it to pick fruit. My weekend task is to reestablish the bird netting to protect the rest of the fruit.

>> How do you protect your garden and plants from small and big critters??

  

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Garden: Planting in Progress

Because of other time commitments this year, I decided not to start anything from seed. The plan: buy plants and sew seeds (snow peas, spinach, carrots, radishes, sunflowers) directly in the ground. I still have a few plants to buy to fill out the space, including eggplant, basil, and whatever else inspires me.

Snow peas and spinach on the left. Peppers and chives on the right.

A transplant from the compost pile! :)

A few small apples on the way, if the apple blossoms were pollinated.

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Wordless Wednesday - Produce Strikes Back

The purpose of this post is not to promote eating meat, being vegetarian, or vegan. I found it adorable and wanted to shared with my readers.

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Support Your Plants with the Ultimate Plant Cage [Review]

I tend to have two experiences with plants: they wilt and die or they grow like crazy and I have to support them. I have always had difficulties finding the right support structure for my plants. When I discovered Global Garden Friends' Ultimate Plant Cage, I knew that this was the right solution for my problem. Not only does the Ultimate Plant Cage provide the right fully-adjustable support, but the Ultimate Plant Clips allow me to easily gather and secure foliage and vines.

Ultimate Plant Cage                      $17.95

Ultimate Plant Clips              from $4.99 

Source: Global Garden Friends

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Easy installation	Harder to install on growing/grown plants
Fully adjustable
Great support structure for any type of plant

The Ultimate Plant Cage was very easy to install. The box came with the following:

I needed to stake my tomato plant. Even though the plant was already grown, I could still add the base to it.  I recommend doing a trial run of putting the base together because it will be easier once you add it to the grown plant. (Please ignore the munched plant, deer must like tomato plants)

I used the Ultimate Plant Clips to secure the tomato branches to the Ultimate Plant Cage. Since I only have half of a tomato plant left, I used 2 poles. The best part about the poles is that I can adjust the angle and the length. As the tomato plant grows, I will be able to extend the pole to keep providing support.

I used these little clips to attach the plant to the poles. They clips were very easy to attach and allow enough room for the stem to grow. I like that the Ultimate Plant Clips do not suffocate the stem by being too tight.

I am very happy with the Ultimate Plant Cage and Clips. I love that the colors blend in with the plants. I have one Ultimate Plant Cage installed in the pot (above) and I hope to install another one in the garden.  If you are looking for a support structure for any of your indoor or outdoor plants, I would highly recommend these two products. 

Disclosure: I received the sample from the company in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. I am under no pressure to return the product to the company or to write this review. This product review is based on my personal experiences. This review is objective and completely honest.

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Confession: Does Organic Produce Spoil Faster?

I have a confession to make! I do not use organic produce (from the CSA Farm or the grocery store) in a timely manner. I have a habit of letting stuff sit in the fridge for at least one week before I even think about using it. Obviously, produce begins to wilt, soften, and spoils. I composted about 1/3 of the organic cherries yesterday because they were moldy. Organic cherries are expensive. I felt bad that I let 1/3 of them spoil.

Is this left over from my pre-organic days where food would last 2 weeks before it started showing signs of wilting/spoilage? I do not know. Is it because my husband and I have both been working crazy long hours and we do not cook as often anymore? Probably. My head is so full of work, chores, and everything else that I do not have time to craft yummy dishes to utilize the perfectly in-season produce that I buy or pick up from the CSA Farm.

At least I ate a decent breakfast this morning...

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Wordless Wednesday - First Pick of the Season

They were soft, but still a little sour.  I will need to let the others ripen longer.

(Ignore the plantless pot in the photo. I trimmed the thyme down a little too short and it has not grown back...yet!)

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Dreams of Joining a CSA

For 2012, one of my goals is to write more posts about our attempts, successes, and fails at living an eco-friendly life. We have been talking with another family about joining a CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). A CSA is a group of individuals who pledge to support a local farming operation where the growers and the consumers share the risks and the benefits of food production. A CSA consists of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and/or fruit.

I have been wanting to join a CSA for several years, even before I become "green." Honestly, I have been overwhelmed and did not know how to approach deciding on which CSA to join. So many options, so many decisions. How much of a share do we get? What produce will we get and eat? When and where do we need to pick up the box of produce? Do we need to put in a certain number of hours on farm? I decided to throw out all of the decision criteria and analysis I always do and just go with it!

We choose a CSA based on a convenient schedule and pick up time and because they use organic growing practices. The first year will be trial and error as we figure out what works and what does not work for us. I am excited about eating local and organic produce because the flavors will be out of this world! Our next step is to write a check and submit the application. I pray that this will finally be the year my CSA dreams will come true!

If you are interested in identifying CSAs in your area, check out Local Harvest (this is not a sponsored post, Local Harvest is a good resource).

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21 Day Vegan Kickstart - Why Am I Doing It?

I wanted to offer a bit of an explanation for why I decided to do the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart. Eating vegan is a stretch from what I usually eat because I love chicken, fish, European butter, and cheese. This year, as I started learning more about eco-friendly and environmentally-friendly living, I began to realize the impact meat has on the environment. Do not even get me started on factory farming, GMOs, or preservatives in meat (just watch the movie Food, Inc.). I began cooking more vegetarian meals. I have been eating less and less meat. I do not miss meat most of the time because I have been enjoying vegetables and grains in all kinds of new ways. There are so many amazing vegan/vegetarian recipes that any meat lover would be satisfied with.

Although I do not see myself going 100% vegan (I would miss European butter and cheese way too much), I do see myself eating very little meat/fish going forward. My reasons are below.

1. Finding organic, grass-fed/grain-fed meat is difficult and it is usually expensive
2. Meat has a huge negative impact on the environment from the cost to raise it to the cost to transport it
3. Grains and beans are extremely healthy
4. Organic produce is readily available

In some ways, I wish I had been eating vegan/vegetarian all along. In other ways, I am intrigued and excited by this journey. I am forever grateful to my blog and online network of friends because they have opened up my eyes to vegan/vegetarian eating. There is something greater than all of us pulling me in this direction. I am seeing the many signs all around me and I am listening to them. I am being the change in the world that I want to see. Please join me on this journey to a better lifestyle and less impact on the environment.

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21 Day Vegan Kickstart - Grocery List [Challenge]

I was excited to receive my first email from the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart. Since the start is only a couple days away (January 2), I need to do some grocery shopping to prepare. I am going to Whole Foods today for groceries, so I will add the following items to my list.

FRUITS

Apples

Bananas

Grapes

Oranges

Cantaloupe

Strawberries (or any kind of berries you like, including frozen fruit) for smoothies

Mango/peaches (frozen, for second and third weeks)

Dried fruit (like raisins) for oatmeal

VEGETABLES

Sweet potatoes

Salad greens

Carrot sticks

Edamame (frozen or fresh)

Bag of frozen vegetables

Toppings for a veggie burger and hummus sandwiches (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, etc.)

GRAINS

Oatmeal and/or cold cereal

Frozen vegan waffles

Whole grain toast

Rice cakes and/or pita bread

Brown rice

Barley

Whole wheat/brown rice pasta

Quinoa

Couscous

BEANS/LEGUMES

Dried or canned red, green, or other variety lentils, kidney, pinto, garbanzo (chickpeas), black, black-eyed peas, or other variety of beans

OTHER

Plant milk: Pick from rice, almond, soy, oat, hemp or other varieties

Vegan cup/can of soup: McDougall’s cup of soups, Amy’s, Healthy Valley, or some other vegan, low-fat soup (bonus for low-sodium)

Vegan veggie burger: vegan Boca brand or other vegan variety

Apple butter, jam, or mustard for low-fat topping of toast/rice cakes and sandwiches

Agave nectar or maple syrup for oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles

Jar of marinara sauce, aim for low-fat or fat-free

Snacks: Soy/rice yogurt, oven-baked tortilla chips; popcorn kernels (look in fruit/vegetable category for additional snacks)

Spices: cinnamon for oatmeal, curry powder or nutritional yeast to top popcorn

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21 Day Vegan Kickstart [Challenge]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am challenging myself for the month of January. Over the past few months, I have been eating more vegetarian and vegan meals. When I heard about the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart from a friend of mine, I was intrigued.

 

The 21 Day Vegan Kickstart, brought to you by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), is a program that challenges me to eat vegan for 21 days. By signing up for the program, I will receive daily messages that include medical expert advice, a 21-day menu, nutrition webcasts, and a chance to win coupons to the PCRM Marketplace. I will also have the support of the online community forum, Facebook, and iPhone app.

I look forward to discovering new vegan recipes and trying to sneak them in among the usual non-vegan/vegetarian fare I create.

Disclosure: This post is part of my personal challenge is not sponsored by any company or individual other than me.

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