Vanilla and Thyme: Best Organic

or·gan·ic (ôr-gnk) adj.
a. Of, marked by, or involving the use of fertilizers or pesticides that are strictly of animal or vegetable origin: organic vegetables; an organic farm.
b. Raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals: organic chicken; organic cattle farming.
c. Simple, healthful, and close to nature: an organic lifestyle.

Finding quality organic products can be very confusing, especially since you can't really trust "labels". Products advertising to be all natural, healthy or even organic turn out to be some of the worst foods you can eat. They're chocked full of chemicals, dyes and preservatives.

Organic means chemical free, no additives. You also want to look for package labeling on meats stating "free range, fed from organic feed."

As I find products I research and trust, I'll share them with you. A good rule of thumb as you're reading labels: if you can't pronounce an ingredient, it goes back on the shelf. Also, the less ingredients, the better. Eat light, and you'll feel light; in spirit, in work and in rest.

July 31, 2011

After trying many brands of organic chicken broth, which I use a lot, Swanson's brand is the best tasting. It's not heavy, so it doesn't overpower your recipes, and I love it because unlike some broths that were cloudy, this is clear and clean-smelling. Try it and let me know what you think~

June 2, 2011

Since I've become more aware of food ingredients and harmful additives to just about everything "processed", I find it harder and harder to purchase cookies and treats that don't have chemicals or dairy products. As much as I love bakin' and makin' homemade desserts, there are those times when you just want to open the freezer or cupboard and unwrap a guilty pleasure.

My latest fave is a product from Hain Celestial Group, the same company that markets the Celestial Tea line, which I also love.

This frozen treat reminds me of scooter (or mud) pies, minus the marshmallow filling. It has no dairy ingredients or chocolate, which is great for lactose intolerant diets.

It's called "Rice Dream", and tastes delicious! You would never know the vanilla "ice cream" is made from brown rice, the oatmeal cookie filling is high in fiber, and the chocolate coating that's rich and fudgy, is carob.

What's "carob" you say? In addition to not having the negative effects of chocolate, carob is very nutritious. It's actually harvested as bean pods, and is part of the legume family. Compared to chocolate, carob is three times richer in calcium, has one third less calories and seventeen times less fat, with no chemicals or caffeine.

Whatever....I wish you could taste this for yourself! I found this product in the organic section of our grocery store (Wegmans). It's only $1.59, and comes in single servings. Hope you can try one soon ~ let me know if you do, and what you think. Also, please pass along the names of any organic or natural food products you have found and enjoyed so I can share them ~ :)

April 11, 2011

Wildtree Honey Mustard

A wonderful friend whom I've known for many years has recently introduced me to this product line. It provides the convenience of a quick meal so many of us depend on, without MSG, fillers, preservatives or caking agents. You can purchase products that are also wheat-free and gluten-free.

One of the delicious products I've tried is their honey mustard. I used it right out of the jar to prepare a chicken dish, which you can find in the sidebar: chicken/honey mustard.

You can see from the label, that there are only basic, natural ingredients, with no high fructose corn syrup or granular sugar added. Honey is the only sweetener!

If you're wondering about tartaric acid, it's a natural acid found in many plants. Grapes and bananas produce tartaric acid, and it's also found naturally in wine. It's used as an ingredient to give foods a sour taste, and is also used as an antioxidant.Tumeric is a spice that has huge anti-cancer fighting properties, and is the subject of many recent studies linking it to slowing cancer progression. It is also a natural liver detoxifier.