Homemade Maple Granola

Brad and I used to be big cereal eaters until we learned that it's actually not so good for you.  As an adult I avoided high sugar cereals, choosing boxes that boasted of whole grains and high fibre.  I think pretty well everyone knows that Lucky Charms isn't the best option, but it turns out that even the "healthy" cereals like Vector or Special K, aren't good options either.  Commercial cereals are put through high heat, high pressure processes which strip the grains of most nutritional value they had.  It also destroys the structure of the amino acids which leaves them potentially harmful to our bodies.  Even the fortified cereals are pretty well useless, nutritionally speaking, because the vitamins added are man made.  The body treats many of these odd "vitamins" as toxins and eliminates them as quickly as possible.

Making granola is something that I have been wanting to do for a long time ever since I learned all this.  We've been buying muesli in place of cereal, but I knew it had to be overpriced compared to making it at home.  I always had it in my head that making granola would be some long, complicated process, so I put it off.  Well, I finally did it, and it was so easy!  This recipe has my own alterations from a recipe at Earthbound Farm's website.  You can add or remove any grains, seeds, nuts, and dried fruit as you like.

The Wife Life Maple Granola
-4 1/2 c steel cut oats (not quick cook)
-3/4 c raw sunflower seeds
-1 1/2 c raw almonds (coarsely chop)
-1/4 c flax seeds
-1/4 c hemp seeds
-2 tbsp ground cinnamon
-1 c maple agave syrup
-1/4 c honey
-1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
-1 c raisins

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Place oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Stir.
3. Add syrup and oil.  Stir until moistened.
5. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet.
6. Bake for about 25 min until begins to brown.  Take out and stir.
7. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and dry.  Take out and stir.
8. Put the baking sheet on a cooling rack.  Add the raisins and stir.  Allow to cool.

We both really like this granola. We eat it just with milk (rice milk) in place of cereal for breakfast.  It's cheaper than buying muesli or granola in the store, and tastes way better than the store bought stuff too.  This size recipe lasted us about a month eating it 5 days a week each.  It's so simple to replace different seeds, nuts, etc to change it up sometimes too.  It would also be good served as a topping on different foods such as yogurt.


Have you made your own granola?  What do you eat for a healthy breakfast?

"Cream" of Broccoli Soup

We are vegetarians, and while I can't see us becoming vegans (at least not any time soon), we do have concerns about where our eggs and dairy products come from.   For this reason, we do our best to get higher quality, local, etc products or avoid certain items all together.  And sometimes it's just fun to try a vegan recipe.  This post is a little bit of both.

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup (found at Take Part as part of their Meatless Monday recipe collection)

2 bunches broccoli
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
4 c vegetable stock
1 russet potato
salt and  pepper

1. Chop florets and stalk of broccoli.  Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.  Add chopped onion, and sweat about 10 minutes.
3. Add stock and chopped potato.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer until soft (about 12 minutes).
4. Stir in chopped broccoli.  Simmer until soft (about 10 minutes).
5. Remove from heat and puree in a blender until smooth.
6. Salt and pepper to taste.  Optionally, drizzle with olive oil, good vinegar, or a squeeze of lemon.

Served with fresh home baked bread.  Yum!

I loved this soup.  To start with, it was so quick and simple to make.  It is definitely up there in my list of favourite soups in regard to flavour as well.  It was also satisfying and filling without being heavy.  It is perfect for dipping with bread.  It was a soup I couldn't get enough of.  As soon as one spoonful was in my mouth, I wanted another one.

I wanted to share this recipe because even though most of you out there are not vegetarians, I think that reducing meat consumption is a viable option for everyone willing.  If for one day a week everyone in the States ate meatless, it would be the environmental equivalent of not driving 91 billion miles.  Or, according to Rodale, if just one day a week every family in the US left out meat and cheese, it would reap the environmental benefits of taking the family car off of the road for five full weeks.

What is your favourite meatless, or even vegan, meal?

Egg Shell Tea for the Garden

Brad and I have been composting for about 9 months now (something that I keep meaning to write a post on, it will come soon).  At first we put egg shells in along with our other food scraps, but lately we have found a better use for them.  I know that putting egg shells in your compost is great, but it drives me crazy how they never ever ever seem to break down.  For a while we went back to throwing them in the regular garbage, but I felt guilty about that.  Now we get the nutrients in a faster process.  I present to you, egg shell tea.

Just kidding.  But it is similar.

We crush and rinse the egg shells to make sure all the egg white is off of them.  Then we soak the egg shells in water for 2-3 days usually.  Then we use that water to water our plants.  I use it particularly for the spider plant, but also for the pot of spinach we are growing outside.  I have noticed a big growth spurt specifically in our spider plant since I began to water with the "egg shell tea."

Egg shells contain water soluble nutrients such as calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.  Soaking the shells allows me to quickly extract these nutrients and feed them to our plants.  Egg shells are also alkaline, and thus using this water somewhat increases the pH level of the soil which is beneficial to some plants.

How do you use egg shells?

Eat Green: Chlorophyll

When Brad and I signed up for a Nature's Sunshine discount card, we received a couple free gifts.  One was Nature's Sunshine Liquid Chlorophyll.  Now, I had only heard of chlorophyll before in my science classes.  Chlorophyll is the molecule in plants which makes them green.  It is also responsible for the process of photosynthesis, using the sun's energy to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugar (for the plant) and oxygen (for us).  That was the extent of my knowledge on photosynthesis.  I had no idea why I would want to intentionally consume it.  The bottle of liquid chlorophyll sat around unopened for a while until I noticed them mentioning the benefits of chlorophyll in the Hungry For Change documentary.  In fact, they included it as #2 in the Hungry for Change 10 Step Action Plan.  I, of course, had always heard that you should "eat your greens," and now I know that chlorophyll is the reason why.

The Nature's Sunshine brand in particular isn't refined, highly processed, or sweetened.

So why should we make sure we get lots of greens?
-the Hungry for Change crew promoted chlorophyll for its cleansing and detoxifying action in our bodies
-is an antioxidant
-fights infections and promotes healing
-increases the quantity and quality of red blood cells (its molecular structure is identical to hemoglobin)
-binds to and removes toxic heavy metals (such as mercury from dental fillings, etc) in the body
-prevents cancer by protecting healthy cells from carcinogens
-treats bad breath by deodorizing the mouth and throat

How do we make sure we get lots of chlorophyll?
 -eat it in natural food sources: spinach, romaine lettuce, kale, broccoli, green peppers, peas, brussel sprouts, green olives, sea vegetables, algae, anything green
-drink it: liquid chlorophyll is a concentrated option that can be added to water, juice, or smoothies, and it is nearly tasteless, or juice your own green veggies

How do you eat (or drink) green?

Hungry for Change Discussion

The evening after posting about the Hungry for Change free worldwide online premiere, I made it a priority to sit down and watch it myself.  I am so happy that I did.  I hope that some of you did as well.  Though it is somewhat advertised as a film about weight loss, which it certainly does discuss, I have never gone on a diet and have very little desire to lose much weight, and I still found tons of material I can apply to my life.

Hungry for Change was an inspiring and informative documentary.  On their website it says,

In 'Hungry For Change' you'll discover:

• How to navigate your supermarket - what to buy and what to avoid
• The real truth behind "DIET", "SUGAR-FREE" and "FAT-FREE" products
• How to overcome food addictions and cravings
• Why fad diets don't work
• What food additives to avoid and how to read labels
• What is fat and cellulite and how do we get rid of it for good
• The most effective detox and cleansing strategies, and
• How to eat for clear eyes, glowing skin and healthy hair 

And it delivers!  There were so many interesting and important topics discussed in detail using scientific facts to back up the message.  There were many experts, nutritionists, doctors, authors, people who experienced real life transformations and more who were willing to share their expertise in the area of food and its effects on our bodies.  The main point I think the film made was that there is no "diet," in the sense of going on a diet, that will have long term benefits.  Weight loss and management and health can only come from living a healthy, natural lifestyle and eating real food.

What I really loved about Hungry for Change was that it was an empowering film.  After watching I felt like I now possessed the knowledge and the practical tips to realistically change my life.  I think this should be mandatory viewing for all adults and even children.  There is still a promotion going on now where you can watch the first 20 minutes for free here online.  If you missed out on the full film, I think the 20 minutes are worth it.

Did you watch Hungry for Change?  What did you think?

Hungry for Change Opportunity

Hey!  I don't have a blog post planned or written for today.  I've been feeling somewhat preoccupied lately.  I would like to take this opportunity though to tell you all about an amazing opportunity.  The new documentary Hungry for Change is available for viewing online for free!  It is just until the end of March though, so you've only got 3 days left.

 {photo source}

Hungry for Change is from the makers of Food Matters which I raved about in this post.  While Food Matters focused on using food as medicine and treating chronic illness with diet and vitamins, Hungry for Change is more geared towards "created lasting weight loss, abundant energy, and vibrant health."

I have to admit I haven't found the time to watch it yet either, but I definitely will, and there will be a post to follow soon after.  Go to the page to view it for free here: Free Worldwide Online Premiere or check out the trailer below to spark your interest.  I want to hear your opinions on my blog post about it!

Homemade Cracker Mystery

A while back Brad and I made homemade crackers.  They were crunchy and tasty, but I had completely forgotten about them until yesterday when I came across these photos in my "to blog" folder.

 

I scrambled to Pinterest to get the recipe for them again, and the blog has been removed!  I couldn't believe it.  Such disappointment.  So today I am turning to you.

I want to hear your homemade cracker recipes!

Eating Animals

{Today is a "guest post" by none other than my most wonderful husband, Brad.  In one of his university classes, he was required to do a book critique.  He chose Eating Animals which I thought would fit in with the blog.  I asked him to write a post for us once he was done, and here it is.}

In Jonathan Safran Foer’s book titled Eating Animals he talks about his research on factory farming.  Foer spent three years researching this topic in order to write this book, but admittedly he has no background in the food industry.  He lived in New York City and admitted that he had never touched a farm animal.  He wanted to find out for himself and his family what meat is.

Foer is a vegetarian and wanted to research the ‘production’ of animals because he wanted to give his newly born son the best nutrition as he grew up. Whenever Foer told someone he was writing a book about ‘eating animals,’ they assumed that it was a case for vegetarianism. This is the assumption that in reading about how animals are treated it would lead one away from eating meat, most people know this to be the case.  Interesting, isn't it?

Throughout the book, Foer ends up telling several stories, each ending with the same horrific result.  The first story is about microbes.  People in the United States are prescribed 3 million pounds of antibiotics per year, while livestock are fed nearly twenty-eight million pounds.  The animals become resistant to the antibiotics and produce a new strain of germs which are resistant to the antibiotics.  Then new antibiotics are given to fight the new germ.  Humans then ingest the meat and the new strains of antibiotic resistant germs.  We now become resistant and when we try to treat illnesses, the drugs have a decreased effect on us, causing us to increase the amount of drugs needed.

He uses dogs as an example by saying that “no reader of this book would tolerate someone swinging a pickax at a dog’s face,” yet this is a common practice for how fish are killed.  Chickens are dunked in a bath to shock and stun them, pigs are electrocuted, and cows who have a bolt shot into their heads.  Often these methods do little more than put the animal through more torture as then they are put through the process of skinning and dismemberment alive and fully conscious.

A third story the Foer tells is about the waste that animals produce, and do they produce a lot.  One report that Foer states is that the excrement produced by pigs from a single company is as much as all human residents of the states of California and Texas combined.  Unfortunately, “concentrated animal feeding operations,” of CAFOs, have no waste-treatment systems.  The waste gets dumped into holding ponds.  This is just an open-air pit where all the waste from the animals is piled all year round.  To no one’s surprise, the waste in these ponds tends to seep into nearby streams and rivers which cause aquatic “dead zones.”  It is estimated that some thirty-five thousand miles of American waters have been contaminated.  To top off these ponds that are destroying aquatic life, humans who work with the ponds also die.  Either due to the effects of breathing it in for years, or falling in and drowning, this has happened on multiple occasions.

 Using these three stories to illustrate what factory farming is composed of, Foer asks us to make an informed decision if we want to support treating animals this way.  He is not saying that we should all become vegans, or vegetarians even.  He is saying that we should be informed about what we are supporting when we buy our meat, and decide for ourselves if we want to be support those companies.  I think that if more people were aware of the process in which their food went through to become their food, they might choose differently in what they consume.

What aspects do you take into consideration when choosing your food?

Homemade Peanut Butter

We love making our own condiments.  I think it is because I once thought they would be impossible, but now  I am pretty well unwilling to buy most condiments.  Peanut butter is no exception.  After trying (and hating) natural peanut butter, I began to purchased the unsalted, unsweetened kind.  This was an improvement, but it still contained hydrogenated oil.  Making our own peanut butter was an empowering experience.  We didn't have or follow any recipe.  Just play around with the quantities until you get it how you like it.  Here's how ours went.

Roast plain, unsalted peanuts in the oven

Blend roasted peanuts in blender (or food processor) and add a little oil.

Optionally, add honey to sweeten.

Enjoy.

I want to start this off by saying that I hate natural peanut butter, and our homemade peanut butter is not like natural peanut butter.  Our homemade peanut butter is delicious.  It just tastes like roasted peanuts.  It also has lasted a long time (couple months) without appearing to have gone bad, storing it in the fridge.

I'm not quite sure it worked the way it is really supposed to though.  The oil from the peanuts themselves never separated the way I have seen in natural peanut butters.  Also, our peanut butter is extremely thick and completely un-spreadable.  I mix one portion sized amount with more honey to make it spreadable and sweet as I use it.

Have you made peanut butter?  How did it turn out?

Oven Baked Bread

Brad and I have been baking our own bread for quite some time now.  This is our go-to recipe that we make pretty well week after week.  The recipe has been slightly altered from this one on Summer Harms' blog.  It's so delicious!  We love it.  Especially all the seed-y, grain-y goodness.  It's perfect for sandwiches and stays fresh for so long.  Plus, nothing beats the smell of bread baking in the oven.

 Multigrain Bread

1 1/2 c warm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/4 c honey
2 1/4 c multigrain bread flour
2 c all purpose flour
1/4 c ground oats
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, very soft

Mix water, yeast, and honey in a large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.
Combine flours, oats, salt in a med bowl.
Add dry ingredients and melted butter to the large bowl in one or two dumps and use dough hooks on handmixer to mix.
After a few minutes, dough should have pulled away from the sides of the bowl and come together in a large ball around the hook.
Pull dough off, dough should be easy to handle. Slightly sticky is fine.
Put dough in a large oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise for 1 hour.
After first rise, punch down, form into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.
Cover and let rise 45 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

I'd like to play around with the flour mixture a little more.  I was only just told that bread flour is a mixture of white and whole wheat (I had assumed it was all whole white since we bought the multigrain variety).  This recipe uses that plus the additional all purpose flour that is white, which is too much white in my opinion.  I am always worried to use too much whole wheat flour and have it not turn out though.  Any suggestions?

Do you have a bread recipe to share?

Eco-Christmas: Par-tays!

The holidays are a party season.  Woohoo!  Now what decisions can make an impact on global climate change with regard to entertaining?

Cleaning
We all go into cleaning frenzies before hosting a party.  Be extra good to your guests by using nontoxic cleaning supplies.  I have written about a homemade air freshener recipe, and there will be many more natural cleaning posts coming in the new year.  One unbelievably simple cleaner is just 1 cup white vinegar to 1 gallon of water.  This solution cleans and kills bacteria.  Also, I love using Norwex products.  If you haven't heard of this company, please check them out!  Their purpose is to be environmentally friendly, chemical-free, and incredibly effective at cleaning.

{photo source}

Food and Drink
A full 25% of energy used in America goes toward food.  "Each food item in a typical American meal has traveled an average of 1,500 miles to reach your plate," according to Green Christmas.  Buying food that is in season and locally grown will cut down on transportation needs for your food.  Serve organic wines, locally brewed beer, organic juices, or natural sodas for drinks.  Fill a pitcher with water that's been run through a filter instead of handing out bottled water. (P.S. - "Americans send about 38 billion water bottles a year to landfills. Considering the 1.5 million barrels of oil needed to make those bottles, the environmental impact of plastic bottle waste is truly staggering," from Green Blog)

 {photo sources}

Disposables
Plastic cutlery, styrofoam cups, paper plates all get used once and are then thrown into the garbage.  This is a huge contributing factor to waste piling up in the landfills.    Not to mention the oil, energy, and transportation required to make all those disposables.  Using real plates, silverware, drinking glasses, and cloth napkins will make a real difference.  Trade a few soapy minutes to avoid needless waste.

{photo source}

Oh, and always encourage people to carpool/rideshare/use public transportation to get to and from your place.

How do you green up your holiday parties?

Healthy Homemaking Series: Dairy Choices

Baby Step 26 - Evaluate Dairy Choices (last one!)

I have to begin this post with a bit of a disclaimer.  The views expressed in this post are Stephanie Langford's and do not necessarily reflect my opinions.  I have only just begun looking into dairy products with regard to health and environmental impact, and my husband and I are currently discussing whether dairy will continue to be a part of our diet.  Now, on with the post.

Challenge: Consider what changes you could make for the better in regard to dairy.

Why: As with any animal products, the diet and health of the animal directly effects the quality of the food product.  Healthy cows make nutritious dairy products, while sickly/ill treated/drugged cows make unwholesome, even harmful, dairy products.

How: This is the criteria given for choosing dairy...
-grass-fed cows and organic dairy is best
-raw is preferred if you can get access to it, otherwise pasteurized but unhomogenized
-stick with full fat as saturated fats from healthy animals are actually good for you
-consume lots of cultured dairy - yogurt, kefir, sour cream, buttermilk, etc
-eat butter that is from grass fed cows and organic is ideal

To keep it affordable, Stephanie makes her own yogurt and kefir.  They eat butter which follows the above criteria.  She purchases large blocks of raw, natural cheese from a food co-op for a decent price.  Her family is also part of a cow share which they receive raw milk from.

Brad and I purchase D'Dutchmen Dairy milk.  It is located a few hours away from our city (but we can buy it at our local health food store), and they offer old-fashioned, handmade dairy products with a focus on top quality ingredients.  This is what currently fits into our budget as it is only 10 cents more per litre than regular milk at the grocery store.  We would love to find somewhere we could get raw milk (illegally, eek) or just organic for a better price.  Right now we also buy mainstream cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. because it is already pricey to begin with.  A goal we have is to learn to make these things at home in the near future.

Where do you get your dairy?

Healthy Homemaking Series: Better Baking

Baby Step 24 - A Better Method for Baking

Challenge: Try a new recipe that incorporates the soaking (2 step) method for quick bread, muffins, etc.

Why: The importance of soaking grains was mentioned briefly in the oats post.  Grains are full of vitamins and minerals and have the potential to be very healthy.  They also contain antinutrients though which can cause serious health problems.  An example of this is phytic acid which when untreated (unsoaked) will block the absorption of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc into the body.  And that is only one example.

How:  This is the basic premise, though it can be adapted for different recipes.
-flour and grains are soaked overnight in liquid that is acidic (buttermilk, kefir, yogurt, whey, lemon juice)
-mix the flour and liquid well
-put a damp dishtowel over mixture and leave it
-add the rest of ingredients according to recipe and bake
-baking will take longer than usual

Before even starting I was quite frustrated by this challenge.  All the different recipes I looked through seemed pretty complicated and used a lot of ingredients I don't keep in the house regularly.  Once I actually just did it through, I thought it was so cool!

To begin, using a recipe already adapted for soaking is a good idea.  This is the one we tried:
Blender Batter Pancakes by Sue Gregg

1 c yogurt thinned with water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c uncooked oats
1/2 c uncooked brown rice (we used black rice)
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Combine first 5 ingredients in blender and blend on highest setting for 3-5 minutes.  Leave at room temperature covered for 12-24 hours.
Right before baking, add egg, and blend for 1-3 minutes.
Sift in remaining 3 ingredients and blend briefly until mixed.
Bake as usual in frying pan/on griddle.

Ours are a funny colour because of the black rice but still tasty!

We loved them!  This will be the only pancake recipe I use from now on, that is how much I love these.  I think it is so cool that they don't have any flour in them, just using the ground up oats and rice instead.  From what I can tell, they're very nutritious too.  You could add all sorts of different grains or seeds as well.  For all the putting off and frustration beforehand, it was very worth it.  I am so glad I learned about this method and this recipe.  (Oh, and it made way more pancakes than that.  The picture is only about half way through.)

Do you do any baking with the soaking method?

PS - I recently discovered No Impact Man, and now I want to read his book. I then just this second discovered that there is a documentary about it all too!  I've got to see it.  Here's the trailer:

Our Vegetarian Deliberation

As I've expressed a couple of times in past posts, Brad and I recently became vegetarians (it's actually been about 4 months now, wow).  It is a very personal decision, and for us it really ties into our natural, healthy, eco-friendly quest in life.  Thus I thought it would be a good topic for discussion here.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits to read the post 3 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian. Thanks!

Saying Goodbye to the Microwave

I have not been on the ball enough this week to get to my next baby step in the Healthy Homemaking series.  With starting a new job, it's been a little crazy.  Luckily I do still have something to talk about, so here it goes.

In the purging of most of our possessions, Brad and I decided to ditch our microwave.  The first reason was to be more minimalist.  Why do we need another appliance to do a job that we can do without it?  Then I began to come across posts on blogs and other websites of others who had given up their microwaves for health reasons such as Red and Honey - Bidding Farewell to the Microwave Oven (the most recent blog I have discovered and fallen in love with), Keeper of the Home - Life Without a Microwave (a woman who's opinion I hold in high regard), and Naturally Knocked Up - Are Microwaves Dangerous to Your Health? (who's post is a little more informative).

I am not going to try and convince you whether or not microwaves are safe.  There has been much controversy and discussion over the years.  I encourage you to read about it and make a decision for yourself.  A website article I read can be found at Global Healing Center - The Proven Dangers of Microwave Ovens which was in my opinion informative and research and facts based.

I don't know if this is proven, but I found it amusing.

Instead I am going to tell you how we live without it.  Here is what we used a microwave for and our new alternatives.
Cooking vegetables --> Steam them in a pot or fry them in a frying pan on the stove
Reheating left overs --> In a pot on the stove or in the toaster oven (we LOVE our toaster oven)
Melting food items (chocolate, butter) --> In a pot/makeshift double boiler on the stove or in the toaster oven
Defrosting --> Bring it out a day or two ahead or use a sink of water
Clock --> Clock on the wall
Timer --> Cellphone timer

Having grown up with a microwave and probably using it daily, I was surprised how easy it was to give up.  I don't miss it one bit.  And I love all the extra counter space!  We have a grand total of 5 feet of counter top (I measured), and the microwave used to take up 2 feet of it.

Do you have a microwave oven?

PS - If you will do me the courtesy of allowing myself some selfishness, I have a favour to ask of all of you.  Brad and I entered a photo contest with RW&Co to win a shopping spree.  I found out today that we are in the top 12 finalists.  Voting begins tomorrow, so if you are a RW&Co.nnection member (or don't mind becoming one for a good cause) on their website, please vote for us starting tomorrow (October 7-16th)!  As some of you know, my husband is currently going to school for his Bachelor of Education.  Winning this shopping spree would really help us out to build him a professional wardrobe for upcoming practicums and his future career.  Thanks!

This is the photo... (he's wearing a RW&Co vest)

Healthy Homemaking Series: Better Meat

Baby Step 23 - Finding Better Meat Sources (Only 3 steps left!)

Challenge: Research a source of better quality meat, and commit to replacing one item regularly purchased.

Why: Today's meat and poultry sources are of inferior quality to those even just a few decades ago.  They have higher percentages of fat because they don't get exercise, they're often sick because of crowded living conditions and then treated with antibiotics, and they are eating foods they were never intended to which causes toxins to build up in their body and be passed on to those who eat them.

Grass Fed Beef 

How: Brad and I recently became vegetarians, and thus this step did not apply to us.  In a post soon after this series finishes, I will be explaining our reasons for becoming vegetarian.  For this post, however, I will be passing along Stephanie's information for you to consider.

Be informed about what you are purchasing.  Carefully read labels.  Ask questions to farmers or meat shop employees.  This is the basic criteria to look for:
Beef - primarily grass fed, free range, no cottonseed meal or soy protein, no hormones, steroids, or antibiotics
Poultry - free access to pasture, not confined (free range), able to eat insects,worms, etc, no hormones or antibiotics

The easiest way to locate better sources of meat is to ask around.  Talk to people at local health food stores, at farmer's markets, nutritionists, naturopaths, farmers, or others you know who are trying to eat better.

Wild game is an excellent option as well including deer, buffalo, moose, duck, geese, pheasant.

Free Range Chicken

Where do you purchase your meat?

PS - I see I have some new followers, so I wanted to let you all know that there is The Wife Life page on Facebook as well, if you search for it.  I update when I post new blogs as well as use it to share interesting articles, videos, or photos I find online that relate.

Healthy Homemaking Series: Pop and Juice Addict

Baby Step 20 - Kick the Pop or Juice Habit (Only 6 steps left!)

Challenge: Make a plan to get your family off of regularly drinking pop, powdered beverages, and juice.

Why: Pop is full of sugar, caffeine, artificial colours and flavours, and preservatives.  Powdered beverages are similar because they are completely artificial, there is no real juice in them.  Juice on the other hand can be good for you, but it depends on the type and the quantity that you drink.  The problem with juice is that it contains all the natural sugars of the fruit with none of the fibre to slow the body's consumption of the sugar.  One glass of apple juice would have even more (natural) sugar than just one apple, but without being slowed down by the fibre, it will act similarly to white sugar in the body and blood sugar levels will spike.

How: The easiest way to remove anything from your diet is gradually.  Cut intake until you can begin to live without out, and just stop buying it after that.  This can be difficult.  Sugary drinks are more addictive than we think.

Brad and I got rid of any juice and pop or powdered drinks (ice tea and hot chocolate mix) when we did the Lighten Up Your Pantry challenge.  We found that we needed to get rid of it cold turkey because if it was in the house at all, we would drink it all the time.  We do buy juice to have at home on very rare occasions, and Brad will have the odd Coke if we are out to dinner at a restaurant, but overall it has been a huge improvement.  Now we are at the point where we don't miss it or think about it at home.  Along with rice milk, and herbal tea, the beverage of choice at our house is now water, water, water.  As for the hot chocolate mix, my sister blessed us with a homemade batch of hot chocolate mix.  Here it is.

So tasty!

Ingredients:
-cocoa
-sugar
-nutmeg
-skim milk powder

Directions:
Mix 1 1/2 tbsp of hot cocoa mix into 1 cup hot water.  Stir.

What do you drink at home?

PS - I have been noticing that my comments have really been dropping.  I hope I don't sound needy and desperate, but this really makes me wonder if anyone is reading or enjoying my blog as of late.  I spend time publishing content that I like in hopes that you'll like it too, and receiving a comment is the hugest encouragement.  Of course, you don't have to comment on every silly post but you connected with something, have a question, or more information, I would love to hear it!

So, I want to ask you, the readers, if you're out there, what can I do to encourage more comments?  I realize that answering this question will require leaving a comment, but I would so greatly appreciate any and all feedback.  Thanks!

Healthy Homemaking Series: Produce

Baby Step 19 - Improve Produce Quality


Challenge: Make a plan for purchasing better quality produce and select 1-3 items to buy either organic or naturally grown (unsprayed).

Why: Today's fruits and vegetables are highly sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizer and even genetically modified and exposed to radiation. 

How:  This is how Brad and I work towards eating the highest quality food possible all while on a budget (about $6 a day).

Grocery Stores With Options - For us that would be Natures Fare Markets and even Superstore as they have the most reasonably priced organic and natural choices for grocery stores.

Local Produce Markets - The BC Fruit Packers Cooperative carries fruit and vegetables grown in our province with organic options as well at the best price I have found yet.

Farmer's Markets -April to October are my favourite months for grocery shopping because of the farmer's market. I love the freshness, organic options, and knowing that I am supporting local farmers.  The food there is so delicious!

Gardening - As I've mentioned before, Brad and I have a garden with 2 other couples where we grow nearly every vegetable you can think of.  I really think this has saved us a lot of money.

Latest haul from the garden.

General Tips - We also pick and choose what is most important to buy organic.  For example, apples are the most heavily sprayed and thus it is a priority to buy organic.  On the other hand, onions are the least sprayed and thus we don't worry about it being organic or unsprayed.  Also, when something comes on sale, if we can, we will stock up and freeze it at home.

For the list of the "Dirty Dozen" (most sprayed) and the "Clean Fifteen" (least pesticide use) check out the EWG's guide here.

Where do you shop for produce?

Healthy Homemaking Series: Plastics

Baby Step 18 - Dangerous Plastics

Challenge: Examine cupboards for items made of dangerous plastics and begin a plan to replace them.

Why: Some plastics contain chemicals that leech into our foods when in contact (pthalates, BPA, dioxins).  Also, the process of making these plastics uses, creates, and disposes of harmful chemicals as well putting them into our environment.  The effects of these specific chemicals on our bodies have been clinically shown to be detrimental.

I've moved to a new website! Head on over to Heartful Habits to read What You Need to Know About the 7 Types of Plastic. Thanks!

Healthy Homemaking Series: Yogurt

Baby Step 16 - Making Homemade Yogurt

Challenge: Make a batch of homemade yogurt.

Why: Yogurt is packed with pro-biotic goodness, containing millions of beneficial bacteria that promote a good digestive system and keep you healthy.  Organic yogurt with nothing added can get pricey, and thus making it at home is a frugal choice.

How: I have been so looking forward to this challenge!  Here is how to make yogurt at home.

1 L of milk
1 tbsp plain yogurt (must be plain - no sweeteners, thickeners, or anything)

1. Pour the milk into a large pot over medium heat.  Bring to a boil (slowly).
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool until it is lukewarm.
3. Put yogurt starter into a jar and add a bit of the warm milk.  Mix until it is dissolved then pour back into the pot and mix well.
4. Ladle out milk mixture into as many jars as necessary.
5. Turn on oven light.  Put the jars full of milk inside the stove covered with a dishcloth.  Leave them in the oven for 6-8 hours. (If you do this in the evening, you can leave them overnight.)
6. Put yogurt into the fridge to cool off, and then its ready to be eaten.
Recipe and procedure from Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie Langford.

 Fail.

I don't know what happed, but something is not right about this yogurt.  The one jar is snot consistency (I apologize for that imagery) and the other is as thin as milk.  They also taste awful.  If anyone has any insight as to what I did wrong, I would love to hear it.

Have you made homemade yogurt?