When it comes right down to it, most of us like to have dessert once in a while (or more often than that!). The biggest problem I have is finding recipes that taste delicious, are simple to follow, and even if they don’t have huge nutritional value, they are at least not downright terrible for me (high fructose corn syrup, anyone?).

So coming across Katie over at Kitchen Stewardship’s new eBook, I wanted to share it with you as there are 30 dessert recipes (89 pages total) including recipes for chocolate syrup, brownies, cakes, and fudge bars- all made healthier! She also takes the time to explain about different sweeteners, alternatives to sugar, and where to find them. Some of the goals she incorporates (as a “real foodie”) into the book are:

• Less sugar
• Healthier sweeteners
• Whole grains, soaked/sprouted grains, or no grains
• Probiotics
• Some vegetables

Yes, some of the recipes still contain some sugar, but I have to agree with a good point that Katie makes in her post about it: while the health benefits of using other sweeteners than white sugar are undeniable, realistically, sometimes it is just too expensive to use sweeteners other than sugar (for bake sales, etc.). The price of pure maple syrup, local raw honey, sucanat, and even stevia can be just too costly to serve much outside the family.

So if you are interested in giving healthier desserts a try with simple, tested recipes, click here to purchase the book for only $9.95!

Also, one last important note, many of the recipes in Smart Sweets can be adjusted to specific dietary needs. 17 recipes are gluten-free (15 of these are also grain free), 16 are dairy free, 15 have been tested egg-free, and for most recipes any nuts called for are optional!

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Kitchen Stewardship’s eBooks, which means I’ll earn a small commission from any sales made through these links. However, I won’t promote anything I don’t personally believe in (plus the brownies are totally delicious!) 

Last night I decided to make my first baby food for the freezer with some wonderful butternut squash from my mom’s garden. It was so bright orange and flavorful, I couldn’t help but eat a few scoops myself after it was cooked! I’m a little over 31 weeks now with our first baby (a girl!), due on January 7. As fast as fall is going so far, it will be nothing short of a miracle if I am able to get anything else in the freezer (including regular meals for my husband and I) before she is born!

Since this is my first “go” at baby food, I am no expert and would appreciate any advice, tips, or tricks that you experienced moms may have! I just did the very basics and am hoping for the best. Making baby food seems like a very easy process (although it was a bit harder with my feet hurting so much last night!), but just requires a little bit of time. In my mind, it’s worth it for the health benefits of improved nutrition (the freshest foods available locally)- plus you know exactly what goes in it and how it was processed. The basic steps I followed were: cook the food plain, puree it (I used my trusty food processor), and then freeze it.

I know they have those wonderfully fancy little freezer containers at baby stores (and I even added a few to my registry!), but I had an extra ice cube tray free and figured that I would give that method a try first. Each “ice cube” is approximately one ounce so it should still be easy to track how much to thaw/feed the baby.

To start, I cut the butternut squash in half, removed the seeds, and baked it on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about an hour and 15 minutes. I knew it was done when I could slide a fork easily into the thickest part. I let the squash cool for quite a while on the counter and then scooped out all the insides into my food processor.

I ran it in the processor until the squash was nice and creamy with no chunks. I then carefully scooped the squash into the ice cube tray (trying not to make too big of a mess) and placed it in the freezer overnight. Today, I will pop the frozen squash cubes out of the trays and put them in freezer bags (hoping I’ll be able to reuse them again later) so they will be easy to grab and thaw when I need them.

I’m pretty excited to at least have made my first attempt with baby food, although I’m sure I still have lots of practice and learning to do!

I’m excited to be participating in the Go Green & Save Green Series with several other green bloggers this week!  We’ll be talking about different areas of green and natural living, showing you how to go green while saving money at the same time!  Be sure to check out the great links at the end of this post!

There are plenty of ways to save money by going “green” in terms of food. Even buying truly healthy, good quality food is not impossible if you purchase and store foods carefully.

Buying and if possible, preserving, food that is in season is the absolute best way to start saving money while doing a favor to the earth. Not only will the food be less expensive and more nutritious, but it will not have the added to the great transportation costs of food grown far away.

Farmers markets and roadside farm stands often offer very reasonable prices for what is truly the best quality food available. Even if I can’t always find something grown organically, I am still very happy if it was at least grown locally.

Preserving the fresh, in season foods bought at a great price is another way to further save money in the off-season months. If you preserve by canning, the glass jars can be used over and over again as long as they are well cared for. They are essentially a one-time cost and do not add to landfills each time a regular can is opened and not recycled. Freezing foods is another great option and often times much quicker than canning if that is something you require.

Buying in bulk is another great option for saving money as well as packaging materials for small containers. This does require a little bit more money up front, but for things that store well such as flour, oatmeal, etc. it can be a really great option if you find a good resource.

Making sure to store all of the food that you purchase properly (and remembering to use it in time!) is also important. Meal planning helps as you can make sure to use up all perishable foods before they spoil as well as plan to eat up leftovers. I am always bummed if I have to toss something out that sat in the fridge too long and was forgotten- not only was it a waste of space but also a waste of money!

Proper storage can also apply to how you store foods in the fridge. Often times, if I’m not sure how to store a particular food to make it last as long as possible (with only 2 people in the house this is definitely a requirement) so I do a quick check on Google. I have learned to keep tomatoes at room temperature and that lettuce in a crisper from the store can actually last for weeks. This can really help to stretch food dollars and make sure that nothing goes to waste.

Do you have any other tips for saving money on food and going green at the same time? We’d love to hear them!

Check Out These Other Great Posts in the Go Green & Save Green Series:

A Delightful Home: Grind Your Own Wheat

Live Renewed: Cooking a Whole Chicken & Making Chicken Stock

A few years ago, if someone mentioned home canning to me I would never have thought that it was something I could do. Especially not something I could do easily. I’ve since realized (thanks to my mom and the huge amounts of summer food that beg to be preserved) that canning processes are simple, straight-forward, and as easy as following instructions for any other recipe in the kitchen.

To date, my canning experience has included pickles, salsa, tomatoes, and peaches. I’d probably can a whole lot more if I didn’t have a great big freezer for lots of summer foods. But things like tomatoes and cucumbers will always be best preserved by canning. I try to make big batches when possible because once you’re already going through the canning process, it doesn’t take a whole lot of extra time to double a recipe or simply make a few extra jars.

Before I walk through my basic steps of the canning process and my personal #1 resource, I should mention that attending or throwing a canning party is also a great way to learn how to can a particular food. I attended a salsa canning party this year and even though I’d canned once before, it was a great refresher and gave an opportunity to hear everyone’s tips.

At a canning party, a great way to make canning easy is to use pre-seasoned mixes. For example, at the salsa party, we used a Ball seasoning mix instead of focusing our time on cutting up garlic, onions, peppers, etc. so that we could really learn the canning process (while still using fresh tomatoes as our base). Once you feel more comfortable, it’s great to venture out into using all fresh foods, but if you want to do especially easy canning, a seasoning mix may be the trick.

Now, even though canning is straight-forward and simple, it does require some preparation and planning. It can take quite a bit of quality, fresh produce and I prefer to use fruit or vegetables from either a farmer’s market, farm/farm stand, or your own garden. This should ensure that you are using the most fresh, nutritious, and local food possible. You also need to have plenty of canning jars (which I sterilize by running through the dishwasher), new lids, and rings. My favorite part about canning is that I can choose the food that goes into my jars and also completely avoid the dangerous BPA found in many store-bought canned products.

My personal preference for canning is Ball jars with the wide mouth lids. They are so easy to get your hands in to fill with food or to wash out by hand later. I buy the pint, quart, and half pint jars of these and I love that the same lids and rings work for all. I wash the new lids and rings by hand in warm, soapy water, and they are ready to go.

The basic steps I follow for any recipe for canning are as follows: prepare jars, prepare food, simmer lids, and prepare waterbath canner. I have a huge pot and canning rack that I bought used at an auction for about $10 (so worth it!!), but if you don’t have one you can always buy a simple rack like this one from Ball that fits with standard size stockpots you probably already have.

Basically, once food is prepared according to a recipe, it is ladled into jars, sealed with a simmered lid and then band, and then processed in the boiling waterbath for as long as required. Once this is finished I remove the hot canning rack with tongs and then let my cans sit on the kitchen counter on and under towels for at least 24 hours to allow seals to be finished.

I also follow my #1 book resource- Ball Blue Book of Preserving religiously. Canning is something that must be done correctly in order to maintain food safety as it sits on the shelf. In addition to following recipes closely and verifying my seals (pressing down and not having the lid pop back up), I also do a quick, small taste test of each can I open before adding it into a meal or recipe to consume. If something tastes “off” or funny at all, I play it safe and do not use that particular can.

When I canned the peaches above last week, I had all four burners on my stove going and the most work of all was just preparing the peaches (peeling, cutting, scraping out the rough center, and packing into jars). I let the peaches set in boiling water for 60 seconds to loosen the peel, had a light syrup cooking on the stove (but not boiling!), had my lids simmering, and my hot waterbath boiling. So while it’s a simple process, it can make for a busy day in the kitchen. I try to start with a very clean kitchen and countertops, with all the tools that I will need laid out so that they are within easy reach.

Now, I like home canning for my personal use and am not an expert, but hopefully this post has at least shown you that canning does not have to seem intimidating or impossible for you. A great instruction book, the right tools, and some fresh, delicious produce can make for wonderfully preserved products to enjoy all winter long!

I’ve had a running list going since the winter of the fruits and vegetables that I want to preserve most this summer. So far, I’ve frozen a good amount of fresh-picked strawberries and made a slew of homemade freezer strawberry jam as a gift for father’s day. There will be plenty more to preserve this summer and fall- here’s a list of what I’m hoping to complete:

• Green Peppers- I find that these freeze very well when washed, sliced, and frozen in glass jars. They won’t have a crunch when thawed but they are perfect for sauteing and adding to fajitas or anything else cooked on the stove.
• Blueberries- My husband will require enough frozen blueberries to feed an army when they are ripe. He loves eating them all year long by handfuls or even bowlfuls straight out of the freezer. I plan pick or buy them fresh in bulk and wash, dry slightly, then freeze on cookie sheets before packaging them up.
• Raspberry Jam- I love picking raspberries in the fall and making freezer jam which is oh-so easy! I’ve used sugar in the past, but am hoping to do some experimenting using stevia instead this year!
• I also like to simply freeze fresh-picked raspberries to add to smoothies and ice cold drinks throughout the rest of the year
• Blackberries- my extended family has a wonderful blackberry patch that we all take turns picking from. The berries are huge, sweet, and delicious- so washing and packing some of these in the freezer will be absolutely wonderful!
• Tomatoes- I canned my first batch of tomatoes last year with my mom and was thrilled to find it so much easier than I expected. This year, I’m hoping to preserve salsa, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and perhaps even tomato juice. Basically, I’d love to have all the tomato ingredients to make a delicious pot of chili at a moment’s notice!
• Tomato Relish- Williams Sonoma has the most fabulous relish- at about $14 for a TINY jar. Not to mention it probably contains a few unnecessary preservatives. My goal this year is to make my own recipe with similar ingredients- saving money and making a healthier alternative. It makes for a fabulous sandwich or panini spread.
• Sweet Corn- both my Grandpa and Mom grow delicious sweet corn- I can’t eat enough when it’s ripe and I can’t wait to cook up a bunch and freeze it for warm winter meals.
• Pickles- I can already taste fresh dill pickles for this year (although I can munch on them fresh out of the garden, too!), but maybe I’ll actually try canning them for the first time. I really don’t like buying them from the store as it seems unnecessary colors are almost always added.
• Stock- now is the time of year to get fresh chickens along with homegrown carrots, onions, and celery to make fabulous and nutritious stock for the freezer. It will be perfect for soups and other recipes when it gets cold!

What are some of the foods that you plan to preserve or have already started to depending on your location? Do you can or freeze most of your items? If you have any simple preserving tips for any kind of fresh food, please feel free to share them! :)

Photo By: wmstadler

So you may have a few of these yellow beauties (yes, hear me out! :) ) popping up in your lawn or field so I thought I’d share a few things that you might not know about dandelions. First, and foremost, my grandmother used to make an amazing dandelion jelly. Who would have thought, right? She sold it (among other kinds) at craft shows and what a hit it was! Us grandkids were even lucky enough to help her pick them.

So if you didn’t know that dandelions are edible, well, here’s the scoop. Mother Earth News states that all parts of the dandelion are edible. The roots can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried and the flowers can be added into salads or made into jelly or wine (mmmm). The greens can also be added into salads, but should be picked before the first flower blossoms. The leaves actually contain lots of Vitamins A & C, potassium, and antioxidants.

Before you decide to eat any though, it’s best to make sure they are from a wild, pesticide/chemical free location. Here’s a link to a few recipes including battered and fried dandelion blossoms! Also, if you are feeling extra adventurous, why not try this delightful dandelion lip balm? Perhaps we can share in a new appreciation for the many uses of dandelions and maybe even stop trying so hard to get rid of them!

Photo By: emoedgars

So I was amazed to find out from this super informative post that those tiny, sticky little produce labels actually contain surprisingly valuable information. Normally, all they do is annoy me because sometimes they are hard to peel off, not to mention I don’t really want to eat any remaining adhesive, but now I have a new appreciation for them.

Labels containing a four digit number mean that the food item was grown conventionally (with pesticides and petroleum based chemicals and/or fertilizers). Labels starting with an 8 plus a 4 digit number means the product is a GMO (genetically modified organism) which I like to avoid if at all possible. Lastly, if the label starts with a 9 plus a 4 digit number, that means the food was organically grown.

I decided to double check this with some produce that I had on hand. My conventional avocado does state “4225″, my conventional kiwi states “4030″, and my organic grapes state “94022″. That is all I can check for now since the rest I purchased locally from the farmers market.

I think this is pretty neat information in case you are ever unsure about how a particular fruit or vegetable was grown. And no more grumping on my part about these labels, since it turns out they can actually be very useful!

Photo By: Dawn

My favorite thing to do in the summer is pack up my beach bag, drive to Lake Michigan, and plant myself on a beach towel for the day. I bring books, magazines, and plenty of sunscreen, but what ends up being the most important are the snacks which help to keep me hydrated, full, and happy.

Packing these snacks ahead of time in a small cooler also usually helps keep me away from freshly fried corn dogs and ice cream on the beach (although we’re all human, right?!) and while these things are delicious I just feel better when I eat healthier foods. Some of my favorite things to bring along are:

• Watermelon (cut into bite size chunks)
• Fresh berries from the farmers market (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
• Other in-season fruits like peaches, nectarines, and cherries
• Banana Bread
• Wheat pita bread with hummus
• Salsa with wheat tortilla chips
• Veggie sticks
• Water in a reusable bottle

Now if you are feeling extra adventurous (and prepared!), you could also try packing pre-made smoothies in mugs (like this refreshing coconut lime one) or even fresh stevia lemonade. Just remember when packing that beaches often do not allow glass containers, so sealed plastic ones might be best in this case.

Now if you’re doing a full-on cookout at the beach with a grill and all, check out my guest post over at 1 Mom’s Mission to read all sorts of healthier cookout ideas. Summer adventures can be made healthier with just a little planning!

Photo By: v-jansen

This post is a part of The Healthy Home Economist’s Monday Mania

The subject of commercial salad dressings is a tough one since they are so popular (and delicious!), but unfortunately not always very nutritionally sound. I have to admit that I’m quite picky and generally use a good amount of dressing on salads to make them enjoyable. Basically what I’m trying to do right now is phase out all of the salad dressings in my fridge and replace them with healthier options, even if this means they won’t store quite as long.

The reason I am doing this is that even when seeking out the best quality salad dressings at regular grocery stores, I have been unable to find ones using truly healthy oils such as olive, flax, or even coconut. Canola and soybean oils seem to be the less expensive staples of commercial salad dressings and remember that if you see hydrogenated oils, these are even worse for your health as they are highly and unnaturally processed).

I did see a refrigerated bottle at the store yesterday claiming on the front to be made with olive oil only to check the ingredients and see canola listed first and olive oil further down the list. That’s why it is so important to always take the time to look at the ingredients list for anything you buy!

In addition to the oils in commercial salad dressings, there are a number of other unhealthy ingredients that can also be lurking around. For example, many contain the illusive high fructose corn syrup that we have explored in the past as well as artificial colors and flavors (like MSG hiding in descriptions such as natural flavors and spices). These ingredients are  all especially common in the lesser quality and cheaper bottles of dressing.

Another point worth noting is that fat free dressings aren’t always necessarily healthier. In fact, according to Natural News, studies have shown that fat free dressings are actually less beneficial nutritionally as dietary fat helps with the absorption of phytonutrients and vitamins from certain vegetables including spinach, lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes. I would hate to miss out on any of the nutrients as that is why I try to eat salads in the first place!

For alternatives to commercial dressings, stay tuned this week as the Sunday Chef will be sharing a number of healthy, homemade salad dressings that can be whipped up quickly with basic ingredients. Hopefully these will soon be the only types in my fridge!

I have used olive oil for a long time in cooking and for salads, but until recently I haven’t explored the basics of purchasing a healthy, good quality olive oil. At a local health meeting recently, I heard that olive oil should always be purchased in dark bottles and that if it is a clear bottle it can be rancid- even before you buy it.

This caught my attention as although I have a dark glass bottle of unfiltered, cold-pressed olive oil, I can only afford to use it on special occasions as it’s $26 for a regular size bottle. The other kind I have on hand is in a generic brand of extra virgin olive oil in a clear plastic bottle. This is what I use most often as it’s simply more economical. After doing some research, however, I know this has to change.

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig recommends looking for an olive oil that is golden yellow (showing that the olives used were entirely ripe) and cloudy (meaning it has not been filtered). This type of olive oil contains antioxidants and can be used for salad dressings or moderate heating as it is relatively stable.

The book also states that to get the health benefits from olive oil, it must be processed correctly so that the antioxidants, which work to keep the fatty acids in the oil from going rancid, are not compromised. The processing recommended is expeller or cold pressed with olives crushed by steel rollers or stone. Once processed, the oil should be poured into dark/opaque bottles which help it to remain fresh with the antioxidants in tact.

However, if not processed correctly, heat, light, and oxygen can create free radicals in the oil which make it subject to rancidity and further oxidation. This decreases the nutritional value of the oil and presents a problem to our bodies as free radicals can do serious damage.

Unfortunately, olive can start becoming rancid before we can smell or taste it, which is why it’s important to know what kind to purchase. For storage in your home, it is recommended to keep it well sealed and away from the heat and light. At least I was doing one thing right by keeping it in a dark cupboard! But since I now need to find a replacement for my economical olive oil, do you have any brand recommendations I should try?