As we get ready for a season of fresh vegetables and fruits, it’s important to know what to clean them with to help get rid of pesticide and wax residues. While buying organic is ideal, sometimes it is not possible to due to availability and price. Using a good vegetable wash puts my mind at ease because I am getting the food as clean as possible before eating it.

For quite a while now, I’ve made my own vegetable wash using filtered water and Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) which doesn’t even need to be rinsed off, although I often do it anyway. I either mix GSE drops into a spray bottle and spray my fruits and vegetables well (letting them sit for at least a few minutes before rinsing) or I soak them in a bowl of water and several drops of GSE when I have have lots of fresh food to clean all at once (like after Saturday mornings at the market!) :)

If you prefer not to use GSE, there are some other options such as using 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar mixed with enough water to cover fruits and vegetables and letting them soak for a few minutes. With this method, it is still recommended to scrub and rinse the produce.

Also, a number of people on Thriftyfun.com have offered their own methods for washing vegetables. One suggestion is to add 2 Tbsp salt and 1/4 cup vinegar to a sink or bowl full of water. While soaking, the vinegar cleans the produce and the salt helps draw out dirt and any bugs. Another recommendation is to add 4 Tbsp of salt to cold water and once dissolved add the juice from half a lemon. Then let produce soak for 20 minutes (10 for berries) before rinsing well.

I often see vegetable wash at the store and wonder why anyone would buy them when they are so easy to make. Maybe you even have your own method that works great and, if so, please feel free to share!

Last night I attended a great lecture put on by Nourishing Ways of West Michigan all about quick and healthy meal planning. Jackie White (chef, caterer, teacher, and mother!) described her system for convenient, delicious, and healthy eating. I learned some great tips for food preservation, planning, and preparation that are simple, yet extremely helpful. I also got to try tasty, nutritious snacks for free- definitely a plus!

To make planning simple, Jackie sets the menu and purchases fresh food for the week all on one day. She also prepares much of the food for the week on this same day, including meat and snacks. The foundation of her system; however, is the preparation of six boxes which are stocked with healthy food at all times in the fridge: a salad/greens box, two vegetable boxes, a fruit box, an herb box, and a protein box.

The boxes Jackie uses are Lock & Lock brand and have a small tray inside which keeps chopped items fresh longer as air can circulate all around the food, not jut at the top. Regardless of the box brand, Jackie recommends that the boxes are clear (for easy viewing of contents), square or rectangle and stack-able for easy storage, and have lids to preserve freshness.

Jackie suggests putting a variety of chopped fruit in the fruit box (except pineapple, which is too acidic to be near other fruits), cleaned/cut carrots and celery in water (no tray needed) in one vegetable box, and sliced peppers and peeled and sliced onions in the other vegetable box. Having this done ahead of time makes for quick snacks to grab or easy additions to smoothies or meals.

The herb box should contain herbs covered with a wet paper towel or cloth, garlic, and ginger root. The protein box should contain items such as leftover cooked meat, boiled eggs, and tuna salad. Having all of the boxes ready at the beginning of the week saves time in actual daily meal preparation and makes for less dishes to wash on meal nights.

Some other tips that Jackie had for particular fruits and vegetables are:

• Do not wash grapes until ready to eat- the white powder on them is not a pesticide, but a needed part of the grape
• Brush off mushrooms; do not wash them as they absorb too much water (if not organic, I think I would still wash them right before eating)
• Cut potatoes and sweet potatoes and let them set in water so they won’t brown (I think she implied these should be in a separate food box or container)
• Wash broccoli and cauliflower, then chop and store in vegetable box
• Use lemon juice to keep apple slices fresh

Jackie also suggested planning the easiest meals for  your busiest weekdays and always making small portion sizes (for example, muffin size meat loaves) as they cook faster and are easy to freeze leftovers in separate portions. She also suggested preparing snacks for the whole week on the planning day, such as muffins, fresh trail mix (with dried fruit, seeds, and carrots), etc. so they are always available.

Lastly, Jackie shared a great website (where she contributes some of her own recipes) that has other neat ideas for healthy food preparation. If you have any great tips of your own on keeping food fresh and planning easy, healthy meals, please let me know as I am always interested in more!

While at the Wise Traditions 2009 conference, I had the opportunity to sample and purchase a deliciously healthy and refreshing beverage from the vendor Burgie’s Organics. The Lemon Kefir Soda is a naturally fermented (living) probiotic drink and has only four ingredients: distilled water, organic lemons, kefir grains, and honey. Although I tried many of the other flavors, the lemonade was my favorite!

In case you’re not familiar with it, kefir is a living culture which forms grains and as it ferments milk, keeps forming additional grains. The microorganisms (probiotics) in the grains (such as lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and many more) keep bacteria that would normally putrefy the milk away.

These probiotics are often called “friendly” or “good” bacteria as they help to fight against illness and disease while working to maintain a healthy digestive system. The best part is that they taste good- this lemonade kefir soda has a light, refreshing lemon taste and a delicious kick that reminds you that it is a healthy, fermented beverage.

I am fortunate to have made it to Chicago safely for the Wise Traditions 2009 conference hosted by the Weston A. Price Foundation. The lectures that I attended yesterday were were presented by Sally Fallon Morell herself, president of the foundation and author of Nourishing Traditions, one of my favorite cookbooks.

Sally Fallon’s seminar thoroughly discussed the work of Dr. Weston A Price starting with his dental profession during the twenties and his research and exploration of traditional diets that still remained (before modern and processed foods became the norm). Dr. Price started his research due to the high amounts of tooth decay and crowded teeth he was seeing and his belief of the strong impact of the diet on a healthy mouth and healthy body.

Dr. Price traveled the world studying the people of isolated villages that were self-sustained and had no food coming in yet from the outside world. He found that these people had wonderful nutrition (actually much better than the nutrition in more developed areas eating modern food) as they had much healthier teeth and overall dental health (straight teeth with no crowding and rarely a cavity- even without brushing).

In addition to healthier teeth, Dr. Price observed taller, lean people with full, wide facial structures which seem to have thinned out over generations with the lack of nutrition in modern, processed food. They had wider jaws allowing room for all of the teeth and even though some of the people had worn teeth from chewing leather, there was no decay.

Although he noticed differences in the diets of people in isolated villages, he found that all of them did consume animal products in one way or another (for example, in livers, fish oil, or raw milk) and often times they ate fermented foods. After his nutritional studies were completed, Dr. Price concluded that the diets of isolated people contained ten times the fat-soluble vitamins and four times the calcium and minerals as the modern American diet. I daresay this number would be higher now as foods have only become more processed and refined since Dr. Price’s time.

From the findings of Dr. Price’s research, the Weston A. Price foundation recommends foods that are often not recommended now, such as cod liver oil, raw milk, egg yolks, butter, cream, grass-fed land animals, and animal fat. Some of these are oppressed due to powerful industries and lacking research, but supplements such as cod liver oil have just seemed to die out over the years as other medicines and remedies have taken over.

While I can’t possibly cover all of the information Sally presented, I can refer you to the Weston A. Price website for details of their research and studies as well as their diet recommendations. A wonderful variety of food supporting the diet is being served at the conference; such as the lunch yesterday of arugula salad, lacto-fermented carrots, garlic toast, chicken cacciatore, tuscan white bean soup, herbed corn polenta triangles, and an antipasto platter of organ sausages and artisanal meats.

While it is strange for some of us to think about incorporating the dreaded organ meats into our diet, the nutritional value is just phenomenal. The sausages and meats tasted just fine and later in the evening the meat loaf for dinner contained organ meats and was probably the best meat loaf I’ve ever had. What’s nice about the Weston A. Price foundation is that they support a diet of a variety of foods. Not just raw or vegetarian or vegan, but learning how to prepare everything in a way that is healthy and maximizes nutrients and their absorbtion into the body.

This means that we can eat meat, butter, vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates, and desserts as long as they are prepared in ways that are healthy. The Nourishing Traditions cookbook is a great guide for recipes and getting started. The main thing to avoid is refined and processed foods (which have little or no nutritional value and can actually be dangerous from the process due to additives, preservatives, and chemicals used in production).

I will be attending another portion of the conference today and should have further information and reportings later this weekend! Since I’ve tried to consolidate a lot of information into a small post, please let me know if you have any questions.

In honor of National Pomegranate Month (and my newfound love for pomegranates- thanks, Jessica!), I wanted to let you all know about the health benefits of eating pomegranates and share an easy way to devour this beautiful fruit, which can seem a bit tricky at first.

I tried my first pomegranate about a month ago- and now they are a staple in my shopping cart. I crave them instead of a cold drink as the tiny arils (red, juicy seeds) are just as cool and refreshing if you keep the pomegranate in the fridge (although this is not necessary). The arils are sweet, tangy, and filled with water- but beware because this means they can also get messy and squirt out at surprising lengths!

There are many health benefits that come from eating pomegranates since the arils are filled with polyphenols (powerful antioxidants) as well as vitamins C, A, E and K. The antioxidants help reduce the negative impact of free radicals on the body and repair cells that have already been damaged. Pomegranates also contain fiber and actually more potassium than most oranges. Iron and calcium are also present in this fruit as well as the nutrient folic acid.

Clinical research has shown that pomegranates may help prevent strokes, heart attacks, and heart disease when combined with a healthy diet. The reason for this is that pomegranates are able to promote blood flow to the heart, thin the blood, and reduce blood pressure and plaque in arteries. In addition, research shows that pomegranates might be helpful in treatments for skin cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, and osteoarthritis.

There are a few ways to eat pomegranates- you can peel, pull out the arils, and slowly munch on them (this is good for watching a movie, etc). You can also cut and loosen the seeds to get them all out at once (demonstrated below), or juice the pomegranate (which yields about 1/3 cup juice).

I found a great flier at my local grocery store from POM Wonderful with detailed instructions on how to get all of the seeds out easily. You start by cutting off the top of the pomegranate at about 1/2″ below the crown to reveal four to six sections of arils. Next, cut downwards through each section of the skin separating the arils. This will help you in the next step which is pulling each section apart.

Once you have separated the sections of the pomegranate, loosen the arils with your fingers and drop them into a bowl of water. The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl while the white membrane pieces will float. Use a spoon to scoop up the big pieces of membrane and discard them. Then drain the arils and rinse them if necessary. Now you can easily eat the arils or add them to a salad, yogurt, or other favorite dish.

If you wish to juice the pomegranate instead of eating the arils, you have a couple of options. You can cut the fruit in half and squeeze it on a basic juicer or you can cut the end with the crown and place it over a glass to allow the juice to drain out. Squeezing the fruit will help in this process. Lastly, you can roll the pomegranate over a hard surface to keep the skin intact but break the juice from the arils. Then make a small hole, stick a straw in, and drink!

http://pomegranateinformation.com/

Foods that Harm Foods that Heal by Readers Digest

Even though eating healthier can sometimes mean avoiding favorite treats, thankfully chocolate does not have to be one of them. By combining raw chocolate with natural sweeteners such as dates and maple syrup (instead of sugar), the treat starts to become nutritious. I recently tried two recipes from the raw goddess Heathy: the Choco Nana Shake and Carmi’s Dark Chocolate. The shake was cool and refreshing, while the dark chocolate was rich with a coconut flavor.

For the shake, simply blend all of the below ingredients and enjoy! Just one sidenote- I don’t recommend the Magic Bullet for this task because I ended up having to do the dates separately as they just wouldn’t break down.

• 1 frozen banana
• 1-2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1/4 cup cashews (I substituted walnuts)
• 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
• 2 dates
• 1 1/2 cups water or 1 cup water, 1/2 cup ice

For Carmi’s dark chocolate, I melted 1/2 cup coconut oil in my toaster oven on “warm” for a few minutes (it doesn’t take much to melt this) and then stirred in 1/2 cup raw cacao powder, 4 Tbsp maple syrup, and 1 Tsp vanilla extract. I used a whisk to mix it together, but think that a spoon would have worked fine.

After mixing the ingredients until smooth, I stirred in about 1/2 cup walnuts. I spread the mixture into a small pan lined with wax paper and then put it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

When I removed the chocolate from the fridge I carefully pulled the wax paper from the glass dish and then lifted the chocolate from the wax paper. I carefully cut it into slices (trying to avoid touching it as the heat from my hands began to melt the coconut oil!) to enjoy.

I love tomato sauce on my spaghetti, but I never thought to make my own until I tried Jessica’s homemade recipe this past week. It was absolutely delicious! Only a few days later I stopped at a small farmer’s market and bought a huge basket of tomatoes to make and freeze my own.

Almost all of the ingredients we used are pictured to the left except for the fresh parsley. We also used a LOT more tomatoes than this picture shows- probably close to 60 actually. But 10-20 is a good start for a large batch.

We washed and diced the tomatoes in batches of approximately 20, making sure to remove any bad spots as we went along. We then tossed them into a big pot; mashing them slightly. Next, we stirred in 1 can each of organic tomato paste and tomato sauce. We then added in some organic red wine and heated up the mixture slowly.

While the tomatoes were heating, we chopped garlic (1 whole head) and about 1/4-1/2 of a large onion and sauteed the pieces in olive oil before adding them to the pot. It was all a matter of seasoning and taste-testing from that point on (but don’t let these quick instructions fool you though- the whole process takes quite a long time!).

We added chopped fresh parsley and then dried spices including basil, Italian seasoning, sea salt, pepper, garlic salt, roasted red pepper, and oregano until we had a delicious concoction.

We carefully spooned the tomato sauce into both freezer bags and freezer safe jars so that we can enjoy it throughout winter when the fresh tomatoes of summer are long gone. Remember if you try this recipe, you can modify and make it your own- the taste and thickness are yours to choose based on your favorite seasonings. Enjoy!

It has been a busy week as I’m trying to spend every moment possible outside in these few sunny, warm days we have left, but I finally had time today to make homemade cucumber yogurt dip. I had been eyeing the recipe for a while, and happened to have plain Greek yogurt on hand that I had recently made to use up.

This cucumber yogurt dip recipe is from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook and is really quite simple. I started by peeling the large cucumber and removing all of the seeds. I then “finely” chopped it (only for as long as my patience allowed) so I ended up using chunks probably a bit larger than normal. Still, I sprinkled 1 tsp sea salt on the chopped cucumber, stirred it well and let it sit for about an hour at room temperature.

Meanwhile, in another bowl I combined 1 cup of the yogurt, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp pepper. The recipe also calls for a pinch of cayenne pepper but I didn’t have any on hand to use. Last, but not least, I added approximately 1 tbsp of freshly chopped mint and parsley as well as the cucumber to the mixture.

When I tried the dip right after making it, the taste seemed very strong and salty. However, after a few hours in the refrigerator, the flavors of the ingredients had blended well together, making a very delicious, fresh tasting dip. I used wheat pita bread for dipping and really enjoyed it, with still about 1.5 cups to save for later.

I made one of my favorite dishes this weekend, inspired by a fabulous breakfast I ate at a San Francisco farmer’s market this summer. It’s simple and can be whipped up in just a few minutes!

I used a fork to beat two farm-fresh eggs in a bowl until they were well mixed and added a small amount (about 1 Tbsp) of raw milk and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. I stirred it again then fried/scrambled the mixture and just before it was finished I sprinkled on some raw cheddar cheese, which melted into the eggs.

As I let the eggs cool on my plate, I sliced up an avocado and added some organic Greek yogurt on the side. I then poured a mild salsa over the scrambled eggs- yum! I ended up adding a small amount of raw honey to the Greek yogurt as it has such a strong flavor otherwise and this sweetened it up just enough.

While this is a filling and delicious breakfast, it doesn’t leave me with a heavy stomach afterwords. It’s a perfect start to a Saturday morning and I hope you enjoy it if you try it out!

My husband was kind enough to recently share an article on money-saving ideas on groceries that still allow for good eating. With the current economic situation, and upward unemployment rates, a lot of us are finding that it’s a good time to start saving money anywhere possible. The article “More Month Than Money: Tightening Your Food Budget While Feeding Your Family Well” has some great starting points and I’ve got a few extra to add as well.

• Meal Planning- I’ve found that heading to the store with a strict list of items needed can help me avoid impulse buys and spending extra time at the store trying to figure out what I might need for the week. Planning for healthy snacks and meals can also reduce the number of meals eaten out or fast food purchased “on the go”.
• Avoid Shopping When Hungry- I’ve never seen junk food look as enticing as when I’m walking through the grocery store with my stomach growling. Things I would normally not buy- processed sugary foods, etc- seem to pull me towards them like a magnet. If I am not hungry I have a much better resistance and also seem to buy less overall.
• Make Meals from Scratch- outside of the benefit of knowing exactly what is in the food you cook, making meals from scratch can also save money in the long run. Why buy boxed mixes and things of that nature when you can whip them up in your own kitchen?
• Buy Seasonal Foods and Shop the Farmers’ Market- foods that are in season generally cost less and are the most fresh. Also, buying from farmers market often ensures that the produce is local (or at least gives you the choice) and you can search out the best prices there. I normally walk the entire stretch of the local market at least once, scoping out prices and quality, before I buy anything.
• Plant a Garden- even if you start small, a garden can help save money and be very rewarding. Planting only a few veggies and herbs (which will last all summer), can help you save money for at least those few months.
• Start Cutting Coupons- Finding out what’s on sale each week and saving coupons that you find can help you save money when you hit the store. You might even be able to find a coupon holder to help keep them well organized.
• Use Simple Ingredients- buying specialty items for only one recipe won’t be economic, but sticking to the basics that you can use over again throughout the week are a good idea.
• Buy Larger Quantities When Possible- although buying in bulk can seem expensive, it is generally more cost effective to purchase the bigger package which will last you longer and have the lower cost per unit.

If you have any other money-saving on food ideas, please feel free to share them so we can all give them a try!