I’ve been thinking a lot lately about trying to use up what we have in our refrigerator and pantry before going to the grocery store to purchase food for every meal- yes, I know this is how they do it in Europe, but it’s quite time consuming and costly! There are often nights when we think we have “nothing for dinner,” and then as if by some miracle I pull something off that could feed the five thousand. It’s really no miracle it’s just viewing my leftover veggies and dried beans and grains in a different light.
The other night, when we had “nothing for dinner” I made a yummy vegetable soup with wqter, 4 carrots, 3 stalks celery, some frozen farmer’s market squash, leftover cooked kale,1 cup of rice, 1 cup of black beans, salt, pepper, and some other random spices. I spooned it into bowls, topped it with avocado slices and pumpkin seeds, drizzled it with a swirl of olive oil, and voila! a super healthy, tasty dinner on a cool night. As my husband was putting away what was left of the soup (A LOT!), he said, “I can’t believe we thought we had nothing for dinner!” It reminded me of that story “stone soup” i heard as a child- except everything came from my kitchen!
I also just read a great article in Body+Soul magazine (Jan/Feb 2010) about not wasting food, and how to use leftovers- even things you think have gone bad. Before reading this, I didn’t think twice about tossing an aging carrot- “it’s biodegradable” i always justified to myself…yes, but did you know it could take 40 years for that carrot to break down in a landfill? I didn’t! Now I am inpired to have a compost bin for my future mini garden- urban living style!
The Last Nutrition Book You Ever Need to Read
Hi all!
I am back with another book recommendation! The difference this time is that if you get this book, you don’t need to read another nutrition book ever again for the rest of your life- unless you just like to learn about anti-oxidants, phytonutrients, good fats vs bad fats etc…but that’s why I’m here for you. To read, research and digest all of the information out there, and then process everything for you. Seriously, who wants to spend time reading about scientific components of food when you’d rather just enjoy the food itself? So here’s the last book on nutrition you need to read.
It makes all the confusion surrounding what to eat seem completely unnecessary. Don’t let the name fool you- it’s a fun and quick read, and also quite fascinating. With directions such as “drink wine with dinner” it has lots of rules you’ll want to follow.
Plum Organics
I recently contacted Plum Organics and asked them to send me a sample of their products to test out and review. It’s such a small world- turns out I know the head of PR and marketing from school! Anyway, she sent me a sample of the fiddlesticks, babyfood pouches, and the fruity fingerfuls. I might have the only child on the planet who doesn’t like to eat “puffs” and most other convenience food, so I wasn’t sure what he would do when I let him try these new snacks.
The fingerfuls are freeze dried fruits and grain bits- and he loves them! The strawberry is his favorite flavor, and he feels so “big” and proud of himself when he opens the bag, pulls out a snack, and happily crunches away. The fiddlesticks are yummy too- and once again, they are discerning baby approved. These gluten free sticks are easy to hold, dissolve quickly, and are a little on the sweeter side, so they make a great healthy organic treat.
The baby food pouches are truly a godsend. My baby, who has never had the biggest appetite and usually takes 3 bites of food before he’s done (picture all of the open, half eaten jars of babyfood I would have in my fridge if I didn’t make most of it myself!) quickly flattened the first flavor and then motioned for the second. I will be ordering these by the case. They are great for car rides, or any other on-the-go activity.
The best part about them is that I can confidently give any one of the snack options to my child, because the quality of the ingredients and integrity of the company is top notch.
Thank you Plum Organics!
Earth Mama, Angel Baby
Congrats to this great company who earned a hazard score of ZERO on the Environmental Working Group’s skin deep database. Nothing toxic or questionable was found in the ingredients of their products! I LOVE the booby tubes (to prevent clogged ducts and mastitis), the Baby Bottom Balm, and the Nipple Butter (it has a fabulous smell I will always associate with those middle of the night feedings in the early weeks of a new baby.)
Starbucks To the Rescue!
What’s a mom to do? You’re dying for your green tea latte or caramel macchiato, but you know everytime you step foot in Starbucks your baby points at all of the sugary baked goods and then looks into your eyes pleadingly…you want to give in, but can’t bear the thought of feeding those to your child and ruining his tastes buds for natural sweetness forever. (What? This has never happened to you? It will!) Well I have great news- you no longer have to fret, feel guilty, or give up your fix. Starbucks has recently started carrying Peter Rabbit Organics Mango, Banana and Orange Pure Fruit Snack Pouches)