Taste of Crunch

The Assertive Food Phase

2011-08-08T10:54:00.002-04:00

Hello readers! I feel like it's been a while. My toddler (wow, no longer my infant!!) has been keeping me busy. Most people would call the phase we just finished his "picky" phase - I call it his "assertive" phase. He tells me what he wants and more clearly, what he doesn't want. I want my child to be able to have choices and feel that he can control his surroundings so I've been meeting his needs. It's definitely made me a much more creative momma. Below are some of my experiments, not all successful with my kiddo but might help those of you out with your child's "assertive" phase.

Homemade chicken nuggets - organic chicken seasoned with pepper, pan fried in coconut oil with a touch of sesame oil. Half the nuggets with coated with whole wheat flour, and half with panko. Kiddo refused both but he's just generally not a fan of meat at this age. :)

Two things to note: 1.) Sesame oil has a very low flash point and so use sparingly otherwise your kitchen will be smoking. 2.) Pan-frying is a bit more difficult because of the possible oil splattering. I suggest using a recipe that allows you to bake them. I would experiment if my child showed interest but he isn't a fan.

Whole wheat wrap with turkey, avocado, spinach, banana peppers, roasted peppers from a previous batch that I froze and some dill Havarti, grilled on the Foreman Grill. Kiddo thoroughly enjoyed picking it apart or "deconstructing" as today's celebrity chefs would say. How much of it he ate is up for discussion.

Our new favorite product - The Nibble Tray from Dr. Sears. I tried creating my own with a muffin pan, but the portion sizes were too big and kiddo liked dumping that all over the floor. For some reason, he doesn't do that with the nibble tray. Thank you, Dr. Sears!!

Dips on top, left to right: Artichoke/spinach hummus, homemade tzatziki sauce, garlic hummus.
Top section: Chopped organic mozzarella sticks
Second row: Pineapple, grapes
Third row: Beets, Sesame crackers
Bottom row: Black beans

The biggest hits were the beans, fruits and cracker and dips. This helped my little mister learn the word dip, which he now says as he dips his cracker. I have learned that while he loves organic mozzarella sticks, he wants them whole and not chopped up. Did I mention I love his assertiveness?!

Those are just a view of a few of the experiments that have been happening the past few weeks. While we have always allowed our son to have his own meal schedule, he now is snacking about once an hour and it's been working wonderfully to get some more nutrients in him, as well as put on some weight.

A typical day for us would be:

6:30 a.m. - Yogurt
7:30 a.m. - Waffle/milk
8:30 a.m. - Pineapple
9:30 a.m. - Cheese stick
10:30 a.m. - Hummus/crackers
11:30 - 1:30 p.m. - Nap
1:30 p.m. - Milk/beans/sandwich (He's in a big almond butter and banana phase right now)
2:30 p.m. - Baby carrots
3:30 p.m. - Frozen grapes (Note: We make sure to chop these up before freezing because of the choking hazard). This works wonders during the days he's teething and also works as a wonderful dessert.
4:30 p.m. - Diced broccoli (He's not a huge fan of green vegetables right now but I continue to offer them daily in hopes that he will learn to share mommy's love for them.)
5:30 p.m. - Whatever we are having for dinner and milk. Tonight it's an organic chicken salad with artichokes, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and a yogurt sauce instead of mayo. Did I mention he likes to eat food deconstructed? ;)
6:30 p.m. - Sliced avocado
7:30 p.m. - Milk and goodnight!

Now, while that sounds like a lot of food, he generally takes a few bites of each item. So he may eat two carrots, and then a little while later, half a cheese stick, a few frozen grapes here and there. Snacking is very healthy and completely developmentally normal at this age. Also, some days we show him the snack tray and he says "no no no!" and we leave it at that. There are days he eats a lot, there are days he picks but I think for his personality, the constant offering, the snack tray and sharing meals with him have helped to make food a social and comfortable experience for him. We also have a shelf for him in the fridge where he gets to pick from for the items that don't fit in his snack tray and also a section in our pantry, where he can reach in and grab what he wants. These are all great ways to meet his need for independence and I have seen him flourish through these methods.

To close, some quotes from my favorite, Dr. Sears:

"Snacking their way through the day is more compatible with these busy explorers' lifestyle than sitting down to a full-fledged feast. "

"Grazing minimizes blood-sugar swings and lessens the resulting undesirable behavior." While I greatly dislike his use of the word undesirable behavior (since really a tantrum is just one more way of expressing discontent), I understand what he means. I get cranky when I don't eat on time as well.

"For young children, what and how much they are willing to eat may vary daily. This capriciousness is due in large part to their ambivalence about independence, and eating is an area where they can act out this confusion. So don't be surprised if your child eats a heaping plateful of food one day and practically nothing the next, adores broccoli on Tuesday and refuses it on Thursday, wants to feed herself at one meal and be totally catered to at another. As a parent in our practice said, "The only thing consistent about toddler feeding is inconsistency." Try to simply roll with these mood swings, and don't take them personally."

Happy grazing,
Mama A

Veggie Delight

2011-06-29T09:41:00.002-04:00

Apologies for the lack of posting, readers! With summer here, the produce around these parts have been just beautiful. I've been taking advantage of the local, seasonal vegetables but I have to say, it takes up a lot more time to chop and slice and dice them hence taking away posting time. But, once I actually get to taste my hard work, it is SO worth it. This post is an ode to my recent vegetable medleys as well as *hopefully* inspiration for you all to get out there this weekend and cook up some gorgeous vegetables! And away we go:

Proud of my handiwork with my chef's knife!

Peppers and onions prior to the co-mingling

Some very fresh kale

Altogether now

Moments before the devouring began

Carrots, Swiss Chard, Brussel Sprouts

Chopped up swiss chard, scallions and ... where'd those carrots go??

Baby bok choy, brussels and more greens!

Ah, there's them carrots. Par-boiled before the stir fry fest

Now that's some true love. <3

What's on your list to cook this summer? If you'd like to guest post your ideas, recipes and pictures, let me know and we'll share the love here.

Hope you all enjoyed some of my recent meals!
Mama A

Taste of Crunch FB Fan Page!

2011-06-16T15:45:00.000-04:00

Hi readers!

Just want to let you all know Taste of Crunch now has a Facebook Fan page! Please "like" us and pass us on to your friends!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Taste-of-Crunch/174477169278677

I will be sharing industry news letters in the health/wellness and parenting realm as well as my own blogs. Thank you all for your support thus far and I hope you all stay with me during my expansion journey!

Happiness & health to all,
Mama A

Which snack / protein bars are best?

2011-06-01T09:44:00.002-04:00

So on the days I'm running out of the house and can't fit in my usual breakfast of an egg on toast, I keep a stash of snack bars in my bag. I've cycled through so many different types and have come to the conclusion that the winner is *drumroll*:

This was based on my nonscientific opinion of taste and ingredients. I'm sure by now you guys know my feelings on unfermented soy and the majority of snack bars that fall under the healthy umbrella contain soy - but Larabar does not! The ingredients are kept simple and I can pronounce all of them. This morning, I had the cherry pie flavor and the only three ingredients were dates, almonds and unsweetened cherries (although I found it slightly too sweet but that was the natural cherry flavor as opposed to unnecessary sweeteners). It contains half a serving of fruit, 3g of protein and a cool 220 calories - the equivalent to one egg on one whole wheat buttered toast. There are a variety of flavors and certain bars have up to 7g of protein so you can choose based on what you're looking for in a breakfast.

Other brands I tested out (occasionally with a bite and sometimes just a glance before I was done with them) were Clif Bars/ Clif Builders/ Clif Mojo (all contain soy), Luna Bars (soy), Myoplex (soy and modified oils), Zone (soy and corn syrup), and PowerBar (high fructose corn syrup *gasp* and maltodextrin).

The healthiest bar is the one you make at home where you can control the ingredients and experiment with flavors that play to your palette. It's also the freshest and contains no preservatives. But since I have yet to find the time to make my own snack bars (or you know, to breathe), LÄRABAR works well as a substitute. I highly recommend the pecan pie - can you believe it only contains dates, almond and pecans?? Absolutely love the simplicity of this product!

Despite LÄRABAR being wonderful, I have to say, I still missed my egg on toast this morning. I'm of the camp that an egg is a perfect food and there is no better way to start the day. More on that eventually.

Buen Provencho,
Mama A

Babies!

2011-05-17T14:23:00.001-04:00

Not babies in the human sense, but I planted some seeds and I feel such a connection to my little seedlings! It's my first time growing anything so I decided to get seeds and a seed growing kit from the company Burpee. This year I'm attempting to grow chives, swiss chard, tomatoes and mixed peppers in the vegetable arena. I have also planted some Cosmos in memory of a beloved family member. For that reason alone, I really hope my babies bloom.

Here is a picture of the little ones, all tucked into the soil:

My number one concern in planting my own vegetables and flowers was to ensure the seeds were non-GMO. After some brief research, I realized I am not the only one with this thought! Burpee has an entire page dedicated to proving they are non-GMO seeds.

For the record, I own W. Atlee Burpee & Co. Burpee is NOT owned by Monsanto. We do purchase a small number of seeds from the garden seed department of Seminis, a Monsanto subsidiary, and so do our biggest competitors. We do NOT sell GMO seed, never have in the past, and will not sell it in the future. [Burpee]

As I've ventured into this foray of sustainability, I have started to think about things I never knew existed. I wish there was a way to know a seed's history. Where did it start? Where was it grown? I know there are several non-profits dedicated to this cause now but I wish each packet of seeds listed it's history. A family tree of sorts for seeds.

I am also did not realize there were such things as organic seeds. What makes one seed organic but not the other? I always associated non-organic as associated with pesticides but since I'm growing them without pesticides, what could be non-organic about my non-organic seeds? I even picked up organic soil to re-pot my vegetables as they get bigger.

Organic gardening is more than simply avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. It is about observing nature’s processes, and emulating them in your garden as best you can. And the most important way to do that is to understand the makeup of your soil and to give it what it needs. If anything could be called a ‘rule’ in organic gardening, it’s this: feed the soil, not the plant.

Hm, to be perfectly honest, I still don't quite understand the difference.

Viewing some gardening forums were more helpful because they spoke in layman's terms without all the fancy language. I see that this is another question that has come up quite often. There are two groups on this issue: the philosophical group and the fearful group. The philosophical group believes that by buying organic seeds, you are telling the company that you are willing to pay extra for organic, lessening the grip that GMO companies have on growing and slowing down their spread. The fearful group believes that with winds affecting growers, a GMO farm next to a non-GMO could potentially become contaminated by GMO seeds blowing over. To ensure that you have no such contaminated seed, buy organic. Both make sense. Just to lessen my guilt, it is true that all produce grown from the regular seed will be organic. It's just the seed itself that has the unknown origin.

So for next time, organic seeds, good to know! I will keep everyone updated of the progress of these little fellas. Until then, all advice on gardening, growing, GMOs, organics, etc. is very very welcome! This rookie could use the help!

Until the next adventure,
Mama A

Groundhog Day

2011-05-16T13:13:00.000-04:00

This post falls under mental and spiritual health in the realm of healthy living.

Back when I was in college, I was introduced to the movie Groundhog Day (late, I know!). The movie gave me anxiety and made me shudder at the thought of doing the same thing every single day. I couldn't understand what life would be like to relive the same people, the same situations, the same life every. single. day. Sounded more like a nightmare than a hit movie.

Yesterday, it was on and I realized, I didn't have my normal anxiety watching it and wondered why. I realized, much of my life is relived every day. We all have routines as adults. We get up at the same time everyday, rotate methodically through our wardrobe, pick out our one of three options for our breakfast.We have our jobs for years on end, doing much of the same tasks daily, seeing many of the same people daily, encountering many of the same situations daily. We have our commute to work. We pick: a certain side of the train, a certain car and even a certain seat. We walk down the same staircases, down the same pathways. We see the same stores, encounter the same weather. Life is just one giant pattern.

I watched the approaches that Bill Murray took, from utilizing prior knowledge to manipulate certain scenarios (imagine how helpful that would be on the stock exchange!) to winning over difficult people (that mysterious co-worker unveiled...) to being sad about the inability to move forward. In the end, he became a better person because of his daily routine. He was exposed to new people he would previously have ignored, his feigned interest turning genuine. It seems as if we go through our patterns in life and my hope is that there is a reason that our pattern is specific to us. That we are to gain something, to change a fundamental part of our being because of it. Change seems scary and routines are our safe-haven so we can stop trying. But tomorrow will come. Tomorrow in the figurative sense where tomorrow is a new step in our lives, a new coming. Not only will tomorrow come, but we will be far more appreciate of it this time around because suddenly a new path, a new seat, a new meaning will push us to try and believe.

Just wanted to share my lazy Sunday afternoon thoughts with you all. Please do share your thoughts on the matter. Would you want to re-live the same day over and over? Would you want your "tomorrow" to come with all it's uncomfortable newness and uncertainty?

Wishing you all happy and healthy living,
Mama A

Tell Walmart: Get Rid of Toxic BPA

2011-05-10T16:35:00.000-04:00

Another petition from FRESH, the movie that I wanted to share with you folks!

Tell Walmart: Get Rid of Toxic BPA

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a toxic chemical that’s making us sick. It leaches into us from plastics, paper coatings and canned foods. 90% of us carry measurable amounts of BPA in our bodies. 90% of us—that means it’s everywhere, practically unavoidable. For more information on the harmful effects of BPA, check out our blog post.

Canada and the E.U. have already banned the chemical for use in baby bottles. But our government won’t protect us, so let’s change the industry, starting with Walmart. If Walmart commits to eliminating BPA, the whole industry will be forced to change.

A recent report¹ gave Walmart an F rating for their lack of efforts to phase out BPA packaging. Yet Walmart has pledged to take a leadership role in environmental stewardship.

Let’s tell Walmart to stop the corporate greenwashing—it’s time to get serious about removing BPA from their products. We'll deliver your comments to Andrea Thomas, Walmart's Senior Vice President of Sustainability.

Sign here to tell Walmart: We Want BPA-Free Products Now.

Dear Andrea Thomas, Walmart Senior Vice President of Sustainability:

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a toxic chemical with proven links to health damage. It’s present in plastics, receipt coatings and food packaging, and it’s nearly impossible to avoid, unless retailers stop carrying products with BPA.

In 2008, Walmart showed incredible leadership by banning the sale of reusable plastic bottles that contain BPA. Now, Walmart is sitting idly as other companies take charge in eliminating BPA from food packaging.

Walmart, please protect the health of your customers from a known toxic chemical: commit to removing BPA from your products. Phase out BPA in Walmart’s private-label canned goods, and ask your suppliers to do the same by changing product specifications to be BPA-free. Use BPA-free paper for receipts. Fund research for the testing and development of safe alternatives.

Your policies set industry standards and influence decisions beyond your stores. Show us that you are truly dedicated to more sustainable practices—get rid of BPA-laden products now.

Sincerely,

The FRESH Community

Dreaming of Rice Cheese

2011-05-09T13:30:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I actually had a dream about what I thought was a fictional item: rice cheese. I enlisted my husband to create such a product for me and lo and behold, he finds this magical item. It DOES exist!!

At Whole Foods, we picked up a bag of rice cheese by Galaxy. We chose the shredded mozzarella flavored shreds. Our main uses for the cheese was as a topping for whole wheat pasta and eggs. While it had a bit of a grainy flavor to it, for the most part, I didn't taste too much of a difference.

I decided to conduct a nutritional analysis of rice cheese versus cow's milk based cheese. The nutritional information on rice cheese is on the left hand side and from Galaxy brand. The cow's milk cheese is on the right hand side and is Sargento brand.

Rice cheese has less fat, saturated fat, less cholesterol, more vitamin A and calcium but also more sodium and less protein. Obviously the serving sizes are different, 1/3 of a cup versus 1/4 of a cup so you get less cheese if you use cow's milk based cheese. I'm unsure how to convert all the nutritional information to equal out but I would guess the protein would be equal since the difference is negligible and the sodium would still be higher in rice cheese.

Overall, for folks that can't or won't do dairy, I do believe rice cheese is a viable alternative to cow's milk cheese. I have heard Daiya brand rice cheese is quite tasty as well, so if I get the chance to get to Whole Foods again, I will have to compare the nutritional analysis of those two cheeses. I would also like to compare the preservatives listed in each of these cheeses but I find myself not quite as knowledgeable of all the ingredients. That may be a longer post in the future dissecting each of the ingredients. If any of my readers have any knowledge on rice cheese, please feel free to share in the comments section. It's still an exciting new prospect for me!

Heading out,
Mama A

Resurfacing

2011-04-29T16:14:00.000-04:00

Apologies for the break, readers. A lot happened all at once but I'm back in the swing of things now. I missed this place!

A few updates:
The detox I had posted about last month didn't last for me, but I managed to stay vegetarian for 47 days. This week is the first week I'm reintroducing meat and I have to say, it hasn't been rainbows and unicorns. I definitely haven't felt as energetic or healthy as I did for the 6 weeks prior to this week. I've also had to up my fiber intake as well as my water to combat ... "digestion issues." I've had a constant mix of indigestion. sugar cravings and excessive hunger. I also feel like I had far less bloating and a much nicer mid-section when I was not inhaling flesh. This week could be a balancing week so I won't judge the future by it, but I do think my body and my moods seem to be better when I'm on a vegetarian diet. The challenge of being vegetarian has also piques my creativity for cooking because what's easier than making dinner with the same old boring chicken? I've definitely flexed my culinary guns for the last few weeks in thinking of balanced meals and I think it's been a wonderful, eye-opening experience.

So for the time being, I've decided is to limit my meat intake to only high-quality, organic sources to a maximum of twice a week. If I feel weak or feel like I need more protein for any reason, I can always increase my intake. That said, I don't quite see that happening though. ;)

Hope everyone has been having a healthy and happy few weeks. I plan to update more frequently so check back soon!

Mama A

Meatless Everyday

2011-03-23T13:45:00.000-04:00

This'll be a post and run, readers but I've given up meat for a while and just wanted to share some meals I've been trying out. Let me know if anyone wants recipes!

Spanakopita

Carrot/Zucchini Pancakes

Chickpea Lemon Burger
Topped with spinach and a yogurt cucumber sauce

Blackened Salmon
Had this with some mashed avocado and greek yogurt spread

FRESH Fight Against Food Dyes

2011-03-18T15:10:00.000-04:00

Hi readers,

I apologize for the delays in posts. It's been a crazy month! However, I just recieved a petition to share for the FRESH, the movie team and I wanted to share:

Coloring in our food is linked to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. These artificial colorants are changing the neurochemistry of our brains. It's been proven by three decades of studies and Europe has already acted. So why is the FDA still sitting on its hands?

Dyes are everywhere, and it's impossible for even the most vigilant of us to avoid them. They are hidden in everything from cereals to cough medicines. That's why we're calling on all of you to protect American children.

After years of pressure by activists, the FDA is finally holding a meeting to review this issue on March 30. Sign now to tell the FDA: we don't need bright food, we need healthy food. Ban artificial food dyes now.

http://action.freshthemovie.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6068

Food safety officials in Europe have moved much more quickly to protect children from artificial dyes. As a consequence, Kellogg, Kraft, McDonald's, and other American companies that do business in Europe use safe, natural colorings there-but harmful, synthetic petrochemicals here.

We have until March 23rd to tell the FDA it's time to get rid of these toxic chemicals!
http://action.freshthemovie.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6068
Here's to (naturally) colorful lifestyles,

The FRESH Team

Recipe Box: Detox Salad + Protein Plus Mix

2011-02-07T10:37:00.000-05:00

Morning readers!

I've instituted a no coffee, no milk challenge for myself this week in an effort to detox. In place of my usual cup of coffee, I'm drinking herbal ginger tea. I'm not one of those people that can live on drinking lemon water and pepper all day (gag), so I wanted to share a salad with you folks that caught my eye. It's fairly hearty but I've also added a part two to the meal for some protein because I don't find that salad to be a complete meal. All of the ingredients are minimally processed or raw. Music to my ears!

Part One

Salad:

Half a head of red cabbage , chopped
3 carrots , shredded
1 red apple, chopped

Dressing:

Dash of ground ginger
Local honey
1/2 lemon
Olive oil

It’s best to just eyeball the amount of olive oil and honey. Just make enough to lightly coat the salad. Store in an airtight container so there is minimum wilting action.

Adapted from Dagmar's detox salad

Part Two

Protein Plus Mix:

· One avocado, diced

· One can of black eye peas, drained and rinsed

· Half a lemon

· Pinch of salt (It’s heightens the avocado)

Note: Dried beans are even better but if you’re in a rush and use canned beans, please be sure to rinse them. The sodium content on canned beans is a little scary.

I’m big on taste and I stand behind these recipes. These foods really do speak to your tastebuds with the added benefit of being easy on the eyes.

A picture of the magic:

I will keep my readers abreast of how this detox challenges goes and if there are any positive or negatives effects from it.

Happy and healthy eating to all,

Mama A

Recipe Box: Risotto!

2011-02-06T10:51:00.000-05:00

Risotto has become a lover of mine, thanks to Food Network and shows like Top Chef. We've been enjoying our relationship greatly!

Some history on risotto:

Risotto is made of arborio rice. Arborio rice comes from Italy and is a short-grain rice. (Photo credit to Wikipedia)

Mixed with broth, wine, and your favorite vegetables and protein, it makes risotto. The best description I have for the taste of risotto - it's like eating overcooked, mushy rice. Total comfort food, except without all the processed junk. Making risotto requires a lot of stirring which releases it's natural starches. This helps the dish taste creamy without actually adding any cream. It's also slightly lower on the glycemix index than white rice so that is another plus for diabetics.

I've made a few risottos: butternut squash risotto, spinach and mushroom risotto, flounder (wild-caught, of course) risotto with a lobster stock and most recently, a swiss chard and (get ready!) organic roasted red-pepper chicken sausage one (now that was a mouth full).

I sliced the casing off the sausages because of a recent show I saw on how casing was made (I won't get too detailed but you get intestines if you're going organic, and cellulose or plastic if you don't go organic) so it was more of ground chicken sausage with swiss chard. Let me tell you, to. die. for. YUM!

Two things to remember about risotto: stir like your life depends on it and keep adding stock because that is what cooks the rice.

After slicing the casing off the sausages, I browned them in EVOO. I separately blanched the swiss chard and kept it on the side. Toasted the arborio rice in the pan and then added half a cup at a time of organic chicken broth until the stock was absorbed.

I didn't use wine in my recipe but lots of folks substitute half a cup of stock with half a cup of white wine. It usually takes about six cups of broth to really get the rice to the right consistency - firm, yet if you put it on a plate, it should spread (thanks, Top Chef for that tip!). Once I got to about the fifth cup, I added in the swiss chard. Here's a picture of the homestrech:

Add Parmesan conservatively. I never go by how much a recipe says to add because it's always too much. Don't be afraid to change a recipe based on your taste buds!

And voila, dinner is served. You have your carb, your vegetable and your protein all in one pan. No fuss, no muss!

Happy and healthy eating to all,
Mama A

Ruminations

2011-01-31T11:42:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posts, readers.

Recently, a beloved family member passed away suddenly. The past week has been a blur and for the first time, I'm sitting down and several thoughts, most that stem from the crunchy mindframe seem to be flowing. I usually post regarding the physical levels of crunchy, but there is an emotional and mental component to being crunchy as well. Fulfillment, a sense of peace, calmness, ambition, happiness. I just thought I'd share some of my ruminations:

The realization any moment can be your last has cemented my gentle parenting ways despite it being called into question for almost seven days straight. I've come to realize that when close friends or family offer advice that goes against my parenting style, I don't need to take offense. They see me tired and just want to help. They're doing it out of love. But I just continue to show them my way works, for me and for my baby. On that front, I strongly urge all my readers to practice gentle parenting as well. Would you want your child's last memory of you to be a spanking, or letting them cry it out? An angry scolding? Don't do it, just don't. Life can be tiring and frustrating but just always have a smile ready for your child. When you leave the house, always kiss them goodbye and tell them you love them. Or, better yet, bring the child with you.

While part of being a grown up is going to work so your family can have insurance and a home, I think another part of growing is eventually finding work you can stand behind, that stands behind your family. Owning a diner can be as fulfilling as any other job if it means being with your family more, having a safe place for your son to hang out at after school so he still gets quality parent time. It may even help build your child's future career aspirations as a chef. ;)

As stressful and as annoying as family get-togethers can get, do them anyway. Do them and take lots of pictures. You'll be thankful you did. You never know when someone will pass away and you'll cherish every last moment you spent with them.

Breathe, live in the moment more. Enjoy what you're doing. Be good at the little things. There is honor and beauty in it. Eventually, you'll be good at the big things too.

De-clutter. No one needs that much stuff, it just continues to stress you out even if you don't realize it. The Japanese understand the beauty of empty space best. I aim to follow their footsteps.

I believe there is an optimal amount of space people need. Don't buy a house bigger than you need. Don't live somewhere smaller than you need. Find out what's right, what's comfortable for your family and stay with it. Don't upgrade because that's what's expected of you.
De-stress. Eat well, live well, exercise. Smile more. Don't be afraid to take chances. I honestly believe people are so much more capable of living out their dreams than they think. Find fulfillment.

Don't eat to live, live to eat. Enjoy your food. Buy organic. Cook up a storm. Every meal should release some anxiety, warm you up inside. Don't treat food as a minor concern; make meals to really enjoy as a family. Some of my favorite memories as a child are sitting with my family, laughing at the dinner table. Make some new memories with your families.

I hope this new year brings peace and fulfillment to all my loved ones and my readers.

Until next time,
Mama A

An Ode to Crunch

2011-01-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

It's a few months in to my crunchy journey and I really feel like I'm making a difference in my life and my family's life. I tip my hat to the leaders in this industry who research everything under the sun, new companies that were created to make our lives cleaner, greener and safer, the crunchy friends I have in person (shout out to Ruchika Kumar and her wonderful work in sustainable textiles) and online, and most of all, my husband for being the biggest supporter of my blog and our new lifestyle, even when I seem a little crazy!

In tribute to all of us leading the crunchy life when it's so much easier just to be mainstream:

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

["Think Different" is an advertising slogan created for Apple Computer in 1997 by the Los Angeles office of advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day.]

The world will change for the better by each of us doing our part. Our children will have a brighter future because of our actions. I have to believe it and I have to live it.

Hope you all have a wonderful new year!

Recipe Box - Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-12-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of the holidays, I tried out a recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/ and edited it to adhere to my level of crunchiness and based on what ingredients I had around the house. Feel free to make your own version!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
2 organic, cage-free eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
handful dark chocolate chips

The substitutions I made were:

-Switched out half the butter for applesauce

-Switched out white sugar for organic cane sugar

-Switched out regular eggs for organic, cage-free eggs (I promise, you will notice a difference in taste with "clean" eggs!)

-Switched out white flour for spelt which has more protein, less carbohydrates in it

-Switched out semi-sweet chocolate chips with dark chocolate chips (Semi-sweet chocolate has from 40% to 60% cocoa; dark chocolate has from 60% to 90% cocoa. The greater the amount of cocoa and the less processed it is, the greater the effects from your health, physical and mental.)
-Switched the quick-cook oats to rolled oats. (An added benefit for nursing moms since rolled oats helps keep your milk supply up!)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, applesauce, and cane sugar until smooth. Beat in organic eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the spelt flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and dark chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For an added holiday effect, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy and happy holidays!

Environment-Related Despair Syndrome

2010-12-14T14:17:00.000-05:00

A good friend of mine recently brought to my attention a recent episode of The Simpsons where Lisa Simpson develops "Environment-Related Despair." The only cure? A drug called Ignorital. The episode is a little over twenty minutes and a good watch.

I'm sure you all can see the humor in this episode, but there is a part of this anecdote that rings true for those of us in the crunchy battle. Research can get overwhelming because the truth isn't pretty. It's like peeling layers off an onion until you get to the core of the problem and the whole way through your eyes tear (partially from the stress of knowing all the evils that be and partially from reading through piles of junk to find the truth). There is a lot to learn and the most common knee-jerk response following the despair in this syndrome is anger. You see someone not recycling or eating a Big Mac and either you get internal rage or you actually confront the person.

I want to take this post and just ask that you treat folks who are seemingly uncrunchy with kindness. Most of these folks fall into one of two groups:

1.) The "they-don't-know-any-better" group: At some point in our lives, we all were THAT person that ate farm-raised fish without understanding what it meant or threw cardboard out with the rest of the garbage not knowing any better. There are ways to educate folks without spewing anger and random facts at them. You never know what is going on in a person's life. Are they eating from the dollar menu at McDonalds because they think they can't afford anything else? Help them understand that they can. Protein can come from lots of cheaper sources than animals. In fact, go ahead and cook them a meal.

2.) The "they-don't-care" group: This group is harder to deal with because obviously, they know the deal and still don't care. They're ones that claim global warming doesn't exist. They roll their eyes at the mention of organic. It's okay. Stay calm, crunchers. You don't attract bees without some honey. Be strong and happy in your choices. Stay firm to your beliefs. Usually the don't-care group is also the unhappy group. By simply living your life with kindness towards animals, farmers, the environment, etc. and doing it with a smile on your face, you're far more likely to draw some attention to your cause rather than battling it out with a non-believer. Everyone wants to be next the happy person; no one wants to sit next to the chronic complainer. So readers, be that happy person and go catch some bees!

Until next time...

Mama A

Crunchifying - This, Not That

2010-12-13T11:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting, readers. I've been researching products that are used in my home or I have considered buying. I've uncovered a deep mine of information so you may see my revelations in bits and pieces over a series of posts entitled "This, Not That". Below are the results so I can save you guys some legwork. I have color-coded the results in red for no-go and green for safe to use.

Steamfresh Veggies / Rice Blends - SAFE! It's a miracle that something so convenient is also safe. Those two just never go hand in hand.

Steamfresh Vegetables are packaged in a special bag specifically designed for microwave cooking. Our bags are totally different from common kitchen plastic wrap. Steamfresh bags are 100% microwave oven safe and are specially designed from plastics meeting FDA regulations and do not contain PVC, Phthalate, BPA, PFOA or melamine.

Organix Shampoo / Conditioner - UNSAFE! Synthetic ingredients, misleading names and claims. The company is "greenwashing" their products (defined below). For more info on Organix, check out this link.

Greenwashing (a portmanteau of "green" and "whitewash") is a term describing the deceptive use of green PR or green marketing in order to promote a misleading perception that a company's policies or products (such as goods or services) are environmentally friendly. The term green sheen has similarly been used to describe organizations that attempt to show that they are adopting practices beneficial to the environment. (Definition sourced from Wikipedia)

This is the first in the series of posts. I will add more as I come along them in my research. Hope this helps to crunchify your life a little!

Microwave Safety

2010-12-07T13:48:00.000-05:00

Recently, there has been lots of news on microwaves. Everything from do microwave covers leach BPA to should we even be using microwaves. I know microwaves are a staple in most homes and so we'll start small and work up.

1.) If you're going to heat food in a microwave, glass or ceramic are preferred heating containers. However, just be sure the glaze on your heating container does not contain lead. I have switched my plastic containers over to Pyrex for the most part. The lids are BPA free and containers are made from glass. While the lids are BPA free, you may be better off using a cermaic plate or using a non-dyed, non-bleached paper product as a cover. On the crunchy front, I know we're all moving away from using paper prouducts when possible, so that may pose another problem. The only alternative that comes to mind if you are using a microwave is to use no cover and to clean the appliance after every use.

2.) Avoid using plastic wrap when heating your food in the microwave because it is still a questionable practice . The statement on GLAD's website is as follows: "The concern over heating plastics and migration stems from the use of chemical additives (known as plasticizers) in plastics made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). GLAD does not use any PVC plastics in its products." And the seal it forms on your containers? "According to the FDA, small amounts of such ingredients in food do not pose any health risk." My concern is if people plastic wrap all their food every week, at what point is the amount of "such ingredients" a health risk?

3.) Many white paper towels are fabricated with plastics, and are not microwave safe. Do a quick search before buying.

4.) Plain paper plates are safe in the microwave, but plastic coated paper plates are generally not microwave-safe.

5.) Ever see products touted as "microwave safe" on it? It means nothing. These aren't regulated terms, no testing is required to throw that onto a package. So it could mean it doesn't leach BPA into your food or it could simply mean it won't melt in the microwave. Don't go by packaging - do your research.

The safety of the microwave has been called into question. This happened in the past and several testing agencies said there was no detectable harm in using the microwave. The agencies tested the effects of the rays emitted from the microwave on humans, but did not test the effect the rays have on food. I haven't found reliable answers or studies on this topic, though it is a concern of mine. If any of my readers have more information on this topic, I'd love to hear it!

Hoped that helped to make your life a little more BPA-free!

Backed by research

2010-12-03T13:09:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to add in a quick note that anytime you see a word in orange, it's linked to the study or news article I'm using as reference. I give credit where credit is due and I also do a great deal of research on my own before I post. I would like to share that legwork with anyone reading and so I link everything.

Thanks for reading! It's been a long week and I hope to have a new post for my readers soon! Have a great weekend.

Toys, not toxins

2010-11-30T16:35:00.000-05:00

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Broke Tuesday? Not this year.

I was particularly excited about the Black Friday sales this year because it would be my son's first Christmas. I wanted to get him all the classic toys from my childhood but also a few new learning toys. Bright and early on Saturday morning (I don't actually do the crazy crowds on Black Friday), I went to my local Target to rummage through the shelves.

I was greatly disappointed.

Aisle after aisle, toy after toy, everything was "Made in China". I don't have any problems with the Chinese but after recent manufacturing practices have come to light, I avoid buying goods made there. I especially avoid buying products that will go in my son's mouth and at this age, that includes his toys.

After doing some research online, the only 100% green and clean toy manufacturer I can find is Green Toys.

Here are the positives about their company:

1.) All their toys are made in the United States.

2.) They offer a lot of the classic toys I wanted to get AI:

3.) Their toys are green:

Green Toys Inc. makes an awesome line of classic children’s toys constructed from recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly materials. This helps reduce fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improving the overall health and happiness of the planet.

4.) Finally, to placate my difficult-to-please mommy heart, they are safe! Oh, hallelujah, some toy maker out there cares about the same things I do!

Green Toys products are tested by nationally recognized, independent, third-party labs (located, yes, in the USA.) They contain no traceable amounts of Phthalates or BPA. They are also designed without any external coatings, eliminating the fear of lead paint.

On a tangent, I just wanted to venture into explaining BPA and phthalates for folks unfamiliar with those terms. BPA is worrisome because there are prostate and mammary cancer risks associated with it as well as accelerated puberty. Phthalates are equally scary in that they feminize males by suppressing male hormones while mimicking female hormones and also have been shown to accelerate puberty in females. In other words, they are endocrine disruptors.

I hope this has shed some light into what is often dismissed as overparenting. There are serious risks involved with turning a blind eye to the chemicals used to make your child's toy. I'm proud of the efforts that Green Toys is putting into their products and I'm looking forward to supporting their business. I hope that you do too.

So this Christmas, give your kids toys, not toxins!

Mama A

Top 5 Ways to Avoid the Pounds This Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T11:06:00.000-05:00

Since a few of my posts have been on baby food, I wanted to take this post to discuss food for adults. On the eve of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd share my top five tips that I've learned after years of feasting away. The average American eats 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving! Here are some tried and true ways of keeping that number down while enjoying the holiday:

1.) Drink up: Studies show that drinking two glasses of water before a meal help with weight loss. Further to that, half the time when you think you're hungry, you're really just thirsty! So have a glass of water and then proceed to attack that turkey.

2.) Take a walk: Start a new tradition and take a family walk between the appetizers and dinner. New studies show that taking a walk before eating a rich meal might be one way to stop the effects of high-fat foods on blood vessel function.

3.) Use a smaller plate: Join the small plate movement!

"A person tends to over-serve onto larger plates, and because people consume an average of 92% of what they serve themselves, larger plates lead to larger food intake. A two inch difference in plate diameter — from 12" to 10" plates — would result in 22% fewer calories being served, yet it is not drastic enough to trigger a counteracting response. If a typical dinner has 800 calories, a smaller plate would lead to a weight loss of around 18 pounds per year for an average size adult."

4.) Eat smart: Have your protein with vegetables and whole grains. Vegetables are filled with water and fiber so they are lower in calories while whole grains have more staying power and help you feel full longer. Don't skimp on the protein because it helps to keep your sugar levels in check. So mix it up and have some fun! We all love those mashed potatoes but mix in a vegetable like turnip (a family favorite at our house) so that you don't overload on those carbohydrates.

5.) Chew your food: The New York Times recently published an article that showcased several studies that promoted the age-old adage to chew your food.

"...subjects reported greater satiety and consumed roughly 10 percent fewer calories when they ate at a slow pace compared with times when they gobbled down their food."

Guess your mom was right!

That completes my top five. Hope it helps through the flurry of eating that is about to commence.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Disclaimers

2010-11-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning wanting to add in some disclaimers to this blog:

1.) While I believe starting solids at six months is important to avoid texture rejection later in life, it is true that before age 1, solids are just for fun. Nutritionally, breast milk or formula should make up the majority of their diet.

2.) While making your own baby food is best, in today's busy world, that's not always an option.

What I generally do is to cook in bulk on the weekends and then freeze in BPA free ice cube trays. This is a good way to measure how much food your baby is eating because each cube is exactly one ounce and if you're running late, your little one doesn't have to wait long for a meal.

If you don't get the time to cook on a rare week, I would strongly urge you to only buy organic jarred or organic, BPA free pouches of food. What seems minimal to us in terms of pesticides or BPA is exponentially worse for babies. Some brands I have had luck with in a crunch are Ella's Kitchen, Plum Organics and Sprout, in order of my little guy's preference.

3.) As I stated in a prior post, breast milk is the best form of nutrition for babies. With that said, not all moms can breastfeed or pump for their child. Formula does suffice in the case of illnesses that can pass through breast milk. It's the difference between eating homemade squash and Ella's Kitchen squash. Your child is still fed, but if you have the option for the former, do it as long as you can. In a separate post, I'll showcase the differences.

I know there are battles brewing between moms on so many topics and I want this blog to be as non-controversial as possible. All moms are supermoms. We all want the best for our children - this is just my journey with my little guy showcased. I hope it can help some folks out there but I truly hope it doesn't hurt anyone.

Rainbows and unicorns to all!

You don't eat out of a jar

2010-11-16T16:52:00.000-05:00

As parents, we are heavily marketed to for toys, diapers, formula and even food. Gerber, Beech Nut, Earth's Best... how do you choose? Which one is best?

I'm here to say, your food is the best! (Oh yes, breast milk is the best too, but this post is about solid foods.)

We need to think past the cute little jars with the colorful labels. As adults, we don't eat everything out of a jar or a box - why should our little ones?

According to a study done by Daryth D. Stallone, Ph.D., M.P.H. and Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D. titled "Cheating Babies: Nutritional Quality and Cost of Commercial Baby Food", they stated:

Gerber and Heinz replace real food with water and thickening agents in many of their products for children over six months of age. Such adulterated products are nutritionally inferior to products made with more fruits and vegetables.

Any multi-ingredient jar of food will have fillers in it to get it to the correct weight and additives as preservatives. Compare the nutritional value a jar of bananas with a jar of bananas, peaches & rice mix. The jar of plain bananas has far more nutrition and the mixed variety has far less vitamins but more sugars and starches. The study went a step further to compare whole fruits to jarred fruits:

One 4-ounce serving of fresh apricots provides about 335 mg of potassium and 2860 IU of vitamin A. By contrast, a 4-ounce serving of Gerber's apricots with tapioca contains only 139 mg of potassium and 1333 IU of vitamin A--or less than one-half as much.

Heinz' apricots with tapioca compare even less favorably with the fresh fruit than Gerber's. A 4-ounce serving contains only 78 mg of potassium (23% of the amount in fresh apricots) and 813 IU of vitamin A (28% of the amount in fresh apricots), suggesting that Heinz' product is less than 30% fruit by weight.

But it's not just the fillers or preservatives that scare me. It's the pesticides that worry me as well. The United Kingdom's version of the FDA (Food Standards Agency) did a study in 2002 with the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment and took that worry to a new level. Their report questioned how the different artificial chemicals in our food might combine to produce even deadlier unknown toxins. Their conclusion was that the long-term health consequences of this situation are unknown. I find that to be very scary, especially when it concerns my baby.

Finally, if none of that scares you, then imagine having that kid that eats nothing but chicken nuggets. Jarred foods have less than 20 flavors. Think about all the foods you eat and think about all that your child will miss out on by the time he's done with Gerber toddler foods at age 2 or 3. Tantalize their taste buds today and you won't suffer 3 years from now when little Johnny scarfs down his brussel sprouts and couscous!

In closing, I know several states are trying to get taxes on soda, juice and other sugary products. While that's a start, a better way to get folks to eat healthy is to follow in Canada's footsteps - have less tax on fruits and vegetables than on prepared, jarred foods. Instead of penalizing the unhealthy, just make it easier for Middle America to be healthy. But that's a whole different post of mine on changing America's mentality on food.

Happy eating to you and yours!

Homemade Yum

2010-11-04T15:57:00.000-04:00

Today's blog topic is one I've spent countless hours researching: baby food. I'll have to break this topic into a few posts because just like food for adults, there is SO much to know about food for babies.

Baby food is also known as solids but that doesn't necessarily mean the food is solid, it can be pureed. I suppose food is called "solids" because it's solid as opposed to milk, which obviously is liquid. I apologize if that sounds a bit silly but I thought I'd clarify that since I had no idea of such terminology before becoming a parent.

Current recommendations state there are very few reasons to introduce solids before four months of age. As parents, we can hardly wait for each milestone our children reach but in this case especially, wait until the recommended 4-6 month range. I waited until AI was a few days short of 6 months old because he still had a tongue-thrust reflex until then and that was a clear indicator that he was not ready for anything other than breastmilk. (The reason I started a few days earlier was a bad bout of constipation that only the almighty prune could fix but that's another story for another post!)

Breastmilk or formula is all they need for the first six months, and the early introduction of food has been linked to the onset of food allergies. It is also advisable to wait until their stomach lining has fully formed, which normally isn't until 6-7 months of age. Finally, contrary to popular belief, it does not help babies sleep longer at night. AI awoke far more once he started eating solids than when he was only on breastmilk.

So now that is out of the way, I have to admit solids scared me. What kind, how much, how safe is it, allergic reactions... stressful! While I wish I could just giving AI milk forever, there is no benefit to delaying solids past six months. In fact, the has been anecdotal evidence that delaying solids for too long may cause texture issues in children. Oy vey!

My initial exposure to baby food showed that certain homemade vegetables, such as carrots, contain nitrates and can cause "baby blue syndrome". Of course, I went into hysterics thinking I couldn't provide my baby with homemade carrots because it might cause this particular syndrome. I started my research and found sites like this that only fed my hysteria:

Q: Should I avoid certain foods if I make my own baby food?

A: High-nitrate vegetables, such as beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, lettuce, spinach and turnips, should not be fed to babies in large quantities. The naturally occurring nitrates in these vegetables can change to nitrites, which bind iron in the blood and make it difficult to carry oxygen. This can make it hard to breathe and cause the skin to become blue. Limit the serving size of these vegetables to one to two tablespoons per feeding.

What this site failed to mention was that this is only applicable if you feed your baby these vegetables prior to three months old. Again, current recommendations are that you should not be feeding your baby anything other than breastmilk or formula at that age. This site put up information about harm from nitrates but not about the age it is related with - this makes the site lose credibility in my eyes. Further to that, it feels like an implication to use jarred food as opposed to making your own.

Another day of research led me to my current go-to site for baby food information:

Do Commercial Baby Foods Have Lower Nitrate Levels?

Due to screening, commercial baby foods may contain a lower level of nitrates than homemade as parents do not have the ability to screen veggies for nitrates.

Please keep in mind that baby food companies voluntarily screen for levels of nitrate and there is no Federal (U.S.) regulation or mandate requiring them to screen.

Again, nitrates are naturally occurring in the vegetable itself and even the folks at Gerber/Beechnut/Heinz et al. cannot remove nitrates.

So to sum up the first of many posts on baby food:

1.) Solids are scary! There is far too much to know but I'm trying to learn as much about it as possible.

2.) There are very few reasons to start feeding your child before 4 months or after 6 months. There is an optimal time for the introduction of food based on the research by the NIH and AAP and I'm going to go ahead and follow that advice.

3.) When you do feed them, it's perfectly fine (and healthier but I'll get into that in my next post) to feed your child homemade baby food. Don't let commercial food companies use scare tactics and tell you that your children will get nitrate poisoning. Unless you're starting before three months old, it isn't an issue.

Whew! Now that was a mouthful.

So much to learn, so much to share. Until next time...

Mama A