Creamed Spinach

I got about a pound of fresh organic spinach through my coop last week and still hadn't used it so today I decided to make creamed spinach and boy am I glad I did. It was so fast and SO yummy. In two batches I boiled the spinach for one minute then strained. I put about a half cup of cream in a pot with a few cloves of roasted garlic and salt and pepper. I let the cream come to a boil then through the spinach in with the cream. As you can see there really isn't much cream on it. Actually most of the cream stays to the bottom of the pot. It was so yummy, you have to try it!!

Homemade Fruit Leather

As you know I am part of a produce coop, well two actually, so with that I seem to have an overabundance of apples. I wanted to do something different with them. Something healthy (besides eating them raw cause quite frankly I was over apples this week). There is a really cool blog my sister told me about where this woman basically takes anything you can buy in a package and makes it from scratch. Anyway, she made fruit leather and I wanted to give it a try. Fruit leather is basically just dried fruit (fruit roll ups but with actual fruit LOL). All I did was cut up all the apples I had (2 bags), cored them (did not peel them), put a little water in the bottom of a pot, covered and cooked down. You can peel them if you have nothing better to do but I was too lazy. When they are cooked down I pureed them and spread it on a half sheet pan with oiled parchment paper. This is where it got a little funky. According to the website, she had you cooking it for 10-18 hours on the lowest temp setting in the oven. I had my oven on 170 degrees, checked it in 4 1/2 hours and it was done. Basically it just has to be dry. Maybe I spread mine so thin that it didn't take so long, not sure. My advice to you is to check it after a few hours. I am about to try making some more but this time add a little grape concentrate for a different flavor. Oh, the first time I made it I did add some cinnamon to it, but that was it! Definitely give this a try, my kids LOVED it!!

Resources:
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/

Tis the Season...for sugar that is!

I was at a Holistic Mom's meeting a few years ago and there was a Chiropractor there who was talking about the immune system. He touched a bit on the "flu season". He said that it is NO coincidence that flu season runs parallel with the most sugar ridden holidays of the year. It peaks in November (right after Halloween) and ends in April (right after Easter). I know I have mentioned it before but it is definitely worth repeating, more than 60% of your immune system is in your gut. If you fill your body with sugar, it is more susceptible to germs. Now I have two young kids and I don't want to be the militant sugar police, however I do set boundaries. I explain to them that if they eat too much junk they will get sick. And if they do get sick, no sugar for them is the rule!! Just a healthy reminder for my readers during the most tempting time of the season! Pick your "junk" wisely ;op

Resources:
http://www.holisticmoms.org/

Natural Food Website

I was Christmas shopping on amazon.com and I came across a natural food website that seemed worth sharing. I haven't browsed the whole thing yet but from what I saw it looked like a good resource. I was looking for Newman's Own strawberry licorice because I bought some at Whole Foods the other day and they were very yummy! My husband loves Twizlers but for obvious reasons (can you say Red #40) I try not to buy them. The Newman's Brand was a great replacement! Here is the link. Let me know what you think!

http://www.abesmarket.com/

Teflon

I was thinking I may have written about this topic before but I can't remember LOL If I did, it's definitely worth repeating.

If you have any Teflon (or non-stick) cookware, throw it away!! I suppose you could donate it or give it to someone who doesn't care about cooking on a toxic surface :o)

Teflon is a member of a family of chemicals called “perfluorochemicals” (PFCs). According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), “PFCs virtually never breaks down in the environment and has been found to contaminate most of the US population, including 92 percent of children tested to date.” Link to Environmental Working Group for the full story: http://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips/dangersofteflon

One of the biggest issues with Teflon cookware is that at high heats (standard cooking temperatures) the particles start to break down, There have even been reports of birds dropping dead from the toxic gases released off a cooking pan, referred to as the Teflon Flu. Yes, I realize we are not birds, but if they are dying, what do you think it is doing to you while inhaling those invisible toxins?

Teflon is not just limited to cookware though, you can also find it on carpets, furniture, clothes and even cosmetics. Your skin is very porous and can easily absorb the Teflon particles causing who knows what damage to your body. Think of the effects on babies, young children and animals rolling around on those surfaces! It also pollutes the environment and the people surrounding the plants that produce this chemical.

Of course if you ask DuPont (the makers of Teflon) They will tell you there is nothing to worry about...just use their product as suggested and you will be fine. Sure, I will get right on that, NOT!

Oh, and as a side dish... DuPont is a competitor or Monsanto...need I say more?

Some additional resources:
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/teflon4.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=1540964

http://www.wisegeek.com/is-teflon-dangerous.htm