Trade It Tuesday: Ice Cream & Toppings

For Ben's 8th birthday this past weekend he requested ice cream sundaes.  YUM!  Our family loves ice cream (and I love toppings) so we've found the all-natural versions of our favorite flavors.  You'll be happy to know they are relatively easy to find. 

But first, here are the ingredients you can find in Dryers flavor Cookies & Cream:
SKIM MILK, CREAM, SUGAR, CHOCOLATE COOKIES (SUGAR, ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], SOYBEAN OIL, PALM OIL, PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, INVERT SUGAR, CORN FLOUR, CHOCOLATE, CORN STARCH, SALT, BAKING SODA, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, WHEY, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN), CORN SYRUP, WHEY, MOLASSES, ACACIA GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR, GUAR GUM, ANNATTO COLOR, CAROB BEAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN, XANTHAN GUM

And here's what you can find in Dryers flavor Nestle Butterfinger (sure sounds good until you see this):
SKIM MILK, CREAM, SUGAR, BUTTERFINGER ® PIECES (CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, GROUND ROASTED PEANUTS, HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA, MOLASSES, ANDD LESS THAN 1% OF WHEY [FROM MILK], CONFECTIONER’S CORN FLAKES, NONFAT MILK, SALT, LACTIC ACID ESTERS, SOY LECITHIN, SOYBEAN OIL, CORN STARCH, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID [TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS], YELLOW 5, RED 40), PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL (PEANUT BUTTER, SUGAR, PEANUT OIL, SALT, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM OIL), CORN SYRUP, WHEY, MOLASSES, ACACIA GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR, GUAR GUM, ANNATTO COLOR, CAROB BEAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN, XANTHAN GUM.

Plus, I've already taught you that the LESS ingredients in food, the BETTER, right?  The list above scares me.

For the past two years, our family has eaten the Breyers All Natural Ice Cream in the black cartons.  However Breyers recently changed its packaging, eliminated the "All Natural" from their products, and no longer cooperates with the Feingold Association with regards to their ingredients list.  They've made it easy to assume that their product is no longer all natural.  Big bummer for us, because you can find Breyers at most stores. 

So now, here's what ice cream we buy (but there are many other brands available, just read your labels):

Fresh & Easy store brand ice cream, many flavors.
I like the small containers because they don't contain corn syrup
like the larger containers do, though all sizes I've researched seem all-natural.

Ben & Jerry's Product Mission:
To make, distribute and sell the finest quality all natural ice cream
and euphoric concoctions with a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome,
natural ingredients and promoting business practices that respect the Earth
 and the Environment.
(We all know B&J's has TONS of flavors!)

Haagen-Dazs All Natural Ice Cream
(many flavors)
Vanilla Flavor Ingredients: Cream, Skim Milk, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Natural Vanilla.
(Isn't that a nice, short list of ingredients?)

So how about toppings?  I love chocolate syrup!  Here are some options:

Santa Cruz Organic
(other flavors:  chocolate mint, chocolate raspberry)
I've found this at Whole Foods & Bel Air.

Ah!Laska Organic
They also make a great hot cocoa powder.
I usually find this at Whole Foods, Bel Air or Sprouts.

Ben loves to also put the all-natural equivalent to M&M's on top of his ice-cream, and Whole Foods carries their own brand of these great candies. 

I've barely touched the brands available out there for your all-natural ice cream craving.  Please check out the labels next time before you buy this treat, and find a brand that doesn't add artificial flavors or colors (why would vanilla ice cream need yellow food coloring anyway?!?). 

If you want more information on the artificial ingredients commonly used in ice cream, check out these links:
http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/ice-cream-lies
http://feedingabear.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/chewing-gum-ice-cream-and-artificial-flavors/
http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/03/14/6-scary-things-hiding-your-food

Trade It Tuesday: Salad Dressings

Sexy topic, this week, isn't it?  I mean, who doesn't love a good Buttermilk Ranch or Balsamic Vinaigrette?  Have you ever looked to see what the ingredients are in your favorite brands?  You'd be surprised to know that salad dressings can contain their fair share of artificial ingredients. 

The Hidden Valley Ranch website will show you the ingredients list for their products, for which I applaud them (there's nothing I hate more than a food brand that makes it difficult to figure out the ingredients).  Here is the label for Original Ranch (hint:  always look at the end of the list first, that's usually where the unwanted ingredients are listed). 



See them?  Monosodium Glutamate (MSG - which is natural and "generally recognized as safe" but we don't eat it), and Artificial Flavors.  Lord knows what lurks in that catch-all phrase "Artificial Flavors".  And those little packets of Ranch Mix that you use in recipes?  Well, I'm actually not sure what Carboxymethylcellulos is, but it's in there along with "Artificial Flavors".  YUM!

The good news is that there are a TON of all natural salad dressings available in mainstream stores.  The following are some of our favorites.

Ranch Dressing Mix:  I've never tried any of these but a simple Google search turned up a few options that you can find here or go here to make your own mix.  I've never looked for a mix at Whole Foods but I bet they have one. 

Ranch Dressing:  Our favorite is Marie's Creamy Ranch which is located in the cold section with the produce.  However you can also get Bolthouse Farms (also in the refrigerated section, usually with produce), Newman's Own, Annie's Naturals, or 365 (Whole Foods Brand).  The Bolthouse Farms dressings are made with yogurt and are much lower in calories and fat than regular brands, plus they're delicious.

Italian or Vinaigrette:  My FAVORITE Italian dressing is the Annie's Naturals Light Italian.  I can't find it everywhere, so I make special trips to Sprouts every couple of months and stock up on a few bottles.  It is THAT good. 

I've also enjoyed the 365 (Whole Foods Brand) Balsamic Vinaigrette.  That's what I always use when I eat at their salad bar. . . . every time I'm at Whole Foods.   

Basically, you can find a dressing in any given flavor that is an all-natural version, if you stick to the brands that use quality ingredients.  Click on the links for each of these brands to see what flavors they offer:

Annie's Naturals  and Organics (found at any grocery store and Target)
Newman's Own (also found anywhere, but their website appears to be down right now)
Marie's
Bolthouse Farms Dressings and Vinaigrettes

Are these dressings going to be a little more expensive than the mainstream brands?  Yes, most likely.  And there's a chance they could expire more quickly too, especially Marie's or Bolthouse which you find in the refrigeration section.  Remember that brands use artificial ingredients because they are cheaper and last longer.  But natural certainly tastes better. 

Next time  you buy dressing, swap out your usual brand with one of these all natural choices and see if you notice how much better real food tastes. 

Trade It Tuesday: Fresh & Easy

A new Fresh & Easy store recently opened up in our area.  Any new grocery store prompts at least one visit because I'm a grocery store junkie.  It's always like a treasure hunt to see what new treats the store may carry that our family can have. 

I was NOT disappointed in Fresh & Easy.  In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised.

Several factors contributed to my joy:

1. I got to cross a picket line to enter the store because the grocer's union is picketing the store's non-union status.  (Seriously, if the employees wanted to be union, wouldn't they have gone to work for a unionized grocery store?!?)
2. All Fresh & Easy store brand products are labeled right on the front if they have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.  
3. They have tons of prepared, chopped or portioned food, and most of it is all-natural - things like hummus, popcorn chicken, pizza, and prepared vegetables or marinated meat.  
4. Even though you check and bag your own groceries, the employees are always there to help.  They also roam the aisles and ask if you've found everything okay.  And they do this with a lot less employees than you find in a typical grocery store, which theoretically means lower prices.
5. Their prices are much lower than Whole Foods Market, although the shopping experience isn't quite the same (I'm a sucker for WFM - that salad bar!!!)
6. They have a rewards program that is easy to use and in just a couple of months has already earned me about $20 or so in cash back.   

A couple of things to warn you about beside the fact that you have to check and bag your own groceries.  First, the store near me only has a liquor license for beer and wine - so no hard alcohol.  Second, you wouldn't go there for ALL your groceries all the time, because they don't have everything a typical grocery store would have.  For example, you can't find all the cuts of meat or fresh spices that you would find at a Bel Air. I go there about every other shopping trip and fill in at Bel Air with the things I can't find at Fresh & Easy.

Here are some examples of the products we buy at Fresh & Easy.  I show a lot of store brand products, but they do carry other brands as well!

These are my kids' FAVORITE granola bar.  They can't get enough of them.

Come on, I don't always cook from scratch - especially on school mornings.

The pint sized F&E ice cream does NOT contain corn syrup, but the larger size does.
Since Breyers is no longer all-natural, this is now our go to ice cream.

Haven't tried this yet, but I thought it would be easy for busy nights
after soccer practice.

I just found these!  We tried a Thai Curry simmer sauce the other night and
really liked it.  I mixed it with chicken, eggplant and green beans
and served it over rice.  They have about eight different flavors. 
Chile Verde is on tonight's menu. . . maybe with that Spanish Rice!

I'm always excited to find all-natural bread in a store.  We like the taste
of the Nature's Pride better (I find it at Bel Air) but this is a close
second and says right on the package that it's preservative free.

As far as I know, the Feingold Association has not yet researched Fresh & Easy products.  So if you are a new Feingold Family, you may want to avoid these products until you are well established on the program.  Not all of the store brand products are preservative free - for example the sausage only says "No Artificial Colors or Flavors".  The absence of "No Preservatives" tells me there are preservatives.  But the labeling is awesome and requires a lot less reading of ingredients!

These stores are popping up all over town.  If you aren't immediately dissuaded by having to bag your own groceries like my Dad is, then I suggest you give this store a try.  You may find a few snacks, cereals, breads or other items that can replace things with artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. 

Finding Fresh Bread

For Trade It Tuesday today, something special!  I've decided that I will never buy a loaf of bread again.  Yes, I know, I already make my own white sandwich bread.  And it's delicious, thanks to my Cuisinart Bread Maker.

But for my birthday, my great friend Jeff gave me some of his sourdough starter.  Since my birthday I have been feeding this starter and caring for it like a beloved pet.  And on Sunday, I turned the starter into leaven.  And late Sunday evening I turned that leaven into dough, letting it do its bulk fermentation throughout the night.  And on Monday morning I separated it into two dough balls, and let them rise in the refrigerator while I was at work.  And finally, on Monday evening, I baked those two dough balls and they turned into beautiful, heavenly loaves of rustic bread.

And on Tuesday, we ate that bread.  With our eggs in the morning for breakfast, and as french toast for dinner.  (Yes, you heard that right!)

I can't wait to test my new skill and make more loaves!

Sometimes I sit back and reflect on who I am these days.  Here I am talking about leaven and bulk fermentation.  Last week I was discussing processing time and pounds of pressure (that's canning talk for those of you that aren't familiar) with my mother in law.  Three years ago I would have told you that all of this is more trouble than it's worth when you can buy these things at the store.  But boy was I wrong.  It is worth it!

Today I wouldn't trade our fresh food for anything.  Food for our family has become a passion for me.  And yes, it takes time, but it is definitely a labor of love.  And the quality can't be bought.

Trade It Tuesday

Something a little different today.  Today's Trade It Tuesday is about SHOPPING AT COSTCO!

Yesterday at my lunch hour, I ran into Costco.  I used to shop at Costco for lots of things (although I learned early on in my marriage that taking Darrin with me to Costco became very costly, so he was best left home). But once we went Feingold, I found there were very few things we could buy at this mega store and I stopped going. 

However!  I was pleasantly surprised yesterday at how many products Costco now carries that cater to the Organic/All-Natural market.  So I thought I would share with you some of the items you can buy at Costco that don't have hidden artificial ingredients.  Here is what I bought yesterday:

Costco now sells Organic Valley Milk in the gallon size!  The Kirkland brand Maple Syrup is an awesome price.  Those Philippine brand Dried Mangoes are one of my kids' favorite snacks and how they usually get their fruit servings since so many fruits are off limits for Ben.  Lia loves the Kirkland brand Real Sliced Fruit, but I have to give them sparingly to Ben since they are Stage 2.  Did you know the Krusteaz brand Pancake Mix is all natural?  And we always have Simply Lemonade around our house. 

Also, I LOVE the Annie's Roasted Garlic Olive Oil (it used to be Consorzio brand).  I use it on everything - sauted veggies, as a base for chicken, over pasta mixed with Parmesan cheese.  Of course, somehow the bottle I bought yesterday broke in my car and now my car smells like garlic olive oil. 

Luckily I'm Italian and practically wear this stuff as perfume anyway.

I also found that Costco carries Kirkland brand Organic Peanut Butter, which reads all natural.  And they carry Kirkland Free & Clear laundry detergent. 






Other products I saw yesterday at Costco:
Annies Mac & Cheese
Bumble Bee Tuna
Kirkland Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans)
Honest Kids juice boxes
Cliff Mojo Bars & Z Kids Bars
Kirkland All Natural Vanilla

There were many more all-natural products, but I'm going off memory right now from walking briskly up and down the aisles during lunch hour. 

Costco is doing a pretty good job with organic produce, too.  I was very pleasantly surprised at how many products I could buy for my family at Costco versus even one year ago.  It just shows that as consumers we vote with our purchases, and stores like WalMart, Target and Costco are listening!

Trade It Tuesday

This week's topic:  SOAP!

No, you can't eat soap.  Even the all natural kind.  But did you know that the artificial ingredients in mainstream soap can harm your kids as much as if they ate it?!?  Products that make contact with their skin, or get into their system via scents can cause issues for our babies.  For this reason, Feingold families switch to all natural, unscented, products when they first start the program.

The biggest things you want to switch are hair and body wash, hand soap and laundry detergent because they make direct contact with skin.  But if you clean your house when your kids are home you will also want to trade out bathroom cleaner, floor cleaner, etc.  I'll cover cleaning products in a future Trade It Tuesday post.    

I've tried a number of different products since we started Feingold, and there are some I love and some I can't stand!  Below are a number of my products of choice:

Laundry Detergent:  Use any product that is "Free and Clear".  I use Tide or All depending on what's on sale at Target.  But even Costco makes a free and clear Kirkland detergent.  This is one category (unlike food) that you don't have to pay extra for the good stuff!  I also use Bounce unscented dryer sheets.  It does take some getting used to the fact that your laundry comes out smelling like. . . .well, clothes, and not fragrance.  But trust me, these products work - even on Ben's clothes which are covered in whatever he was eating/using/touching.

I've tried many products for the dishwasher and my favorite are these Method Unscented Smarty Tabs.  They work fantastic and can be found at many different places, including Target.  

Hand soap is a big deal, and most that you find in the store have tons of artificial fragrance in them.  This soaks right into your kiddos' hands!  My favorite all natural hand soap is by Seventh Generation and again is unscented.  It is a great price and usually pretty easy to find at Target.  They also have a few all natural scented flavors, but we stick with this one below.  

Hand sanitizer was pretty difficult for me to find, and I ended up ordering it online on Amazon.  This is the product we use and I stock Ben's daycare and his classroom with a bottle (especially since he can't use the nasty pink soap in the school bathroom).

There are a number of choices these days for all natural, scented and unscented bath products.  In fact, there are so many more choices now than even a year ago when we started Feingold.  I've experimented with a few products from Toys R Us (now that they carry a whole section of baby products), Target, Henry's (Sprouts) and Whole Foods.  Below are a couple of my favorites.

California Baby can be found at Target, Toys R Us, and many other grocery stores, including Whole Foods.  

 The BabyGanics line is carried at Toys R Us and there are a ton of products, including shampoo/body wash, hand soap, bubble bath, hand sanitizer, cleaning products and more.  The price is reasonable, too.  I really like this line of products and they are cheaper than the California Baby products.  They also sell giant refill bottles to help minimize the cost.

I like the Vanilla Tangerine scent of the Nature's Baby Organics products, but I can't use tangerine on Ben (Stage 2).  I like the shampoo and conditioner for Lia's hair, however.  I find this brand at Sprouts and recently noticed that Bel Air started carrying this line as well.

There are A TON of all natural products in very mainstream stores these days.  It is very easy to find a soap product that will not harm your babies while you are cleaning them.  Soap is just one more piece of the puzzle for keeping our kiddos in a chemical free environment!

Trade It Tuesday

I'm not going to lie.  I totally ran out of time last night to prepare my Trade It Tuesday post.  But just so I don't totally let you down. . . .

There are days (like today) when you are just too busy to make dinner.  Here is what we do in that situation.

In-N-Out uses all natural ingredients, and oil that contains no preservatives.  You can read about theircommitment to quality, including butchering the beef themselves, making their own dough for buns, and using only the finest produce and cheese. 

Things to watch out for: their drink menu is limited.  They carry Minute Maid Pink Lemonade, which I'm not sure is all natural (the yellow Minute Maid is all natural but does contain corn syrup so we avoid it).  If I know we're eating there, I will bring a couple of those Horizon 8 ounce milk boxes or cans of Santa Cruz Lemonade.  If I don't know we'll be eating there, my kids drink water.  Also, I don't know what brand of ketchup they use.  Since many mainstream brands have corn syrup, we also avoid the ketchup.

Another thing we will do on a night like tonight is PIZZA!!  We finally were brave enough to try a local pizza joint, and I asked a million questions before ordering.  I determined what was in their tomato sauce, looked at labels of the sauce to see if it contains corn syrup, asked the ingredients in their dough.  We don't order the kids any meat from the pizza place (they either get a Margarita Pizza - which is cheese, basil and tomatoes - or we actually bring our own sliced ham).  But we do get mushrooms, olives, cheese, pineapple, etc.  The kids love it when we go out for pizza. 

I would now post a picture of what NOT to eat out in a pinch.  But that would consume far too much blog space. 

Trade It Tuesday

By request, today's topic:  Hot Dogs!

Yes, believe it or not, there is an all natural version.  Of course, there aren't too many options, so this will be a short Trade It Tuesday post.

First, though, I found a cool website while Googling "hot dog ingredients" called LabelWatch.com - and it seems pretty thorough.  You search for a food, by type or brand name, and it lists all the ingredients in that food, along with links to explain what each ingredient really is.  It also color codes beneficial, neutral and cautionary ingredients for easy reference (although I think some of the ingredients they classify as neutral should actually be cautionary).

I searched hot dogs and got this link.  Click on it and you can see how many "Cautionary" ingredients are in your brand of hot dog.  IF YOU DARE!!!

Or, you can try some of these. . . .

Wellshire Farms Premium Beef Franks - All natural product free of preservatives, nitrates, added nitrates or antibiotics.

Also, found the coolest link - the Wellshire Farms website lets you search with "Feingold Stage 1" or "Feingold Stage 2" as the criteria.  Awesome!

Applegate Farms Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog
Ingredients:  Organic Grass-Fed Beef, Water, Sea Salt, Celery Powder, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Spices, Organic Paprika (Feingold Stage 2).

Dietz & Watson Beef Frankfurters
Ingredients:  Beef, Water, Salt, Nonfat Dry Milk, Isolated Soy Protein, Flavoring, Sugar, Paprika, Sodium Phosphate, Garlic Puree, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrate.  (These are Feingold Stage 2)








Our choice for the last year has been the Wellshire Farms brand, mainly because I can find them.  Hot dogs are one of the few things that has been hard for me to find, so whenever I go to Whole Foods, I buy about six packages and just freeze them.  We don't eat that many hot dogs except when we're camping, but they are also a go-to meal when the babysitter is cooking dinner, too.

I also just Googled "All Natural Hot Dogs" and quite a few options came up.  The brands all have "where to buy" links to help you find a store near you that carries their products.

Hot dogs have a very bad reputation for containing ingredients that are less than stellar.  At least choose a brand that keeps out artificial flavors and preservatives!

Trade It Tuesday

Ben's favorite food in the entire world has always been fruit snacks.  Before Feingold we always bought the Welch's 100% Juice Fruit Snacks.  Sounds healthy, right?  And even on their website they tout "No Preservatives" and "100% Daily Value Vitamin C" plus they are "Fat Free and Gluten Free".  Whoop-ti-do.  They also contain corn syrup, "natural and artificial flavors", Red 40, Yellow 5 and Blue 1. 

Fruit snacks have been very difficult for Ben to do without.  Our first year on Feingold this was probably the thing that caused him to go off diet the most (like that horrible Valentine's Day experience).  Our problem is that most fruit snacks, while all natural, contain only stage two fruits (Ben can only have them occasionally) or annatto (Ben can't tolerate this at all).  Slowly over time we are finding acceptable products and we just limit how much Ben has them. 

Here are some of our favorites:

Stretch Island Fruit Co. - Fruit Leather

This product comes in more than a few flavors:  Mango Sunrise, Grape, Cherry, Orchard Cherry, Strawberry, Apricot, Apple and more.  The kids LOVE these! 

This company also makes a natural version of a fruit by the foot, although we haven't tried these yet.  I find the fruit leathers at Henry's (now Sprout's), Whole Foods and I've even seen them at Bel Air.

Then there is the Annie's line of Fruit Snacks, in Tropical Treat, Berry Patch or Summer Strawberry.  Ben totally loves these, but unfortunately these flavors are either berry (which we're finding he can't tolerate at all) or they have annatto (the natural coloring for "yellow").  If your kiddos aren't as sensitive as mine, I totally recommend this brand as they are very easy to find (Costco, Toys R Us, and any grocery store) and tend to be less expensive then the other all natural options either. 

Another option is the Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit Ropes.  These boast organic and all natural flavors.  We have not tried them yet (again with the berry thing), but I've heard that kids really like them. 










I tried making my own gummies once and that didn't work out too well.  Now I buy most of our fruit snacks online at http://www.indiecandy.com/ because they actually sell candy that is Feingold Stage 1, as well as many other all natural candy options.  The gummies are great and Ben and Lia are both always super excited to have them as a special treat.  I order all my candy for holidays from this site.  Not only do they offer great products, but they are super helpful in customizing orders for special diet considerations.  I highly recommend their site. 

Please just promise me you will never allow your child to eat another artificially colored or flavored fruit snack product.  Anything with "Fruit" in the title should be a healthy snack, but that is far from reality!  Check out the ingredients in that entire aisle of regular fruit snacks next time you are in the grocery store - then go find the natural foods aisle and pick up one of the products above.  Your kids will be much healthier for it! 

Do you have a type of food you would like to see discussed in Trade It Tuesday?  Let me know and I'll be happy to do the research for you! 

Trade It Tuesday

Today's topic:  Milk

One would think that any milk would be a wholesome, nutritious food.  Ha, think again.  Many milks are fortified with vitamins, and the Vitamin D3 and Vitamin A Palmitate can often contain preservatives - namely BHT.  If you don't remember what BHT is made from, let me refresh your memory: 

BHT is a lipophilic organic compound (huh?!?) that is primarily used as an antioxidant food additive as well as an additive in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet fuels, rubber, petroleum products, electrical transformer oil and embalming fluid.  It  is prepared by the reaction of p-cresol (a major componant in pig odor) with isobutylene (a colorless flamable gas) catalysed by sulfuric acid.

How can you be sure the milk you are buying does not contain preserved Vitamin D?  You can't tell from the label.  I use my 2011 Feingold Food List, because the non-profit Feingold Association of America researches the milks to make sure they are all natural.  Here are some of the local brands you can trust:

365 Everyday Value (Whole Foods Brand)

Alta Dena

Bayview Farms (Bel Air & Raley's)

Clover Stornetta

Dairy Glen (Safeway)
Horizon Organic
Organic Valley (now at Costco!)
Straus Family Creamery
Sunnyside Farms
Sweet Clover

(There are a few more approved brands, too, so feel free to email me if you want to know about other brands you may be using.)

And what is the deal with organic milk?  What exactly is the difference that causes such a difference in price? 

1. Shelf Life - Organic milk has to be pasteurized at a much higher temperature (280 degrees) than regular milk (140 degrees) so it can last up to two months in the fridge. 

2. No Hormones - the USDA certifies that organic milk comes from cows are not given the synthetic hormone known as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH, also known as BGH, recombinant bovine somatotropin or rBST). Farmers often give rBGH to dairy cows to make them more productive.   However this also causes mastitis in the cows, leading to (brace yourself) PUSS that gets in the milk.  rBGH has also been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer in humans. The additive has been banned in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the entire European Union.

3. No Antibiotics - farmers often give the cows antibiotics to prevent infection and mastitis, but the antibiotics show up in the cow's milk.  Many people think this may be part of the reason that our generation is developing immunity to antibiotics.  In a certified organic dairy, if a cow is given antibiotics it must be taken out of the milking rotation for a year. 

4. No pesticides - to be certified as organic, milk can only come from cows who have been fed certified organic feed. 

5. Free Range - cows producing organic milk have to spend most of each year grazing out in open pastures.  I'm not sure what health benefit this has, but I'm sure the cows are happier and therefore produce better milk. Ha! 

If you want to know a lot more about this subject, just Google "Organic Milk vs Regular Milk" and there is a wealth of information for you to make your own decision.  

In our house, we drink Horizon Organic and Organic Valley.  We used to drink Bayview Farms, but one day I decided to try organic, and my family LOVED the milk.  The kids would literally get excited when I would take the blue Organic Valley carton out of the refrigerator.  Lia would say "Oh Yeah!  That is the milk that I LOVE!"  Hard to stop buying it when you get that reaction.  My extended family had it at our house and also started buying it on a regular basis, just because it tastes so much better.  

 

I also like the philosophy of the Organic Valley brand.  They are actually a coop of farmers that brand under one name.  Check out this link for more information.  And, they utilize local dairies, meaning less transportation getting the milk to market.  In fact, on the Organic Valley website you can punch in your zipcode and find out which dairy supplies the milk you buy.  Maybe I'll go by and visit those happy cows. . . . 

I also love the portable Horizon milks to throw in the kids lunches or to take with us when we go out to dinner.  The kids love the vanilla flavor, so I keep that and regular 2% on hand at all times.  I find the big boxes of it (18 drink boxes) at Toys R Us of all places, which is much cheaper than buying it in the three packs that most grocery stores carry.  Whole Foods also has the bulk box, but it's a little more expensive.   Or, you can order it on Amazon if you click on this link.  I don't know how it's possible, but the portable milks don't even need refrigeration.  Weird!


In my opinion, you really get what you pay for with milk.  Yes, organic is definitely more expensive - and anyone with little kids can go through the milk quickly (except my friend Sarah, her family buys pint size milk - of course they have an unusually small refrigerator, too).  But considering how much milk your kids drink, don't you want to know it's clean milk?

Trade It Tuesday

Today's subject:  Baking. 

This is an easy one!  Because most of what you buy is probably okay.  Sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. . . stick with the main stream brands and you're cool. 

It's all the other stuff you add in that you need to be careful about.

Vanilla:  Only buy "Pure Vanilla" - no more imitation vanilla.  This seems like a no brainer but I swear before Feingold I had no idea, and only bought imitation vanilla.  Heck, it's a lot cheaper!  Read the ingredients on your pure vanilla, too, to watch out for hidden corn syrup.  I just bought Kirkland Pure Vanilla from Costco today and it was a great price, with no corn syrup. 

Chocolate Chips:  I know, we instinctively grab the bag of Nestle Tollhouse, right?  Here's what's in those:  Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin An Emulsifier, Vanillin-An Artificial Flavoring, Natural Flavoring).

So, instead of putting artificial ingredients into your homemade cookies, buy these instead:

Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Ingredients:  Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (an Emulsifier), Vanilla.















Guittard Real Milk Chocolate Chips
Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Milk, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate Liquor), Soy Lecithin and Real Vanilla.

Sunspire Peanut Butter Chips
Ingredients:  Evaporated cane juice, palm kernel oil, partially defatted peanut flour, nonfat dry milk, natural peanut butter, whole milk solids, salt, soy lecithin.  

Sunspire Baking Drops
Ingredients:  (Center) Dried can juice & unsulphured molasses, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, unsweetened chocolate, soy lecithin (a non-GMO emulsifier), pure natural vanilla.  (Shell) Dried can juice, whole rice solids, beta carotene color, beet juice color and caramel color, vegetable & beeswax, pure food glaze (without sugar).






Nuts:  You would think that buying plain nuts would be easy, but not so fast!  Some nuts have preservatives in them.  I used to buy Diamond brand Nuts at Bel Air, but one day I read the package and saw they list preservatives right in the Ingredients list.  Yuck!  So buy from the bulk bins and/or always read the ingredients label before you make a purchase.

Icing:  If you want to be all natural, skip EVERY food coloring and icing flavor in the grocery store.  I special order my food colorings online.  I get the India Tree brand of food coloring and their website even has a special table for helping you get the exact color you want.  (I probably should have found that before my kids' last birthday party when I made Ben's cupcakes a light shade of gray rather than blue.)



India Tree also has a huge line of sprinkles, sparkling sugars, sanding sugars, decoratifs, etc.  Just make sure you plan ahead so you can order them in time.  Amazon.com carries almost every India Tree product.


On another note:  today at Costco I found 32oz of Pure Maple Syrup for only $13!  This is a great deal.  Typically in the grocery stores this size is about $17.  Have you switched your syrup yet?  Check out this blog post from Eating Real Food on the ingredients in typical table syrup.

Remember:  Trade out two things this week to products that read "All Natural" on the label.  Don't go to all that trouble to make homemade cookies and then fill them with artificial ingredients!