All things pumpkin

Tiger pumpkins are cool.

Pumpkin pops up everywhere this time of year. I happen to make and eat pumpkin (pie spiced) all year around but I love seeing it in abundance this time of year. Everything from yogurt to air freshener. I've seen a lot of things already this season that I haven't seen before like Thomas' Pumpkin Spice English Muffins. Sounds good, hu? It sounded so good to me that I had to pick up the package to read the ingredients just in case by the off chance the ingredients were good enough to eat. Well no surprise, they weren't and there was even Caramel Color, Yellow 5 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake. Gotta make it look like pumpkin without using much real pumpkin, right? That's okay because this product is another example of why I started my blog. Learning what products to skip and why is important. It can feel confusing or maybe even daunting for some but it's like anything else you learn to do - if you keep at it, it gets easier. I used to stare at ingredient lists for quite a while at first. I would often use my phone to look up ingredients I couldn't identify. Sometimes I'd leave the store with a headache and nothing in my cart but sometimes I'd come out with most of what I needed and feeling good about it even if there were a few words that weren't all that straightforward. For example Niacinamide (it's actually Vitamin B3), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6) and Soy Lecithin (an emulsifier often made from cheap GMO soybeans).

So because all things are not created equal, there's a lot of pumpkin food and food like items you'll need to take an extra moment to assess. As usual, because I shop at Trader Joe's often (we have a love/hate relationship), I have run into the most items there. I think they have more pumpkin things this year than ever before. So far I have seen pumpkin waffles, pumpkin butter, pumpkin bread mix, pumpkin bar mix, pumpkin croissants, pumpkin macaroons, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bread pudding, pumpkin granola, pumpkin cereal bars, pumpkin (and cranberry) scones, pumpkin pie, mini pumpkin pies and pumpkin cream cheese. I know there's gotta be a few more. Also, did I need to write pumpkin before every single item? Oh well, I did. Anyway, Target is where I saw the Thomas' English Muffins, Yoplait pumpkin something yogurt and Eggo Pumpkin Spice Waffles. Since I did purchase the pumpkin waffles at Trader Joe's ($1.99 for 8), I thought I'd compare them to the Eggo brand. This is a great example because it's one of the tougher comparisons. Here's why:

Kellogg's Eggo Seasons Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Waffles Ingredients: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Oil (Soybean And Palm Oil), Sugar, Eggs, Contains 2% Or Less of Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Salt, Molasses, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Pumpkin, Maltodextrin, Whey, Allspice, Yellow Corn Flour, Soy Lecithin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Reduced Iron, Niacinamide, Vitamin B12, Citric Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2). Contains Wheat, Egg, Milk And Soy Ingredients.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Waffles Ingredients: Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid), Whey (Milk), Pumpkin, Canola Oil, Water, Contains 2% or Less of: Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Soy Lecithin, Eggs, Organic Cane Sugar, Calcium Carbonate, Spice, Sea Salt, Beta Carotene (Color), Wheat Flour, Vitamin A Palmitate, Niacinamide, Reduced Iron, Vitamin B12, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid.

They both have five main ingredients. And they both have 17 (I grouped the spices as one for Eggo) "less than 2%" ingredients. I'd say that is darn close. And the difference may be negligent enough for some folks. My choice though would remain with TJ's version. The things that stick out to me are pumpkin vs. dried pumpkin, wheat flour vs. yellow corn flour and canola oil vs. vegetable oil. Concerning the oil, I don't use canola oil or vegetable oil when cooking or baking but canola oil ranks a smidge higher than vegetable oil with the masses. Another reason I would pick TJ's is they say they source non-GMO ingredients for all their private label foods. This is especially important, to me at least, because soy and corn are major sources of GMO and in just about every processed food. And Kellogg's is in the business of making highly processed foods so... if I'm going to buy boxes and bags for my family on a regular basis, I'm going to choose the ones that are less likely to contain the cheapest ingredients.

Although it can be hard and also a challenge to resist pumpkin temptation (did someone say pumpkin bread pudding?), take a few extra minutes to read product labels before buying. It may sound awesome, unique and crazy good and you may think "it's once a year, what's the big deal?" but still read the labels and see if there is a better version out there. And for my family, my boys are big eaters and if they like something, they want it again and again and again. I feel better giving them something I took the time to research "again and again and again" than introducing them to a crummy product and having to perform an intervention later.

A note about the blog: Summer was crazy and so was I, which got in the way of the migration of the site. My tech guy (aka my husband) and I have created a new timeline and will update as necessary. If you were a reader before my hiatus and stuck around, thank you and I appreciate you very much!

Overnight Oats

Yum! 

I may be a little late to the overnight oats (in a jar) party but I'm so happy that I discovered this super easy and nutritious breakfast or any time snack.

It's funny, for the last six months or so, I've been saving glass jars. Any and all jars - fruit spread, salad dressing, pasta sauce, applesauce and spice jars. I decided to start saving them for storing food in, using in future craft projects, to make my own vanilla extract and for drinking out of or serving cute desserts in. So when I rediscovered this recipe I saved a while back, I was equipped!

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was going to dig it. Maybe that's why it took me so long to get back to it. Well, I did like it and find myself thinking about all the different combinations I can try. My husband loved it, too. He's already suggested a peach combo once they're in season. Sounds awesome to me! My first time making overnight oats, I used banana and blueberries. The second time (pictured above), I used bananas and mixed berries. Both were great. The mixed berries I used are the organic frozen mixed berries from Trader Joe's. Makes using berries more affordable.

One of my goals this year is to use new ingredients. This recipe provided the perfect opportunity - chia seeds. I've had chia seeds in a drink I bought and I liked it but hadn't added them to anything myself. They're sorta plain, maybe a little nutty in flavor. They can also be expensive. The best price I've seen is at Trader Joe's. $4.99 for a 5.3 ounce bag. I feel like I'm always saying Trader Joe's but it seems they almost always offer the best price. I still can't find coconut oil cheaper anywhere even when ordering bulk. Chia seeds provide fiber (5 grams per tablespoon) and omega-3 fat. Flaxseed or hempseed would also work well in overnight oats and provide healthy benefits as well. Now that I think about it, I'm gonna add hempseed to my list of new things to try since I haven't tried it yet.

Now for the recipe. Give it a try. The combinations are endless.

Overnight Oats
Makes one serving
Adapted from here

Ingredients:
1/4 cup quick oats
1/2 cup almond milk or any milk of choice
1/4 medium banana, sliced
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup blueberries or other fruit
1 tsp maple sugar or brown sugar
pinch cinnamon
1 tbsp chopped pecans, granola, etc. (for topping)

Directions:
Put all the ingredient in a jar, cover and shake then refrigerate overnight. Add pecans or other crunchy topping right before eating. Yum!

Avoiding GMOs

Okay so California Prop 37 didn't pass. Bummer. Crazy to see that over $45.6 million was spent to defeat 37. Some of the biggest contributions to this effort came from Monsanto and the world's largest pesticide and junk food companies. Not surprising. I know the prop wasn't perfect though so I'll leave it be. But honestly, it'll be fine. It's definitely okay for people that already take the time to research the food they buy. It will be a little tougher for those that aren't in the habit and the toughest for those that "don't want to know." And, in my opinion, those are the people it could have helped. A GMO label on the package of Doritos would make it harder to throw it in the cart. At least I would hope so.

Before I go any further, let me address that there is a lot of debate about GMOs. I happen to be on the side that believes they are bad news and should be avoided. It's scary to think that GMOs are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food in the US*. Keep in mind that genetically modified food has only been around since the 90's, 1994 I believe. I can't help but think of GMOs as intentional mutations. And when genes mutate, it usually isn't good. Cancer for example. I'll post some links later in this post that expand on GMOs. Your head is likely to spin after reading them. It really bothers me that all this experimentation is allowed to be done with our food supply - on people, our kids. Most of my childhood, although filled with a lot of processed foods, was free of GMOs. This is not the case for my kids unless I actively avoid them and even then, there will be some exposure. I'm not an expert on this by any stretch but I'm just not comfortable knowingly feeding my kids experimental, mutated food.

So how am I going to avoid GMOs without having a GMO label on everything that contains or may contain them? I've been researching the food I buy for a long time. I'll continue to do this as well as utilize some really cool tools to assist me concerning GMO foods. Like the Fooducate app. I discovered this app (iPhone) earlier this month and have been using it every chance I get. You can scan bar codes and it will bring back a nutritional profile (and grade) including if it is considered GMO free. The first time using it was so much fun. It not only gives you info on the product scanned but gives you a list of alternatives. The database is ever growing so if you scan an item that's not in their database yet, you are prompted to enter and send the info to them right then and there. For example, Trader Joe's Egg Nog wasn't in the database yet. It asked me if I would like to enter the info, including pictures (three pics, one of the product, one of the nutritional info and one of the ingredients). So I did. They follow up with an email letting you know they received the information and that it's being processed (or something like that). The app also links to info about specific ingredients and other topics. So far I love this app. Did I say that already?

In addition to apps like Fooducate, there are sites like Non-GMO Project and Say No to GMOs. Also, some companies like Amy's label their food non-gmo. And even though they don't label their food, Trader Joe's says they source non-genetically modified ingredients for their private label food. The information is there. You just need to take the time to check it out. If you really want to know, you can find out. 

*Source: GMO Facts
Additional links: Huff Post Blog, Wikipedia

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Never underestimate the PB&J. When made with quality ingredients, it's a nutritious snack or meal for the kids. And you, too. Here are my rules when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich:

1. Whole grain bread, wrap, etc.

2. Natural peanut butter

3. Organic real fruit spread

Whole grain bread is easy to come by and Jif or like brands are not natural peanut butter. They commonly contain sugar, molasses, hydrogenated vegetable oil, mono and diglycerides. Even the "Natural Jif" is not natural peanut butter. It contains sugar, palm oil and molasses. Pick one that contains just peanuts or just peanuts and salt. There is no need for anything else. You can read an earlier post about peanut butter here for a little more detail.

Now for the jelly/jam/preserves/fruit spread/conserve. Like peanut butter, they are not all created equal. Some are full of artificial ingredients, color and preservatives. Here are some examples:

Smucker's Strawberry Preserves:  Strawberries, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid.

Smucker's Simply Fruit Strawberry: Fruit Syrup, Strawberries, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Fruit Pectin, Red Grape Juice Concentrate Added for color, Natural Flavors.

Smucker's Low Sugar Strawberry: Strawberries, Sugar, Water*, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid, Locust Bean Gum*,  Potassium Sorbate Added As a Preservative, Calcium Chloride*, RED 40*.  *INGREDIENTS NOT IN REGULAR PRESERVES.

Market Pantry Strawberry Preserves: Strawberries, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid.

Trader Joe's Fresh Strawberry Preserves: Fresh Strawberries, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Pectin, Citric Acid

Dickenson's Strawberry Preserves: Strawberries, Sugar, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Pectin, Citric Acid

The ingredients in your jelly/jam/preserves/fruit spread/conserve should be as minimal as possible. Pectin and citric acid are common ingredients in store bought preserves, which is fine for me but so are artificial color, corn syrup and/or high fructose corn syrup, which are not fine for me. Look for preserves with a short ingredients list. Like:

Happy Girl Kitchen, Co Strawberry Jam: Organic Strawberries, Organic Cane Sugar

Santa Cruz Organic Fruit spread: Organic strawberries, organic sugar, fruit pectin, organic fruit and vegetable juice (color), citric acid

365 Organic Strawberry Conserve: Organic strawberries, organic cane sugar, natural fruit pectin, ascorbic acid, citric acid

In my experience you may or may not pay more for a better quality jelly. The prices seem to be comparable with the exception of the big brand organic spreads, they're terribly over priced. Trader Joe's, although not used as an example in the good list, has some affordable options (read the labels though to avoid the one/s with corn syrup) as well.

And, of course, if you or your children have a peanut allergy, seed or other nut butters make a yummy substitute for peanut butter. My favorite is Sunflower Seed Butter. So go ahead, make a PB&J for you and the kiddos, it's nutritious, affordable and fast!

Honey

Honey is something that I think most families have in the pantry/cabinet. Personally, I use it often. And my use of honey has actually increased over the last year since updating a handful of my recipes to include honey as the sweetener instead of regular sugar.

As I do with all the things I buy, I like to take a look at the ingredients, find out where the food came from and compare prices. Honey should be pretty straightforward, right? Well after stumbling upon an article about honey, it's not.

The article was written late last year. I think everyone should read it. It's information to be armed with. So many people "just shop" and have faith what they're buying is, well, what it says it is. Here's just one quote from the article that stands out to me: "The grocery stores want processed honey as it lasts longer on the shelves." This is definitely the motivation for most products grocery stores stock. We are surrounded with highly processed foods for the long shelf life and low price. And although I could go on and on about that subject, I won't because that's an entirely different post.

Like quite a few of our staples, I buy honey at Trader Joe's because it's good and the price is right. I was certainly relieved to see Trader Joe's honey was noted as a good choice but still super frustrated at the fact that this is something we're forced to contend with. It definitely reinforces the importance and necessity of taking the time to research what you're putting in your grocery cart and eventually in your body.

Click here to read the article.

Mayonnaise

Every time I reach for it on the shelf at the store or in my refrigerator, I question using it. But honestly, I won't be making homemade mayo any time soon and my family likes a little on their sandwiches. So it is something on my shopping list. We use alternatives as well like mustard, hummus, avocado, balsamic vinaigrette, pesto and cream cheese but most days, plain mayo is used.

I admit to buying "light" mayo for many years now. Many, many years. My weight has always fluctuated and it tends to fluctuate very easily upward if I am not on top of my food consumption and exercise. With that, starting way back when I was a teenager, I ate a lot of low fat foods and non fat dairy. I was never into the fat free junk food or fat free is better bandwagon, that stuff tasted awful and was highly processed. But I purchased fat free milk and yogurt, light cheese, low fat salad dressing and light mayo regularly. As my food knowledge grew, I started to gravitate towards real food and packaged food that contained more real ingredients than not. And, although in the case of mayo, the real version is much higher in fat (11 grams vs. 4 grams), if you eat healthy, real, whole, high quality food, it becomes a non issue. And if you look closely, you'll notice that even if regular mayo has 7 grams more fat than the light version, it only has 1 gram saturated fat.

Mayonnaise is not my first choice as a spread on my sandwiches but it is for my boys and hubby as well as for lots of other people. If you are a mayo person and don't make your own, take a minute to see what's in the brand you purchase. All "real" mayo is not created equal. Some are made with canola oil (not a fan of canola oil personally but that's an entirely different post), soybean oil or a combination of oil including olive oil. And note that even the "olive oil" mayo contains soybean oil, it's not pure olive oil mayonnaise. Find one without "natural flavor" or weird preservatives. After some research, and even though it contains canola oil, Trader Joe's Real Mayonnaise is what I switched to. I assume Whole Foods and other like grocery stores have a version that is comparable.

Trader Joe's Real Mayo: Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Whole Eggs, Apple Cider Vinegar, Egg Yolks, Water, Salt, Spices, Lemon Juice Concentrate.

Best Foods Real Mayo: Soybean Oil, Water, Whole Eggs and Egg Yolks, Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Calcium Disodium Edta (used to protect quality), Natural Flavors.

Kraft Real Mayo: Soybean Oil, Water, Eggs, Vinegar, Contains less than 2% of Egg Yolks, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Salt, Sugar, Dried Onion, Dried Garlic, Paprika, Natural Flavor, Calcium Disodium Edta As A Preservative.

Kraft Olive Oil Mayo: Water, Olive Oil, Soybean Oil, Vinegar, Modified Food Starch, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Eggs, Contains less than 2% of Salt, Mustard Flour, Dried Onions, Dried Garlic, Natural Flavor, Enzyme Modified Egg Yolk, Beta Carotene* (Color), Lactic Acid*, Potassium Sorbate* and Calcium Disodium Edta As Preservatives, Phosphoric Acid* *Ingredient not Normally Found In Mayonnaise Contains: Egg.

Chocolate Syrup

Flavored milk is no stranger to bad press. In fact, it's a main focus of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. And I happen to agree that flavored milk, chocolate or otherwise, should not be readily available to the kiddos, especially at school. If given the choice, most children will pick a flavored milk over plain milk. I did. And my almost kindergartener would likely too even though he loves plain milk and knows chocolate milk is a treat. It's too tempting and most kids would opt for a treat over real food if it was available to them.

I'm definitely with Jamie on getting flavored milk out of schools but I do believe that a cold glass of chocolate milk or mug of hot chocolate once in a while is good for the soul. And I know he does too - he has a terrific hot cocoa recipe in one of his cookbooks.

My approach to chocolate milk is the same as my approach to any treat I make for the family - healthier, occasional and affordable with a touch of convenience if I can get it. I don't think there are many people (in the USA anyhow) that wouldn't recognize a bottle or can of Hershey's Syrup. And not many more that haven't had it. Not unlike most big brand convenience products, Hershey's Syrup is one that a lot of people "just buy." Whether it's because it brings back good memories or because it's "Hershey's, and has to be good, right?" Hershey's is a family after all? Or maybe it's the fact it goes on sale often enough to get it pretty cheap. Whatever the reasons, it is definitely a product that gets purchased a lot. Personally, I think it's the strong branding it has maintained for decades. The illusion that it's as pure as its beginnings when Milton Hershey himself was making the products. And that's the problem. It's not what Milton was making, it can't be. Hershey's products are mass produced and need to be shelf stable. And some of their chocolate products aren't even chocolate. Anyhow, here are the ingredients for Hershey's Syrup (not listed on their website by the way):

High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sugar, water, cocoa *, contains 2% or less of: potassium sorbate (a preservative), salt, mono and diglycerides *, polysorbate 60 (an emulsifier), xanthan gum, and vanillan, an artificial flavoring. *Adds a negligible amount of fat.

Starts with HFCS, and it's not until the fifth ingredient we find cocoa. I like to mention this because it helps remind me of how to make better choices, specifically with convenience foods. There are other chocolate syrups out there and here's one from Trader Joe's that is an improvement from Hershey's:

Organic sugar, water, organic cocoa, organic non-fat dry milk, organic vanilla, xanthan gum, soy lecithin, citric acid.

The point here is to learn to make better choices when buying convenience items. If you can't make it yourself, then pick the lesser of the evils. Take a few minutes (or more) to research.

And here is a simple recipe to make your own chocolate syrup if you find the time. I made it. It's fast and tastes great - no extra food additives needed. Give it shot if you can!

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup water

dash of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small saucepan, add sugar, cocoa, and salt.  Whisk together gently.  Add water.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and cook 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Cool.  Store in the refrigerator. 

For chocolate milk, add 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup to 8 oz. of milk.  Heat for hot chocolate.

For milk shakes, combine 1 cup cold milk, 1/4 cup chocolate syrup and 2 cups (1 pint) of vanilla ice cream to a blender.  Blend.

This syrup also makes a yummy ice cream topping.

Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 1968.

Recipe: Oatmeal Berry Blend Cookies

I have a real live cookie monster in my house. He is in the form of a four year old. This boy has it bad for cookies and I have to constantly keep his love for them under control. I assume some of the responsibility though... I can make a pretty mean cookie.  One of the food rules we follow is making our treats, not buying them. This helps not only to control the ingredients but it also makes it a more enjoyable experience. My boys get to help make them and the reward is always worth the work and wait. Additionally, it naturally controls the frequency. Boxed or bagged cookies? No way, totally not worth it for this family.

Inspired by a craving I had for oatmeal raisin cookies, I came up with a little tweak on a traditional oatmeal raisin cookie. Oatmeal Berry Blend Cookies. This cookie was another hit. I am going to go as far as suggesting it as a totally acceptable breakfast choice. It's sweetened only by honey and the mix of dried berries, cherries and raisins. I used a mix called "Golden Berry Blend" from Trader Joe's in place of just raisins. But this cookie can be made with any dried fruit you like. Keep in mind, this cookie is not sugary sweet. It doesn't have that unique brown sugar taste traditional oatmeal raisin cookies usually have. Don't let that deter you though. It's got eye appeal, a hearty texture and you can feel good about the ingredients residing inside. And I feel strongly that if the kids dig it, it's gotta be good, especially when it comes to treats. They're certainly my biggest critics.

Oatmeal Berry Blend Cookies

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Large Egg
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour or Whole Wheat Cake Flour
2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Cup Mix of Dried Cranberries, Golden Raisins, Blueberries and Cherries (or just one fruit)

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Place the butter and honey in a bowl and beat for 1 minute.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat for another minute or until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, mix to combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix to incorporate.
6. Stir in the dried fruit then scoop 1/4 cup of dough (I use a two inch scoop) for each cookie onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Bake for 15 minutes. Start checking at 12 minutes. Don't over bake!
8. Cool and serve.

Please note: I make large cookies. I only got nine cookies out of this recipe. If you prefer, use a traditional size cookie scoop or tablespoon and adjust cook time. You'll get at least double the amount of cookies. Enjoy!

Make and Freeze

Over the past few days, I've gathered a bunch of recipes to make and freeze. This is a necessary strategy for busy moms and dads. Planning ahead makes all the difference. I know because I often don't! When it comes to meal planning anyway. If you want to feed the kids and yourself healthy food consistently, having snacks, sauces and other prepared real food items in the freezer will achieve this goal.

I have done the "make and freeze" in the past but have been a bit of a slacker as of late. Big red flag for me the other day was pouring the last of the mini peanut butter cracker sandwiches from Trader Joe's into a snack cup for my two year old after just buying the box three days prior. Um, that's way too fast for us to blow through a box of convenience snacks. I didn't have any other snacks prepared to give him hence the peanut butter cracker binge. I'm all about my "medium food" philosophy, that's why the crackers we're on hand but not having any homemade options available isn't the balance I strive for.

So yesterday I kicked my plan in motion and started with a new banana bread recipe, utilizing my new jar of coconut oil as well. This recipe came from a blogger that has gained a lot of press over the last year or so, Lisa at 100 Days of Real Food. I've followed her journey since the beginning (originally following her Food Illusion blog) and was split on how I felt about the reality of what she was writing about. Not the "real food" part of it but the reality of busy families and more importantly busy families on a budget achieving the real, organic, grass fed, $5 a loaf bread, etc. lifestyle. It was evident that Lisa had a large budget. Which was the discouraging part. Eventually though, she did a budget series (likely inspired by other readers that shared my feelings) which helped by making what she was writing about seem more feasible.

No matter what, 100 Days of Real Food's strategy is in-line with mine even though I make a few adjustments in approach (weaving in some medium food items) and often times opt for some less expensive versions of certain items. Organic ingredients or not, the best of the best ingredients or not, the recipes Lisa has published are smart and healthy. The few I've tried are fantastic. They are simple and contain no or very few processed ingredients. This Whole Wheat Banana Bread is a perfect example. I made it, the family has tried it and it gets five stars. Don't expect a super sweet piece of banana bread because this is not. You will taste the wheat, the banana and a touch of sweetness from the honey and that is it. Brilliant.

I'll be back soon with more successful recipes to help you fill your freezer. Meanwhile, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. If you do, let me know how it goes.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Adapted from here.
Makes one standard loaf

2 1/4 cups White whole wheat flour (or whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour)
3/4 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
3 Bananas, very ripe, mashed
1/4 cup Plain yogurt (I used organic fat free)
1/4 cup Honey
2 Eggs
1/3 cup Virgin coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled (swap 1:1 with other oil if desired)
2 tsp. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat loaf pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, yogurt, honey, eggs, coconut oil and vanilla.

Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Be gentle, don't over mix. Pour batter (or scoop - batter is on the thick side) into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Mine was done at 43 minutes. Let cool then slice and enjoy.

If freezing, I suggest cooling completely and slicing prior to putting in freezer.

Coconut Oil

$5.99 at Trader Joe's

Use of coconut oil is on the rise. From my research, prior to the eighties, coconut oil was commonly used. Some time after that, it was attacked by the oil industry. The attack is believed to have been started by the American Soybean Association. The corn industry also joined in. Big surprise. Eventually coconut oil was put aside for products like soybean oil, vegetable oil and margarine. It was believed they were better for us because they were lower in saturated fat than coconut oil.

From what I gather, early studies were done on partially hydrogenated coconut oil, which creates trans fats. Virgin coconut oil, is not the same thing. Much of the saturated fat in coconut oil is in the form of lauric acid, a saturated fat that raises blood cholesterol levels by increasing the amount of good cholesterol. It is also found in breast milk.

Even though coconut oil fell out of favor and was deemed an "artery clogger" for a while, it has made its way back to the top. I mean when Trader Joe's offers a private label version of the good stuff (organic, virgin), it's gotta be okay, right? Insert a tiny bit of sarcasm in that last statement. Seriously though, I think there's enough evidence that proves coconut oil is good choice. Be sure to pick the virgin oil and if you get a chance, Google it and read more about its many health benefits.

Mom's Best Naturals

Although Mom's Best Naturals brand has been around for a while, it has only recently made an appearance in my area. I noticed it a few weeks back at Target and finally decided to check it out. There are two cereals available at my local store, Mallow Oats and Toasted Cinnamon Squares. I went with the Mallow Oats, the Lucky Charms type cereal.

I haven't, wouldn't, don't buy Lucky Charms for my kids but I do buy the occasional "sugar" cereal for them (and me). Besides Honey Nut O's and Frosted Shredded Wheats from Trader Joe's, I've bought Gorilla Munch and Panda Puffs from EnviroKidz (Nature's Path Organic), Fruitful O's from Cascadian Farm Organic, and Crunchy Cocoa Puffin Puffs from Barbara's. All of these cereals have superior ingredient lists than their more popular counterparts. And this is the case with Mallow Oats versus Lucky Charms. 

Mom's Best Natural's Mallow Oats ingredients: Whole Grain Oat Flour (Includes Oat Bran), Marshmallows (Evaporated Milled Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Gelatin, Blueberry, Pumpkin And Carrot Concentrates For Color, Natural Flavor), Evaporated Milled Sugar, Corn Syrup, Wheat Starch, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Trisodium Phosphate, Citric Acid. Freshness Preserved With Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols).

General Mills Lucky Charms ingredients: Oats (Whole Grain Oats, Flour), Marshmallows (Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Gelatin, Calcium Carbonate, Yellows 5&6, Blue 1, Red 40, Artificial Flavor), Sugar, Corn Syrup, Corn Starch, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Artificial Color, Trisodium Phosphate, Zinc and Iron (Mineral Nutrients), Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), A B Vitamin (Niacinamide), Artificial Flavor, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Mononitrate), Vitamin A (Palmitate), A B Vitamin (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D. Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.

In this specific comparison, the red flag for me is the artificial colors, Yellows 5&6, Blue 1 and Red 40. I avoid any products with these ingredients. And you should too. In addition to Mallow Oats not using artificial coloring, they are tasty and affordable. The bowl I ate really satisfied my sweet tooth and for $2.89 a box, they're budget-friendly. I'd get these again and would try other varieties.

FYI: Mom's Best Naturals' parent brand is Malt-O-Meal. It's their "natural" line of products. From what I've read Mom's is a play on the famous "MOM" (Malt-O-Meal) acronym.

Good intentions

I have good intentions, I have for the better part of my life. But the problem is, I have a hard time seeing them through. Some days I feel like a complete failure because of this. I honestly feel like when I die, I will be known as the girl (okay, woman) with the best of intentions BUT... fill in the blanks.

I have to change my success to failure ratio. But from where I'm sitting (imagine a small apartment with crumbs, toys, dishes, other misc clutter and a decent supply of convenience snacks in the cabinet), it seems close to impossible. Do I get stuck because it's truly overwhelming or is it because making homemade mac and cheese instead of grabbing a box (albeit a well researched better than big brand box) half the time or keeping the sink empty and the laundry kept up is just not me? I ponder this every day. One of the few things that keeps me from losing all hope is I know I can't be alone on this.

As mothers, we strive for perfection where there really can't be any. I read a good amount of parenting blogs and food blogs that make it appear that perfection IS a possibility. Come on people, give me a break. But I guess that's why I started Medium Food Mama to begin with. And I suppose this is where I need to focus and continue to help myself and others be okay with giving the kids a Trader Joe's trail mix bar instead of a homemade one every now and then because it was cheaper and less time consuming and occasionally letting the house get to the point it looks like robbers ransacked it (this will be my excuse if someone shows up unexpectedly today by the way). But sometimes I still ask, are these things a reflection of who I really am and are my good intentions worthless? Ugh.

Well now that I've gotten that off my chest, I think I can move forward. My good intentions this week are to make a yummy meatloaf that will make me smile when the kiddos gobble it up, this fennel side dish, a couple quick breads and homemade graham crackers to hand the kids for snack in place of that convenience bar I mentioned earlier, keep the dishes under control, do some laundry and maybe get to the much needed shampooing of the rug. And a few other things of course but you get the picture. Here's to a good week. Deep breath. Fingers crossed.

Over budget

Our spending this weekend was a budget nightmare. Not just in groceries but in "entertainment." We had family in town which always requires a little extra cash. Going out, having fun and eating out is a must when people are visiting and that's just what we did. And honestly, I'm not stressing about it. It's going to make this week (and next) a little tougher money wise but with the recent changes I've made, it should be doable. Fingers crossed.

Our groceries added up to roughly $155. Yikes! I think I've figured out why. Because I'm really monitoring what I'm eating (getting close to my goal weight!), I bought some extra items just for myself. This combined with more fruit than the past two weeks is what made for the extra spend. In regards to the fruit, we've noticed a shortage of fruit about mid-week since reducing our grocery budget. Fresh fruit is big at our house and running out wasn't good. While at the store this weekend, we loaded up on fruit. I did weigh everything, actually my son weighed everything (he loves to do that part), in an effort to keep tabs on how much each item would be. But in the end, it all added up pretty quickly and helped bust our budget.

It's hard to get upset about going over budget when it's for items that are good for us. But the fact is, we need to stay on budget. I'm going to look at how to incorporate my special diet needs more economically. I'm also going to accelerate reducing more of the boxed items. For instance the ginger cookies I bought because I had a coupon. Could have saved $3.69 instead of just $1.00 if I had passed on them altogether. And for an item like cookies? Something we should never buy, only make. The cookies not only helped break the budget but break one of my food rules.

So this is still a work in progress. I have a lot more planning to do and strategies to create. And to follow up on my last post about Kashi cereal, it's actually only a .30¢ difference at Target. With the $1 coupon I used I still saved .40¢. Also, I was successful at getting the last few things at Trader Joe's and the Farmers' Market within budget.

Budget update

Between the budget software I purchased (YNAB), the coupons and specials I've been utilizing, our new budget goals are coming together. I set a grocery budget of $125 a week (based on what I've seen others budget) and we came in at $130-ish for week one and are on track to spend about the same this week (week two). Not too bad. And it wasn't until I came back from the store that I realized we already had a pound of 100% grass-fed ground beef in the freezer. I told myself to take inventory before heading out but, like most mornings, I got frazzled and sidetracked on our way out the door. I would have saved nine bucks had I been more focused. In theory, we should see the savings next week by not buying more beef.

As I was reviewing the receipt, I noticed where I may be able to save more next time around. For instance, Kashi cereal. I had a coupon for $1 off of two. The retail price was $3.99 per box at Whole Foods (WF) so I paid $6.98 for two after coupon. But I believe Kashi cereal is cheaper at Target or even Trader Joe's (TJ's) although the selection may be smaller. I will confirm this the next time I'm at the other stores. The other item that would have saved me at least a buck if I had waited to buy it at TJ's is the box of Annie's Shells and Cheese. It costs $2.19 at WF and only .99¢ for TJ's brand of regular mac and cheese. TJ's Organic Shells and Cheese is only $1.29, which would still be a savings of almost a buck. My oldest son insisted on getting the box ("for his lunch today") and to be honest, I wasn't up for the battle he was ready to wage over it if I had said no.

The item we saved big on this week was chicken. WF has an early bird special on Saturday mornings. It can be just about anything and this week it was chicken breasts. Not organic but local, pasture raised chicken for $2.99 a pound. We got six split breasts for $14. We can pay $12 to $14 for just two so this was definitely a great deal. I won't have to buy chicken for two weeks, maybe three, yay! WF also has Friday only specials. Last Friday was organic cherries for $2.99 a pound. I saw them in the store today and they were $5.99 a pound so that was definitely another great deal. The only bummer is our normal shopping day is Sunday (this week it was today, Monday) and the above mentioned specials are on Friday and Saturday. If I wasn't close to the store on those days, it may be a wash but since I am, making three separate trips isn't so bad I guess. Maybe I'll talk to the hubby about moving our big shopping to Saturday mornings? Here's our list from this week's shopping:

Whole Foods:
Clover 2% milk, 2 gallons
Clover 2% milk, half gallon
Clover 1% milk, half gallon
Clover organic yogurt, 4
Fage 0% plain yogurt, 17.6 oz.
Clover Eggs, 1 dozen
100% grass-fed grounf beef, 1.25 pounds
Diestel ground turkey breast, 1 pound
Chicken breast halves, 6 (Saturday early bird special)
Diestel deli turkey, 1/2 pound
Wellshire deli ham, 1/2 pound
Raw almonds, 16 oz.
Roasted unsalted sunflower seeds, 16 oz.
Bananas, 5
Organic cherries, 1 pound (Friday special)
Organic blueberries, 1/2 pint
Organic strawberries, 1 pint
Organic Gala apples, 4
Organic Granny Smith apples, 2
Organic celery, 2 pack
Organic Russet potatoes, 2
Kahsi 7 Whole Grain Flakes
Kashi Indigo Morning
Organic flax fig waffles
Organic flax berry waffles
Annie's Shells and Cheddar
Annie's Cheddar Bunnie

Total: 100.71

I have a little less than $25 to get:
Bread
Cheese
Canned tomatoes
Organic strawberry jam
Natural peanut butter
Organic spinach
Organic spring mix

I'll report back. We also didn't make it to the Farmers' Market this week, boo! I'll also write more on the YNAB software. So far it has helped us avoid a negative balance in our checking, keeps me aware of what we have left in each budget category and where we've overspent. Looking forward to digging deeper into the program and sharing my experience. And just in case anyone is wondering, I have no association with YNAB.  I stumbled upon a post about the software here and purchased it with my own, almost maxed out credit card. :)

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Budget

I'm revamping our budget. I have felt scattered and undisciplined when shopping for groceries for a while now. I go to three different stores as well as the farmers' market. Between meal planning, hunting for the healthier convenience items at the lowest prices and everything else that comes along with being home with my boys (and taking care of two more four days a week), I find myself lost at the moment.

We shop at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Target and the farmers' market. Trader Joe's has great prices, there's no denying that. But they won't disclose where their private label meat comes from and some of their ground beef identifies up to three possible countries of origin in one package (yuck!) not to mention the only grass-fed beef offered in our local store comes from New Zealand. Their produce and eggs are questionable as well. So I don't buy meat or eggs at Trader Joe's nor produce with the exception of the occasional bag of organic potatoes or lettuce.

So on to Whole Foods. I was listening to a program on sports talk radio and heard the host refer to Whole Foods as "Whole Paycheck." It made me feel better to hear someone that I feel it safe to assume makes a decent salary say this. I still can't help but feel out of my "tax bracket" while shopping there. And regardless of how smart we try to shop, it still results in a significant bill. So frustrating. We buy our meat including lunch meat, eggs, milk, some produce and the occasional prepared item. Prepared food = lots of money, I know.

Next stop is Target. Besides household basics, I buy bread, pasta, sometimes coffee, Annie's Whole Wheat Bunnies and Greek yogurt. They have the best prices on all of these items almost all of the time. For instance Whole Foods sells my favorite Greek yogurt for $1.69 each and the same yogurt is $1.29 at Target. Adds up when you're buying five at a time, every week.

Finally, the Farmers' Market. Sometimes produce is less at the Farmers' Market and sometimes it's more. Ultimately, I feel better about buying my produce there even if it's more because I know exactly where it came from and I'm supporting the farmers. And my boys always see or learn something new, that makes it even more worth it. Besides fruits and vegetables, we occasionally buy beef and bread from the Farmers' Market. The beef is local and 100% grass-fed. The meat is some of the best tasting meat I've ever had. It is a bit higher in price than the local grass-fed beef sold at Whole Foods. The only time we don't buy the beef at the Farmers' Market is if our schedule that day prevents us from going home directly after the market or keeps us from the market entirely. In those cases, it's added to the Whole Foods list.

Just writing about this is giving me anxiety, that's how overwhelmed I've become. My first step to feeling in control again is using a new budget software. My hope is it will help me create a new budget and keep us out of the "hole." Next is coupon clipping and mapping out sale items. I just hope the $1.50 I spend on the newspaper to get the coupons gives me more than that back in savings. Finally, meal planning must be consistent. Is there a meal planning software? I bet there is, I'll have to look into it. A free download would be ideal!

I have followed other budget series on other blogs and certainly appreciated the information but haven't been able to make it work as they seem to have. Specifically, 100 Days of Real Food's series. I was so happy when the author decided to do a budget pledge because I was getting a little irritated reading about eating real food from someone who was obviously not short on cash. But even with the information published, I still question if it was truly $125 a week, all week, every week. Not to be a skeptic but I have tried and have consistently failed at buying all organic, real and/or whole foods for my family of four for that amount. Maybe it's geography? Maybe it's something else? I don't know. Regardless, I'm going to give it a go again. Motivated by the absolute need to reduce our outgoing and the perceived success over at 100 Days of Real Food, let's do this!

I'll post about the results as they come in. Posting will help me keep on top of things sorta like Weight Watchers weekly weigh-ins do! Looking forward to getting started.

Carrageenan

Carrageenan is a seaweed extract. It's a common and cheap food additive used as a thickener and emulsifier in ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk and other processed food products. It is also a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin.

I recently read, in a weekly newsletter I subscribe to from Dr. Weil, that based on results of animal studies, Carrageenan has been tagged by some as an unsafe product that may cause ulcerations and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. I did a little more research and found other articles that say the same. "I think the evidence is compelling to avoid carrageenan in any product, and especially if you have irritable bowel disease." Andrew Weil, M.D.

I eat low fat dairy often. After reading more on Carrageenan, it kept coming up in low fat products. This prompted me to take a look at the items I had in my fridge. And, yes, there it was. In the cottage cheese and sour cream. Both of the low fat variety and both from Trader Joe's. I know that it is better to use the real and/or full fat versions of these kind of foods and do avoid fat free items, except Greek yogurt and avoid fat free and low fat cheese because of the junk added to them but as I mentioned, I do eat dairy often and like to offset some of it with low fat varieties. Luckily my favorite yogurts (low fat and 0%) do not contain Carrageenan.

I was able to find a few options for low fat cottage cheese and sour cream. Not surprisingly at Whole Foods. My husband picked up a low fat cottage cheese from Kalona Super Natural. This stuff was the cream of the crop. Organic, reduced fat (2%) and grass fed. The taste was fantastic. And I usually don't eat cottage cheese straight (I use it in recipes like lasagna) but I would consider it if it was Kalona. It happened to be on sale for $3.29 for a 16 oz. container. I believe the everyday price is $3.99. I also found that Daisy Brand low fat cottage cheese and light sour cream do not contain Carrageenan. I picked up a 24 oz. cottage cheese for $3.59. A little cheaper and a little larger. I haven't had a chance to try it yet though. I think I've heard some decent things about Daisy Brand products but maybe only from their ads and famous jingle. Not too sure.

Among the many articles I came across on Carrageenan, I wanted to share the one from the TLC Cooking website. Click here to check it out. It's a quick read and I like the info. It sends a message about processed foods that a lot of people don't think about. I especially like the mention of "food scientists" and the "normal cook." And the part about Carragennan being "completely natural" reminds us that just because something is from a natural source initially or even entirely, doesn't make it good for us.

One day my family and I will eat grass-fed dairy 100% of the time but until our budget evolves, I will at minimum avoid buying dairy containing Carrageenan. Now onto researching Locust Bean Gum! :)

Flavored water

I had a hard time sleeping last night because of something I read about. It was an article published almost two months ago that I didn't stumble upon until yesterday. It was about high levels of lead found in a long list of food and drinks for children. The most irritating part, besides the lead of course, is some of the brands implicated. Brands such as Earth's Best Organic, 365 Organic and Trader Joe's Organic. I pay more for the organic versions of juice because I want the best for my son. I know organic doesn't always mean better (i.e. processed foods, etc.) but I think it's normal to have a certain expectation with the organic label when it comes to fruits, vegetables and food that is made specifically for our little ones.

I owe my restless night specifically to Trader Joe's and their Organic Apple Juice. I have been giving Gavin this apple juice since he turned one. That's roughly two and a half years. Yeah, I know, juice isn't the best thing to give kids on a regular basis... we have always put half water half juice but he has it practically everyday. To think that I've been happily handing over a sippy cup of lead laced apple juice to my son for over two years makes me a little sick and has me considering a doctor's appointment to have his lead levels checked.

This serves as a reality check for me. First, less juice for Gavin. Second, I will not feel bad about researching and researching and researching some more the food and drink we give to our kids. Because honestly, some people look at me like I'm crazy sometimes because I won't let my kids have a Happy Meal, a Ball Park frank (or any other who knows what filled casing), a can of Spaghetti-O's, or non-organic and/or non-local produce. Peer pressure among parents is fierce and comparable to high school peer pressure - seriously. And finally, my passion to seek out and share alternatives to common items to help all of us not feel so darn helpless has been reinforced tenfold.

Now on to a related recent find. I love Jamie Oliver. My husband and I have watched him since The Naked Chef days. I'm a follower of his Food Revolution movement and recommend checking it out if you haven't already. I also follow his tweets (@jamie_oliver) and that's how I was turned on to his flavored water recipes.

I think flavored water is a great alternative to juice. I particularly like the orange and berry suggestions. I think Gavin will dig it. I pay between $3.49 and $3.99 for a gallon of juice (no extra charge for the lead). We have a Brita water pitcher and the fruit we'll need to buy weekly is likely going to be the same cost of juice. Both my husband and I have wanted to cut back on Gavin's juice consumption for a while now so I guess stumbling upon the article on lead was the push we needed to make the change.

Priorities

Thought it would be nice to share how we currently prioritize the where, what and how of our food shopping. Doing this will also help me see where I can make changes/improvements.

Meat, poultry: Organic and/or local. We purchase a minimal amount of meat and buy it from the farmers' market or Whole Foods. Holding Ranch is the farm we buy from at our farmers' market and Whole Foods offers meat and poultry from farms in places like Sonora and Sonoma.

"We still do meat and poultry the old-fashioned way, when people cared where their meat came from, how it was raised and how it was processed. This is from the Whole Foods site, I liked it and wanted to share. You can read the entire section here. I know Whole Foods has its faults and has become a little bit of a giant but it's one of the better choices we have.

Dairy, Eggs: We buy Clover Stornetta brand milk, yogurt and eggs from Whole Foods. We don't buy the organic because that's one place we've decided to compromise for budget sake. I trust Clover's farming practices enough to skip the organic. A note about eggs: I would love to buy farm fresh eggs but at $6 a dozen we can't swing it right now.

Cheese: Is that considered dairy too? Yeah but I'm giving it its own section anyhow. We buy cheese from Trader Joe's because of price and they claim no hormones, etc. I'm still researching what companies TJ's uses to produce their food. I stopped buying meat from there a long time ago because one, I got a package of chicken that was horribly bad well before the sell by date and two, they won't disclose where they get their meat and poultry from due to "confidentiality." Not acceptable. Now with that in mind, what about the cheese I'm buying? Could be from lousy producers I know but I still have some faith in their organization and feel comfortable for the time being getting it from them.

Produce: Organic or pesticide free preferably local. Again, we buy from the farmers' market or Whole Foods. The farmers' market is usually a better value unless WF is having a sale.

Bread: This is an item that I flip flop on. I prefer the bread from Great Harvest at the farmers' market but it's $5.50 a loaf. With us not compromising on meat, poultry and produce, we can't afford it on a regular basis. Next in line is Rudi's Organic brand at $4.39, still pricey. Then there's Organic Whole Wheat from TJ's at $2.99, which is the right price and decent but I triple check the date and the loaf itself for mold as I've had freshness issues more than a few times with their bread.

Boxed food, canned goods: Yes, there's still a good amount of this stuff in our pantry. I do my best to pick items with a decent ingredient list and high nutritional value. I buy at WF and TJ's.

I will go into more details on the specific items we buy and prices at a later time. So how do you prioritize your grocery shopping? Feel free to share your method.