Homemade Almond Butter

My almond butter!

Almond butter is great but it sure is expensive. So is anything outside of peanut butter for that matter. I've also found there is a big difference in price between non-organic and organic versions of almond butter. Because I use so much of it, some would say I should be using the organic but it's just not in the budget.

The MaraNatha brand is the most economical I've seen. But again, the price varies widely within this brand depending if it's organic, all natural, raw, organic raw, no stir, etc. I don't frequent Costco much but they do have the best price for the MaraNatha All Natural Almond Butter. It's a large jar, 26 oz., I think. It's approx. $11. I've seen 12-16oz. jars of other brands from $7 to $18 depending on the variety.

I've always heard making your own almond butter or any other nut or seed butter is easy and possibly cheaper. Almonds can be pricey so it may or may not be cheaper if you compare ounce for ounce but making something yourself is rewarding in my opinion so that's gotta worth something, right? I hadn't planned on making my own almond butter any time soon but the place I buy it from was out and only had really expensive alternatives. I decided to just go without. I'll get some next week. Well next week came and they were still out! What the heck? After getting home, I found a half bag of almonds in the cabinet. The husband said they were stale. They were a little stale I guess but not bad. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at making almond butter. I researched recipes and methods. I settled on just winging it. I knew the almonds were unsalted and unroasted so I started with roasting them at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. I watched them carefully because they can burn quickly. I then let them cool. Once cooled (mostly), I put them in a food processor and started processing! After the almonds started to become creamy, I added sea salt. I'd add a little, blend then taste. And continued until it tasted good to me. I then scooped it into a mason jar and, boom, I had almond butter!

I can get a 16 oz. bag of raw almonds (not organic) for under $5. I can't get a jar of almond butter for that. My first batch was not a full bag and only filled the 8 oz. jar half way (pictured). I have since made a full bag and it filled the entire jar. It is thick and yummy. It's better than any almond butter I've had from the store. My almond butter is simply roasted almonds and salt - consistent with what you'll find on the shelf (minus the love, haha). Although, some brands do add sugar and oil so if you don't want those things, make sure to take a look at the ingredients before purchasing. My next adventure in "butter" making will be sunflower seed butter. I'll use the same process and see what happens.

PS: It's my brother's birthday. I love my big bro very much and hope he is having a wonderful day.

Popcorn

Recently inspired by my cousin and a friend that has her own popcorn business, I've kicked up the popping here at home. I've always liked popcorn. Not the buttery stuff you get at the movies or the fake tasting kind from a microwave bag but plain with a little salt.

My cousin, Della and I share a love for coconut oil and seeing all her talk (gotta love facebook!) about her popcorn made with coconut oil and salt, I decided to make a batch of my own. I normally skip the oil by throwing some kernels in a brown paper bag and then putting it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Season with a little salt and it is good to go. But popping with coconut oil is right up my alley and between my cousin raving about it and me helping my friend pop and package her popcorn in a commercial kitchen, I was ready to give it a try. The results were yummy!

Popcorn can be nutritious. It's a whole grain and contains a bit of fiber. Did you know most of the nutrition in popcorn comes from the hull? Yeah, the part that often gets stuck in your teeth. The hulls contain polyphenols - antioxidants that prevent damage to cells. Although, there is some debate about how much we actually benefit from the antioxidants in popcorn because how much we absorb may not be significant enough. Regardless, if not slathered in butter, excess oil, excess salt or a fake sugary or cheesey topping, it is a healthy snack option. Popcorn is also very economical. A 28 oz. bag of organic popcorn kernels was only $1.99. That makes for a lot of popcorn. Conventional kernels are probably cheaper but being that I'm avoiding GMOs as much as possible, I opt for organic.

I talk about and use coconut oil often. But this was my first time popping with it. It was easy and tasted great. So great in fact the entire batch was gone in less than 24 hours. It wasn't oily but could have been I suppose if too much oil was used. I highly recommend popping with coconut oil if you haven't already done so. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Organic popcorn kernels
2 tablespoons Coconut oil
Sea salt

Using a large pot with a lid, heat up coconut oil over medium high heat. Add kernels, cover with lid and wait for popping to begin. Continuously shake pot back and forth to avoid burning (I wear oven mitts). Remove from heat once popping slows down and/or stops. Sprinkle with salt while popcorn is still hot.

Resist the Lunchables

With back to school time in full swing, let's talk Lunchables. I'll start on my soapbox. I figure it's best to come out swinging and lighten up from there! I've read and heard more than a handful of people talking about giving their children Lunchables for snack and/or lunch. The conversations are sort of matter of fact, you know, like it's the norm. I also see ones where it seems the parents are either near burnout or have given up.

What confuses me the most is the amount of people okay with feeding their children this highly processed, who knows where the "food" came from, always has a treat, salty tray of food product. I can understand the temptation to reduce some of your workload during the school year as well as save a buck or two but does it have to come in the form of highly processed food that is not providing proper nutrition to the kiddos and ruining their palate at the same time? For me, it's about nutrition as well as teaching my kids healthy eating habits. Processed meat, cheese and crackers with a water (with "Kool-Aid to sprinkle in a little flavor and fun") and some Jell-o and cookies to top it off is not healthy and certainly will not assist our children with learning how to make healthy food choices.

I usually say this somewhere in a post like this - I'm the Medium Food Mama, not Totally Green, Organic and Crunchy Mama. I appreciate the need for some convenience and the occasional packaged food (can we say Mac & Cheese?) but providing a steady diet of highly processed "kid food" is not good for anyone. I also understand budget. And it truly frustrates me that crappy food is the cheapest food. Better organized people may beg to differ with crappy food being the most affordable because well, you can grow some of your own produce, join a co-op or eat organic rice, beans and veggies most of the time BUT it's just not feasible for a lot of folks. I looked into a co-op myself and it was too expensive to join. I also make a lot of my own versions of convenience foods, not all of it turns out to be less expensive. I walked by a cold case of Lunchables at Target this morning and the price I saw was $1.52. A "meal" (in a lot of people's minds) for a buck fifty is likely gonna trump a sandwich on whole wheat with organic turkey, organic produce and avocado with a side of organic fruit for a lot of people. Unfortunately.

The Lunchables facebook page has almost 590,000 likes. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese has over one million. Pages for companies that offer healthier convenience foods for kids like Plum Organics (84,800), Annie's Home Grown (285,800), Amy's (49,300), Clif Bar (110,850) and Nature's Path (267,700) have significantly less followers. So is it about money or lack of nutrition knowledge or just plain denial? I'm not sure yet. From my rookie research though, I lean towards it being a bit of each with a little nostalgia and comfort mixed in.

The challenge of eating healthy on a budget and with little ones that may be a little picky is not going to go away but in my opinion items like Lunchables can. There are plenty of alternatives to these yucky little trays. Here's a few links to give you some ideas.

Mom's Plan
Weelicious
Easy Lunchboxes
The Nourishing Home

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!

Another way to save

I love coffee. Always have. As crazy as this may sound to some, I acquired a taste for coffee when I was in elementary school. Of course I preferred my coffee with cream and sugar back then but how else would a kid take their coffee? I remember so vividly my cousin and I walking to the Quick Stop around the corner from my aunt's apartment and getting a cup. We were only allowed to get decaf and remember actually abiding by that rule. What good kids we were.

My mom and dad were big coffee drinkers (mom drank hers black and dad took his with cream) and at our house, no matter the time of day, you would likely find the coffeemaker on. Now it's not that my parents were serving us kids coffee with our meals or anything but they would give us a sip now and then. And I know it was those occasional sips and the comforting aroma of fresh brewed coffee in the house that gave me the taste for java.

Fast forward almost 20 years and my love for coffee is still going strong. Providing a little (and necessary) pick up in the morning (and afternoon for that matter) is only part of why I drink it. A good cup of coffee is comforting and can truly turn my mood around. Coffee is very social for me too. Many of my friendships started with a cup of coffee - some of my best in fact.

As I've been addressing our budget, the reality of what I/we've been spending on coffee was definitely higher than I assumed it was. How much can once in a while during the week and on Saturday with the family be? Well add sometimes more than "once in a while" and Sunday as well as any stressful afternoon or evening any day of the week and the amount being spent can be $30 a week.  At first, I thought we'd just cut the cafe out entirely but I realized the pleasure of a good Americano or latte from a coffee shop is something the husband and I deserve, just can't have them everyday. So for the majority of the week, I've committed to home brew only.

To assist with that commitment, I've been dressing up my cups a bit. I have a decent "cute" coffee cup collection and always use my favorite ones. And although I usually just drink my coffee black, I do like lattes (hence the high cafe bill). I'm a 1% or soy milk gal. A couple of weeks back a friend of mine mentioned he was using one of those battery-operated wand frother things. I've seen them but had never given them a second thought - until then. I decided to give one a try. Upon looking for one, I found a variety of brands and prices. I was going to buy this one from Amazon but ended up finding one at Cost Plus for $2.99. I asked the cashier about it and he said they worked great and so much more affordable than the other one they sell (forgot the brand name) for $30. And he was right. It works really well and makes a nice mock latte. So for a bit less than the price of a latte, I have a nifty little gadget that makes it easy to keep out of the cafe. Gotta love that!

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.

Why I buy grass-fed beef

I know a lot of people think meat is just meat and that regardless of an animal's diet, the nutritional value is the same. I happen not to be one of them. I believe it not only matters what the animal was fed but also where it was raised and how it was treated. In my opinion, our society is far too comfortable with feedlots and factory meat.

Regarding beef specifically, we don't eat it often but when we do, it's always grass-fed. Grass-fed beef/products provide real health benefits over grain-fed. Grass-fed products are:

- Lower in fat and calories
- Higher in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Richest known source of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

In addition to having a better nutritional profile, grass-fed cows are healthier. Click here and here for the source of this info and to read more.

Of course grass-fed beef and other grass-fed products cost more. Sigh. In my area, ground beef is typically $2-$3 more a pound unless it's on sale. As I was in line at Whole Foods last week they announced a special on grass-fed beef - $4.99 a pound. If my cart wasn't already half unloaded, I would have picked up my son, ran back to the meat department and grabbed a pound or two. Now that I'm writing this, I probably could have asked the cashier to have someone get it for me. Oh well.

If you haven't tried grass-fed beef, I suggest you give it a shot. You'll taste the difference and benefit from its higher nutritional value. And if you eat beef more frequently, you should definitely make the switch.

Slow food

I recently read a brief spot from Dr. Weil in regard to the Slow Food Movement. As you know, I'm a slow food advocate. My goal is always to pick slow over fast and if not slow, "medium." What I liked about the article was its three suggestions on how to practice the Slow Food Movement and thought it worthy of sharing here. The suggestions are simple and easy for anyone to adopt.

1. Shop for fresh, organically grown local produce and baked goods at farmers' markets.
2. Patronize restaurants that specialize in local or regional foods.
3. Keep family traditions alive. Think about the foods your grandparents prepared for holidays or family gatherings, and try to replicate what you can.

Three fantastic steps to eating slower. Number one can challenge the budget but with practice, you can learn to prioritize and likely make it work. Especially by brushing up on what you can skip buying organic if you need to. Depending on where you live, number two can offer lots of options or not a lot of options. We've found only one restaurant in our area that serves local food. But I'm certain I could find a few more if I take the time. As for number three, who doesn't want to keep family traditions alive? It's so much fun and a wonderful thing to pass down. It's still a work in progress but making my mom's enchiladas has been a project of mine for a very long time. Making them with grass-fed beef from a local ranch and using local and organic onions only adds to the pleasure of eating them.

I feel strongly about making the effort to eat slower and showing my children the importance of the Slow Food principles. It takes discipline. The stress of the day can make us vulnerable to giving in to a fast food meal but just like anything else, planning ahead is key. And if you didn't plan ahead, as I often don't, knowing what and where you can go to get something decent in a pinch will keep you and the family on track.

49¢ more?

Okay, first, I must confess: I drove through. A drive-thru. Yes, a fast food drive-thru. But I guess that's why I went with Medium Food Mama and not Slow Food Mama. I still struggle with being totally organized and not finding myself in a pinch when out with the boys. Today was one of those days.

On our way to Whole Foods (from Target), my littlest baby fell asleep. After being so fussy that I almost had to abandon our cart mid shopping, I wasn't about to wake him. And my three year old wasn't about to forget about lunch, sleeping brother or not. After offering all that I had on me (a Grammy Sammy and Fiddlesticks), it was off to Burger King for mac and cheese. Getting mac and cheese is via the Kid's Meal. The menu gives you options on a beverage. They offer both plain milk and chocolate as well as juice and soda. All the meals come with fries. But wait, I don't want fries. As I ask for an alternative, I see "Apple Fries" on the menu with a clear note underneath: 49¢ more. At almost the exact time, the cashier tells me I can get apple fries but it will be "extra." I said no problem, give me the apple fries.

While waiting for the quintessential handing of food through a window, I couldn't stop being bothered by having to pay more for apples. It's one of the main problems I have with our food system. Make even the simplest, healthier swap more expensive. I worked in a restaurant for over eight years and, at the time, customers could have fruit, cottage cheese or even a salad in place of fries - at no extra cost. With the unwavering support (income) that fast food chains have from the masses, I'm certain the extra money is just gravy. And I would venture to say at a restaurant, especially a small family-owned one, the extra money would not be just gravy but rather contribute to keeping the doors open.

This post isn't about whining over 49¢, although I am doing so and a few cents can make a difference. It is more about the WHY. All charging "extra" for a healthier swap does is continue to perpetuate the current problem with making good food harder to obtain and bad food easier to obtain. Maybe I should start a petition or something specifically targeted at fast food restaurants and not charging more for healthy food or at least the extra charge for apples. I guess if San Francisco was able to pass a ban on toys associated with meals that are poor in nutrition (a.k.a. Happy Meals), then maybe I could generate some action on this subject. It's a thought.

In conclusion, I need to get more organized as to avoid having to deal with fast food choices and annoyances. You know, bring my own apples, cheese, sandwiches, etc. It's always my intent but as I said earlier, I still struggle.

Instant pudding

My son asked for some pudding this morning. I knew I had a couple boxes of instant pudding in the cabinet (Trader Joe's brand). As I reached for a box, I wondered what exactly is instant pudding? I hadn't given it much thought before. Pudding isn't something we eat often maybe that's why.

So what is instant pudding? Here's what's on the label(s):

Trader Joe's Chocolate Instant Pudding ingredients: Cane sugar, Modified corn starch, Cocoa powder, Bourbon Vanilla extract, Sodium Pyrophospate and Disodium phospate (for thickening) and Salt.

Jell-O Brand Chocolate Instant Pudding ingredients: Sugar, Food Starch Modified, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Disodium Phosphate, Contains less than 2% of Flavor(s) Natural & Artificial, Salt, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Mono and Diglycerides, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Color(s) Artificial, BHA used as a preservative.

As I often discover, big brands usually contain more ingredients and more junk. This is another example of that. And to add insult to injury, the junkier pudding costs more: $1.69 vs. 99¢.

Basically instant pudding has thickening agents that make it set quickly. I'm not sure why Jell-O Brand has to muck it up with all the other junk. Jell-O's instant pudding has a long history and was promoted as "busy day desserts" in the 1950's - its got my respect but not enough to eat it. When companies like Trader Joe's offer a cleaner product, there's no reason to buy the other.

With the exception of not being instant, making homemade pudding is suppose to be pretty easy. I admit that I haven't made it from scratch yet. I plan to give it a shot next time Gav requests it. I'll post on how it goes when I do. Meanwhile, I will share a recipe a friend shared with me for homemade instant pudding mix. I will be trying this as well. Although it's not instant in the way a box is (add cold milk, chill then eat) it's quick.

Homemade Chocolate Instant Pudding

3 cups Non-fat dry milk
2.5 cups Unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups Sugar
1 tsp Salt
3 cups Cornstarch

Store in an air-tight container until you're ready to use.

Directions: Add one half cup mix to two cups milk, mix in a saucepan over low heat, and heat and stir constantly until boiling. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When I try it, I plan to use whole cane sugar in place of the white sugar and arrowroot in place of cornstarch. Until then, I won't shy away from instant pudding in a box if I need it and don't suggest you do either but do buy one that doesn't have a bunch of unnecessary yucky ingredients.

Pasta

We love pasta; the hubby is Italian after all. We eat it at least twice a week. For years, we bought whatever kind of pasta was on sale. Then when whole wheat pasta started to gain popularity, we wanted to give it a shot. It was not our favorite. After a few tries, we found the best whole wheat pasta was the specialty brands and definitely not store brands or bargain brands. We would occasionally pick up a box of whole wheat pasta but continued to use traditional pasta regularly.

When Barilla introduced their Plus pasta, I think around 2005, it was the answer to my underdeveloped taste for whole wheat pasta. Barilla Plus tastes great, less harsh than whole wheat and made up of good things. It was a seamless transition from traditional pasta for both my husband and I and it's the pasta Gavin started with.

Uncertain of the time line, to my delight (with a touch of confusion), Barilla Whole Grain showed up on the shelves - right next to Plus. Okay, what's the better choice now? Time to compare.

Barilla Plus ingredients: Semolina, grain and legume flour blend, [grains and legumes (lentils, chickpeas, flaxseed, spelt, barley, oats), egg whites, oat fiber], durum flour, niacin, iron (ferrous sulfate), thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid.

Barilla Whole Grain ingredients: Whole durum wheat flour, semolina, durum wheat flour, oat fiber.

Plus is made with added vitamins, grains and legumes resulting in a multi-grain pasta high in protein and high in fiber with Omega-3 Fatty Acids. The Whole Grain pasta has a straightforward ingredient list which includes whole durum wheat flour resulting in a pasta higher in fiber than Plus with the added benefits of whole grain* and a good source of protein. But keep in mind the whole grain version is still only 50% whole grain not 100%.

As for taste, I/we like both. Plus is less "grainy" but that's not to say Whole Grain is too "grainy" if you know what I mean. They're both pleasant in hot dishes and cold dishes. Upon serving Whole Grain in place of Plus to my three year old, he didn't even bat an eye. Pretty impressive. Both pastas provide better nutrition than traditional pasta. Whether you choose Plus or Whole Grain, you can't go wrong. Or if you have a hard time choosing, like I often do, do what I do and buy both.

As for price, I've found the Whole Grain to be less than Plus. Both are commonly on sale and that's when I stock up. Whole Grain is $1.32 a box and Plus is $1.84 - $2.19, depending on pasta shape (sale prices). I believe the regular price is around $2 - $2.49.

Switching to a multi-grain or an almost whole grain pasta is simple, affordable and healthy. It will deliver extra nutrition and not drastically change the taste of your pasta dishes. My Italian husband and picky three year old both give it a thumbs up, and that's saying something!

*A whole grain is the plant's entire kernel: the protective fiber-rich bran coating, the starchy endosperm, and the nutrient-rich germ. The bran and germ appear to be largely responsible for whole grains' health benefits

Ketchup

Ketchup is one of those items that most people don't think twice about. We just grab a bottle, likely the one on sale and go about our shopping. Ketchup is just ketchup, right? No, actually.

Most big brand and private label ketchup contain corn syrup. This ingredient is in so many products - too many. I don't find it necessary. Of course I'm not an expert but logic says if there are like products made without it then it can't be necessary. Also, I have to wonder why the big brands use it and why the more "natural" brands don't.

Now in regards to price, it varies. Annie's Naturals is around $4 compared to Heinz at under $3. But there are other options that fall within a reasonable price for ketchup. Whole Foods sells a great choice for under $3. I'm certain natural food stores in other areas also have options.

Next time you're in need of ketchup, spend a little time reading the labels and comparing the choices. You'll see some differences and be able to make the choice that's best for your family (and your budget of course!)

Heinz ketchup ingredients: Tomato concentrate made from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, and natural flavors.

Annie's Naturals ketchup ingredients: Water, tomato paste, sugar, distilled white vinegar, sea salt, onion powder, allspice, clove powder.

Medium Food Mama finding: Did you know Annie's Homegrown and Annie's Naturals are sister companies and marketed separately? At first glance, it seems Annie's Homegrown is the more "commercial" brand and offers lots of packaged items. Annie's Naturals is more salad dressings and condiments - pretty much how the company started.

Bread, again.

While shopping this evening with my oldest son Gavin, I discovered a new bread option. Call me obsessed -- it's okay, because I am. In line with my mission to feed my family the best food our money can buy, I'm constantly reading labels, researching brands, ingredients and prices. I love it when it results in a find that has an acceptable ingredients list and a price point that fits into our budget.

Trader Joe's Harvest Whole Wheat ingredients: Stone ground whole wheat flour, filtered water, honey, cracked wheat, sea salt, fresh yeast, whey (milk protein).

Seven ingredients, not bad at all. Our favorite bread (that we can't afford to buy on a regular basis) has five ingredients. The cracked wheat and whey are the two additional ingredients. I'll be using this loaf to make a bunch of french toast to freeze (Gavin's favorite) but will pick up another (they only had one left) next week to use for hubby's sandwiches. Price: $2.49.

I know not every area has a Trader Joe's but there's likely a smaller type market you can check out for items like the Harvest Whole Wheat bread.

Happy Baby

With a 10 month old, handy and age appropriate snacks are a must. This medium food mama will definitely not be making her own puffs or freeze dried yogurt snacks. But I'll buy the best I can find and afford.

My first son didn't get the pleasure of these sorts of snacks due entirely to my anxiety about choking. Sorry Gav! So a few months back was my first time doing extensive research on convenience snacks for baby.

After looking at my choices at the stores in my area, I landed on Happy Baby. Gerber has an organic line but only their baby food, not their snacks. I was never a big fan of Gerber anyhow but Earth's Best Organic, the brand I am a fan of, didn't offer snack items like puffs just teething biscuits. Although, Happy Baby was really my only choice in regards to puffs specifically, they're good stuff. They contain good ingredients and the price is right. I've found Happy Baby products at Target, Whole Foods and Babies R Us. Price: $2.99.

Happy Baby ingredients: Organic rice, organic whole oats, organic wheat, organic apple juice concentrate, organic whole grain brown rice, organic wheat starch, organic spinach, organic collard greens, organic kale.

Gerber ingredients: Rice flour, whole grain oat flour, wheat starch, wheat flour, sugar, apple powder, tri- and dicalcium phosphate, mixed tocopherols(for freshness), natural flavor, zinc sulfate, alpha tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), electrolytic iron, soy lecithin, cinnamon, red cabbage extract color, purple carrot extract color.

Bread in a pinch

Today the boys and I made a stop at Target for a couple of things. Walking past the bread aisle I remembered we were out of bread, hubby went to work without his sandwich today. Bread is an item I've talked about before (in my Priorities post). We have a favorite from Great Harvest but simply can't afford to buy it on a regular basis.

If you have a Target that sells groceries, it likely has a pretty overwhelming bread section. I spent a while looking at the choices and landed on Nature's Pride 100% Whole Wheat. There's a lot of nutrition claims on the bag but it was the best one I came across. It was $2.79.

After doing my research, I found Nature's Pride is made by Interstate Bakeries Corporation, most known for Wonder Bread. I remember Wonder Bread, a staple in my house growing up. And yes, the white kind. I appreciate the strategy behind the Nature's Pride branch of the company but at the end of the day, I feel better about buying from other, less large bakeries and bread with less ingredients. In a pinch though, this is what I bought.

Nature's Pride ingredients: Whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, brown sugar, yeast, contains 2% or less of: wheat bran, soybean oil, cultured wheat flour, salt, molasses, sugar, honey, raisin juice concentrate, vinegar, cultured corn solids, yeast extract, soy lecithin, soy flour, whey.

Great Harvest ingredients: Fresh-ground whole-wheat flour, filtered water, fresh yeast, salt, honey.

Wonder Wheat ingredients: Whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, high fructose corn syrup, contains 2% of less of: soybean oil, salt, molasses, yeast, mono and diglycerides, exthoxylated mono and diglycerides, dough conditioners (sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium iodate, calcium dioxide), datem, calcium sulfate, vinegar, yeast nutrient (ammonium sulfate), extracts of malted barley and corn, dicalcium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, calcium propionate (to retain freshness).

Clear why we aspire to afford bread from Great Harvest, huh? Every time I write out ingredients lists, it reminds me why I strive to reduce highly processed foods from my family's diet. Making it ourselves would be the ultimate... I look forward to comparing the cost of making it vs. buying Great Harvest. Stay tuned.

Coffee

To know me is to know I love coffee. So does my husband. And for that reason, I'm doing a post on coffee. Coffee is an item that varies in price quite a bit. Excluding the rarer coffees, the typical range is $3.99 to $14.99.

I'm a little picky about coffee but also concerned about price. My husband recently picked up a bag of coffee while at Whole Foods, Allegro French Roast and I must admit, it was a very delicious brew. I found myself craving it but it just isn't something we can buy weekly because at $11.99 a bag, it's about five bucks more than we budget for. What we usually buy is a can of Trader Joe's Whole Bean Sumatra or French Roast for $4.99. Sometimes, completely out of convenience, we buy a bag of Starbucks from Target. That usually costs $6.99 (on sale). And in a moment of weakness a few weeks back, I bought the Giada De Laurentiis branded coffee for $6.49. Bad choice. It lacked body and flavor, no matter how strong I tried to make it. I can only assume it's made by the company that makes Target's Market Pantry coffee? Haven't been able to confirm the source.

Trader Joe's also offers a ground french roast for $3.99. It was good the first time I bought it but after buying/brewing it two weeks in a row, it wasn't doing it for me. The fact is the coffee we love like Allegro or Peet's are items we can't buy regularly. Luckily, with the whole bean varieties at Trader Joe's we don't have to sacrifice taste for affordability.

Where do you buy your coffee? Any suggestions on affordable options?

Let's compare: Yogurt

Many years ago my husband and I stopped buying yogurt brands like Yoplait and Dannon in favor of yogurt from Trader Joe's. To be honest it was the message about no artificial growth hormones and the absence of artificial sweeteners that made me switch. A few years ago, we switched again. In line with our love for Clover brand products, my husband started buying Clover Organic yogurts. I landed on Brown Cow conventional yogurt.

Clover Organic: Cultured Certified Organic Low Fat Milk, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Pectin, Organic Vanilla Flavor, Cultures.

Brown Cow: Cultured Pasteurized Reduced Fat Milk, Evaporated Cane Juice, Tapioca Starch, Vanilla Extract, Natural Flavor, Vanilla Bean Specks, Pectin. Contains Live Active Cultures.

Trader Joe's Organic: Organic Cultured Pasteurized Reduced Fat Milk, Naturally Milled Evaporated Cane Sugar, Organic Extract of Vanilla, Organic Locust Bean Gum, Pectin, Live Active Cultures.

Yoplait Original: Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Low Fat Milk, Sugar, Strawberries, Modified Corn Starch, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Nonfat Milk, Kosher Gelatin, Citric Acid, Tricalcium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Pectin, Colored with Carmine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3.

I couldn't find a list of ingredients anywhere on the Yoplait site however I was able to find them on another blog. Thanks Fooducate!

There are some big differences. And looks to me like my husband (as he always does) chose a great one. My Brown Cow isn't too bad but does have a longer ingredient list. The Yoplait contains extra junk such as High Fructose Corn Syrup and is colored with Carmine? I was curious about what Carmine was so I looked it up. Um, no thanks.

As for price, the Clover is most expensive at $1.29 container. Brown Cow and TJ's are 99¢ and Yoplait is typically 79¢. My husband eats a yogurt everyday, at least Monday through Friday so it does add up. Luckily, Clover does occasionally go on sale for $1 each, that helps. I also feel like I'm saving us money by buying Brown Cow for myself. At 79¢, I understand Yoplait is more budget friendly but the thing to keep in mind is there's stuff in it that we shouldn't be consuming on a daily basis. It contains more additives than real food. Buy the "light" version and get Aspartame too.

In regards to Dannon, I wanted to say although I didn't use them in this comparison, they do offer an "All Natural" version that has a decent ingredient list. The flavors are limited but in a pinch, I'd opt for Dannon All Natural over Yoplait.

Convenience foods

Part of the medium food life is some convenience foods. Although my goal is to reduce as many of the "boxes" as possible, I do need to have some in the cabinet. My approach is to buy items with an acceptable ingredient list, good nutritional value, responsible packaging and reasonable price. I also research the companies. I feel better knowing more than just their name. As with most healthier options, they're typically more expensive so I make a point to buy when they're on sale.

Items like cereal bars, brown rice treats and crackers I buy at Trader Joe's. The ingredients are decent and the price is almost always less than anywhere else. If you're familiar with Trader Joe's they don't have sales as most grocery stores do but they do take coupons on the few products they sell that aren't private label such as Kashi or Earth's Path. I've also recently started to buy tortillas, another item I want to make from scratch eventually, at TJ's. Can't beat $1.69 for 10 tortillas.

I'm also known to have a few frozen meals on hand as well as a back up jar of pasta sauce. Although I enjoy my husband's homemade marinara so much more than what comes in a jar, some nights it comes down to lack of time, energy and planning. Just part of the medium food life, I suppose! Here are some convenience items you may spot in my freezer or cabinet:

Amy's Frozen Whole Meals
Ice cream
Whole grain cheese pizza or flatbread
Frozen Organic Brown Rice
Boxed Mac and Cheese
Pasta Sauce
Canned beans
Quick cooking rice
Snack items like Annie's crackers, grahams and bunny fruit snacks

It's super nice to have these kind of items on hand but the more I put in my shopping cart, the higher my bill is. I plan to do cost comparisons on convenience versions vs. from scratch versions and post my findings. Should be fun and educational.