Day 17 - Cherry Festival and Walmart

Yesterday we drove to Emmett, a town about 45 min. from Boise, to go to the Cherry Festival. I envisioned the festival with a LOT of cherries, cherry pie eating contests, farm-like fun for kids and maybe a petting zoo for kids. When we got there it looked promising, a lot of rides, booths, great smell of food and a center stage. But where are the cherries???

We finally found a stand with cherries with outrages prizes. A regular plastic cup 12 oz (maybe a size bigger) $3.50 and a 16 or maybe 20 oz plastic cup $4.50!! That is ridiculous, especially because you get a good sized bag of ORGANIC cherries at the Co-op for about the same amount. And here is the craziest thing - those cherries were not even local. I wondered before we left Boise if it wasn't too early for cherries because I remember in Germany the cherry time is late July. And as one merchant stated, when Tom asked if they were local - the local cherries are still green. None of the pies were made with local cherries. What's the purpose of having a cherry festival? 

The festival was ok, and we mainly did it for Amelie and she enjoyed hugging the frog mascots and being around bunch of people, the food decisions were challenging. I didn't know that it was like a fair with bunch of fried food. The foods we wanted like an Elk burger and the Indian taco booth both didn't accept debit cards only cash (my bad!) - so we decided on a huge Turkey leg. We thought that was the healthiest and least disgusting thing to eat. We were so wrong!

Our little carnivore

Our little carnivore

We started eating it, mainly because we were starving. But just about in the middle of it, we both looked at each and said.."That's pretty gross". And it was sort of gross...after 30 min. eating it I had an unusual taste in my mouth - mix of blood and grease. Don't think we don't eat meat - we love meat - but we love GOOD meat. It will be a challenge to find good things to eat once you get used to a certain quality. We tried to sit down at a very charming cafe right around the corner of the festival but it was closed. So, we decided to make this our last visit to the Emmett Cherry Festival. 

Amelie making art at the cafe

 

                                                                           

       After we left Emmett we stopped at Walmart, because it was on our way and we wanted to check out their organic assortment. I have to give Walmart a lot more credit now. I always wondered why stores wouldn't have a little tiny separate section for organic food, for example at the end of the aisle. Walmart has it that way. And they have way more organic items I thought they would have.  The most amazing thing is that it's super cheap. You can get organic eggs for only $2.45!! That's a dollar less than the ones we are buying at Co-op - who knows if they are good, but it's worth a try. They have inexpensive snacks, organic juices, organic chocolate and everything for a REALLY reasonable price. I have not seen any organic foods so inexpensive anywhere else. They even have organic milk! I was close to tears...hahaha..ok what that means is that we are adding a third store for our grocery needs. We will continue buying vegetables & fruits at Co-op, eggs at Walmart, bread at Winco, and snacks,  yogurts and cereal at Winco or Walmart. I am so excited to save money and still continue our organic diet. Yesterday we purchased a super yummy organic yogurt at Walmart for only $2.00 (that equals only $0.50 per yogurt). I used to boycott Walmart for their terrible customer service, but I changed my mind and will go and buy the organic products and use the self-checkout to avoid any frustrating experience with their customer service.  

                                                 
                    Here you can see two of the things we purchased at Walmart last night. Cinnamon Apple Chips - baked apples all organic for about $2.48 and an organic peanut & sea salt chocolate bar. It's so good and it was only $2.46. The dangerous thing about organic food, particularly snacks is that they are so good that you might eat it all in few minutes.

This Friday Tom and I are going on a date to the drive-in theater and I am already planning on healthy/organic snacks for the night. Because we are going to see a double feature we will need some snacks and coffee for a quaint date at the drive-in theater. The coffee we will probably get at Starbucks, since Starbucks is committed to provide milk with no hormones. I generally drink a Cafe Latte..it has nothing but coffee and milk. And as for the snacks...we will see..

WISDOM OF THE DAY

"Wal-Mart says it wants to democratize organic food, making products affordable for those who are reluctant to pay premiums of 20 percent to 30 percent. At a recent conference, its chief marketing officer, John Fleming, said the company intended to sell organic products for just 10 percent more than their conventional equivalents. Food industry analysts say that with its 2,000 supercenters and lower prices, Wal-Mart could soon be the nation's largest seller of organic products, surpassing Whole Foods. Already, it is the biggest seller of organic milk. While organic food is still just 2.4 percent of the overall food industry, it has been growing at least 15 percent a year for the last 10 years."  - New York Times - May 12, 2006

Day 16 - New views on poultry

My last post stated that I wrote an email to Al Fresco all natural sausages. (If you don't know what I am referring to please read Day 15 - Price differences and hot dogs)

Here is the email I sent to Al Fresco and their reply:

I have recently purchased and tried your sun-dried tomato sausages. They are really good. When I tried locating the ingredients and origins of the chicken used for your sausages I was not able to find any detailed information. Our family is very health conscious and we generally eat only organic/free range chicken. It states that the chicken is natural. My questions are:

What exactly does natural mean? Are the chicken without growth hormones? Are the chickens used for your sausages free range? I assume if they would be you would have a USDA label/organic on your package. So, what is the origin and treatment of the chickens?

Thank you for taking time for reading and responding to my inquiry.

Dominique

--------------------------------------------------

Dominique -

Thanks for your email, recent purchases, and wonderful comments!  Here are a few things to assist you in your questions:

·         What does "all natural" mean?

al fresco meets all requirements for the USDA “all natural” definition and holds our products to an even higher nutritional standard to ensure we are delivering a product that is not only delicious, but healthy.

"All natural", as defined by the USDA is a product that is made without chemicals, food additives or refined ingredients and is minimally processed. There are no artificial colors, flavorings, preservatives, additives, fillers or by-products in these products.  These products have been processed with non-synthetic or non-chemical methods.

·         We are not Organic, nor are the chickens “free range.”

·         As to Hormone Free, the government does not allow the use of hormones in chickens so we feel that it is false marketing – you will notice that whenever that claim “no hormones administered” is made on a poultry label, there is an asterisk, which leads to the claim:” the government does not allow hormones in poultry”.

·         Lastly, we purchase our chicken meat from USDA plants inside the U.S.  All of these plants have animal welfare programs in house.

Hope this helps!

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First I laughed about the Hormone Free statement, then I researched it. And by golly they are RIGHT! Here is an excerpt from USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) - which is a glossary of meat and poultry labeling terms. FSIS is the agency responsible for ensuring the truthfulness and accuracy in labeling of meat and poultry products.

"NO HORMONES (pork or poultry):
Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry. Therefore, the claim "no hormones added" cannot be used on the labels of pork or poultry unless it is followed by a statement that says "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones." 

 I feel dumbfounded and absolutely unsure of what to believe anymore. I feel I have to start my research again and get to the bottom of things. The excerpt on hormones and poultry is pretty straight forward, therefore I am not going to dispute that, but what about the things I have read and seen? Were they all outdated were they all false statements or did I just misunderstand?
I read somewhere that the NO HORMONES law has been in place for more than 60 years now.
Do you understand why I am writing this blog now?
Isn't the healthy organic way complicated? I am glad I started this blog to share our experience and knowledge with everyone. I will do a better research, but this is a proof that everything is a "trial and error" approach.

I remember reading that hormones are being used on chickens. I saw a feeding tag. And what about the chickens in the Food Inc. don't they have all sorts of medications to prevent bacteria - didn't they show that the growth of chicken has changed from 70 to 47? I am going to find out more and shed a little light on this. It is definitely confusing and I think this might be a little shady...more to come

To answer the organic bakery. I don't believe there is a truly organic bakery in town. One that has a majority of organic bread (using organic flour) is the Zeppole Bakery & Cafe. I am proud to say that I have a permanent exhibit at the Zeppole Bakery on Parkcenter Blvd. Charles Alpert the owner of the bakery offered me a spot and I had the wall ever since last September for my world travel exhibit. So, another reason to enjoy their bread. I never really cared about bread/pastries when adhering to a low carb diet, therefore I never knew that Zeppole Bakery has a brand called:

  breads that are made with Certified Organic flours!

Pay them a visit and while you're there take a look at my exhibit.

Zeppole Bakery & Café — 983 E. Parkcenter Blvd. (at the corner of Apple and Parkcenter Streets)
Monday – Saturday 6 am to 6 pm (Friday until 7) and Sunday 8 am to 4 pm
Zeppole Downtown — 217 N. 8^th St. (between Bannock and Idaho Streets)
Monday – Friday 6:30 am to 8 pm, Saturday 8 am to 8 pm, and closed Sunday

Day 15 - Price differences and hot dogs

Last night when headed back home from the gym, Tom called and asked me to pick up some hot dog buns for our natural hot dogs. Well, I figured I was close to Albertsons and thought they might have some healthy alternatives/organic food. Well, I headed straight to the bread isle and found the bread we just started buying at Winco. It's actually a pretty interesting bread - well the story behind it. I saw Dave's Killer Bread first at Co-op but it was too expensive for me to consider buying it. And then I saw it at Winco for a lot less, and put it instantly in our cart. Our family looooooves this bread. What intrigued me was the odd name - Dave's Killer Bread and the strange picture on the package, namely a long hair guy playing a guitar.

So, I stopped by at Albertsons to pick up some buns or bread and found Dave's Killer Bread on the shelf for $5.84!!!!! WHAT?? The bread at Winco costs $3.80 and a little bit more at Co-op but not more than $5. I am surprised that there can be such staggering price differences for the same bread. I hope that Winco will keep the bread in their assortment. Not only for the price and taste...also for the purpose that Dave has. He has a great mission and a great story. I was just kidding to Tom last night "That Dave guy looks like a guy from jail....hahaha" Tom looks on the label and quotes: "...a former drug dealer, Dave spent more than 15 years in prison." Ha! Now that he is out he is involved in many community projects and supports great institutions. A pretty inspiring story. Check out the website if you are interested. 

 http://www.daveskillerbread.com/

During my hot dog bun search I stumbled upon two things that kept my mind busy. First one, when I want to buy non-organic bread (which will def. be the case one of these days if there is no non-organic available) I will need to know what ingredients in bread are not good for you. I guess I could compare Dave's bread with a regular label and learn from that, but some ingredients just don't sound familiar. My next project is to understand bread ingredients. I will share my experience and knowledge with you in one of my future posts. It surely is misleading to read the package "100% whole wheat", "gluten free", "no msg", "natural"....and then you turn it around and look on the label and baaam...high fructose syrup and some foreign ingredients...and as everyone knows price does not  always mean a better quality (even though organic can be more expensive). Second thought I had...Do we have some organic bakeries here in Boise? I know of Great Harvest Company, a great bakery with bread that melts in your mouth. But I don't know if they are strictly organic. I have to research that or open  a bakery myself. Hahahaha...baking bread and cookies...as you probably read about my hideous baking skills in previous posts - that will probably not happen. I will keep you posted on that topic as well.

Now, let's talk about hot dogs. Yesterday we ate Al Fresco all natural sausages. I didn't read the label for some reason and assumed they were vegetarian when I purchased them, because it stated Sun-dried tomato sausages. Here are the ingredients and the information on the package:

SKINLESS CHICKEN MEAT,WATER,SEASONING(SALT,TURBINADO SUGAR, SPICES,TOMATO POWDER,DEHYDRATED ONION & GARLIC,PAPRIKA,BASIL,NATURAL FLAVOR),DICED TOMATOES,SUNDRIED TOMATOES(UNSULFURED).IN A NATURAL PORK CASING. 

* All al fresco sausages are made with lean, skinless chicken meat.
* No artificial ingredients, MSG, nitrates, preservatives, or nitrites.
* Flavorful, juicy, and fully cooked—just heat, serve, and enjoy.
* Gluten Free

It doesn't really go much into detail therefore I went on their website and emailed them personally to ask about the origin of their chickens and if any growth hormones are used. I am assuming since nothing about that is mentioned on their package, we probably ate some chicken with growth hormones. I am curious to see what their email states. 

WISDOM OF THE DAY

In the past I purchased some kosher hot dogs assuming they might be healthier due to the strict adherence to Kosher Law. I have learned that kosher and organic have almost nothing to do with one another. Kosher refers to food that conforms to Jewish dietary laws. Many kosher rules apply to meat. Certain animals, such as pigs and some types of seafood, are never eaten under kosher law. Other animals, including chickens and cows, must be slaughtered and processed in a certain way in order to be considered kosher. Organic meat comes from animals that are raised without artificial hormones or antibiotics and fed food that has been grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. A chicken can be kosher but not organic and vice versa.

Day 14 - Two weeks organic lifestyle

We reached our milestone of 14 days. The movie what started it all was Food Inc. and we watched the movie on May 23 and everything changed the next day. So, in summary we have been dabbling in "Organicism" for about 3 weeks. Yesterday at the grocery store we tried figuring it out and once we came to the conclusion that it was just about 3 weeks we both sighed and looked at each other and said "Wow, it has been ONLY 3 weeks? It feels a lot longer than that."

Here is our update from the grocery yesterday.
First we stopped by at Co-op (the healthy organic hangout - since we frequent there a lot lately) and then to good ol' regular grocery store Winco. This time I kept the recipes and can list every little thing we purchased and the money we left at each store. Now we have a better idea and understand how much we really spend on our NEW lifestyle.

Here is the Co-op shopping list/receipt:

$2.39  Canned Grape Leaves     
$0.54  Celery (organic)   .03lb  
$3.49 12 dozen eggs (organic)
$2.95 granola bars (6) (organic)
$4.82 chicken legs (organic) 1.72 lb @ $2.80/lb
$0.54 bunch green onions (organic)
$1.37 carrots (organic) 1.06 lb @ $2.80/lb
$1.14 one red bell pepper (organic) 0.44 lb @ $2.59/lb
$1.68 Bulk pancake/waffle whole wheat mix (organic) 0.94 lbs @ $1.79/lb
$1.22 Spinach (organic) 0.33 lb @$3.69/lb
$1.26 one cucumber (organic) 0.55lb @ $2.29/lb
$1.99 one onion (organic) 1.18 lb @ $1.69/lb
$1.33 four oranges (organic) 1.40 lb @ $0.95/lb
$3.79 chocolate chip cookie mix (organic)
$1.59 tomato sauce (organic)
$2.57 bacon from deli (organic) 0.52 lb @ $4.99/lb
$2.30 ground beef chuck from deli (organic) 0.54 lb @ $4.19/lb
$2.39 zucchini (organic) 0.60lb @ $3.99/lb
$1.06 three tomatoes (organic) 0.63 lb @ $1.69/lb
$1.68 Veggie Orzo bulk (organic) 0.48 lb @ $3.49/lb

Equals $44.59 - this is a shopping list for an entire week (7 days)

Here is the Winco shopping list/receipt:


$2.78 Organic Chicken Broth 32 oz/1 liter
$1.18 Chocolate soy milk (organic) about 32 oz./1liter
$1.48 Italian dressing (no high fructose)
$3.96 Tillamook ice cream mug (no hormones in milk - all natural)
$3.00 Garden Burgers
$0.42 Deli olives
$3.98 Sun-dried Tomato Sausages (all natural veggie sausages)
$1.96 Pink Salmon (packaged)
$2.00 Quaker Rice snacks (natural)
$2.48 Cheez-it snacks
$1.98 natural sweet potato chips
$3.53 bottle of olive oil
$0.98 Darigold  Half & Half (local dairy - no hormones)
$3.13 Almonds (natural)
$2.56 two packages of Darigold whip cream
$3.38 Kosher hummus
$3.98 Salmon Burgers

Equals $45.35 - this is a shopping list for an entire week (7 days)

So, we are looking at approx. $90 for the entire week. About 90% of our groceries were organic or at least healthy. We are NOT buying anything that has high fructose syrup, no msg, no hormones, no genetically modified food and avoiding additives or looking for organic additives like citric acid as much as possible. Always checking the labels for natural ingredients. Naturally we will be running to the store to buy something we either forgot or need.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY:

• Weekly costs (90% organic) - approx. $90
• predicted monthly costs - $360
• pre-organic times food costs - $430

____________________________________________ 
                          SAVINGS OF $70.00


Final summary - we are not only saving money by eating organically but are also feeling a lot better and our body is adapting with success. My monthly stomach aches are poof! And I think I am finally making progress in losing weight, without really trying. We are buying about 80% less junk food (cookies, fast food, bad snacks - which includes my beloved peanut butter oreo cookies). We are buying less, our fridge looks pathetically empty, hence we are eating smaller portions. I think after two weeks we are finally getting used to smaller portion. It is really a head thing...sometimes I find myself frantically combing through the kitchen just right after dinner and saying "I'm hungry..I want to eat something". And for the first time yesterday I realized that I was actually full, I checked with my belly and belly responded "What the heck are you tooolkin' about, I'm good" (my belly talks with an New York accent) I guess it was my mind telling me to indulge more. So, I just drank a coffee...:)

WISDOM OF THE DAY

Citric acid is a natural preservative, flavoring, and antioxidant. It exists naturally in citrus fruits, pineapple, berries and cherries, tomatoes, and cheese. Lemons and limes contain particularly high concentrations.

In the food industry, citric acid adds a sour taste to sodas, canned tomatoes and tomato sauces, canned fruit, jams, and some fruit-bottomed yogurts. It is denoted by E330 on labels.

Highly biodegradable citric acid also serves as an environmentally-friendly cleaning agent, acting as a scale-dissolver and buffer.

Overall, citric acid is a safe and natural additive. While allergies are rare, symptoms may include sore throats and mouth ulcers. Those experiencing allergies to citric acid in food products will notice similar symptoms from eating citrus fruit.

Day 13 - Planning for the upcoming week

Tom and I finally made it happen and planned our dinner/lunches for the upcoming week. This is what we came up with.

Monday - Soup & grilled cheese sandwiches
Tuesday - Chicken & salad
Wednesday - Fish
Thursday - Pizza
Friday - Homemade soup
Sat & Sun - we are still working on ideas

We wrote down all the ingredients we will need and we will stop at 2 different stores. One of them is Winco and the other Co-op. We are buying some organic food at Winco but all vegetables, fruits and eggs at Co-op. We decided to buy the fish at Winco this time. Assuming that fish has no hormones, pesticides (duh!) and is not genetically modified. The fish we purchased at Co-op in the past was a little too expensive. I still haven't figured out what our expenditures are and would like to calculate all the costs and compare if we are actually spending more or less. It certainly feels like we are spending more but at the same time  spending some charges here and there might actually be less than we spend in the past.
I will now start keeping all the receipts from our grocery shopping for two weeks, to report how expensive or inexpensive an organic lifestyle is.

Last night I decided I will NEVER EVER bake cookies again, until someone teaches me how to bake cookies. I am starting to feel very insecure about it. I have never made cookies that either taste good, the texture is good (always make them like scones) or either don't stick together or I burn them. So, if you are a good cookie baker, please get in touch with me and come over and show me how to bake them. I am really eager to learn. I am sure some of you who are reading this now are thinking...What? What's so hard about making cookies? - Well, I'd like to know too! My chocolate chip-oatmeal-whole wheat cookies I tried last night where so far the worst cookies ever.

The dough was dry and didn't mix and when I put the cookie dough in the oven, the cookies didn't melt/spread and stayed just the way I put them on the sheet, just like a ball. I guess they tasted ok, but as soon as you touched them the crumbled. I am looking for a whole wheat chocolate chip cookie recipe. I purchased Xagave - an organic Agave Nectar and would like to use this for cookies.

We are approaching our two weeks of being organic. I will be posting an update and a summary of how our first two weeks have been treating us.

WISDOM OF THE DAY

Agave Salmiana

What is Xagave?

It is  a unique blend of the nectars derived from Agave Tequiliana (Blue Agave) and Agave Salmiana (White Agave) plants. Xagave is 1.4 times sweeter than sugar, therefore you can use less. It is processed at 117F and retains the benefits of a raw food. It is also organic certified. Xagave contains Inulin which promotes healthy function of lower intestine and boosts the immune system. It is also diabetic friendly. It can be used for beverages, cooking, canning and also baking. You can use 2/3 cup of Xagave for each cup of sugar (or 66% of the amount called far) - that sounds great! 

Agave Tequilana

Day 12 - Boise Farmer's Market, organic wine and food

Today was family day. We were woken up by the clucking of the chicken "Princess" who returned back to us after she left us for the night. What a rebellious chicken. Hangs out during the day, gets fed and hits the town at dusk. Well, we decided to buy some more food for the chicken but if she is not going to lay at least one egg, we are going to go separate ways. I think having a chicken around both of us realized that it really might be a fun idea to have some chickens. Not yet but one day. 

We went to the Farmer's market mainly to go out and enjoy the weather. Today we tasted some different local wines and learned from a winemaker that he is in the process of turning his vineyard into an organic vineyard. We had a really interesting conversation and since we have been doing some research, we actually understood what it takes for a winemaker to make such changes. Such as planting peas, as a natural weedkiller. Peas have the ability to fight weeds, I just read about it few weeks ago. It also takes at least 3 years for winemakers to be pesticide free in order to be called "organic". We tasted the wine and really liked it. We located it later that day at Co-op and the price was decent. The wine is called, Snake River Winery. Not sure if it was the actual winemaker at the Farmer's Market but he was a really friendly and humble guy. Can't wait to buy a bottle or two.

"On the slope of a valley carved by the majestic Snake River, sits the Arena Valley Vineyard. Southwestern Idaho's ancient riverbeds provide the unique cobbled soil that allows us to grow a diverse range of grape varietals."

We moved on to another wine stand and I don't remember the name of the wine, but I remember the taste and it was probably one of the worst wines I have ever tasted. Maybe a good thing I don't remember the name.

The third stand we stopped by was the Three Horse Ranch wine stand. I did a little research on organic wine last week, recommended by a friend Greg Likins. While doing my research I came across an organic winemaker namely the Three Horse Ranch, I have seen their wine in organic stores before but never really had interest in organic wine. Their website is very detailed and has a lot of great information about sulfates and organic grapes. I learned a lot from their website, if you want to learn about organic wine go to their website they have a section about the "Going Organic". Therefore I was even more excited to chat a little with the lady at the stand. I tried their Riesling and ....wow! Wonderful taste and quality wine. So, we decided to buy a bottle at the Co-op wine store. Today they had a wine tasting at Co-op as well and sponsored French wines. Tonight for dinner we opened the Riesling and both liked it very much. We both enjoy wine and like to drink in with dinner and special occasions, we will not buy ONLY organic wine but will def. buy more of the Three Horse Ranch. This calls for a visit to their vineyard. 

Three Horse Ranch Riesling

Today I would like to do our first review of a restaurant mentioned in a previous blog. We went to the Boise Fry Company. 

 In an effort to make our entire process green, natural, sustainable, insert other environmental buzzword, we use all natural, local, and whenever feasible, organic products. We produce little to no waste. We use Energy Star appliances and lights. We recycle our peanut oil in cars. We’re just trying our best to make as little impact on your cholesterol and our planet as possible.

The place is very small and has a tiny patio. It reminds me of a small, hip, fast food restaurant. They server burgers (vegetarian, beef and bison burgers) and a side of fries. When I asked the guy who took our order, if their beef is organic or hormone-free he said they are NOT, and he suggested the Bison burger. So, we ordered two bison burgers. Bison meet was interesting and well seasoned and pretty good. You can def. tell that it is not beef, it tastes a little different but really good. The burger toppings looked very good and fresh. We ordered yam fries as a side dish and I was excited to try their exotic sauces. 

From left to right: curried pear, blueberry ketchup, chipotle, thai, garlic aioli

  

We paid $7.49 for a Bison burger and a large portion of yam fries for $4.79. I feel it was a little bit overpriced, it was def. worth the visit but for about $20 we probably would had a much healthier lunch. It was worth to try Bison (wrongly called Buffalo by a lot of people here in the US). Their sauces are interesting but 50% off them tasted just like mayo. Our favorite was pear, thai and spicy fry sauce. The blueberry ketchup I was the most excited about turned out to be just plain and not so exotic at all. The staff was friendly and it was pretty busy and a little too small, we got lucky and were able to get a table on their patio. 

Later that night we might some puff pastries. We still had some frozen phyllo dough left over from last week (we made Greek puff pastries with feta & spinach last week). Some of you who know me know HOW much I love sloppy joes, now that we are eating organic - sloppy joes is not an option for me anymore. I do miss it a lot. Therefore I decided to make my own organic sloppy joes. 

 We purchased natural frozen turkey few weeks ago. I added organic onions, zucchini, tomatoes and organic pasta sauce. After it was all nice and done, I added plenty of organic ketchup (yes, Heinz makes organic ketchup and it is just about $2.40 for a smaller bottle it's smaller than other ketchup bottles but plenty for us, available at WINCO) I am impressed...It turned out to be soo good and I don't think one can tell the difference between the original Manwich Sloppy Joes and my organic turkey version. 

Organic turkey Sloppy Joes with cheese

We had a little bit left over today and decided 

to put it into our puff pastries. 

The pastries are also natural/organic. Made from organic onions, natural Tillamook cheese, organic tomatoes, organic spinach. All the ingrdients are put together in a blender and put on the phyllo dough. Add a little bit of sloppy joes, choose to put my organic sloppy joes version to keep it mostly organic and natural. This dinner cost us about $3-$4 total. (For the entire family). Amelie has been eating all her food without a fuss. I don't know if it has anything to do with the organic food or that she is slowly becoming a better eater. I must say it does taste a lot better. 

Organic Puff Pastries with spinach, cheese and sloppy joes

Today we went to the grocery store and wanted to buy some grains for our guest chicken and on the way to the store, just in front of the entrance we found $40 on the ground. I felt bad for the person who lost it, because I know how tight money is, but where does anyone return money to? We went and bought tons of organic food at Winco. We bought organic cereal, natural snacks and cookies from Kashi, dressing, organic bread, soup...I don't remember all but I was surprised how many organic items Winco carries. What an eventful day! I don't think I have ever found money before and it came in really handy.

Day 11 - Dear Foster Farms, Monsanto, Tyson...

"Foster Farms fresh, locally grown chicken and turkey have no added hormones, steroids or artificial enhancers"

"Tyson cares about important issues, such as families, the environment, communities, food safety, and education"

"We want to make the world a better place for future generations. As an agricultural company, Monsanto can do this best by providing value through the products and systems we offer to farmers"

Wonderful, caring, supportive companies let me have a word!

How messed up is our society? Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment but financed by companies like Monsanto. Monsanto was accused of Attempt to bribe Health Canada for rBGH. Canada, Australia, European Union, Japan have all banned the use of rBGH due to animal and human health concerns. Seemingly Monsanto was unsuccessful there but here in the US it's who you know:

Former Monsanto employees currently hold positions in US government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Environmental Protection Agency‎ (EPA) and the Supreme Court.

WHY CAN'T WE BAN IT IN THE US? Is money worth more than a life and safety? 

The United States is the only developed nation to permit humans to drink milk from cows given artificial growth hormone.

What is rBGH? Recombinant bovine growth hormone, is a genetically engineered growth hormone that's commonly injected into dairy cows. rBGH forces dairy cows to artificially increase milk production by about 10% to 15% but sometimes can increase milk production by as much as 40%.

Here is a little video that shows how money rules! I found this excerpt on Wikipedia.

Lawsuit against WTVT

In 1997, Steve Wilson and Jane Akre were terminated by television station WTVT, a FOX affiliate. They filed suit, claiming the termination was due to their involvement in an investigative report criticizing Monsanto's use of rBGH, which the station did not air. Wilson and Akre claimed the station had engaged "news distortion" under pressure from Monsanto. WTVT later aired a similar report, which included responses from Monsanto. WTVT ultimately won the suit, and the plaintiff's claims were dismissed. WTVT won the case because Wilson and Akre did not have whistle-blower status. The reason they did not have whistle-blower status is because it is legal to report false news.

 

Where are we heading? Why are we blindly following what we are told and never ask why? How long can we sweep it all under a rug? One day we will stumble over the truth and who will be there to pick us up? Monsanto? 

Monsanto is not only the manufactures of GE (genetically engineered) rBGH but they have also helped to make the laws that if a company sells milk that does NOT contain the harmful rBGH they can NOT label it without a disclaimer stating that rBGH is not harmful. Monsanto disclosed: "We believe low milk prices and some processor requests for 'r-BST-free' milk are limiting our future sales". In fact, Monsanto is actually suing various milk companies for putting the "hormone free" label on their milk!

Is rBGH harmful to humans?
Here is an interesting article. For those who are not interested in reading this article here is a little summary:

How does rBGH milk containing IGF-1, affect, humans?   IGF-1 = Insulin-like growth factor 1
After the rBGH milk is consumed, IGF-1 is not destroyed by human digestion. Instead, IGF-1 is readily absorbed across the intestinal wall. Additional research has shown that it can be absorbed into the bloodstream where it can effect other hormones.

 WISDOM OF THE DAY

The top 3 grocery retailers in the nation, Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Costco have pledged not to sell such milk in their stores. Specific examples include: Here are only few companies who committed not to sell rBGH milk:

Winder Farms, a home delivery dairy and grocer in Utah and Nevada, sells rBST-free milk.

Guernsey Farms, a dairy farm and distributor located in Northville, Michigan sells and distributes rBST-free dairy products in Southeastern Michigan. Their milk has been labeled rBST free for a number of years.
Safeway in the northwestern United States stopped buying from dairy farmers that use rBST in January 2007. The two Safeway plants produce milk for all of Oregon, Southwest Washington, and parts of northern California. Safeway's plant in San Leandro, CA had already been rBST-free for two years.
Chipotle Mexican Grill has also announced it will serve rBST-free sour cream at its restaurants.
Kroger has banned rBST-derived milk from all its stores (including its subsidiaries such as Ralphs) as of February 2008,
Publix announced it has been rBST-free since May, 2007. 
Braum's has also issued a press release stating its milk is rBST-free.
Starbucks Company has as of January 2008 made all dairy in beverages rBST free.
Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores featured artificial-hormone-free "Great Value" brand milk, but did not label it as such in 2008.
Ben & Jerry's ice cream uses milk and cream from dairy farms that have pledged not to use rBST. 

We started buying organic milk about 2 weeks ago. It tastes good and I feel good about giving milk to our two-year old daughter. I feel she is the main reason I want to ask questions. And if the truth is not 100% clear, I don't want to take the chances and rather spend few bucks more to buy her healthy milk. We are buying Tillamook cheese which rejects Monsanto rBGH and only organic yogurt or Nancy's yogurt. Nancy's yogurt statement is this: We are opposed to the use of recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) and will not purchase milk or powdered milk which comes from cows that have been treated with this hormone. 

I recently tried organic soy milk and I am ok with it. I am not a big fan of milk, but I like it in my cereal. The majority is consumed by our daughter. Our milk comes from a local farm bottled in a glass bottle with a $2.50 deposit. The milk costs $2.50 and is a half gallon. It lasts for at least 1-2 weeks...if you are still doubtful...do the math and make a good choice for your children. We are planning to visit the dairy from where we buy our milk. I am excited to show Amelie where we get our good milk from. 

Got milk?!

Millions Against Monsanto

Day 10 - Refuge for Chicken "Princess"

Guest chicken "princess"

Is it coincidence that last night a chicken came to our house? And this morning she came back? Tom trapped her in our fenced area, which is the future area for chickens (if we should get any). He walked heroically in the bedroom this morning and announced: "Well you wanted chickens, I got you a chicken." We gave her peaches from a can and some water. She ate the peaches, but didn't care for them much. You should have seen her when I gave her some grains. Holy Moly! She almost had a smile on her face. Now I build her a temporarily coop, with the old lattice from our porch railing (which is to be sold any day), an old laundry basket filled with grass. I am hoping she will reward us with some delicious eggs. I don't know who's chicken it is, but Tom mentioned that there is a family in the neighborhood who has some chickens. I will check with them this afternoon.But watching this cute chicken, eating, walking around and just being a chicken...makes me really think that we can give chickens a good life. And I am going to build a coop soon and maybe all that has some effects on Tom and he will change his mind after all. While watching her (a.k.a Princess - I named her Princess) I am realizing that it can't be so hard, plus grains are not so expensive either. She loves the grains I gave her, they are organic and meant for bread but hey...I don't mind sharing...how about some eggs Princess?

Last night I picked up some books from the library and one of them is called The Homesteading Handbook - Back to Basic Guide and the other book was on raising chickens called Chick Days. I can't believe the coincidence, now I can start reading the books while I am having a chicken running around in the backyard. 

Today I am at home sick, I woke up this morning with a bad headache, congested, aching neck. I will use the time wisely and read up on all the great new things I generally don't have time for. I am planning to visit my first organic restaurant this weekend and get some serious baking done. I also want to learn how to make soups. I got some great soup books from the library at home and I will make tons of them and possibly freeze them (if they turn out to be good). I also want to bake some cookies for my schatzies and bread for the family. My friend Diana, baked the most delicious bread last week, which gives me hope that baking can't be this hard. I hope that I will feel better tomorrow and able to enjoy the weekend since the weather is going to be so gorgeous. I am going to update today's blog a little later in the day with WISDOM OF THE DAY and more other interesting stuff....stay tuned!


Part II -
It is just about 6 p.m. and I am feeling so much better. I actually felt better much earlier and built a chicken coop. Princess hung out with me in the unfenced yard and watched me building it and fell asleep. I am surprised that she doesn't want to run away she just hangs out with me. I built her a temp coop and hope that one day we will get chicken and I can make this coop a little bit better. She even went inside couple of times but I think a coop is supposed to be a little higher. Most of the wood I used, was left over from our new porch - no need to buy anything.

Here is the unfinished coop

And here is Princess and her temp coop.

WISDOM OF THE DAY

 Since we are a host family to a chicken I thought to provide some interesting chicken facts:

A hen can live up to 20 years. She will lay eggs her entire life, with the number decreasing every year from year one. Chickens lay different colored eggs, from white, to brown, to green, to pink, to blue. The color of a hen's first egg is the color she will lay for life. It takes a hen 24-26 hours to lay an egg.

A chicken finds it very important to have a private nest. She builds her nest by first scratching a hole in the ground.  She will then pick up twigs and leaves, which she will drop on her back. Back in the hole she will let the material slide off her back around the rim.

 

Chickens are very social animals. They will fight to protect their family and will mourn when a loved one is lost. There are more chicken than people in the world.

Day 9 - Must be good to be a GMO apple

Good evening friends! Today was somewhat an unhealthy organic food day. We are running low on food and didn't bother to buy anything since both of us were supposed to leave town. My plans got cancelled and I didn't have much at the house to make for lunch. I generally bring my lunch to work every day and despite being tired last night I stood in the kitchen at 11 p.m. to make some pasta. Organic whole wheat pasta, with natural tomato sauce and organic zucchini. It was good, but I think I have a carb overdose and I didn't feel like working out today, because I feel either a little cold coming or some sort of allergies. I was hoping that I will not become sick, since I am eating mainly organic, but I guess eating organic will not stop an incoming cold? I don't know. Does anyone have an answer? I guess even healthy and good food will not prevent a cold. 
Instead of drinking coffee this morning, I switched to a green tea with raw honey. Honey is supposedly filled with tons of good stuff.

Raw honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. The vitamins found in honey may include niacin, riboflavin, minerals include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Did I read ANTIOXIDANTS?? What are they? They are loyal protectors and nurturers of our cells, repelling disease, and promoting good health. 

Well, we see how beneficial it is. I don't get sick very often maybe 2-3 a year, and I hope that an organic diet either maintains it or reduces it. Just like the docs say: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Talking about apples...I mentioned in my previous post that we purchased apples 4 weeks ago and they still look amazing, completely unchanged. The experiment continues and I am keeping the apples until they show some reaction of getting old. Must feel great to be a GMO apple, you never look or get old and always shine. Hahaha..
No, seriously...I am not kidding the apples have not changed a bit. Therefore I took a picture to share this experiment with you. Here is the proof:

GMO apples from local store purchase about 4 weeks ago

First photo of GMO apple

Aren't these apples just pretty? Too bad they taste like nothing. Well, at least they look good and people buy them...I just must stress how great, juicy and delicious organic apples are. And here is a surprising fact, they only cost $1.59/lbs so just about as much as GMO apples. I don't know if all apples are GMO but I am going to assume that anything that is not organic is GMO, since the USA does not believe in labeling GMO foods. And that is why? 

I made a doctor appointment for my annual check-up unfortunately it is not until next month. I did want to see my biometric data before I get too far into my organic diet. By the time I am going to have my appointment, I will have been eating organic food for one month. It will be still interesting to see if anything has changed since last year, I had my last appointment in March, 2010.


Today I made some dinner and would like to share this recipe with you.
You can find the recipe in my recipe section. This was an all organic dinner for only $7.00. I will call it Curry Chicken with Rice and Zucchini.

Tonight's dinner - All organic curry chicken with zucchini & rice

 WISDOM OF THE DAY

Free range chickens

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) requires that chickens raised for their meat have access to the outside in order to receive the free-range certification. There is no requirement for access to pasture, and there may be access to only dirt or gravel.

Day 8 - Genetically Modified Research

  I have to admit I was unaware what GMO was until just about 3 weeks ago. I remember during my university time just about 2-3 years ago that people always wrote papers about it, but I must have been really naive that I didn't even bother to ask. Now I take a different stand on it. 


Ever since I started eating organic food, I fell in love with it. We always ate fruits and vegetables in the past and I always missed the juicy, sweet and unique taste I remember from my childhood. I never knew that it does make a difference eating organic or non-organic produce. I am currently doing a little experiment and am watching the apples we purchased about 4 weeks ago. They still look great, just like the day we purchased them. On the other hand the organic apples we purchased few days ago can't keep up with them even for a week. (That's no problem because the organic apples are so yummy and we eat them within a few days).


Well, during the drive to Twin Falls, Tom and I had a little conversation about GMO. According to the mass information we receive, GMO is not harmful. Here is a short description of GMO. GMO is any organism in which the genetic material DNA has been altered (modified) in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination. For instance, a bell pepper may have DNA from a fish added to it to make it more frost-tolerant. GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) are commonly used to refer to all organisms that have added genes from another species which were inserted through the techniques of genetic engineering. GMO is sometimes called "Frankenfood", what an appropriate name...hahaha

Well, I am not sure if I trust the statement that GMO is safe, years ago companies claimed that smoking was good for the health too. I personally think it is wrong and organic food tastes so much better. Two things come to my mind immediately. It is assumed that food allergies are linked to GMO and that is not surprising to me, I find it odd when young kids and people all around me are stating that they have a food allergy. Years ago, there were very few allergies now almost every other person is allergic to some food.  Makes me wonder if there is a connection. The other thought I have on GMO is, if DNA from a fish is added to it or some gene from an animal (which is awful if you think about it) does that mean that vegetarians are actually eating animals? Hmmmm...

I started to do some research and it is truly a jungle of information to weed through. Who really knows the truth and who really is providing accurate information? Whatever the outcome is, I strongly believe that we people should be able to have a CHOICE to eat GMO or not, therefore support mandatory labeling for GMO foods.

Many countries in Europe have taken the opposite position: that genetic modification has not been proven safe, and therefore that they will not accept genetically modified food from the United States or any other country.

How can you avoid GMO food?
1. Choose food labeled USDA certified organic, which forbids GE.
2. Choose food labeled “Non GM” and dairy labeled “cows not given rBGH” (recombinant bovine growth hormone).
3. Weed out processed foods from your diet and eat more fresh, seasonal whole foods


I also learned from Tom that GMO creates another problem, namely the "superweed" - a plant almost nothing can kill. This sounds like a sci-fi movie. But just think about it... a plant that can't be killed?? That sounds scary. I have to admit, the more I get involved with organic food the more I learn about my environment and food habits. I was so blind!

Here is one of the articles I found online - Genetically Engineered Superweeds Emerge in Canada

 WISDOM OF THE DAY

The following countries have banned or restricted the import, distribution, sale, utilization, field trials and commercial planting of GMO’s: 

Africa: Algeria, Egypt 

Asia: Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Japan, Phillipines

Europe: The European Union, Norway, Austria, Germany United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Luxembourg, Portugal

Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay

Middle East: Saudi Arabia

North America: Maryland has banned GE (genetically engineered) fish and North Dakota and Montana have filed bans on GE wheat. The Municipalities of Burlington, Vermont (declared a moratorium on GE food), Boulder, Colorado (bans on GE crops) and the City and County of San Francisco (urged the federal government to ban GE food) are the only towns or states to take some sort of stand against plants, animals, foods, crops and body products that are, or contain Genetically Modified Organisms.

NOTE: The U.S. government, and the FDA do not require anything Genetically Modified to be identified on ingredient lists. Genetically Modified foods and products are in widespread use and distribution throughout the U.S.

Pacific: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Australia, New Zealand