Thursday, April 25, 2013

Storing Kale and Other Greens

So there is a ton of sites with a ton of tips on how to store Kale or Lettuce prior to use. So I figured I would throw my hat in the ring too.

Here is how I do it, I am not the first or the originator of this method, just something I read about a while ago, tried, and liked, so here it is.

First I thoroughly wash my leafy green, in this case Kale. To do this, I tear the leaves off of the stalk (my blender can't handle the stalk without leaving chunks when I make smoothies) and then let it soak for about 5 minutes or so. Once it has soaked, I place the kale in the strainer part of my salad spinner and spray it with water.


Then I spin the Kale in the spinner removing as much of the excess water as possible.



After the Kale is dry-ish, lay it flat on a tea towel (a.k.a kitchen towel).

Roll the Kale in the towel.

Them wrap the ends of the towel with rubber bands to hold the contents in. You will end up with a tootsie roll shape.


















Then just place your tootsie roll of Kale in your vegetable drawer if you have the room, if not, I have put mine on any shelf in the refrigerator.

In my opinion the Kale stays fresher longer this way. I use this method with my Romaine Lettuce as well with equally good results.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Clearing out the Coloring

My first step to livin' clean(er): Clearing out the Coloring!


When I first decided to make a change for my family, the first thing to go was food coloring and anything with artificial colors. That meant getting rid of all of my pretty cake/cookie decorating toppings and icings. This was probably one of the easier things to eliminate from our diet because we aren't really a big sweets family. They were reserved for special occasions, and since those are only a few times a year, we haven't really missed it. To the left is a picture of the stuff I got rid of. My mother-in-law was happy to take these off my hands. And even though I would prefer no one use them, not everyone shares my new found passion for ridding their pantry of things like food coloring. 

One of the things that was a little annoying to get rid of was my daughter's multivitamins. And to be 100% honest, I didn't get rid of them. I am taking them (those things were expensive!) Obviously I care more about my kids health than my own (and what mom does't) so I took one for the team and bought them some new gummy vitamins at CVS with no artificial colors.

Here are some of the things that Food Coloring has been linked to:




  • Blue #2

    Increases the incidence of tumors in lab rats.
  • Citrus Red #2
    It is toxic to lab rats and can cause tumors in the bladder and other organs. This food coloring is used on oranges to make them appear more vibrant in color! All the more reason to buy organic!!
  • Green #3

    Increased the chances of bladder and testes tumors in male lab rats.
  • Red #3
  • In 1990 the FDA banned this in cosmetics because it was recognized as a thyroid carcinogen in animals, BUT it is still allowed in our food. Not sure how that makes sense "Hey don't put this on your skin, it causes cancer, but sure ingest it, I am sure it is safe for your insides" Come on FDA, do your job and protect Americans.




  • Red #40 

    Has been shown to accelerate the appearance of tumors in lab mice. It can also cause allergy like reactions in some, and hyperactivity in some children. This artificial color is highly used in foods and cosmetics.
  • Yellow #5

    Can cause sever hypersensitivity and hyperactivity and other behavioral effect in children.
    This is a big one for those with kids with "ADD" or "ADHD." I put those in quotes because I am not sure if all the kids diagnosed really have these disorders or are reacting to the crap we unknowingly put in their little bodies. And instead of a doctor saying "hey lets try to eliminate some things from your child's diet and see if that helps your situation" they pull out their prescription pad and pump our kids full of more chemicals.  
  • Yellow #6

    Caused tumors in the adrenal glands in lab animals. It can also cause sever hypersensitivity in children.

    So your best bet, just pull the food coloring out of your families diet as soon as possible. I understand that many of you have a ton of things that have food coloring in them and can't afford to throw it all away and start from scratch. In that case, my recommendation is to just not replace it with more crap when you consume the crap you already have. So when you are finally out of that box of Kraft Mac & Cheese, don't buy another one. Learn to make it from scratch (which is super easy and healthier anyway) and when you go to the store buy the real food items instead of that box of stuff. That's the way I am making my change, one day at a time.
  • Quick Mac & Cheese

    Stop eating that boxed stuff! 

    Here is a recipe for some really really fast and easy Mac & Cheese, and that is what I shall call this recipe.

    Really Fast and Easy Mac & Cheese

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound of elbow macaroni (any fun shape)
    • 1 1/2 cups of milk
    • 2 tablespoons flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups shredded cheese or more depending on how cheesy you want it (you can use Cheddar  Colby  Monterrey Jack, whatever you prefer)
    • 1/4 teaspoon of mustard powder


    If you want to make this a meal, add some chicken or ham if you want, you can throw some steamed veggies in there too.

    Instructions

    1. Follow the package directions for your pasta, drain and set aside. (Reserve a little of the liquid in a bowl just in case you need it later.)
    2. In the saucepan used for the pasta, warm the milk on medium low heat. Whisk in the flour a little at a time to reduce lumps. Whisk continuously for about 4 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
    3. Reduce heat to low and slowly add cheese about a half a cup at a time (just eyeball this, no need for a measuring cup). Then add the salt and mustard powder. Keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted and smooth.
    4. Remove from heat and toss noodles into the pot and stir until well incorporated. If it is too thick you can add a little bit of the reserved pasta water if needed. At this point you can add your cooked chicken or ham or any other add ins you would like to make this a meal.






    Sunday, April 21, 2013

    Annie's Buying Club pricing vs. Publix, Earth's Origins & Fresh Market











    So I spent the weekend comparing the prices of various markets organic to what I got in the Annie's Buying Club share this week. Just a reminder, here is what my share looked like and what was included:

    -1/2 lb Collard Greens                           
    -1/2 lb Rainbow Chard
    -1/2 lb Broccolini                                  
    -1 lb Asparagus
    -1/2 lb Kale                                          
    -1/2 lb Cilantro
    -1 1/2 lb Apples                                    
    -6 oz Blueberries
    -1 1/2 lb Vine Ripe Tomatoes                
    -1 lb Kiwis
    -1/2 lb of Ginger                                    
    -1 lb Lemons
    -5 lbs Japanese Sweet Potato                
    -1 1/2 lbs Romaine
    -2 1/2 lbs Bananas                                
    -1 lb Zucchini
    -1 lb Strawberries                                  
    -1 lb Eggplant
    -1 head Garlic


    I went to Publix and priced out their comparable organic produce as well as their non-organic produce. Then I went to Earth's Origins which is a health food type store in St. Petersburg and Fresh Market which is similar to Earth's Origins but a little nicer. I wanted to go to the Saturday Morning Market, but I just couldn't find the time this weekend with all the errands, birthday party and Rays game. There just wasn't enough time in the day.

    Here are my findings:

    Publix Organic Produce: $78.40, this did not include the following: Rainbow Chard, Collard Greens, Broccolini, Kale, Ginger, Garlic, Blueberries or Cilantro

    Publix Non-Organic Produce: $38.67, this did not include Rainbow Chard or Broccolini

    Earth's Origins: $65.79, this did not include Brocolini or Garlic

    Fresh Market: $49.45, this did not include Ginger, Bananas, Garlic, Asparagus or Kiwi

    **Also note that I could not find Japanese Sweet Potatoes so I priced it out as just plain Sweet Potatoes.

    Here is a link to the detailed breakdown.

    So all in all I think Annie's Organic Buying Club was a GREAT deal. It was much cheaper than any of the organic foods I found, and not much more than Publix's Non-Organic prices. So for a few bucks more than your regular produce you can buy wholesome organic produce that is not laced with pesticides and made from GMOs.


    Annie's Organics 4/15/13 Share



    Picked up my first share of Annie's Organics Friday.

    It contained:

    -1/2 lb Collard Greens            
    -1/2 lb Rainbow Chard
    -1/2 lb Broccolini                    
    -1 lb Asparagus
    -1/2 lb Kale                            
    -1/2 lb Cilantro
    -1 1/2 lb Apples                      
    -6 oz Blueberries
    -1 1/2 lb Vine Ripe Tomatoes  
    -1 lb Kiwis
    -1/2 lb of Ginger                      
    -1 lb Lemons
    -5 lbs Japanese Sweet Potato  
    -1 1/2 lbs Romaine
    -2 1/2 lbs Bananas                  
    -1 lb Zucchini
    -1 lb Strawberries                                
    -1 lb Eggplant
    -1 head Garlic


    Storing Tips:

    Storing Collard Greens:
    Do not wash them. Wrap them in damp paper towels in an open plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. Should last about 5 days.

    Storing Rainbow Chard:
    Do not wash them. Wrap them tightly in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. Should last about 5 days.

    Storing Broccolini:
    Do not wash them. Wrap them tightly in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. Should last about 4 days.

    Storing Asparagus:
    Do not wash them. Fill a glass with water and put the asparagus stems in the water. Cover the asparagus and glass with a plastic bag. If this is not an option wrap the stalk bottoms in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator crisper.

    Storing Kale:
    Do not wash them. Wrap them tightly in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. Should last about 5 days.

    Storing Cilantro:
    Do not wash them. Fill a glass with water and put the cilantro stems in the water. Cover the cilantro and glass with a plastic bag. Cilantro should stay for a week, change water as it becomes cloudy. If this is not an option wrap the stems bottoms in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator crisper.

    Storing Apples:
    Do not wash them. If already ripe, store apples in the fruit drawer of the refrigerator. Apples should last a couple weeks. Be sure to keep apples away from other produce, as they will cause other produce to spoil faster.

    Storing Blueberries:
    Do not wash them. Store in the refrigerator. Remove any spoiled blueberries to reduce spoilage.

    Storing Tomatoes:
    Do not wash them. In warmer climates, store in the refrigerator, stems up.

    Storing Kiwi:
    Once ripe, store in the refrigerator in a bag. Kiwi should last about 5 days.

    Storing Ginger:
    Store unpeeled ginger in the freezer for up to 6 months, let thaw before use. If you don't want to freeze it, you can store unpeeled ginger in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks. Once peeled, wrap in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for about a week.

    Storing Lemons:
    If you are intending to use them within a few days, you can store them on your counter for about a week. Store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator in a plastic bag for about 5 weeks.

    Storing Japanese Sweet Potatoes:
    Do not refrigerate, this will alter their taste. At room temperature they will last about a week. Put in a loose bag on the counter.

    Storing Romaine Lettuce: Wash and fully dry lettuce (using a salad spinner if you have one helps cut drying time considerably), then place in a bag in the refrigerator. My favorite way is to wash and dry in a salad spinner, then I lay the lettuce out on a tea towel (fancy word for a kitchen towel) after they dry for about 20 minutes, I roll the lettuce up in the towel and use rubber bands on the ends (picture I giant tootsie roll). Then I put this in the refrigerator. The lettuce stays really nice for about a week.

    Storing Bananas: 
    If the bananas are not ripe and you would like to speed the process, put them in a brown bag, add an apple to speed up process even more. I never put bananas in the refrigerator (I say never, but I did this once, and it didn't go well, so NOW I never do it) because it slows the ripening process BUT turns the skin brown. Not a pretty site. So if I have too many bananas and I just can't eat them in a few days, I peel them, cut them in about 4 pieces and I toss them in a small freezer bag. Then I have them any time I want to make a smoothies. I have been known to buy 10lbs of bananas at a time and just cut them up and freeze them.

    Storing Zucchini: 
    You can store unwashed zucchini on the counter for about a week. I have heard not to put Zucchini in the refrigerator, but I have and I think they were fine. But the recommendation is to store on the counter. If you can't use the zucchini in time, finely shred the zucchini and put it in a freezer bag to use in zucchini bread or muffins later. They will last in the freezer for about 3 months.

    Storing Strawberries: 
    I have been told to not wash berries before storing. I do, I just make sure to dry them really well after. I make sure to pull out any questionable ones, and store the others in the refrigerator (single layer is always the best).

    Storing Eggplant: 
    You can store on the counter for a few days, but I store mine in the refrigerator. I clean them off and wrap them in a tea towel and put them in the vegetable drawer on the refrigerator. I have stored mine for about a week and a half this way, but the sooner they are used the better.

    Storing Garlic: 
    You can store garlic for months at room temperature, a paper bag is an ideal place for garlic. Do not refrigerate as it can go bad faster or start sprouting.











    Monday, April 15, 2013

    Steps toward my 2013 Livin' Clean(er) goals:



    One step closer to our garden.

    This weekend we tilled our back yard and bought 240 lbs of steer manure compost! Oh and by we, I mean my husband. It was a hard job (at least it looked that way from inside the air conditioned house.)

    One step closer to eating more organic food.




    I joined Annie's Organics Buying Club. I try and buy as much organic produce from the Saturday Morning Market in Downtown St. Petersburg, but I wanted to see how Annie's compares to the Market. My first pickup will be this Friday. What I plan on doing is comparing my share from Annie's to buying the same produce at the Market, The Fresh Market, Earth's Origins and the organic section of my local Publix.

    One step closer to BPA-Free living.


     I ordered a food processor (I haven't had a food processor in over a year, so I am excited to be getting a new one). I chose the Hamilton Beach 70670 Chef Prep 525-Watt Food Processor. I found it on Amazon for $35.75. It was also available at Walmart.com for about the same price, but I prefer Amazon and their free shipping is super fast. Just an FYI, as an added bonus, this food processor is BPA-Free.





    Wednesday, April 10, 2013

    2013 Goals for Livin' Clean(er)

    As my first post I find it fitting to go over the goals I have for this year to live a healthy lifestyle. These are kinda in order, but may change as time goes by. Some will be rather simple and cheap and others will be costly and hard to do. So I am going to go with the flow and make healthier choices as I go, and applaud all my achievements as I go along, and try to cut myself a little slack if I make a not so healthy decision here and there. And if you are headed down the same journey, I recommend that you do the same.

    That all being said, here are my goals.


    1. Remove any and all artificial food colorings from my families diet (especially my children's)
    2. Reduce (or eliminate) foods with high fructose corn syrup & corn syrup
    3. Reduce (or eliminate) foods with partially hydrogenated oils 
    4. Reduce (or eliminate) foods with BHA & BHT (I will explain these in a later post, but believe me, worth removing from your diet)
    5. Reduce (or eliminate) processed foods
    6. Remove any plastic products with BPA and replace them with either BPA-Free plasitcs or glass/stainless steal (preferable, but pricier)
    7. Eat more vegetable based meals
    8. Eliminate GMOs from diet
    9. Eat Organic (local if possible)
    10. Start my own garden
    I am sure this list will grow as time goes on.