MangCorCadoBB Salad

Recipe:

1 box of organic black beans, (365 brand from Whole Foods-13.4 oz) rinsed and drained

1 cup of fire-roasted organic corn (NO GMOs!) I used frozen, thawed.

1 ripe (but not overripe) mango, chopped into medium pieces

1 ripe (but again, not mushy overripe) avocado, chopped into medium pieces

1 green onion, thin sliced including green parts

Zest and juice from 1 organic lime

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional additions: 

chopped cilantro, chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber, chopped jalapeno or serano chilies

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow flavors to blend.  May be served as is at room temperature or chilled for a lunch salad, or over greens or as a side dish with an entree.  Enjoy!

How do you like to use up ripening mango or avocado?  Share some favorite recipes with us all here in the comments section!  Happy Memorial Day weekend!

This recipe was found on SparkPeople's website.  I have made this recipe several times and shared with others who love it, too.  You can use any wholesome vegan protein powder.  I use Vega Shake & Go Smoothie flavor Choc-a-lot.  The recipe has the amount of grams of protein to aim for, so you will have to translate that for whatever brand you prefer.

Vegan No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Minutes to Prepare: 15

Ingredients

Directions

Combine all DRY ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mash ripe banana, and add all wet ingredients.

Pour wet ingredients into dry, and mix well.

Spread mixture into 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish lined with parchment/waxed paper. Press until flat.

Place dish in freezer for a few hours, or until firm. Remove from dish and carefully cut into 15 squares/bars or logs. For easy grab-and-go snacks, wrap bars individually in plastic wrap or parchment.

Store in fridge or freezer for up to a month. These bars soften quickly at room temperature.

Makes 15 protein/granola bars.

Number of Servings: 15

 

Let me know how you like these!  Did you make any modifications in the recipe?  Please leave a comment below and share!

Balance

South Mountain Reservation, Short Hills, NJ

Longing

Photo Courtesy of Flickr Elizabeth/Table4Five's Photostream

Fragrance is considered a 'trade secret' and manufacturers can use up to 100 different chemicals to create their 'fragrance' and are not required to list them on the package. This can lead to reactions from inhaling these chemicals, such as headaches, dizziness, sneezing, runny nose, cough, and asthma to name a few.  This doesn't include long-term consequences that we just don't know could be possible after repeated exposure to these chemicals over a lifetime.

Knowing that the list of chemicals used to create synthetic fragrance can be impossible to discover, many moms are now looking to use pure essential oils from plants as a personal fragrance.  Be mindful that if the list of ingredients or packaging of a products says, "made with essential oils", this could mean that there are many more ingredients and a drop of essential oil.  Always read the label on personal care products and if you see fragrance, parfum, perfume as an ingredient, then you know that there are more chemicals than are listed on the label alone. Another confusing aspect is that sometimes chemicals can be added to mask a scent, so if a product is labeled 'scent-free', still look on the label to see if there is fragrance, parfum, or perfume added to cover up a scent and make it undetectable--therefore 'scent-free'!

If you are looking to avoid synthetic chemicals found in fragrance, but desire a 'scent' other than human body scent, look for pure essential oils by themselves.  Organic essential oils have been grown without adding pesticides to the plants while they were growing, so this is also desireable to avoid any pesticides tainting the oils.

How many personal care products do you use on a regular day?  This is an area that I am working on personally to pare down the number of products in my daily routine and substitute more natural products and those listed on the Skin Deep Database as a 0-2 rating. 

Discovering that your favorite products are rated a number 3 or higher in the EWG Skin Deep Database doesn't mean that you have to panic and throw out everything and start all over from scratch. You might want to consider replacing your products that are rated on the highest level of concern (7-10) now especially if you are thinking of pregnancy, already pregnant or breastfeeding. Also, as you run out of some of your products that are in the 3-6 range rating, replace them with products in the 0-2 ratings.

As far as children's products go, though, I would really aim for having all products in the 0-2 rating range.  There are so many more natural and health conscious companies available now.  It shouldn't be difficult to find products that are safer or create your own--more information coming on that later!

What are your biggest Ah ha's about personal care products and EWG's Skin Deep Database?  Please leave a comment below in the comment section.

It can also be volatilized into the air if you use higher cooking temperatures than are recommended by the manufacturer.  But who really checks whether they are exceeding manufacturers' heating recommendations on a stove?  Oven.....yes, because you can control the numbers to reach 'X' degrees Fahrenheit for the oven but you have to more or less guess for the stove.  If you do use nonstick cookware, it is recommended to not preheat the pot or pan while it is empty.  Also, care must be taken to not allow the cookware to boil dry or be put back onto an active burner once the food is removed from it.

'Teflon Toxicosis' (TT) otherwise known as Polymer Fume Fever (PFF) are terms given to the lung condition that kills pet birds exposed to nonstick cookware that has volatilized fumes from the nonstick coating surface.  EWG has collected over 100 websites reporting the 'canary in the kitchen' phenomenon that kills pet birds exposed to non-stick cookware heated on common household stoves found in homes like yours and mine.  The company that owns the Teflon trademark is not happy with the terminology for this condition.  It is true that there is no reason to believe that only Teflon brand will kill pet birds.  Any commercially available non-stick cookware or nonstick surfaces that contains PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) can produce this condition, so pet bird owners are cautioned not to use this type of cookware and to keep pet birds out of the kitchen and remain vigilant if they insist on using nonstick cookware in spite of the association.  Be aware, though, there are reports of birds in other rooms of the house also succombing to TT/PFF even though they are not kept in the kitchen.

Since birds, rats and humans have been reported to have health consequences from these nonstick cooking surfaces, I have been phasing them out in our household.  I remember having a great cast iron skillet that my mother used to cook many of the comfort foods I grew up with back on the farm.  I remember eggs just sliding off the surface of that skillet!  Mom had it seasoned up just right!

I checked out the cast iron cookware commercially available today to purchase a new piece.  Here is what I found out:  I cannot purchase cast iron that is not pre-seasoned. It's impossible to find 'raw' cast iron cookware (please tell me if you know where to get this!)  When I inquired from the companies that sell preseasoned cast iron about what was used in their pre-seasoning, I was told that it was a proprietary blend of oils and that I was not allowed to know since it's a trade secret.  Here we go again......another instance of a company hiding behind those two words, "trade secret"!  Could the oils be petroleum-based?  Not allowed to know.....trade secret.

So as I am thinking about my next step, I visited an antique store and I spotted some old cast iron cookware on the floor in a booth.  I bought these 3 skillets for much less than 1 new pre-seasoned skillet (see pictures below) and decided that I would just experiment with stripping their old seasoning and replace the seasoning with something that is 100% natural.  The most comprehensive guide to seasoning a cast iron skillet I discovered on this blog by Sheryl Cantor.

I am ready to go and thought I would ask you, my reader, if you have a suggestion for removing the old seasoning.  I have several options but one of them is to put the skillets into an oven while the self-cleaning cycle is on and this will burn off all the old seasoning.  My hesitation to do that is that will be releasing the same chemical that I am hoping to avoid as I am sure there is a nonstick surface on the inside of my oven. Other suggestions I found were lye, vinegar, and steel wool. Have any of you stripped the seasoning from your cast iron cookware and if you did, what did you use and what were your results?

I may try different methods with each of these skillets.  I will be waiting to hear your suggestions and researching more about this.......stay tuned and thank you for all of your suggestions here in the comments section!

FLAT SKILLET-BOTTOM VIEW

FLAT SKILLET INSIDE VIEW

LARGE SKILLET BOTTOM VIEW

LARGE SKILLET INSIDE VIEW

MEDIUM SIZE SKILLET BOTTOM VIEW

MEDIUM SIZE SKILLET INSIDE VIEW

I have just returned from a gorgeous walk in the South Mountain Reservation which I count myself so lucky to live right across from.  I often walk in the woods for inspiration or to get the creative juices flowing or just to feel close to nature.  Today is a gorgeous beautiful day here in New Jersey and I felt a tug pulling me into the woods, so I switched to my sneakers and jeans and went for a walk.  I saw not another soul in the woods today--for an hour, I walked through the beautiful reservation full of awakening trees and wildflowers. There are LOTS of trees that have been uprooted or snapped off from the wrath of SuperStorm Sandy back in October 2012.  But I know that Mother Nature will use these downed trees to create homes for other wildlife and these trees will eventually return to fertilize the soil.  This is the way of Nature.

What I feel the rant coming on about is leftover evidence of fellow travelers along these trails.  Although I saw no one on the trails today, there was plenty of evidence that they had been there.  Plastic water bottles, soda cans, candy wrappers, and such. Why do people feel that it's ok to just drop it on the ground when they are done with it??  I picked up all the litter that I could carry and brought it out of the woods with me.  I should not have to do that.  No one should have to do that.  If you bring it in, take it out!  It's that simple.

OK, rant is now over--I realize that I could rant on and on about it, but I think that you get the idea.  If you bring it in, take it out with you and then we have nothing else to talk about.

Now for some beautiful wild flower pictures.  If anyone can help me identify these beauties, please comment in the comment section!

BLUE WILDFLOWERS HIDING NEAR A TREE FELLED BY SANDYWHITE WILDFLOWERSCLOSEUP OF WHITE WILDFLOWERSYELLOW WILDFLOWERSYELLOW WILDFLOWER CLOSEUP

And I would echo with this, "Each person's task in life is to leave the earth in an increasingly better condition than how (s)he found it." 

We celebrated Earth Day at the beginning of the week.  Lots of attention was focused on Mother Earth and how we can help improve the environment. It's great to celebrate Earth Day on April 22 every year.  Let's also think about the impact that we have on the earth every day.

We don't inherit this earth--our only home--we borrow it from our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and generations in the future that we will never meet.  Developing the Eco-Mindset and thinking about everything that we do and the impact that it has on the earth and the earth's future is very humbling:

• Where does this go when I throw it into the garbage can?
• What happens to this plastic yogurt cup when I recycle it?
• What is the impact on the environment from the manufacture of this fabric that was made into the clothing that I just purchased?
• If I allow pesticides and herbicides on my lawn, what is the impact on the birds, squirrels, chipmunks, hummingbirds and my own dog when they are on the grass?
• If I choose not to eat meat, aside from the health effects for me, will there be an impact on climate change because of my decision?
• Should I compost the food scraps from my kitchen to save them from going into the landfill--and how do I do that and what do I do with the compost when it's done?
• Do I really need to buy more stuff and bring it into my home?
• What is the health effect of all that stuff and crap on myself and my children?

Clearly, there are more questions than there are answers, but the point is to become aware of the impact of every decision and every choice--aware of what could be the consequences for the environment and for the health of yourself and your children. Choose wisely.

MAGNIFICENT MAGNOLIA: SUPERSTORM SANDY SURVIVOR-2013How did Earth Day affect you this year and what changes have you made or will you make this year to leave the earth a better place than how you found it?  Please leave a comment below and share.  Make it a great weekend!

This soup is delicious and you will not miss the fact that there is no meat in this soup. The smoked paprika gives it a flavor that is so yummy and filling--you will be amazed!  With food prep, this takes about 60 minutes from start to finish to complete this dish.  The recipe makes 4-6 servings depending on how hefty your bowls are!!

VEGAN WHITE BEAN AND KALE SOUP

The original recipe for this soup came from Vegetarian Times by way of Recipe.com  I made a few modifications in the recipe but it is basically the same soup.

Serve with some corn bread (I made gluten free corn bread) or some French bread and you are all set!

White Bean & Kale Soup

1 TBS Olive Oil

1 Medium Sweet onion, chopped

1 Small-Medium Bunch of Organic Curly Kale, chopped

2 large Organic Carrots, peeled and chopped

1 TBS Smoked Sweet Paprika (plus some more to garnish each bowl)

1 TBS Curry Powder

1 Bay Leaf

4 Cups Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth

2 cans (15oz each) of BPA-free Organic Great Northern Beans (or equivalent if you cook your own or buy in the box), drained and rinsed.  1 cup set aside.

2 TBS of Red Wine Vinegar

Heat the olive oil over medium heat, then saute the onions until lightly carmelized, about 8 minutes or so. Stir frequently.

Add kale and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until kale wilts well.  Stir in the carrots, and spices. Cook 1 minute more, until spices are fragrant.

Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until kale and carrots are tender.  Meanwhile, puree 1 cup of beans with 3/4 cup of water in blender or food processor.  Add pureed beans and rest of beans to soup.  Cook for another 10 minutes.  Stir in red wine vinegar;  salt & pepper to taste.  Sprinkle a little smoked sweet paprika on each serving in the bowl.

If you would like, sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese on hot soup in individual bowls.  This is no longer vegan but is considered vegetarian with the cheese.

Whichever way you like it, enjoy!!

VEGETARIAN WHITE BEAN AND KALE SOUP

What's your favorite way to eat kale?  Please share in the comments section below. Have a great weekend!

So I discovered wool dryer balls!  These little gems really do a great job in the dryer.  Your clothes dry faster, so it is more energy efficient, they help with static cling, and you can put a few drops of essential oils in whatever scent you like and your laundry comes out smelling so fresh.  No chemicals, no phthalates, and no toxins.  I bought mine on Etsy from Brooke and she now has her own website for orders at http://www.bogberrydryerballs.com./  I bought the natural colored ones, but she has some beautiful ones in different colors made with natural dyes.  Those would make great juggling balls or toys for the kiddies. 

NEW DRYER BALLS & THE BAG THEY ARRIVED IN

I have to warn you, though, don't let your animals get their paws on these (unless you designate them a pet toy) because you will lose your balls!  My dog found one that was mixed into the laundry in a laundry basket on the floor and he did a number on my ball in a short time!  Practically shredded it on one side--but no problem, I just cut off the hanging part and stuck it back into the dryer and it's still going!

USED FOR APP 1 YEAR. EVEN THOUGH DOG CHEWED ON ONE--STILL WORKS

I highly recommend wool dryer balls.  Look for organic wool if you can find these and if you prefer balls that are colored,  check to see that natural dyes are used.

If you are crunchy like Crunchy Betty, you could make your own wool dryer balls.  She has the 'how-to' on her website, but I prefer the kind that I bought at bogberrydryerballs.com since they are less likely to unravel (unless your dog chews it up!).