Lead in children's juice boxes.

According to a recent news letter from Delicious Living Magazine, the Enviromental Law Foundation has found lead in a variety of children's juice box drinks, baby food, and fruit cocktail.  Why can't we just have safe and healthy food?  This is sad that we should even have to worry about this. Thats just this Momma's opinion though. 

Here is the article: 

Toxic news: Lead found in children’s juice boxes

Susan Esrey June 15th, 2010

According to a report filed by the Oakland-based Environmental Law Foundation (ELF), the toxic chemical lead has been found in a variety of children’s and baby foods, including apple juice, grape juice, packaged pears and peaches (including baby food), and fruit cocktail.

ELF tested scores of brands and found that just one serving of several of the products would put children age six and younger over the daily limit for lead. Specifically, for the tainted products, one or more samples exceeded California’s Prop. 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving.

About 85 percent of products tested had high levels of lead, including organic products.

Products with excess lead included:

Gerber 100% Juice Apple Juice

Earth’s Best Organics Apple Juice

O Organics Organic Grape Juice from concentrate

R.W. Knudsen Organic Just Concord

Del Monte Diced Pears in Light Syrup

Gerber 3rd Foods Peaches [Baby Food]

Safeway Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice

Products that tested under the limits included:

Eating Right Kids Diced Peaches in Extra Light Syrup

R.W. Knudsen Organic Apple Juice unfiltered

Tree Top 100% Apple Juice.

Experts agree that there is no safe level for lead exposure. The toxic chemical accumulates in the body from every exposure over time. “Lead exposure among children is a particular concern because their developing bodies absorb lead at a higher rate and because children are particularly sensitive to lead’s toxic effects, including decreased IQ,” said toxicologist Barbara G. Callahan, PhD, DABT, of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in ELF’s press release. According to the group, lead has been and continues to be released into the environment from decades of lead-based pesticide application, use of leaded gasoline and lead paint, and burning of coal in power plants.

ELF has previously found balsamic vinegar samples to have excessive lead levels. Spectrum Organics responded to that lawsuit by stating lead was naturally occurring in soils in the Modena region of Italy, where most balsamics come from. Spectrums’s website also said, “Based on the Company’s tests, a person would need to consume somewhere between 1.3-2.6 cups (270-630ml) daily of the Company’s various vinegar products to reach the Proposition 65 lead level.”

Cool off in the heat and make your own popsicles!!!!

Instead of buying my son Levon popsicles that are not very nutritious I decided to make him some popsicles.  By making them I know exactly what ingredients are in them and they actually have nutritional  value as opposed to the alternative.  Here are the steps. . .

Step 1

Buy a popsicle container.

We found ours at Target. Click here to see pricing on one similar.


Step 2

Pour liquid mixture in popsicle mold.

Step 3

Put popsicles in the freezer.

Wait a couple of hours or until your popsicles are frozen and ENJOY!

Here are some of my tasty homemade popsicle recipes:

Banana Orange Popsicles

   1 part pureed organic bananas

   2 part Uncle Matt's organic OJ

Mix together, pour in popsicle mold, and freeze

    Orange Creamsicle

   2-3 big scoops of organic vanilla ice cream

   3-4 cups of Uncle Matt's organic OJ

Let ice cream soften add OJ and mix well. Pour mixture in mold and freeze.

  Groovy Grape Popsicle 

Pour grape juice in mold and freeze. That doesn't really count as a recipe :)

HAVE FUN!!!

Recall on children's over the counter medicines.

Recently a company called McNeil has initiated a recall on many of their medicines.  The reason behind the recall is that some of their products may not meet the required quality standards.

Below is a list of the products on the recall and links for detail about each product:

CLICK HERE FOR RECALL INFORMATION ON CERTAIN INFANTS' TYLENOL® AND CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PRODUCTS.

CLICK HERE FOR RECALL INFORMATION ON CERTAIN INFANTS' MOTRIN® AND    CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® PRODUCTS

CLICK HERE FOR RECALL INFORMATION ON CERTAIN CHILDREN'S ZYRTEC® PRODUCTS

CLICK HERE FOR RECALL INFORMATION ON CERTAIN CHILDREN'S BENADRYL® PRODUCTS

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON ALL RECALLED PRODUCTS FROM APRIL 30, 2010

CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A REFUND OR PRODUCT COUPON

CLICK HERE TO SEE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Thanks for reading!!!

Handy way to feed the family fresh and sustainable food at a handy price.

     Recently we decided to take part in a local farm's CSA programs. It is community supported agriculture.  Basically we pay an up front amount for what share we want and for 22 weeks we get a box full of fresh produce and/or meat every week. It is a great way to support local farmers and a great way to be sure you know what is in the food you are eating.  A regular share is enough to feed a small family their basic vegetable needs works out to be about $35 a week.


     *CSA members participate in their own food supply by committing to share in the harvest of a local farm. Members purchase shares in the spring, and each week receive seasonal vegetables: a subscription to the farm’s weekly harvest. A CSA creates a unique relationship between the consumer and the producer – nowadays, not only do many people not know what country or what state their food comes from, they certainly don’t know the farmer who picked the tomatoes they are eating. By joining a CSA you express your support for locally grown food, for clean food, and for the farmers that grow it. CSA may not replace patronizing a farmers market. It does guarantee your access to the best of each week’s harvest. This is a way to be a part of something positive for you and your community. *info from elmwoodstockfarm.com




Important factors for our family when choosing who to do a CSA with:


   -they are good to the animals and let them graze and roam free at all times.
   -they are good to the earth
   -they don't use harsh chemicals on crops
   -they don't use hormones or antibiotics in their meats.
   
  


We chose to do a CSA with Elmwood Stock Farm.  As a CSA member one of their benefits is a farm tour. We went on the farm tour on Mother's Day and had so much fun. Here are a few pictures: 

Know your local farmer and know what your eating.

Some good links to get you started:

www.elmwoodstockfarm.com

My Father's Garden Winchester, Ky CSA 

Yogurt on a mission!

Attention All Yogurt Lovers!!!!!!!

At our house our fridge continually has a big tub of Stoneyfield Cream Top yogurt inside.  Levon (our son) eats it on a daily basis and LOVES it. Yogurt is a super delicious and healthy snack. 

Below is a copy of Stoneyfield's mission. 

Yogurt on a mission

We’re no greenhorns when it comes to green business. We were on a mission to make the planet healthier even before we were making yogurt. Today, we make it our mission to work towards all sorts of healthy.

Our mission:

We’re committed to healthy food, healthy people, a healthy planet, and healthy business.

Healthy food. We will craft and offer the most delicious and nourishing organic yogurts and dairy products.

Healthy people. We will enhance the health and wellbeing of our consumers and colleagues.

Healthy planet. We will help protect and restore the planet, and promote the viability of family farms.

Healthy business. We will prove that healthy profits and a healthy planet are not in conflict, and that in fact dedication to health and sustainability enhances shareholder value. We believe that business must lead the way to a more sustainable future.

Cool stuff at Stoneyfield.com

Read their story:

Read the importance of organic farming:

Coupons and Offers:

When we buy Stoneyfield yogurt we are happy to know that it is a safe and healthy product.  When we buy Stoneyfield products it's nice to know that they stand for healthy food, people, planet, and business.  

When at the grocery store we as consumers vote for what kind of food we want. . . .

Local or not, organic or not, etc.  

Go to the store and vote.

Thanks for reading!

Lets Make Pizza Dough!!

We found a recipe for pizza dough on Jamie Oliver's website and decided to try it.

Ingredients:

1 kg strong white bread flour, 1 level tablespoon fine sea salt, 2x7g packets of dried yeast, 1 tablespoon of gold caster sugar (we used regular sugar), 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 650 ml lukewarm water.

Sieve the flour/s and salt on to a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. In a jug, mix the yeast, sugar and olive oil into the water and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well. Using a fork, bring the flour in gradually from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. Keep mixing, drawing larger amounts of flour in, and when it all starts to come together, work the rest of the flour in with your clean, flour-dusted hands. Knead until you have a smooth, springy dough.

Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and flour the top of it. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm room for about an hour until the dough has doubled in size. 

Now remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it around a bit to push the air out with your hands – this is called knocking back the dough. You can either use it immediately, or keep it, wrapped in clingfilm, in the fridge (or freezer) until required. If using straight away, divide the dough up into as many little balls as you want to make pizzas – this amount of dough is enough to make about six to eight medium pizzas.

Timing-wise, it’s a good idea to roll the pizzas out about 15 to 20 minutes before you want to cook them. Don’t roll them out and leave them hanging around for a few hours, though – if you are working in advance like this it’s better to leave your dough, covered with clingfilm, in the fridge. However, if you want to get them rolled out so there’s one less thing to do when your guests are round, simply roll the dough out into rough circles, about 0.5cm thick, and place them on slightly larger pieces of olive-oil-rubbed and flour-dusted tinfoil. You can then stack the pizzas, cover them with clingfilm, and pop them into the fridge


 We rolled our dough ball out into a thin pie.






For our pizza we pre-heated the oven to 500 with a large pizza stone in it. Once the oven and stone where pre-heated we took out the stone and placed the dough on it. Once the dough is on the hot stone you have to add your toppings quickly.  We put our homemade marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh mushrooms, fresh parmesan, spinach, and thinly sliced garlic cloves.

After the toppings are on the pizza put it in the oven and watch it bake.  Watch it closely because it will bake quicky.

While you're waiting clean up your mess!!!

When the crust and cheese are gold and bubbly take that baby out and EAT IT!!! 

Mmmmmm!

                                                    

Thanks For Reading!!!

Shop Local! It's more important than you think.

*Why buy local?
animal welfare.There are countless reasons why buying local food is both rewarding and delicious, including enjoying the taste of fresh food, improved health and nutrition, environmental stewardship,support for family farms and rural communities, and ensuring

There is also significant peace of mind in knowing where our food comes from. One of the biggest benefits to buying food locally is having someone to answer questions about how it was grown and raised. What goes into that loaf of bread? Can we be certain that the hog that is now bacon lived a life without suffering? How do we know those jalapeños are salmonella free?

Developing a relationship with local farmers gives us an "in" with our local food system. At farmers' markets we can get answers to questions like: When do tomatoes come into season? How might I use celeriac? Often, we can take a tour of the farm our food comes from. Some farmers are thrilled to share their knowledge and experience with their customers. Ask about the challenges your local farmers face and what they are doing to address them. It doesn't have to be complicated. Ask about the weather! Any farmer will be pleased to talk about how the growing season is going and how that affects the food they grow. Knowing local farmers can go a long way to simplifying buying local.

Another significant reason to buy local is to keep food miles to a minimum. "Food miles" refer to the distance a food item travels from the farm to your home. The food miles for items in the grocery store are, on average, 27 times higher than the food miles for goods bought from local sources.

In the U.S., the average grocery store's produce travels nearly 1,500 miles between the farm where it was grown and your refrigerator. About 40% of our fruit is produced overseas and, even though broccoli is grown all over the country, the broccoli we buy at the supermarket travels an average of 1,800 miles to get there. Notably, nine percent of our red meat comes from foreign countries, some as far away as Australia and New Zealand.

Our food is trucked across the country, hauled in freighter ships over oceans, and flown around the world. A tremendous amount of fossil fuel is burned to transport foods such long distances, releasing carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and other pollutants that contribute to global climate change, acid rain, smog and air and sea pollution. The refrigeration required to keep our fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats from spoiling during their long journeys burn up even more fossil fuel. In contrast, local and regional food systems produce 17 times less CO2.

*Information copied from www.sustainabletable.com

My favorite local place to shop:

2 of my favorite things Full Circle Market carries are local honey, and delicious yummy farm fresh eggs.

Full Circle Market has a lot of high quality products at great prices!!!

If there are any local places that you love to shop and would like to share with other readers please feel free to leave a comment!

Farmers Markets in our area:

Winchester/Clark Farmers Market, Inc.

Depot Street

Winchester, KY 40391

Tel. (859) 244-4860

Time of Year: July - October

Days of Week/Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 4:00P.M. - 7:00P.M.

Bluegrass Farmers Market

3450 Richmond Road Parking Lot of Pedal the Planet and Fast Signs

Lexington, KY 40509

Tel. (859) 624-1020

Jane O'Tiernan

         

           Time of Year: May - Thanksgiving, Days of Week/Hours: Saturday,      

   8:00A.M. - 2:00P.M.

Lexington Farmers Market IV

2321 Sir Barton Way in Hamburg

Lexington, KY 40509

Tel. (859) 608-2655

Jeff Dabbelt

http://www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.com

  Time of Year: April - November

Days of Week/Hours: Sunday, 11:00A.M. - 3:00P.M.

Montgomery  County  Farmers  Market

By-Pass (KY 686) Montgomery Square Shopping Center

Mt. Sterling, KY 40353

Tel. (859) 498-8741

Ron D. Catchen

Time of Year: June - October

 Days of Week/Hours: Wednesday & Saturday

Paris/Bourbon County Farmers Market

720 High Street Corner of 8th and High Street

Paris, KY 40361

Tel. (859) 987-6614

Debbie Puckett

Powell County Farmers Market II

Main Street Clay City Baptist Church Parking Lot

Clay City, KY 40312

Tel. (606) 663-6405

Mike Reed

http://www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html

Time of Year: June - November

Days of Week/Hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday, 8:00A.M. - Sell Out

Madison County Farmers Market

Lowe's Parking Lot

Richmond, KY 40475

Tel. (859) 624-9573

Myra Isbell

Time of Year: June - October

 Days of Week/Hours: Tuesday & Saturday, 8:00A.M. - 12:00noon

A Food Revolution!!

I am super excited about a new TV series on ABC called "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" the first episode airs on Friday March 26 at 9pm.  Click Here to watch the trailer.

In the series, Jamie goes to Huntington, West Virginia. Recently Huntington was named the unhealthiest city in America. He is on a mission to try and help Huntington off that list. In doing this he is hoping to start a chain reaction that ultimately makes positive changes across the country.  Needless to say he meets resistance in Huntington from locals who disagree with him.  But is also welcomed by some of the young population.  

Jamie says, "The time is right for people to rediscover the sense of pride, satisfaction and fun you can get from cooking for the people you love. There's an incredible community in Huntington, and I want this experience to be a celebration of what we can achieve when people come together. I want to prove that turning around the epidemic of obesity and bad health doesn't have to be boring or dull in the slightest. Wonderful stories will unfold in Huntington, and hopefully this will inspire the rest of the States."

Join Jamie's Food Revolution and sign the petition

Click here to sign the petition

   

Below I have copied some facts from Jamie's webpage.  It is a harsh reality.

Obesity and Overweight 

• Two-thirds  of  American  adults  weigh  too  much.

 

• More than 27%  are  obese. That’s  72 million  people.  In the worst  states, Mississippi, Alabama, West  

         Virginia and Tennessee, that figure rises to over 30%.

 

• If  rates continue to rise, in just five years’  time, by 2015, 40%  of  Americans   will  be  obese.  

• Obese  people  suffer  from  poore health  including  heart disease, diabetes and cancer.  

• Obesity accounts for nearly  10%  of  all  medical  costs   this  amounts  to  $14 billion  annually.

• Healthcare  costs  are  42%  higher   for  someone  who  is  obese - that’s over  $1,400  each.  

• Medicare  spends  $600  more  on  prescription  drugs  for  an  obese  person. 

Childhood Obesity 

• Nearly  one  in  three  (32%,  23 million)  American children are obese  or  overweight. 

• In total,  17%  of  kids   of all  ages are obese,  but  this  rises  to  over  25%  in  all but  three  states for kids  

aged  10-17. 

• Most  obese children (over 80%)  will  also  be  obese  as  adults. 

• Today’s generation  of children are predicted to  be  the  first  to die  before  their  parents,  due  to    

obesity-related bad  health.