Funny Friday

Organic Veggie Shopping

The other day, it was my turn to prepare dinner, so I asked my wife to go over to the local market and buy some organic vegetables.

She came back rather upset. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, "I don't think I like that produce guy. I went and looked
around for your organic vegetables and I couldn't find any. So I asked him where the organic vegetables were."

"He didn't know what I was talking about, so I said, 'These vegetables are for my husband. Have they been sprayed with any poisonous chemicals?'"

"And he said, 'No, ma'am. You'll have to do that yourself.'"

Eating To Live

  Have you ever asked yourself: Do I live to eat?  Or do I eat to live?
 I live to eat...but I also eat to live in the same meal.  Like every other mom reading this, I don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen preparing home-cooked meals from scratch.  So would you believe it if I told you my kids asked me the other day what a drive - through is and what a happy meal is?

We just celebrated Earth Day and many of us probably explored some new green living options.  It's just as important to live green on the inside of our bodies as on the outside, but how can a busy mom not give in to the once a week or once a month fast food stop?  Or keep school lunches packed quickly and nutritiously?  Or feed "starving" kids now during a long errand run?

Over the past 11 years, as I have studied food and health I have asked these same questions again and again.  The most important factor to being successful with healthy eating is to be 100% commited to avoiding the places, foods and ingredients that you know to be unhealthy or dangerous.  Now, with this 100% commitment in place, let's look quickly at a couple tips and tricks even the busiest mom can use.  I will add more in future articles.

1. The time spent in a drive - through could be used before leaving the house to prepare a fast snack.

• chop up carrot sticks or your child's favorite veggie or fruit.
• throw a handful of nuts and rasins and pretzels into a baggie (or buy premade trail mix)
• make "Energy Balls" using nut butter, honey and powdered milk as a base, and add whatever you want to that!  Store them in the fridge and pull some out as needed.
• my favorite: stash energy bars or healthy packaged snacks in your purse, diaper bag or car.

2. Smoothies are the perfect way to pack in the nutrients under a time crunch.  We keep a supply of frozen fruit handy, and I try to never be without avocados.  If you haven't heard of avocado in smoothie before, you might think it sounds strange or even yucky, but give it a try!  Avocado is virtually bland and tasteless, so it merely adds a rich creamy texture to your smoothie.  Not to mention the essential fatty acids and other good stuff avocados boast of!  I've successfully used smoothies to give my young children supplements they needed that were in capsules by just breaking open the capsule and pouring it into the mixture.

I'd love to share some recipes with you soon!
Thanks for reading.  :)
A hui hou,
Anna Hakes
Lilia Designs
Go With The Flo Pads

Wordless Wednesday

Grilled Artichoke

 It's both artichoke and grilling season! Grilled artichoke gives you the delicious taste of artichoke with a little smokey flavor from the grill. It's so easy, the artichokes can be prepared the day before and grilled before serving. Prepping artichokes is easy and quick once you get the first one done.

Four Artichokes

Lemon or lime slices

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp black pepercorns

1/2 tsp kosher salt

a few sprigs of fresh parsley

for the grill-

olive oil

salt

pepper

1/2 of a lemon or lime

To prep the artichoke hold it firmly and slice off about 1/3 of the top with a serrated knife, it will go through the leaves easier than a chef's knife.

Snip off the pointy ends of the leaves with kitchen shears. If there are a lot of tough outer leaves pull them off.

All done with the top.

Cut off the bottom stem. Up to the base.

Make sure you have a pot and steamer basket these will fit into.

Place the bay leaves, lime/lemon slices, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley in the pot. Add water, enough to steam not to cover the artichokes. Insert the steamer basket and put the artichokes on top. Cover and steam for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of your artichokes.

To test if it's done use a skewer or paring knife to pierce the bottom of the artichoke it should go through fairly easily.

At this point you can cover these with plastic wrap or put them in a container for a day and grill them later, or eat them like this.

To grill cut the artichokes in half, from the bottom side. I find you lose less leaves and it stays together better than cutting from the top.

Remove the fuzzy choke with a paring knife or spoon.

Brush the cut sides with olive oil. Salt and pepper then squeeze fresh lime/lemon juice on top. Grill these cut side down 5-7 minutes. Just until heated, if they are getting too dark/burned move them to a warming part of the grill.

That's it. Serve with melted herbed butter.

Featured Artisan - Buff Organics

Today we welcome Christa of Buff Organics

Here is what she has to say about herself and her business - 

I strive to create natural and organic bath and body products that are good for you, your family, and our Earth. I craft Buff Organics' products using top-quality ingredients that are sourced from environmentally responsible companies. My goal is to support sustainable, organic agriculture, while providing families with natural and luxurious bath and body products that are eco-friendly. 

We also had a few of our mamas ask her questions - and you can find those below.

How did you get into making bath and body items? 

I have always been interested in organic and natural items... from cleaning, to bath and body, to fabrics, to food. After all of my research to provide my family with the green alternatives, I finally decided to branch into making items myself. I actually began making my own cleaning products, and next, I began researching and using essential oils. I love to research, experiment, and create, and my passion for the subject matter really drove me. I perfected my formulas after countless experiments and numerous testers passed out to family and friends. Then, we all agreed- we loved the products too much not to share! 

What is your favorite item from your line and why? 

That's a tough one. I am constantly changing my favorite, and it really varies with the season. But I really love the Luxury SPA Salt Bars! Another favorite is the Sugar Scrub Cream. I've never used a shower product that moisturizes so well that you really don't even need a lotion afterward. Plus, I'm a huge fan og cold-process soap. 

What is your favorite scent/scent combination? 

I really can't choose just one! My favorite anytime scent is Clean Rain, an essential oil combination with Lavender and Bergamot. I also love Yuzu and Champagne! For earthy scents, my favorite is Karma, since it has lots of Patchouli and Sweet Orange. 

Is there something you have always wanted to make but haven't had the time? 

There is always something on my list that is waiting to be created. I'm working on a Bug Spray for Summer, and I've always wanted to create a natural deodorant. Other products that are in the works are Shampoos and Conditioners, Linen/Body Mist, and numerous different Soaps! 

Now it's your turn.

Giveaway time!

How to Enter:  

Mandatory entry:

♥ Visit Buff Organics and leave a comment here listing you favorite item.

Additional entries:

♥ Tweet this giveaway and leave a comment saying you did so
♥ Blog this giveaway and leave the link in the comments
♥ Follow the team blog and leave a comment saying you are a follower (if you already are, leave a comment saying that!)
♥ Fan the team on facebook and leave a comment saying you did (if you are already a fan, leave a comment telling us!)
♥ Fan Buff Organics on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did (if you are already a fan, leave a comment telling us!)

Good luck!

And the winner is ...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

13

Timestamp: 2010-05-03 14:43:49 UTC

We will be in touch with you shortly! 

Friday Funny: Wreck a Cake

I can't get this out of my head! If you have never seen Cake Wrecks, you have to check it out!



submitted by Holden's Landing

Wordless Wednesday