Bumblebar: Organic, Gluten-free, Vegan and Delicious!

I stumbled upon the Bumblebar at a local health food store.  I have long searched for a bar that I could stand the taste of.  I sceptically looked over their selection of flavors and decided that I would gag the least at Chocolate.

This morning I got up and headed out to the local farm for eggs and ended up staying a while because my little one was thrilled with yelling BOK-BOK at the chickens, MOO-MOO at the cows, and snorting at the piglets.  On the way home, I wanted to drive by a new park in the area to see what it was like and realized that I hadn’t eaten yet (12:30pm by this time) and was quite hungry.  I pulled over to get some water from the trunk and saw the bar that I bought yesterday.

I opened it with great trepidation and took the first bite and my eyes widened!  This was actually GOOD!  Something I could eat and actually like!  And a bonus that if the boy-child asked for one, I could feed it to him guilt-free.

I am thrilled.  This is the first time that I have ever eaten an energy bar and not wanted to scrape my tongue with sandpaper to get the taste out.

Nutrition information

Monthly specials

I contacted Bumblebar and they are going to send me some samples!

I will be posting the give-away as soon as I get them!

Published in:  on April 29, 2009 at 10:28 PM Comments (4)
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EPA to Require Tests on Pesticides

Finally!  The Washington Post just published an article stating that for the first time the EPA is going to require testing on 67 chemicals in pesticides to gauge risks to people and animals.  It is a good thing that they haven’t been using these chemicals freely for years and years without testing.  Who knows what could have happened.  (Can you sense my sarcasm?)  They will be looking to discover if the chemicals disrupt the endocrine system.  In other words, they have finally decided to find out if these chemicals effect our growth, metabolism and reproduction.   I can already tell you what the real answer is.   Now I am curious to find out what answer they come up with.

Click for full article…

Published in:  on April 23, 2009 at 2:42 AM Comments (1)
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Step 2 Toys: Made in USA

I was at my oldest’s friends house at a birthday party for her youngest.  When he opened a darling motorcycle and I saw Made in USA on the box, I was shocked.  How sad is that?  The company is Step 2.

I have perused their website and, surprise of surprises, they actually have what kind of plastic they use and information on where their items are manufactured right there in the FAQ’s.  That is so rare.

Their toys are made from low density polyethylene.  Polyethylene is #2 in recycling lingo.  It is BPA-free and PVC-free.  It is considered a safe plastic.

The majority of what they produce is made here in the USA.  They do freely admit that some small parts are made in China and then review their safety guidelines.

Some of the items are available for free shipping from Amazon and they have a store finder on their site.

Their bouncers are made from phthlate-free PVC.

Published in:  on April 22, 2009 at 4:43 AM Comments (2)
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Baby Planet: Truly an Eco-stroller, or Not?

Baby Planet has released a stroller model called “The Endangered Species Line”.   They talk about a recycling program but don’t actually use the recycled strollers to make new strollers.   In the long run, all they do is let you ship the unusable stroller back to them and they send it to a recycling center.

When I saw the advertisement for an eco-stroller, I was hopeful that it also meant chemical-free.  Alas, it was not to be. This is the email I received from them about chemicals and fire-retardants on their strollers.  The fact that they did not tell me what kind of retardant they use concerns me.

We are very careful about what chemicals we put in our products.  We treat the filer material in our seats to be fire retardant.  All inner padding is treated the same on all strollers in the US to make sure it meets compliance with US regulations.
Thank you for your interest,
The stroller is made in China.   So, the only eco aspect seems to be that they will do the recycling for you, if you want to spend the money to send it back to them.

Published in:  on April 20, 2009 at 4:07 AM Comments (1)
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Creamy Kale Soup

I found this one on Vegan Yum*Yum.    I use a mixture of greens and not just Kale.    The last batch had collards, mustard, and kale.   Don’t forget that quinoa is a full protein so on top of all the yummy veggies, you are getting protein, too!

Creamy Kale Soup
Serves 2-3 dinner sized portions

1/2 Cup Green Lentils
1/2 Cup Quinoa (I like to use half-and-half)
1/2 Medium Onion, finely chopped
4 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Small Bunch Kale
5 cups water

Spices
1 tsp Cumin, heaping
1/2 tsp Curry Powder
1 Veg Bullion Cbbe
3 Tbs Tahini
2-3 Tbs Tamari or Soy Sauce

Wash and de-stem kale (I use kitchen scissors to cut along the sides of the stems), tear the leaves into smallish pieces. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, and add quinoa and lentils. Sautee for a few minutes, add spices and kale. Mix well. Add water and bullion cube and bring to a boil. Cover and turn down heat to low. Simmer for 35-40 minutes.

Carefully blend the hot soup in a food processor or blender and return to pot. You can skip this step or blend only half of the soup if you want some texture, but I think it’s nicest smooth. Add tahini and tamari to taste.

To garnish, mix 1-2 Tbs of tahini with a small amount of water until it becomes smooth and bright. Drizzle on top of the soup and serve.

Published in:  on April 17, 2009 at 9:09 PM Comments (1)
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Maclaren, a Chemical-free Stroller

I just received a confirmation from Maclaren that the strollers that are chemical-free.  I feel like it is Christmas morning!

Thank you for your recent email.

I can confirm that Maclaren Buggies manufactured for the US market are not treated with any chemicals or fire retardants.

There is a great article from Friends of the Earth and it links to a test they performed on some strollers.

*Strollers are made in Hong Kong

Published in:  on April 15, 2009 at 5:46 PM Comments (2)
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Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp

I found this recipe on The Wednesday Chef.  It says it is supposed to feed 4.  I used one head of broccoli and just eyed the amount of shrimp.  Then I proceeded to eat the whole pan of it.  I never really liked broccoli until I made it this way.  I do add a bit more of the spices than the recipe calls for.

Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp
Serves 4

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot chili powder
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 1/4 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
Lemon wedges, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

2. Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges, about 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.

Published in:  on April 14, 2009 at 6:48 PM Comments (1)
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Slow food

We all know that food prepared at home is healthier.  It does take more time but it doesn’t have to be a chore and the benefits far outweigh the cons.  Just think of the BPA, aluminum, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and MSG you could avoid.

MSG is a migraine trigger for me.  I discovered this after I had a cluster of 13 migraines in 16 days about 4 years ago.  Once I started reading labels I was appalled!

Now, I make my soups from scratch and freeze them.  I use either mason jars or I use a muffin tin to freeze the soup and then transfer to vacuum bags.  I make my own stewed tomatoes that are better than anything I have ever tasted in a can or jar.  And I am about to make my first attempt at frozen biscuits.   I feel so much better knowing exactly what is in my food.

I try to make one large trip to the farmer’s market a month since I live 35 miles away from it and have a little one in tow.  That challenges me to figure out nutritious meals that can be cooked and frozen ahead of time to keep veggies from going bad by the end of the month.

I will be sharing recipes that I use and love.

Tip:  Think outside the box.  Even if you aren’t gluten-free or vegan, you can find wonderful recipes that will put some variety in your food life, so explore some food blogs or cookbooks that edge out of your comfort zone.

Published in:  on April 4, 2009 at 4:04 AM Comments (3)
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