Today’s giveaway is a great one for gluten-free gift getters on your holiday list! I have gathered a trio of my favorite gluten-free cookbooks for this giveaway.
Distinguishing scientific fact from myth, Gluten Freedom explains the latest research, diagnostic procedures, and treatment/diet recommendations, helping consumers make the best choices for themselves and their families. Gluten Freedom also discusses gluten and its impact on symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and “foggy mind,” as well as behavioral conditions including Autism Spectrum Disorder and schizophrenia.
The Complete Series: Gluten Free by Lola Workman Cooking is not only about presenting great food on the table, but it is also about sharing the occasion with family and friends. With the Complete Series, you ll find simple recipes that taste sensational and are easy to prepare, leaving you with plenty of time for life s little pleasures.
Gluten-Free Family Favorites by Kelli & Peter Bronski
Cooking and sharing meals is something every family should be able to enjoy together—even if one or more family members eats gluten-free. If your household is avoiding gluten, this book will lead the way to recreating your family’s old favorites, and introduce you to a few new ones, too!
To enter, check out these great gluten-free cookbooks and leave a comment below! The winner will be announced on December 10th. Good luck!
Today’s giveaway is for all of you foodies out there! I know you’ll go crazy for it! It’s a huge healthy cookbook library – with 13 beautiful cookbooks worth over $300!
This cookbook library includes a variety of excellent recipes for everyone’s palette. Here is a breakdown of the amazing cookbooks this library includes.
Better Food for Dogs (A Complete Cookbook & Nutrition Guide) by David Bastin, Jennifer Ashton and Dr. Grant Nixon, D.V.M.
People want their dogs to have happy, healthy and long lives and providing the best nutrition is one of the most important steps you can take toward achieving this goal. The problem is most of us aren’t nutritionists and there are so many conflicting opinions about dog’s dietary needs that feeding your dog can become an overwhelming challenge. Better Food for Dogs is an invaluable reference that will guide you through this nutritional puzzle. It also provides you with all the information — complete with tasty recipes, tested and approved by dogs — you need to feed your dog a natural home-prepared diet, one of the best investments you can make in his/her health.
The Complete Coconut Cookbook by Camilla V. Saulsbury
Coconut is all over the news — and the shelves of supermarkets. Formerly relegated to the role of decadent treat, coconut is now embraced with an enthusiasm that borders on obsession. And it’s no wonder, given its smooth, creamy texture and the compelling health and nutrition benefits of pure coconut. Everyone from hardcore health-foodies to recreational cooks — and everyone in between — will enjoy these all-natural, high-energy, top-notch, easy-to-make coconut dishes. The 200 innovative recipes cover a broad spectrum of fresh flavors and provide delicious and dependable results.
The Smoothies Bible by Pat Crocker
Drinking smoothies is the fastest, easiest and best-tasting way to achieve good health. In addition to its original 250 smoothie recipes, this new edition of The Smoothies Bible introduces 100 fresh, new recipes with even more antioxidant fruits and vegetables — even classic cocktails with and without alcohol. However, Crocker retains her original premise: smoothies are a delicious part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
150 Best dips and Salsa by Judith Finlayson & Jordan Wagman
Packed with mouthwatering recipes, this book is all you’ll ever need to get any occasion off to a memorable start. Dips and salsas are the most sociable of recipes. They’re a great catalyst for getting a party off to a good start because they encourage guests to congregate around while scooping and munching.
Tasting the Seasons by Kerry Dunnington
Tasting the Seasons includes an impressive variety of fast and fresh, irresistible, user-friendly recipes: family-oriented one-dish wonders, updated classics, and creative gourmet entrees – all presented with a steady focus on how to identify, select, and prepare foods using ecologically sound principles. Gathered in a highly readable and entertaining format with humorous culinary-related stories are nearly 250 recipes for superbly seasoned, beautifully presented meals to serve as the center of any occasion, from an intimate family dinner to a large holiday celebration.
The Healthy Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson
The first edition was incredibly successful having sold close to 95,000 copies! Definitions of healthy eating have changed quite dramatically since The Healthy Slow Cooker was first published in 2006. In those days, it was one size fits all — low fat, low calorie and no saturated fat. Since then, there’s been a shift in thinking. Many leading experts now feel that many of our modern diseases are directly associated with the consumption of wheat and advocate reducing carbohydrates. Another significant development is that the evidence against saturated fat has been gradually diminishing.
The World’s 60 Best Salads Period
In The World’s 60 Best Salads… Period, discover main dish and entrée salads that are colorful, easy to prepare, and absolutely delicious, as well as the best ingredient combinations, new techniques, and foolproof tips and tricks, accompanied by stunning photos that will tempt your taste buds.
The World’s 60 Best Lunches Period
In The World’s 60 Best Lunches, discover fun-to-eat lunches for kids and adults alike, great packed lunch options to make your midday meal something to look forward to, and original ideas for eating lunch on the go, as well as the best ingredient combinations, new techniques, and foolproof tips and tricks, accompanied by stunning photos that will tempt your taste buds.
The World’s 60 Best Recipes for Students Period
In The World’s 60 Best Recipes for Students, discover creative, delicious ideas for limited budgets and big appetites and recipes for every occasion, as well as the best ingredient combinations, new techniques, and foolproof tips and tricks, accompanied by stunning photos that will tempt your taste buds.
The World’s 60 Best Skewers
In The World’s 60 Best Skewers… Period, discover the very best kebab recipes, original side dish and presentation ideas, and sure-fire methods for making the tastiest marinades, as well as the best ingredient combinations, new techniques, and foolproof tips and tricks, accompanied by stunning photos that will tempt your taste buds.
The 100 Best Decorated Cookies by Julie Anne Hession Hand-crafted cookies from your kitchen are perfect for any occasion! Whether you’re an occasional holiday home baker or a seasoned pro, you’ll absolutely delight in Julie’s designs and ideas. This fun and creative book features tempting cookie decorating ideas for a wide array of occasions and holidays.
Organic: Farmers and Chefs of the Hudson Valley by Francesco Mastalia
The Hudson Valley, New York has become an epicenter for the local, organic, sustainable food movement. With its rich agricultural land, the awareness for sustainable living, and the growing demand for local, organic food, the farm-to-table, locavore movement has become a way of life in the Hudson Valley. Organic spotlights the Hudson Valley as a region at the forefront of this movement and features the portraits and words of the dedicated farmers who are committed to growing and producing food using sustainable methods, and the chefs who echo their beliefs and pay homage to the food they produce.
Visit the links above to check out these fantastic books and leave a comment to enter – I’d love to hear what items you will pick out if you are the winner. The winner will be announced on December 17th. Good luck!
The other day I was browsing through my local drugstore and as always I stopped at the makeup section. I got to the end of the aisle and saw that Physician’s Formula came out with new organic makeup products! So I couldn’t resist and went ahead and purchased the two products, Natural CC Color + Correction Cream and Natural Fake-Out Mascara. As soon as I got home, I tried them out! Here are the steps I followed:
Step 1: Cleanse skin to get rid of any trace of make up and dirt.
Step 2: Squeeze some of the Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer on the top of your hand and use your index / middle finger to apply this evenly all over your face (make sure to blend this down a bit below your jaw line so that it is evenly applied).
Step 3: Apply a few coats of mascara to your top and bottom lashes.
There are many advantages to choosing cloth diapers over disposable diapers. Disposable diapers are the third largest component of landfill waste. All for an item that is using only for a super short period of time. On top of that, it takes hundreds of years for a disposable diaper takes to decompose. Plus, the production of disposable diapers is not environmentally friendly – not to mention the amount of chemicals found inside of diaper, the same diaper that will touching your baby’s body. With the growing enthusiasm for cloth diapers, more and more superior products are available every day. Read on for 4 other reasons you should definitely consider using cloth diapers, then give them a try!
1. They’re much better for the environment Reusable cloth diapers need never to see a landfill at all. They can be washed at home in your washing machine or sent out through a home delivery cloth diaper service.
2. They are just as effective as disposables Whether the diaper is cloth or disposable, it needs to be changed often. Dryness is the best way to prevent diaper rash, and most cases of diaper rash occur simply because the diaper wasn’t changed as often as necessary. If they are being used correctly and changed as often as needed, cloth diapers are just as absorbent and no more likely to cause diaper rash than disposables.
3. They are much more cost effective Once the initial cost of the cloth diapers is met, there is very little cost to cloth diapers. A few more loads of laundry a month may bump up the water bill a few dollars. However, compared to the cost of disposable diapers, which can range from $50 to $100 dollars a month depending on your area, that cost is negligible.
4. Organic options are available Organic cotton and bamboo cloth diapers are available on the market too. Each are made with strict organic principles and have excellent absorbent capabilities. Bamboo especially is excellent at wicking moisture away from the skin. So you can feel reassured that there are no harmful chemicals touching your baby at all!
(Note: Day 1 is with green cabbage, and Day 3 is with Red. Take a look at how the cabbage “breaks down” – it’s the same amount in each container!)
Homemade sauerkraut is incredibly easy to make, is inexpensive compared to buying it in a store, and is great for you! All cruciferous vegetables (radishes, cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, etc.) naturally contain the beneficial bacteria lactobacillus, which is also found in yogurt and other fermented and cultured foods. Sauerkraut is then made by a process appropriately called lacto-fermentation, where the cabbage is submerged in a salt water solution, called brine. Then, as the sauerkraut sits, the bacteria begins to convert sugars in the cabbage into lactic acid, which is a natural preservative to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Over the course of a few days, the cabbage becomes less crunchy, and the probiotics start to flourish and multiply, thus creating an amazingly tasty fermented probiotic you can eat whenever your heart desires! Here’s my recipe:
Ingredients:
1 small head of red or green cabbage, about 8 cups
1.5 Tablespoons of sea salt (Make sure to get sea salt and not iodized salt!)
Between 2-3 cups of chemical free water (spring/distilled water should be ok) If you only have tap water, let it sit out in an open container for 6 hours, and the chlorine and other chemicals will escape. Then you can use it without any trouble!
Supplies:
Large knife, long enough to cut through the entire head of cabbage
Cutting Board
Large pitcher
Several smaller mason jars, or another similar glass container with a wide mouth
Cheesecloth(s) or microfiber washcloth(s) that air can easily pass through, but bugs can’t
Rubberband(s) or elastic(s) large enough to fit around the wide mouthed container(s)
Cup, plate, or other object that fits inside the wide mouth container to use as a press (optional, but makes life easier)
How To:
1. Clean your cutting board, knife, and containers thoroughly, then wash your hands. It is very important to make sure that the lactobacillus bacteria have as clean of an environment as possible in which to grow. If there is a bit of bacteria on your hands when you prepare the sauerkraut, it is possible that the batch will be bad, or may even grow mold. Yuck! The salt does help prevent this, but why not give the cabbage a little boost?
2. Chop up the cabbage into pieces about as large as the nail on your pinky finger. If they’re a bit larger, that’s ok, it just helps get all of the pieces into your containers more easily. I recommend cutting the head of cabbage into four, starting with your first cut directly through the center of the stalk. Then cut those pieces in half, and then slice in small slivers until you get the size you need. This can get messy!
3. Place the cut up cabbage in a large bowl or pot, preferably not plastic. Add enough water to cover about half of the cabbage, then add the salt. Massage the cabbage with clean hands for 5-10 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the texture of the cabbage starts to change. This is to start the fermenting process, and to dissolve the salt, so it can start it’s job of preventing the bad bacteria from flourishing.
4. Place water and cabbage into the containers, and position your press so that it pushes down the sauerkraut, and the water completely covers it. This can be a little tricky, depending on what you’re using, and may take a bit of maneuvering at first. It is very important that the water be covering the cabbage during the entire process, or the cabbage starts to rot, and you will see a moldy film appear! If you choose to not use the press, proceed with the directions, but check the containers every few hours for the first day or so and make sure that no cabbage is poking out of the water.
5. Cover with the breathable fabric, and place the elastic around the mouth of the container. Set in a room temperature spot (65-75 degrees F) for three days, and check the taste. This is when the cabbage is considered sauerkraut, and this is when you can start to jar it and put it in the fridge. If it’s not sour enough to your liking, let it sit for up to 3 weeks, and taste test along the way.
When it comes to sauerkraut, I am super impatient and eat it on day three. Maybe I’ll get my assembly line going so I can try some that has fermented longer!
Overall, my batches of sauerkraut probably cost around $1 per jar. Compare that to the pasteurized jars in the grocery stores, that’s a 75% discount, not to mention the amazing probiotic benefits! Compare it to the completely raw stuff you’ll find at your local health food store, it’s a steal!
If you’re still not set on making sauerkraut, or just don’t like the taste, I understand. We just started making water kefir, another type of probiotic drink, and I’ll show you how to make kefir soda once I have mastered it myself!
