Many people feel that they are simply too busy to eat healthy meals made using fresh, whole ingredients. If you are among those people, it is super important that when you do eat, you are choosing foods that provide the maximum nutritional punch. Superfoods fit this bill, known to be the most nutritional, healthy food available superfoods pack a healthy punch that your body needs for optimal health. The best part, superfoods have been enjoyed by people of thousands of years, they amazing foods with even more amazing health benefits. Jump over to Persify to learn my 12 favorite superfoods and a quick tip on how to incorporate each into your daily meal plan.
I love Valentine’s Day! I remember spending countless hours making my Valentine’s Day mailbox and handmade Valentines in elementary school. Now, as a mother, I think of Valentine’s Day as an extension of the love that I try to celebrate everyday with my son. An occasion on which I can add small surprises and sweet gestures to his day — to express the sentiment that he is super special to me.
While we aren’t fans of sugar-packed treats, plastic disposal trinkets or goodies full of red food dye, we think you can still celebrate Valentine’s Day without impacting your child’s health or the environment. To start, the simple act of transforming your child’s favorite healthy meals and snacks into heart shapes will make them smile all day long! From breakfast to dinner and dessert and snacks in between — jump over to Inhabitots for 7 clever ways to serve food as festive hearts.
We are huge tea drinkers in our family – you can always find a large pitcher of iced tea in our refrigerator. We have a small cupboard in our kitchen dedicated to nothing but organic teas. The mister and I start our day with a cup of hot tea. I usually have a cup in the afternoon or in the evening with the mister as we catch up with each other or read side-by-side. And Eben takes caffeine-free tea to school every day with his lunch. Really it is our beverage of choice. Hands down.
Lately, I have found myself reaching for my Traditional Medicinals Wellness Teas to support my health this winter. While there are many different brands of tea on the market, Traditional Medicinals are different because besides tasting delicious, they are made using herbal supplements which supports health and wellness.
This week I have been suffering from a head-cold, so I have been starting my day with a cup of organic Every Day Detox – a naturally caffeine-free lemon herbal tea. Last week Eben had an upset stomach, he sipped a cup of the organic naturally caffeine-free peppermint before bed. He woke up ready for the new day. Traditional Medicinals uses pharmacopoeial quality herbs, which are better for wellness teas than regular food grade herbs because of their high quality and strength. Here are some other things that I love about Traditional Medicinals:
Certified organic herbs are used whenever possible
Many of the ingredients are Fair Trade
Non-GMO Project verification on all of the teas
Offsetting of electricity use with solar and wind power
Herbs are sustainably cultivated and sustainably collected
The packaging is recyclable and the tea bags are compostable
No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
I received a package from Traditional Medicinals that included a box set of super-plant herbal teas that support specific health concerns including; digestion, nausea, calming, detoxify, joint health, bloating, cramping and skin care – which we have been utilizing for different aliments.
You can find Traditional Medicinals Wellness Teas in your local grocery story or online – if you are into tea, I would highly recommend them.
Do you drink tea simply because you like the way it tastes or for the health and wellness benefits? Do you have a favorite type?
(Disclosure: I received samples of Traditional Medicinals Organic Wellness Teas in exchange for my honest opinion.)
There is nothing better on a cold, winter day than a comforting hot cup of cocoa. If your family is like mine, you go through hot cocoa like water during the long winter months. Eben loves to have a cup when he gets home from school. I have to admit that I, myself also love to drink cocoa on the weekends when I am snuggled up on my sofa. The best part of any hot cup of cocoa has to be the marshmallows floating on top. That is, as long as those marshmallows don’t contain artificial ingredients and gelatin. You can make your own vegan marshmallows to ensure that you know exactly what is inside each one — and not only are these marshmallows vegan, they are super fun to make — and doing so is a great weekend baking project to enjoy with your children.
These marshmallows also look fantastic wrapped up and given as gifts — and with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, you can give them as a sweet treat to your friends and family. We cut some of our marshmallows into heart shapes, and they’ll be a welcome topping to our cups of cocoa all February long. You can store them in an airtight container in your refrigerator until you are ready to give them away or enjoy them immediately. Jump over to Inhabitots for the simple instructions!
Remember all of those beautiful purple organic eggplants that we received in our CSA box? Even though I love Eggplant Parmesan – I couldn’t eat it again! And it worked out because the mister came up with the most amazing solution – vegan eggplant french fries. They were amazing and even Eben gobbled them up – so they are definitely kid approved. While they aren’t necessarily healthier for you than traditional french fries, they were a super yummy way to enjoy eggplant. Read on for the recipe and directions and whip up a batch to go with your veggie burger for Super Bowl weekend.
Step 1: Gather the Ingredients
3 organic eggplants
organic olive oil
1 1/2 cups organic flour
2 tablespoons salt
4 teaspoons organic garlic powder
2 teaspoons organic parsley
2 teaspoons organic oregano
1 teaspoon organic black pepper
Step 2: Make the Seasoning In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well.
Step 3: Slice the Eggplant Peel and cut the eggplant into french fry shapes – cut them as thick as you like.
Step 4: Flour the Eggplant Add your eggplant to the flour mixture and move around until each piece is completely coated.
Step 5: Fry the Eggplant Start with about an inch of olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. The oil will be ready when a piece of eggplant immediately starts to fry. Fry each piece of eggplant for about 2 minutes, longer if your fries are thick. When they are golden brown remove them and place them on a towel and sprinkle with salt.
Step 6: Dip and Enjoy! We served ours with a homemade vegan ranch dressing and veggie burgers – they were fantastic!
