Gardening: My New Hobby!

     I am all about some fresh off the vine tomatoes and fresh produce, but I have decided to tackle my fears of gardening and try this out! I paid a visit to one of my favorite local stores, The Bradford Farm store in Davidson! I love that homey place! I was provided with the information I need to get started and supplies to keep my produce organically grown!

So, I purchased...

• 1 Head of Red Sails

• 6 Hot House Cucumber Plants

• 3 Better Boy Tomato Plants

• 2 Bags of Organically Raised Mushroom Compost

• 2 Bags of Organically Raised Cow Poo (ha)

• 2 Bags of Organic Potting Soil

• 1 Bag of Organic Tomato Fertilizer

• 1 Bottle of Seaweed and Fish Puree (smells like caviar)

Total: $53.70

What I hope to gain from this experience is to learn to garden successfully and be able to grow the garden larger hopefully in the fall!

Red Sails

Ok, I bought this to practice for the fallLettuce in general is a great way to get nutrients! According to the American Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society, foods rich in vitamin A and C (antioxidants) offer protection against some forms of cancer. Along with other phytochemical, antioxidants reduce the risk of cancer of the respiratory system and intestinal tract. Lettuce, except iceberg, is also a moderately good source of vitamin C, calcium, iron and copper. The spine and ribs provide dietary fiber, while vitamins and minerals are concentrated in the delicate leaf portion.

Better Boy Tomatoes

Tomatoes are amazing! Very low in calories and fats; but rich source of dietary fiber, minerals,

vitamins; recommended in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs. The antioxidants present in tomatoes are found to be protective against many cancers including colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers! Phytochemicals present in tomatoes like Lycopene and carotenoids have the ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen free radicals. Red varieties of tomatoes are especially rich in the most powerful flavonoid antioxidant lycopene. Studies have shown that lycopene protects skin damage from UV rays and from prostate cancer.

This veggie contains very good levels of vitamin A, and flavonoid anti-oxidants such as alpha and beta carotenes, xanthin and lutein. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision! Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. They are good source of antioxidant vitamin-C; consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals. Fresh tomato is very rich in potassium. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids, helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. They are also good source of folate, iron, calcium, manganese and other minerals. In short, eat your veggies!

Hot House Cucumbers

Technically I think cukes are a fruit due to their seeds, but are typically paired with vegetables. Cucumbers have a cooling effect that can soothe and bring relief for itchy or puffy eyes! Cucumbers reduce inflammation! Also, cucumber juice can provide relief from heartburn, acid stomach, gastritis and even ulcer! Consuming cukes also aid in cases of eczema, arthritis, and gout. The combination of lettuce, spinach, and carrots with cucumbers can make your hair grow faster! For rheumatic conditions, the combo of carrot juice and cucumber juice can aid in better health! Being rich in minerals, cukes help with strengthening nails and prevent splitting. 

Happy Gardening My Friends! So far & so good! It is easier than you may think!

Food Inc. The Movie

Are you all for positive change? 

Are you willing to take the plunge in educating yourself so you make better eating habits? 

You need to at least be on the fence to watch this! This is such an incredible movie! It is so educational and is nothing like you've seen before! You may think, oh Kayla that sounds awfully extreme?! My response, No not at all. This is information you deserve to know and thank goodness it is at a discount price! $10!

Why $10?

This is limited time offer! I found out about this through the Oprah show. She is an public influence that people either love or hate. Well, today you should like her; because, Amazon and Oprah have brought you this special offer! It is only $10 until tomorrow at midnight! So, hurry and order it! Order Food Inc. The Movie Now!!

What's The Big Deal?

What is my hype with this movie? I will tell you. This movie unveils the truth in the quality of foods that are available in the grocery stores. It is such pertinent information; it is so mind-blowing you will not be able to help remember all the amazing things! If you can't tell, I am ecstatic about this! Blog readers, this is going to change your life! Here is more information on this incredible documentary!

Food Inc.: Synopsis

This movie lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food Inc. reveals surprising- and often shocking truths- about what we eat, how it's produced and who we have become as a nation. Rated PG

"EVERYONE SHOULD SEE" - Washington Post

All You Need To Know About Stock!

     So, I didn't really know what stock was for until I went to culinary school. My mom makes a great chili and vegetable soup! She uses water to increase volume in her soups. Stock can add a lot of flavor that you wouldn't get otherwise. It can make a recipe so flavorful without adding salt and calories in general. At college, we always made our stock, naturally. However, looking at the stock's  ingredients these days in the super market is crazy to me. They have added so much extra junk that is going to harm you more than help you. I want to help you make your money well spent at the grocery store.

Ways To Use Stock:

• Boiling pasta

• Poaching an egg

• Soups calling for water

• Sauces calling for water

Main Ingredients For Stock:

• Chicken Bones (if Chicken stock)

• Beef Bones (if Beef stock)

• Onions

• Celery

• Carrots

• Tomato Paste

• Herbs

Quality Stock Brands:

Medford Farms

In Oregon, there is a really cool farm that not only makes great stock with real ingredients such as celery, onion, carrot, tomato paste, and herbs. This farm also takes in troubled kids and let the m come to work in the farm. The non-profit program is called Kids & Critters Inc.

Organic Imagine

This brand has a really neat website! They will let you build recipes with their products, and they also have online coupons you can print out. Imagine understands the value of organic vegetables in their products.

Harris Teeter Organic

This is my favorite super market! I do so well with their double back and triple back coupon honorings. HT have a wide variety of all-natural and organic products; their new organic stock is one of them! This is totally different then just Harris Teeter brand. 

Kitchen Basics

There website is very informational including the history of stock. This brand understands that they cannot consider themselves quality when they add artificial flavorings and bulking ingredients.

Rachael Ray

Ok, this one I'm pretty surprised about simply because Rachael Ray irritates me with throwing salami in this and that. Her stock is not organic, but it does not contain artificial flavorings and bulking agents.

     So, why doesn't Progresso and Swanson make my list of quality brands?Progresso has added yeast and artificial flavorings. Swanson contains less than 2% of vegetables when vegetables are one of the main ingredients in a natural stock.

Hint: When you are reading labels in a grocery store, and you sometimes come across a label that is hard to read. Somehow the font is different, the color makes your eyes jump, and you get tired with the big words.... The company does this on purpose! They are hiding things from you. This is no mistake. They are marketing geniouses!

     If you find a brand that is not on here, flip it over. Check the ingredients! If you find bulking agents such as wheat gluten, salt, milk and/or egg yolks, you are not holding a quality container of stock in your hands! Cage-free, Free-range, and Low sodium are all clues that this brand cares about their consumers! Read your labels my friends! I hope I have made your stock purchasing easier. Enjoy your grocery shop findings!

Skin Care Series, Part 3

So, I hope everyone has been all the more conscience about washing their beautiful faces every night! It's like the easiest, one thing we can do! I myself am starting to get dry skin just because I feel so very convicted, and I refuse to use my petroleum lotion! My skin is something I never want to skimp on. I have been blessed with soft skin, and I intend to keep it that way! I feel like we all have great God-given features that we can appreciate about ourselves, in a healthy non-vain way. 

I have to say my body butter is costing more now because I am in the process of ordering the unscented organic body butter made by Dr. Mercola. I am excited, and I will let you know how I like it! 

Let's finish up this Skin Care Series with what we still need to know about skin care and cosmetics. You now know what to avoid. Now, I am going to tell you what to look for and why!

Nourishing Your Skin:

• Whether we are willing to opt for the organic body butter or not, we all want healthy looking skin! 

• It is ideal to use products that pride themselves on using natural ingredients. 

• Some brands to check out are: Kiss My Face, Burt's Bees (I use currently),

 Dr. Mercola's Skin Care (I am purchasing), Physicians Formula (what I use), Saffron Rouge, Just Natural, Organic Wear (what I use), and much more. These are the most budget-friendly and bang for your buck.

Reminder: Look for the natural ingredients! Look for things you can pronounce and spell. 

Alcohol is a bad example of what I just said. Although we can spell it, we don't want that. It strips your skin's natural mantle. It also makes you more susceptible to bacteria. So, other than alcohol, look for ingredients you can pronounce. 

If you've recently been making lifestyle changes to better yourself- inside and out i.e. joining the gym, choosing more fruits and vegetables then you can consider this a lifestyle change for your skin. It may take some patience. I find myself some evenings forcing myself to wash my face. It takes 5 minutes! It's just creating a habit requires a little bit of patience at first. Not to worry, a few months from now, you'll be so glad you have made this choice to work towards a better, healthier skin!

Why Is Organic Important?

• It's important to use ingredients that help maintain healthy skin whenever possible instead of harmful chemicals. You choose healthy alternatives for you and your family, and now you have healthy alternatives for your skin as well.

Defining The Terms:

• "Certified Organic"- Agriculture products that are grown and processed per the USDA's national organic standards. It also has been certified through  by USDA accredited state and private certification organizations.

This does have red tape to go through whereas all other skin care lines and cosmetics do not. So, of course there is a price tag that comes with the label.

When you see this label, it should mean to you: it has a specific set of standards set by the USDA, extensive paperwork has been filled out, agents review the paper work to oversee eligibility, inspectors conduct on-site inspections without notification, and check for compliance in organic farming. This is what you're paying for when purchasing "certified organic".

I was going to include a list of natural or certified organic ingredients that have a hundred reasons why you should choose them over the synthetics most of us use. However, this is getting a little long, and I don't want be overwhelming with information. So, Part 4 will include ingredients you want to have in your skin care and cosmetics! So, stay tuned! To be continued!