Organic

All you do is melt together some butter, honey, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, sea salt and baking soda in a pan.  Stir in almond butter and rolled oats.  Cool.  Shape into balls.  Serve.  Unbelievable!  Here's what the Kid Kritics had to say about this recipe, "OMG!! It goes way beyond the point of brownies.. Like it more than infinity… It changed my life – SUPER!" 

Thank you Healthier Recipe Mom, Sharon, for this Nut & Honey No Bake Oatmeal Cookies.  They are absolutely one of my all time favorites!  CLICK HERE for RECIPE

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Don't forget to sign up to win a whole case of Organic Fair Trade Honey by Wholesome Sweeteners. www. KidKritics.com/sweepstakes

Once you fill you pots or small plot with organic rich soil in a location that gets 6 to 8 hours of sun light with access to water, you are ready to grow your own food. For beginners, start with Sweet Peas (time to plant now), and zucchini.  Both grow easily boosting your green thumb confidence.  Leafy greens such as baby spinach, Swiss chard and kale grow well in pots too.  So do strawberries!  Try finding a place for a wild raspberry bush.  Nothing like picking them fresh when ripe and popping them in your mouth.  Herbs don’t take up much space. Italian parsley and chives are recommended for new gardeners.

The bottom line, good soil reaps good produce with less effort.  Important: what is in that soil ends up in your food so please stay away from compost available from unsuitable sources, like the dump. These tips and more were shared in our interview with Stacey Antine, nutritionist and founder of Health Barn USA.  From the planting of the seed to taking a bite of the finished product, Stacey covers it all, and it is all good.  Listen to her on today’s show at www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com (archives, 3/2/12), or on www.iTunes.com, Podcast, Better Food Choices, today’s date.  You will be inspired to add green to your life, involve your kids, and grow your own!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

If you love popcorn, especially organic popcorn, then you’ll want to enter this week’s sweepstakes  found at www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes.  Someone will win a whole case of Organic Popcorn by Good Health Natural Foods.  Will it be you?

APPLES, number 1 on Dirty Dozen list.

“Dirty Dozen” means these vegetables are the most “12 heavily pesticided crops.” * Apples, Celery, Strawberries, Peaches, Spinach, Grapes, Nectarines, Sweet Bell Peppers, Potatoes, Blueberries, Lettuce, and Kale. They are listed from the most chemically filled to the lesser of the twelve. To avoid these chemically laden fruits and vegetables buy organic.  Fortunately, organic apples, celery, spinach and lettuce are readily available in most grocery stores.  Do you best when buying the others. Though organic is your best bet, it is better to eat produce that contain pesticides than none. Just be careful of the amount and frequency, especially for children.  I do seriously recommend that you buy only organic apples.  Eat fewer of them and focus on regular pineapple and watermelon which research shows contain very few harmful chemicals.  You can thank their thick skins for this!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

A WHOLE CASE of ORGANIC POPCORN by Good Health Natural Foods!  Enter to win, www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes

Onions are full of nutrients that feed your Brain, Blood, Bones, Eyes, Heart, Lungs, Mouth/Teeth, Muscles, Nails, and Skin.  They are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  The average person eats about 20 pounds of a combination of red, yellow and white onions a year.  I am sure we eat more than that in our home.  That's because we add sauteed in olive oil onions (and garlic) to almost every dinner.  In addition to using them in meat, fish, eggs and vegetable recipes, we add the golden cooked ones as a topping to a grilled burger, chicken, lamb and fish entree, usually along with sweet potatoes and salad.  We recommend you do the same.  You will find your kids popping delicious lightly caramelized sauteed onions (and garlic buds) into their mouths.  What better way to build their immune systems and support their brain, bones and more.

… for the health of families,
ellen

From fat to thin, from sick to healthy, from True Body Age of 67 back to 42 in 3 years! It took Celeste only  21 days to shed her illnesses including IBS. All by eating “real food”, raw fruits and vegetables. This is common sense simple, saves money and time.  Both Celeste and her husband have maintained their youthful weight and health for 5 years.  They are the testimonial you need to believe you can so this.  And, the food is delicious.  Listen to the podcast of this interview to learn more on www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com, Or you can go to iTunes, Podcast, Better Food Choices and listen. Their book, filled with recipes, is a must read for anyone who wants to become Wonderfully Well.

… for the health of your family.
ellen … Yes, I pulled out my juicer and plugged it in – back to juicing in my house!

Time to enter to Win a Case or Yummi Bears Immunity Shield by Hero Nutritionals, AND, a clever children’s book, Battle with the Bugs, by Dr. Heather Manley.  Keep your kids healthy all winter with this combo prize. Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today!  (Prize changes on Monday.)