Organic Produce to Buy or Not? - RECIPE for Veggie/ Fruit Wash

Want a little E Coli with your Apples? Perhaps some botulism with your Blueberries?  Could you be buying more than you want with your grocery purchases?

There is science behind what you may want to consider spending a bit more for and buying organic. Beside the listed items is the number of residues, in parentheses, detected on or in the products.

'Dirty' List

• Meat
• Milk
• Coffee
• Celery (64)
• Peaches (62)
• Strawberries (59)
• Apple (42)
• Blueberries (52)
• Nectarines (33)
• Bell Peppers (49)
• Spinach, Kale, Other leafy greens (48)
• Cherries (42)
• Potatoes (37)
• Grapes (34)
• Carrots (26)
• Pears (28)
• Tomatoes

'Safe' Foods

• Onions
• Avocado
• Corn
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Papaya
• Watermelon
• Broccoli
• Tomato
• Sweet Potato

Before you think, eh, I'll just peel them, remember that the peels contain most of the nutrients and fiber in fruits.  Also, you can't wash your meat or dairy.  As usual pork has been on the dirtiest meat list topping it nearly every time.

My suggestions to avoid organic...wash, wash, wash your produce. You don't have to buy the $5 bottle of wash they place all over the produce section to have clean fruit. Below I have a recipe for veggie & Fruit Wash .

When it comes to meats, look for discounted organic products nearing their sale by date for great savings, usually even lower than non-organic meats.  You can always take them home and freeze them.  If organic just isn't an option, try to find meats labeled hormone free or grass fed. They may not be organic but they are the next best thing.  Most contaminates in meats is located in the fat. Grass fed meats typically are not as fatty.

Here is a wash that is great, and cheap to use....

• White Vinegar
• Water

Phew...that was hard to recall the ingredients...now how you make it is even trickier

1. Mix equal parts
2. Wash produce.

For Hard Skinned Fruits/Veggies you can place the mix in a spray bottle , spray then rub the produce clean, the vinegar is awesome about killing bacteria on the skins and penetrating the waxy coating.

For soft skinned Fruits/Veggies you can mix in a bow and allow them to soak for a few minutes, rinse then dry.

Family Fun (& healthy snack) outing

Fro-yo, a hip new trend?  Not for me. I have loved the stuff since I can remember.  I don't feel guilty taking my family for yogurt when it is just tasty and good for you too...

There are many different chains across the globe.  I grew up on TCBY since it dominated the south where we needed something cool in those hot, humid summer months.  Here in central Virginia a new and up and coming shop has caught my eye, my heart, and my taste buds.

sweetFrog

Yes the name is a bit odd and I haven't the slightest who came up with that, but despite the name the deliciousness it holds within it's door is simply sinful, well actually not so much...

here are some nutritional tidbits

*most yogurts range from 3% fat to non fat
*sweetFrog offers fat free, sugar free, no sugar added, and dairy free options
*only 90 calories per 1/2 cup
*in addition to calcium you get a boost of probiotics in each bite too

So here is how it works.  You walk in, sanitize your hands (yes germophobes they've got you covered), grab a bowl, go to the "fill it up" wall and pick your flavor(s), then off to the toppings bar where you can "jazz' it up".  It cost 39 cents per ounce so not only do you know how much you got there is a slight incentive not to over fill, not too worry they love that and I overfill EVERY TIME, it is just too good. 

(dad assisting with the yogurt fun)

The toppings range from healthy low calorie, fresh fruit to yummy chocolates, candies, and syrups.  They just added hot fudge, my kryptonite for sure.

(Lorelei is befuddled on what to choose)

SO if you are bored want to head out to a health-minded place with your family, check out your local fro-yo chain.

(my precious kiddo chowing down)

I don't have many, well really only one bad thing to say, they use styrofoam cups which as you well know is not eco friendly AT ALL...so out of a 1-5 Lantern Rating for taste, health, and eco friendly, I'd have to give sweetFrog a 4.  I have written them and I hope that they will find a better, enviro friendly serving method so I can boost them to a 5+

Healthier Brownies

We love our dairy.  We do coffee with milk, cereal and yogurt for breakfast, cheese snacks, normally some cheese or milk used in dinner prep, love ice cream...so you see, we eat A LOT of dairy throughout the course of a day. That is why I try my best to buy organic dairy since we consume so much of it. Stonyfield also has online coupons so check out Stonyfield's webpage here and click on their coupon link for more info on savings.

My daughter was practically born on Stonyfield.  We used the yoBaby yogurt to initiate the switch to dairy.  Now that she is a high paced, super speedy three year old, the cartons slow her down so we do the yoKids yogurt tubes.*Product hint- freeze these and they are even less messy and a fun, cool down treat in the hot months* My husband loves their yogurt and the variety they have in it.  He also likes the smoothies but they are a little harder to find, guess they are more popular. Me...it is all about the ice cream...OK so I love their Greek Oikos yogurt too (especially the delicious desserts I make with it)

As a family we go through stages of small to mass milk consumption, their cartons however scientifically they do this is above me, allow the milk not to spoil as fast as the see through containers we have purchased in the past.  I am assuming it has something to do with blocking light and perhaps more insulating? eh, who know, who cares...just know it outlast other milks.


Lastly here is my beloved secret to making FANTASTIC eggless, low fat brownies (I am making a half batch but the recipe is for a full 9X13 pan)

• 1 box brownie mix (I prefer Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate) *low fat brownie mix NOT recommended-it's not 'bad' it just makes more of a cake versus fudgey brownies*
• 1/4 cup natural, unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup water or 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Stonyfield Oikos Greek Vanilla yogurt (if using plain just add 1/2 tsp vanilla)

Preheat oven to 325*.  Spray 9 X 13 baking pan (I used a 9 X 9 since I halved the recipe).  Mix ingredients and place into pan, bake as directed for they type of  pan you are using.

Leave them a bit undone verses over baking and they will bake quicker!

*This is a pick of them unbaked just 'ovenized' brownies-forgot in my haste to make yummy deliciousness to take a mixing pic!

**Also-these were gone as soon as I pulled them out of the oven...it was all I could do to beg my family to let the molten lave brownies cool a bit, but no-they INHALED them (I helped). Perhaps next time I will get a pic of the final product!

If you are feeling frisky you can add some ice cream or whip cream & fresh fruit. These taste...well like I imagine heaven to be like...simply dreamy and noone ever believes they are low fat, they are gooey just like a regular egg and oil laden brownie, but not as bad for you!!! SO ENJOY! I recommend following the directions I posted and not cutting it in half...they were gone too fast, next time I follow my own recipe and make the whole 9 X 13!!!