Eating local without putting the miles on

by on August 29, 2012
in health, nutrition, & food, living mindfully · 10 Comments

Written by contributor Donielle Baker of Naturally Knocked Up. 

During the month of August we’ve begun trying to eat only locally grown foods, and I very quickly realized how much I was going to miss our supermarkets. It seemed that I was in the van every couple of days looking for for food.

It’s such a foreign thing to have to drive multiple places while buying groceries when I’m used to finding everything I need from just one store. And I can even buy paint and clothes and tools there too.

One week in to our Eat Local challenge and I began thinking that we were going to have to win the lotto to fund my gas tank. But after two weeks now, I’ve finally found a few tips that have drastically reduced both my time spent and miles driven.

Four tips for buying local foods

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The wonders of raw honey

by on August 22, 2012
in health, nutrition, & food, personal care & beauty · 19 Comments

Written by contributor Krissa Jeldy of More Than Mundane.

One of the things I always keep well stocked in my home is raw honey. Of course I use honey all the time in the kitchen, but I’ve also found many other uses for honey in our home.

That’s why, when the local U-pick blueberry farm opened up this Spring and I remembered enjoying the couple of containers of honey I had picked up the year before (and run out of far too soon,) I decided to stock up. A good price on local, raw honey? I’m in!

The girls at the counter seemed surprised by my request for so much honey and asked me what in the world I used all the honey for, and all I could think was, “Everything! What don’t I use it for?” I couldn’t understand why it wasn’t completely normal to be buying so much honey!

Honey not only is a natural sweetener and a delicious addition to baked goods and other dishes, but it also has many other amazing qualities as well. Here are a few benefits of raw honey:

  • Natural humectant, drawing moisture from the air, making it wonderful for your face and hair.
  • Antibacterial, making it great for minor cuts, scrapes, and burns.
  • Good source of antioxidants.
  • Good source of carbohydrates, providing a natural energy boost.

What eating local looks like for me

by on August 6, 2012
in health, nutrition, & food, living mindfully · 7 Comments

When my friend and contributor Donielle emailed me about taking part in her Eat Local Challenge, I was happy to jump right in. Even if I don’t end up following through, I do love a good challenge.

This also comes at a fun time as I am enjoying reading the book Plenty, which is about one couple’s year-long hundred-mile eating challenge. It’s not quite as poetic as Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, but I will say that is a bit more of a real-life experience.

Not to mention the fact that my CSA is booming and my garden is just starting to produce as well. Summer is definitely the best time for eating local in my book. So today I just thought I’d give you a small picture of how my family eats local, and what we hope to improve upon.

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Homemade Magic Shell ice cream topping

by on July 30, 2012
in health, nutrition, & food · 7 Comments

As we come to the end of National Ice Cream month, I still have a couple things up my sleeve. One is a delicious, non-processed homemade version of an old favorite.

I only recently really discovered the fun of the classic Magic Shell ice cream topping. A friend brought it to one of our Ice Cream Sundays and I have been enjoying it ever since.

If this fun candy-like topping isn’t something you’re familiar with, it’s basically a chocolate sauce that “magically” hardens when you pour it on your ice cream. Then you are left with a lightly crunchy chocolatey mix-in.

The process certainly had me curious, wondering what was the secret ingredient that made the Magic Shell so magical…

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Blueberry Maple Coconut Dairy-Free Ice Cream {or choose your favorite fruit flavor}

by on July 25, 2012
in health, nutrition, & food · 15 Comments

Written by contributor Stephanie Langford of Keeper of the Home.

This recipe came about when we were first learning to eat dairy-free for the sake of two of my children. I was sorely missing ice cream, but was worried that anything I tried to make would be dismal failure and wouldn’t come close to satisfying. I am so glad that I was wrong!

Coconut milk is our preferred choice for a non-dairy option and its smooth, creamy texture makes it a perfect ice cream base. We’ve served this to friends who eat on the less-healthy side and they still loved it. The fruit flavor comes through much more strongly than the coconut and the finished product is lovely. It does melt a little bit faster than store-bought ice cream, but that aside, this ice cream has no faults that I can find.

The recipe itself whips together in 5 minutes flat. You’ll have to wait the standard 25-30 minutes while it freezes in the ice cream maker, but I like to time it right by putting it in just after we finish dinner so we can eat it shortly after clean up is finished and our stomachs are ready for it.

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