Spring Cleaning for GMO's

Ok so when I shared the craziness yesterday about GMO's and genetically engineered foods, I wasn't planning on there being a "part 2", but ugh, I couldn't NOT share this one more thing. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine publicly condemned genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food supply, due to their serious health risk. Although the evidence against GMO's is alarming, and the government and food industry are keeping a lid on it while ignoring and denying scientific findings and silencing those who speak up... one thing is for sure. The same foods (GMOs) that are killing lab animals and farm animals and causing serious reproductive disorders, liver problems, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation and changes in major organs are being pumped into our food supply big time. "More than 70% of the foods on supermarket shelves contain derivatives of the eight GM foods on the market- soy, corn, oil from canola and cottonseed, sugar from sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, and a small amount of zucchini and crook neck squash. The biotech industry hopes to genetically engineer virtually all remaining vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans (not to mention animals)." Want to know more? Here's a really excellent article on the Big GMO Coverup, and here's "GM Crops- Just the Science" prepared by researchers and scientists, written in plain English for the general public. 

No Way Jose!

You know how I've shared a couple posts earlier this year about eating healthier? Like My Top Choices of Cookbooks to ROCK your SOCKS off, and the freaky picture of a McDonald's meal to nudge you away from processed food? 

Well, I have another doozy for you! Let's say you ARE trying to make reasonable decisions when buying food for your family. What you may not realize is that there are lots of chemicals in foods that WEREN'T THERE when we were kids. You surely wouldn't feed your kids insecticide, would you? Well, did you know that corn is now regulated by the EPA as insecticide? That's because it's been genetically modified produce its own insecticide internally and to withstand increasing doses of weed killers. Let me introduce you to "genetically engineered foods" and "genetically modified organisms." 

Fake Drawstrings and Adjustable Waist Pants (Sewing Tutorial)

You know when one day you realize that every pair of your kids' pants are too short? And you get him some new ones, making sure to get the ones with drawstrings so you know they'll adjust small enough to fit his waist, even though he's average size and all the pants SHOULD fit him anyway but you know they won't because they are always made for someone with a much more rotund belly? 

I know you know what I'm talking about. If not, just pretend you do. So then you get home with your loot, relieved to be done and hoping he doesn't grow for a good long time, only to realize that EVERY.... yes I said EVERY single drawstring is FAKE?!? 

Tupperware Fridge Smarts

Just prepare yourself to be amazed. Today I'm going to share with you an amazing find that saves money and space, and keeps this organizational guru one happy gal. 

WHAT IS IT? Tupperware FridgeSmart as a smart system of storing produce, based on how much ventilation it needs. You can open one vent, two vents, or no vents on the tupperware, according to what you're storing in it (there's a handy chart printed right on the side so you always know how to store various foods). And you can store various fruits & veggies together, as long as they're in the same ventilation family. 

Why Should You Be Amazed?

Reason #1- FridgeSmart keeps your produce FRESHER... longer! Way longer! Here's the difference between strawberries stored in and out of FridgeSmarts for three weeks... 

Spare Toilet Paper Holder (Sewing Tutorial)

Is it weird to be excited about a toilet paper holder? Cuz I am...  Here's my newest sewing project:

Dish Towel Bib Tutorial

You know how babies are perfect eaters and never look like this? 

 

Oh, right. They always look like that. My little guy went through a phase of yanking off any and every bib, which didn't do any favors for his clothes. So I started using dish towel bibs. They are easy to pop on over his head but he can't yank them off (for now). And best of all, the towel is a generous size to cover his entire body from neck to leg. I just tuck it under him around the edges and his clothes stay clean.

These are super-easy to make... all that's required is a dish towel, a little ribbing, and a teeny bit of time.

A Freaky Look at Fast Food

Hey guys, remember about a week ago I posted my Top Choices of Cookbooks to ROCK your SOCKS off?!? Well, I hope you're all rockin' it out making some healthy food. But just in case you aren't, I HAD to share this little bit of extra motivation with you. Don't worry... it won't take long. And perhaps it will give you the extra nudge you need to cut back on the processed foods.

Are you ready to be grossed out? 

You know how real food goes bad? Over time it decays... it molds... and it stinks. Man-made "processed food" doesn't do that. And your body has to work harder to try to break it down and digest it than it does with "real" food. To demonstrate the difference between real food and processed food, one doctor set this processed food on her counter in 2010 and 2011 just to show people what they're putting in their bodies:

It's kept its original size, shape and texture. So tell me, what do you think of that? I say Blegh! No thanks. 


Updated July 2013: Take a look at THIS one-month experiment comparing McDonald's food with homemade food! 

My Top Choices of Cookbooks to ROCK your SOCKS off!!!

OK I have FOUR FABULOUS cookbook recommendations for you. But first, let me just tell you a little about how I roll. I'm not into all the packaged, processed, hydrogenated junk that turns us into chunky monkeys. But, my family likes regular food like pizza and enchiladas and I will forever be a mac & cheese lover. So where does that leave me as the main meal preparer? 

Well, I can tell you one thing... if I'm going to the trouble of MAKING food for my family to eat instead of getting take-out, it better TASTE GOOD or else it's not worth my effort! I'm not the kind of gal who eats rice cakes. I like real food with fresh ingredients. I don't want to diet or weigh out serving sizes. I just want a collection of do-able recipes that are yummy and nourishing too.

If you're ready to wean yourself from excessive processed junk that makes you gain weight and feel sluggish, but you don't really know where to go from here... then perhaps my cookbook recommendations will help. I've kindof bumbled around a bit in this area for a while, trying to find that happy balance between "healthy" food and "yummy" food... finding a recipe here and there that was fabulous, simple, and healthy. Now I finally feel like I have a couple of good GO-TO sources for recipes that fit my nutrition approach AND taste great.

So... Without further adieu...