Always Buy Organic

Spicy Tortilla Soup:

So...I love making Spicy Torilla Soup. My cooking is usually very simple, but my Organicfreak husband loves it, therefore, he is helping me with this blog.

I use my Vita-mix for many of the things I cook. My soup taste different everytime, but it's delicious each and everytime. I start with making my own stock when I boil my Orgainic Chicken. You can use Organic stock from the store as well. I add 2 cups of stock and 2 cups of water, 2 tomatoes, 1/2 onion, cilantro, lots of garlic, simply organic cumin, sea salt, simply organic pepper, 1/2 small red bell pepper and to spice it up a bit I put in a 1/2 cup of my homemade salsa (which is on the recipe page). Mix in Vita-mix until blended to your satisfaction. I add pieces of the chicken I had boiled. I cook organic basmati white or brown rice and add a cup or two, and there you have it. Crush some of your favorite organic tortilla chips in it...Enjoy!

I thought I would inform my readers on the synthetic cosmetic ingredients known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, birth defects or endocrine disruption. When it comes to these chemicals in your cosmetics, don't use them!  Most women expose themselves to at least 168 chemicals a day with products they use.  Europe has banned 1109 chemicals in its personal care products-including sodium laurel sulphate, found in most shampoos. The FDA has banned the use of 10 chemicals in US personal care products.  We deserve the same safe products that the Europeans have! 9 out of 10 ingredients used in personal care products in the US have not been evaluated for safety.
These toxins are at the top of the list...please read your labels:
1.Methyl and Propyl and Butyl and Ethyl Paraben. Linked to breast cancer.
2.Imidazolindyl Urea. Impurities linked to cancer.
3.Diazolindyl Urea. Allergies/immunotoxicity.
4.Petrolatum. Can cause highly allergic reactions.
5.Propylene Glycol. Alters skin structure for enhanced skin absorption. A skin irritant that can cause allergic reactions. Irritation.
6.PVP/V Copolymer.
7.Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Non-reproductive organ system toxicity, irritation. Changes skin structure which allows chemicals to penetrate more deeply into skin.
8.Stearalkonium Chloride. Non-reproductive organ system toxicity, neurotoxicity, and irritation.
9.Synthetic colors. Developmental/reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, and non-reproductive organ system toxicity. For example, synthetic colors may be listed as the following: FD&C Blue 1 Aluminum Lake or D&C Red 27 Lake.
10.Synthetic fragrances. Neurotoxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, and other concerns.
11.Phthalates. Developmental/reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, hormone disruption, allergies/immunotoxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation, and non-reproductive organ system toxicity. Linked to reproductive birth defects in baby boys. May damage lungs, liver, kidneys.
12.Triethanolamine. May form carcinogenic compounds called nitrosamines in the body after absorbed - also among the most potent cancer-causing agents found.
The following are some brands that do not have these toxins:
1.Nurture my body
2.Suki
3.California Baby
4.Zum Body
5.Zum Bar
6. Earthmama
7. Jane Iredale
8.Lavera
9.Tropical Traditions
10.Weleda
11. Weleda Baby
12.Emani

Okay everyone...Go out and get healthy!!

I have given up gluten in my diet.  Why??, you ask...
I started having hot flashes (pre-menopausal symptoms), and someone told me to take gluten out of my diet, and all my symptoms would go away so I did.  Believe it or not, my hot flashes went away!  I have told many other women about my find, and it has worked for them as well.  It is also a healthier way of eating.
So in my search for gluten-free products I was introduced to Pamela's Products by my daughter.  It is a fabulous product.  There are recipes on the back of the package, and I have made most of them.  All I can say is DELICIOUS!  We make cookies, muffins, scones, sour cream cinnamon cake, and pancakes, using Agave Agave is a sweetner that is lower on the glycemic index, and is safer for people with diabetes, but it is great for anyone.  We use it for our coffee, organic tea, and I bake with it.
I use Pamela's Productsnbsp;recipes, and I also ad-lib changing things up a bit. You won't be sorry you used it!

Food inc., in my opinion, is a must see. You will understand completely why our children are getting diseases such as: Diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, leukemias, cancers, and so on.
A few truths are:
1. One hamburger pattie comes from thousands of different cows.
2. Monsanto made round-up weed killer, they sprays it on soybean...that chemical is in 90% of products.
3. Wheat, corn, and soybean are in 90% of our products.
4. 1 in 3 americans born after the year 2000 will have diabetes.
5. Tyson, Swift, Cargill and National beef control meat and how it is raised.
6. Beef and chicken from the companies named above are genetically changed.
7. PLEASE SEE FOOD INC.!
A couple of great books to read:  "The Omnivore's Delimma" and "Fastfood Nation"
I don't want to appear paranoid about our food, I just want to educate myself as to why everyone is getting so sick, so young.  I look at it as preventive medicine.  I know that someday I am going to die...I just want to stay healthy while I am alive!...don't you??

We start out with a fruit/veggie smoothie EVERY morning! It is the best way to start your day. I use my Vita-mix for all my mixing needs. It is one of the best investment I have ever made. Remember you are investing in your health today so hopefully your golden years will be golden and not spent in the hospital.
I always try to buy organic, but eating fruits and veggies that are not organic are still better than not eating them at all. I usually always put in an orange, watermelon, pineapple, and then I pick a berry...strawberries, blueberries, raspberries...etc.  Grapes are extremely nutritious and filled with anti-oxidents. I trade may veggies...spinach, kale, chard, wheatgrass, cabbage...a cup or 2. Put in a cup or so of ice and blend. In the beginning if it is not sweet enough for you, add a couple of dates or a banana.
You will not believe how your body will start to feel. Your aches and pains will start going away because you are feeding your body anti-oxidents, and nutrients that help with inflammation in your body. We don't wake up in the morning achey anymore and our joints don't hurt. Your skin will feel softer. Much more energy. These are some of the advantages we have seen.

I have a lesson for my readers today...five words: Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.

We use coconut oil to cook EVERYTHING! We use it for cooking, frying, sauteing, for our skin, for our hair, taking off make-up, baking...etc.

Independent laboratory analysis show Tropical Traditions to be one of the highest quality coconut oils on the market, having the highest levels of antioxidants, twice as high as any sold on the market today. All coconut oils contain large amounts of lauric acid, usually around 50%. While Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil has test as high as 62%. Lauric acid is found in breast milk. Coconut oil is one of the best oils to use in cooking, because it does not break down easily, and it's organic too!

As a "functional food," coconut oil is now being recognized by the medical community as a powerful tool against immune diseases. For more info on coconut oil go to: http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/coconut_oil_healthy.htm

Zucini
Yellow Squash


Slice veggies into bite sizes. 
Mix in Organic extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  
Broil for 5 to 10 minutes, and set aside.




Ground organic turkey, chicken or beef (browned). 
(You may also cook chicken breast and cut into bite sizes).
Add 1 jar of Muir Glen spaghetti sauce
Boil your organic brown rice pasta as indicated on package, and add
to meat sauce.


Grate manchego cheese or cheese of your choice


In a casserole dish layer starting first with pasta,
layer of veggies, and then cheese.  Do this until engredients
are out ending with cheese.
Cover and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

In my Vita-mix
4 Roma Tomatoes
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic (or to taste)
sm. bunch of cilantro
1 tsp. cumin
pepper/sea salt to taste
jalapeno/serrano chili or your favorite


This recipe is a base. You can add or subtract
the amounts to your own liking. You can also
broil your chili and peel skin for a more
flavorful salsa, and I usually put 2 chili peppers.
I love garlic so I will put up to 6 cloves. I
also love cilantro so I will put a good amount.
My salsa taste different everytime, but always delicious!

Found a very interesting site that lists the pestisides in our food...Read More!

BROWN RICE TORTILLA PIZZA


INGREDIENTS


1 pkg. brown rice tortillas (We recommend Trader Joe's, they seem to fry up the best)
1 jar of Organic Pizza Sauce
1 pkg organic spicy chicken sausage (We like Trader Joe's Spicy Jalapeno Chicken Sausage)
2 cups of grated Manchego Cheese
(use olives, grilled zucchini, onions, pepperoni or any other ingredient you like)
Coconut oil for frying (or butter, but coconut oil works the best)


*Always use Organic ingredients whenever possible


DIRECTIONS
Warm pizza sauce; fry sausage in coconut oil. In large skillet or grill, fry tortilla in butter or coconut oil until crispy on both sides. Put tortilla on plate and spread pizza sauce; sprinkle sausage, cheese, and other ingredients.
Printable Version

Well we have been really busy this last year so we have not took the time to concentrate on this blog but recently we have been asked to post our research about organic eating and the recipes that Linda has been creating lately.


During the last year, Ed has been heavily involved with Twitter and has been trying to get people to look at creating a healthier lifestyle for themselves and their families.


Ed's Twittername is OrganicFreak. As of this post he has 10,850 followers that he has the potential to communicate with.


Also during the last year we became Grandparents to John Jeremiah Shaeffer!