Earthly Eating

Not all foods are created equal. For example, yogurt is a healthy food, but not if you buy a variety that contains high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and/or artificial colorings. Here are some food categories and the best choices under that category for you and your family.

1. Beverages:

• Flavored water: Wateroos
• Soymilk: Silk, Edensoy, Zensoy, Soy Dream.
• Milk: Horizon Organic, Organic Valley, Natural by Nature.
• Juice: Apple & Eve, Kagome (fruit and veggie mix), R.W. Knudsen, Whole Kids, Back to Nature, Honest Tea.
(Most available in single-serve containers.)

2. Snacks:

• Yogurt: Stoneyfield Farm, Horizon, Organic, Lifeway Probugs, Whole Soy, Wallaby.
• Smoothies: Stoneyfield Farm, Bolthouse Farms, Horizon Organic.
• Chips: Stacy’s, Snyder’s of Hanover, Glenny’s, 365 Foods, Good Health, Genisoy, Lundberg, Snack Factory.
• Crackers: Wasa, Kashi, Sesmark
• Cookies: Back to Nature, Mi-Del, Newman’s Own, Immaculate Baking Co., Healthy Handfuls, Annie’s Homegrown.
• Whole Grain or Granola Bars: Odwalla, Cascadian Farm, Kashi, Clif Kid, EnviroKidz, Larabar, Barbara’s Bakery.
• Fruit Snacks: FruitaBu, Clif, Tropicana FruitWise, O Organic Rasins, Amazin’ Rasins
• Cereals: Back to Nature, Nature’s Path, Bare Naked, Kashi, Mother’s
• Applesauce: Santa Cruz, Mott’s Organics, Eden Organic
• Pudding: Lifeway, Zensoy, Kozy Shack
• Allergy-Free: Enjoy Life, Pamela’s

3. Main Dish:

• Deli Slices: Applegate Farms, Hormel Natural Choice, Organic Valley, Lightlife (GMO-Free Soy)
• Tuna: Wild Palney, Henery & Lisa’s Natural Seafood
• Mac N’ Cheese: Back to Nature, Annie’s Homegrown
• Bread: Rudy’s Organic, Wild Oats, Ezekiel
(Source: Kiwi 2007)

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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Cream Cheesy Chili Dip (Just in time for the Super Bowl)
Makes 24 servings

1 tub (8 oz.) cream cheese spread, softened
1 can ( 10.5 oz.) chili (canned or homemade)
1/2 cup shredded cheddat cheese
2 tbs. chopped cilantor (optional)

Spread the cream cheese onto the bottom of a microwave-safe pie plate and top with chili and cheddar cheese.

Microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minuteor until the cheddar cheese is melted all the way around the plate. Sprinkle on the silantro and serve. Serve with thick crackers or thick chips.

Happy Eating!

This treats are so fun to make, that your kids will love the fact that they will be able to eat something they helped make. And what they don’t know is all of these treats are good for them too.

1. Ants and the logs:

• Ants On A Log: Clery pieces (any desired length), top celery with peanut butter and add on a few raisins.

• Ants On A Slippery Log: Mix peanut butter with apple butter, fill celery pieces with the filling and top with grated carrots and raisins.

• Ants On A Cement Log: Take cream cheese and fill celery pieces, top with chunks of apple or other fruits. Dried, crushed bananas work great.

• Ants On A Colored Cement Log: Mix the cream cheese with a few drops of vanilla extract (pure) and fill the celery pieces, then top with granola.

• Ants On An Island: Mix a few drops of Worcestershire sauce with cream cheese and fill celery pieces. Top the filling with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.

• Then have fun with your kids while they try to find more combos to add to the ant farm of celery foods.

2. Candy fake out:

1 package of dried apricots
1 1/2 cups grated coconut
2 tablespoons honey

Chop the apricots in a food processor and mix with 1 cup of coconut and the honey. Form into balls and roll in remaining coconut. Then refrigerate.

3. Dating Penguins:

Slice dates open vertically and stuff with cream cheese. Use a sliver of carrots fro the beak and little pieces of date for the eyes or even use raisins.

4. Veggie roll:

Start by wrapping a whole-wheat tortilla in a paper towel and microwaving it for 15 seconds. Spread with cream cheese, or sprinkle grates cheese all over it. Add shredded carrot, lettuce leaves, celery, leftover vegetables, etc. And roll it up. You can pop it in the microwave for an additional 15 seconds if you want it to be a heated veggie roll.

5. Smooth freezing:

Pour smoothie mix into 3-ounce paper cups, cover with plastic wrap and insert a wooden stick. Freeze for at least 8 hours before cutting or tearing the paper cup away from the frozen delight.

6. Clear it away trail mixer:

Throw open the cupboards and toss together cereal, crackers, chocloate chips, nuts, popcorn, etc. Anything goes and everything will go.

7. Crayon colored smoothies:

2 cups ice
1 cup yogurt
some fruits (such as a couple bananas, or strawberries or even a can of fruit packed in its own juice will work)
1 cup liquid (like milk or juice or even flavored water)

Put all the ingreidents into a blender and mix on high for 1 minute. Serves 4

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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Rosy Pickled Turnips
Serves: Makes 4 pints

1 beet (3 inches in diameter) or a small can of beets
3 1/2 cups hot water
7 tbs. picking salt
1 1/4 cup white vinegar
4 turnips about 3 inches in diameter
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved

Cook the washed, unpeeled beet in 2 inches of water in a small saucepan for 20 minutes. Cool, peel and cut into 1 inch pieces. Set aside. Dissolve salt in hot water, then stir in vinegar. Peel turnips and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place turnips, beet and garlic in clean, 1 pint canning jars, and cover with salt water. Screw on clean canning lids. Kept at room temperature, these pickled turnips are ready to eat in 3 days.

Turnip Apple Slaw
Serves: 4

1 tbs. plain yogurt or kefir
2 tbs. soy or regular mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. freshly grated black pepper
1 tsp. honey
1 apple, quartered, cored and thinly sliced (use your grater’s flat blade)
2 turnips (3 inches in diameter), peeled and coarsley grated
1 scallion, finely chopped

Combine the yogurt, mayo, pepper and honey in a alrge bowl. Mix in the apple, turnips, and scallion. Chill before serving as a side dish or slathering onto burgers or sandwiches.

Happy Eating!

• Cashews are more than just nuts. Allergic reactions to cashews are even more severe than those to peanuts. Since cashews may be hidden in a variety of processed foods (from cakes and chocolate to Asian meals and pesto sauce), it’s important to read all ingredients labesl very carefully to insure you don’t have a reaction and are at a loss as to where the reactions started from.

• If you are looking for a great soda to quinch your thrist and not give you any other unnecessary ingredients, then check out airforce® Nutrisodas®. They’re delicious, refreshingly carbonated nutrient-enhanced sodas with zero sugar, caffeine, sodium or aspartame. Natural fruit flavors, with meaningful levels of vitamins and minerals. They even have a drink option for ones trying to quit smoking.

• Is it a Spice or an herb? Although the same plant might be considered both a spice and an herb, the difference lies in the way the plant is used. A spice is any various aromatic vegetable products such as pepper or nutmeg is used to season or flavor foods. An herb is a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, or aromatic qualities. Before using an herb or a spice for medicinal reason, do your research to ensure you are using it for the correct reasons.

• During the winter the main issue most parents have is cold and sniffles with their children. Hyland’s homeopathic children’s cold remedy, Sniffles ‘n Sneezes is a great way to nix those winter issues. Cutting the duration of colds by almost half, these quick-dissolving tablets relieve cold symptoms using all-natural ingredients with no adverse side effects.

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Earthly Eating Recipe-Count Down To Christmas Recipe Of Sweets

Papaya-Blueberry Smoothies
Serves: 8

6 cups papaya, peeled, seeded and diced
4 cups orange juice or pineapple juice
3 cups ice cubes
2 cups lowfat milk or soymilk
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen and thawed
2 cups vanilla, mango or peach lowfat yogurt
3 bananas
Honey, to taste

1. Working in batches, place one-third of the ingredients in the blender and pulse until smooth.

2. Pour into a pitcher and repeat with remaining ingredients.

3. Chill until ready to serve.

4. Stir well before serving.

Happy Eating!