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The Benefits of Organic Beef Over Traditional Beef

Posted by html404 on August 4, 2014
in Animals, Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Organic, Uncategorized

This is a partnered post.

Lately more and more food related articles can be seen in the headlines and on social media, which I think is great because consumers are becoming more aware of what they are eating and what they are putting into their bodies. From old news of mad cow disease to pink slime to buying all organic food and pastured meats, we are seeing an increase in interest and buying of organic, grassfed, NON-GMO products.

We use to buy traditional beef in the stores but stopped, finally, and ordered grassfed organic beef online from a farm which comes to the Green Market we sell at once a month. We order online and pick up on market day. It makes for very convenient ordering and buying.

So what are the benefits of organic beef over traditional beef?

The Benefits of Organic Beef Over Traditional Beef

1. No fillers (such as pink slime).

2. More Omegas-3 and much more nutritious. “In B-vitamins, beta-carotene (look for yellow fat), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), vitamin K, and trace minerals like magnesium, calcium, and selenium. Studies show grass feeding results in higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid, the “good” naturally occurring trans fat.” (Source: marksdailyapple.com)

3. No pesticides or chemicals. Generally speaking, organic and grassfed farms do not use pesticides or any other chemicals.

4. Cattle are happier and healthier. There are less diseases and illness among grassfed beef, if raised correctly. The cows get plenty of sunshine, fresh air and pasture. Only if a cow is not performing well or does not possess the breeding qualities a farmer wants to continue putting into his or her herd, will he or she cull (kill) or sell the cow.

5. NON-GMO. Most organic farmers do not use GMO products. Take us for example, when we planted our pasture we used NON-GMO seeds. Our grain that we feed our cows is organic, NON-GMO.

6. Less fat content. Organic, grassfed beef is typically lower in fat than traditional beef. That is why it has to be cooked slightly differently than traditional beef. (see #2).

If you would like to buy organic beef, visit
http://www.americanfarmersnetwork.com/beef.html

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Non-GMO Artisan Oils

Posted by html404 on July 25, 2014
in Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

We try really hard to eat healthy, and as I always say, we are a work in progress. As organic farmers, I think the difficult part is walking our talk, which means avoiding GMO products as much as humanly possible when there are no labeling laws in the state of Illinois or much of the United States for that matter. Here is an interesting article that includes a map graphic of how many states have labeling, which ones are reviewing it and which ones have done nothing: http://onforb.es/1ls9AUE). Walking the organic talk also means eating organic, which we do but we are not at 100% yet.

We love learning about companies committed to offering us organic, Non-GMO products. That’s why I was interested in working with Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils.

About Emile Noel

Emile Noel is a family run business, started by Emile Noël in Southern France. Their website states, “The Emile Noël oil mill offers only organic products – farmed without chemical fertilizers, synthetic pesticides or GMOs. In 1972, we were the first oil millers in France to press organically-farmed seeds.”

Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils offers a variety of organic, virgin-pressed oils including: mild olive, robust olive, sesame, toasted sesame, sunflower oil, sunflower spray, pumpkin seed, hazelnut, walnut, and sweet almond.

Review of Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils

We were sent a bottle of Sweet Almond oil. I have never used almond oil so at first I was at a loss as to how to use it. Then I decided I would substitute it for the oil we usually cook with.

We made egg muffins and used the Sweet Almond oil to cook the eggs in:

There wasn’t any difference in how the oil cooked the eggs and I don’t think we noticed anything different about the taste of the eggs either.

However, when I made homemade bread we definitely tasted a slightly nutty flavor and I don’t know if it was the oil or perfect weather but the bread turned out great, if I do say so myself! I just made regular bread with unbleached white flour.

For not having used almond oil before, I’d say that it was a good experience and you can expect us to purchase it in the future. I mean what was there not to like about the Sweet Almond oil? Nothing. My only concern would be finding a large enough bottle. I used the whole bottle making these two items. We usually buy most oils in a gallon size. But that isn’t going to be most families dilemma is it?

Visit http://usa.emilenoel.com/oils/seed/ for more information on these tasty non-GMO artisan oils.

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Crest – Smiley 360

Posted by Brande on June 24, 2014
in Children's Health, Family Stuff, Health, Health and Fitness, Health and Nutrition, Men's Health, Parenting, Personal Care Products, Uncategorized, Women's Health

“I received this product for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smiley360 here!”

Smile! Crest has some fabulous products out there. I was lucky to be able to test out Crest Pro-Health Tartar Protection with Fluoride Rise and Crest Pro-Health Clinical Plaque Control Toothpaste.

I’m usually on the hunt for the best deal with coupons and sometimes buying substandard toothpastes and rinses. After trying these Crest products my attitude has changed, I will no longer be buying cheaper toothpaste. I really enjoyed the flavor of each of these and how my teeth and mouth felt so much cleaner!

Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste says that it provides benefits to control cavities, gingivitis, plaque, sensitivity, tartar, whitening, and freshen your breath. That’s sounds like a lot of great benefits. Crest also reminds us to brush regularly to achieve the full effectiveness.

Crest Pro-Health Rinse claims many of the similar outcomes of the toothpaste with regular usage. The bottle also states that protects surface stains and rebuilds enamel. That sounds great for a coffee drink like myself.

I’ve been using both products regularly for about a week and my teeth and mouth have felt much better and fresher! I will continue to be using Crest products!

Make sure to head over to Crest’s Facebook Page for upcoming offers and promotions. To learn more about Crest Products click here to be taken to their website! #TartarRinse

Happy Brushing!

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Natural Mosquito Repellent – Do You Use it?

Posted by html404 on June 17, 2014
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Health & Garden Tuesday, Health and Garden Tuesday, Health and Nutrition, Home, Personal Care Products, Seasonal Stuff

Re-posted from July 2013.

I don’t know what it’s like where you live but here the mosquitoes are horrendous. We don’t like to use chemical laden insect repellents. We tend to rely on a natural mosquito repellent, like our essential oils. I’ve taken to putting the essential oil Purification on at the beginning of my paper route and while it does not work 100%, it does deter many of these pesky creatures. We have also used cedarwood, peppermint and lavender.

Mike the Gardener had a little article on what to plant in your garden to repel mosquitoes and I sure wish we had got our lemongrass and marigolds planted! Our daughter did plant a pot of catnip for the cats, which has sprouted. That was more to keep the cats down at the barn rather than at the house – they think they are house cats and try to get inside! But they have a job to do down at the barn – rodent patrol – so we want them to stay down there. Our children love those cats and started feeding them at the patio door and guess where they camped our and hung around? Yep, the patio door! Or any door for that matter. We nipped that in the butt by telling them to stop feeding the cats at the house or the mice would take over!

So do you have a natural remedy to combat the mosquitoes? Have you ever grown your own natural mosquito repellent?

P.S. If you happen to sign up for Mike the Gardener’s Seed of the month, please use our referral code: https://www.averagepersongardening.com/seedsclub/step_2.php?node=R28D4WDCHM so we can get credit for it.

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ZonePerfect Blog Forward Challenge #2

Posted by Bobbie Gould on May 23, 2014
in All Natural Products, Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Gardening, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organization, Uncategorized

I am a part the 2014 ZonePerfect Blog Forward Challenge and received complimentary product and ZonePerfect promotional items. All opinions are my own.

Click the image above for the link to the nutritional printables!

It’s been a few months since I posted my ZonePerfect Challenge #1. I had to re-read my post to see what my 2014 resolutions were and here they are, as well as my update on how I am doing in accomplishing them:

~~1. Increase our income. (I *think* God is well on His way to answering this prayer…need a bit more time to be sure.)~~ This is definitely happening, but we still have a ways to go yet. I am grateful for the improvement so far.

~~2. Nutrition. Eat and grow more vegetables to we can freeze and can our winter supply.~~ This is in the works as we have 20-30 50 foot beds tilled and ready to plant veggies in for our family and our CSA members. This makes me very happy, but I am a little anxious because I want everything to grow beautifully!

3. Take our children on more field trips. This one…..needs more work! We haven’t gone on any field trips yet this year. However, we did go mini golfing! It was hilarious and lots of fun!

4. Get more organized as a whole family – mostly the house as it is an ongoing battle, that and getting the children to stay on task. Errr….this one is ongoing, challenging and seems like a never-ending task! I think it’s also the most frustrating.

As a part of this challenge, we received a complimentary box of ZonePerfect bars, which we thoroughly enjoyed. ZonePerfect wants me to let you in on a little something:

“Become A ZonePerfect® VIP & Save up to $10*

Your first coupon will be emailed to you. Join Now <<

*$10 in savings relates to savings spread across a one year period and may vary.*”

Have you accomplished any of your 2014 goals or resolutions?

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Viactiv Build Strong Bones Together: Yours and Hers

Posted by html404 on May 4, 2014
in Children's Health, Girl Stuff, Health, Health and Fitness, Health and Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Kids Stuff, Uncategorized

This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation that contains affiliate links. I received two full-sized canisters of Viactiv® Calcium Soft Chews and a picture frame for my own personal use. All opinions, text and experiences are my own.

Our family is constantly working on our diet, as well as finding ways to remain healthy. This spring in addition to trying to walk daily, we have been taking a calcium supplement to build strong bones. Did you know that almost 70% of women, on average, are calcium deficient? And 86% of teen girls are not getting enough calcium each day? We were surprised to learn this. We have three teen girls and since 95% of their bone building occurs by age 20 we want them to get enough calcium. Viactiv Soft Chews provide 100% of the daily recommended of calcium, plus vitamins D3 and K.

Viactiv Soft Chews are the #1 doctor recommended calcium supplement chew. The recommended amount of calcium for a girl 9-18 years old is 1300 milligrams (mg), compared to only 1000 mg women 19-50 years require. My daughters and I have been taking Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews for well over a month. They are easy to take and taste really good. No need to struggle swallowing a massive ugly tasting pill. Viactiv Soft Chews come in two yummy flavors: Milk Chocolate and Caramel. The girls and I are admittedly chocolate lovers so we all prefer the Milk Chocolate but you won’t see any of us complain about the Caramel!

When we do not get enough calcium the deficiency causes our bodies to begin taking it from our bones. Calcium deficiency causes osteoporosis. Not only is calcium important for bone health but it strengthens our teeth and helps our muscles and nerves function the way they were intended.

Walking is a great weight-bearing exercise which helps build and maintain bone density.

We just bought more Viactiv at Walgreens and got them for free since we had enough rewards points accumulated! Viactiv is also available at Rite Aid, CVS, Target, Walmart and Drugstore.com

You can learn more about Viactiv Soft Chews on their Facebook page or www.Viactiv.com

Which delicious flavor of Viactiv® Calcium Soft Chew would you choose – Milk Chocolate or Caramel?

Get the latest information on Viactiv® Calcium Soft Chews at www.viactiv.com. #ViactivYoursandHers

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Stonyfield Greek Yogurt

Posted by html404 on May 2, 2014
in Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, our family loves yogurt. We recently tried Stoneyfield Greek Yogurt. It was delicious.

Did you know Greek yogurt has 20% of the recommended daily allowance of protein? And 30% of calcium? Greek yogurt also contains half the carbohydrates compared to regular yogurt — 5 to 8 grams per serving compared with 13 to 17! (Source: US News)

The store we where bought our Stonyfield Greek Yogurt only had Super Fruits, Blueberry, Strawberry Banana and I think that’s it. I can’t wait to try the other flavors. The night my husband brought the yogurt home everyone was hungry and I didn’t even get a chance to take personal photos! If we get to the store this weekend for more, I’ll try to take photos and add them!

Super Fruits ingredients:

Our Family Recipe Yogurt (Cultured Pasteurized Organic Nonfat Milk), Pomegranate, Raspberry, Acai Fruit Preparation (Organic Sugar, Organic Raspberry Puree, Organic Corn Starch, Organic Acai Puree, Organic Pomegranate Juice from Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Organic Fruit and Vegetable Juice Concentrates [For Color]), Organic Guar Gum).
Live Active Cultures S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. casei

About Stonyfield Greek Yogurt

Facts:

0% fat and twice the protein of other yogurts

Made without the use of harsh pesticides or GMOs

Ingredients are bought from farmers Stoneyfield trusts

Certified USDA Organic

Their cows are not treated with artificial hormones or antibiotics and their cows are treated humanely.

Greek flavors:

Super Fruits
Black Cherry** newest flavor
Blueberry
Cafe Latte** newest flavor
Caramel
Chocolate
Honey
Lemon
Peach Mango
Pineapple
Plain
Raspberry
Strawberry
Vanilla

Our Review of Stonyfield Greek Yogurt

We really loved it! The flavors were great. The yogurt was thick, yummy and tasted delicious! I loved the blueberry.

What Stonyfield Greek Yogurt flavors appeal to you?

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Fresh Express Salad Swap Party #momsmeet #saladswap

Posted by html404 on March 23, 2014
in Coupons, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

We were provided coupons in exchange for our hosting a Fresh Express salad swap party for Moms Meet. All opinions and thoughts are our own.

You all know we are trying to live a healthy lifestyle, including our eating habits. Our whole family enjoys salad. That’s why we were interested in this Fresh Express salad swap.
For the first time in two years, we’ve been battling a serious cold for the past month or so. But we also have mold in our rental home too so it is hard to discern what exactly is causing our illness at this point. Due to our illness, we rescheduled our Fresh Express Swap party a couple of times and finally opted to send our guests their coupons for them to try the Fresh Express Swap app themselves and send us their feedback and photos. The overall opinion was unanimous. Everyone enjoyed their Fresh Express salads!

Fresh Express Facts

•Fresh Express salads are thoroughly washed, rinsed, and gently dried, then sealed in patented “Keep-Crisp®” breathable bags to keep their just-picked freshness, without
preservatives.
• Fresh Express has a wide variety of products, including refreshing mixes and ready-to-eat kits. They also have a special USDA-Certified Organic line.
• Fresh Express salad mixes can vary in price, depending on the retailer, but typically cost between $2-$4 per bag.

The organic line did not seem to be easy to find in the stores we visited, which may just depend on the individual store’s buying/selling habits.

About the FREE Fresh Express Salad Swap App

The free Fresh Express Salad Swap App includes a variety of recipes and salad swaps, a progress tracker, motivation and inspiration, even additional Fresh Express coupons.

You can also participate in the 30 Day Salad Swap challenge and have a chance to earn more salad coupons. For every two salads you buy, you earn a coupon, which will be emailed to you. So if your new year’s resolution to lose weight or eat healthy has fallen by the wayside, this challenge could reboot your goal, plus give you great recipe ideas of how to swap out your favorite high calorie meals for a healthier alternative.

Here are a few screen shots to show you a little inside look at the app:

I wanted to know what would be a swap for blueberry pancakes (my favorite!) and this is the salad that came up:

Here’s what Magen thought of the app:

“Just tried the app … Wow! So cool! I am actually going to the store to try one of the swaps now. Going to try the lemon tilapia with Kale! I like that it has a calorie tracker and that you can put in what you are craving and it actually gives you an EASY option to trade with which are yummy!”

Download the Salad Swap app at 30daysaladsswap.com

Fresh Express Salad Swap Party

I opted to do a sandwich version of this Salad swap – Grown up Ham and Cheese but with my own twist.

I used wheat bread, Fresh Express Baby Spinach, deli ham, colby cheese, raw honey and mustard. I made it like a grilled cheese sandwich in a frying pan but instead of butter I used coconut oil, which heated up waayyy too fast…and they say coconut oil does not burn? Yes it does. This was my first time trying to substitute coconut oil with butter. I think next time I’ll have everything ready before I turn on the burner! I’ll blame it on being in a hurry and my head being clogged from this cold.

Rosemarie shared:

“If you’re craving a favorite comfort food search Fresh Express Recipes for a delicious Salad Swap. I love Middle Eastern cuisine and falafel are one of my favorites. I was eager to try the Roasted Chickpea and Cucumber Salad with Lemon Feta Vinaigrette. It had the zesty flavors. I love and the firm and crunchy Fresh Express Leafy Green Romaine held up great under the roasted chickpeas. This Salad Swap was a healthy alternative that I would make again.”

Magen and her family opted to do the Bacon Caesar salad kit:

Here’s what they had to say about the salad, “We loved Fresh Express Salad. My daughter had a friend over and they could not wait to tear into the bag for lunch. They even started eating it before I could serve it at the table. Fresh express salad was very tasty and we LOVED their “kit” option!”

Here is what Jamie said:

“I enjoyed a lovely cheeseburger salad.”

There is a Fresh Express salad coupon available online for YOU at greenmomsmeet.com/freshexpress and you can learn more about Fresh Express by visiting their social media sites:

FreshExpress.com (click on their store locator for stores carrying Fresh Express)

Facebook.com/FreshExpressSalads

Pinterest.com/FreshExpress

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MommysClub All In Bundle Review

Posted by html404 on March 21, 2014
in Baby Products, Children's Health, Cleaning, Diapers and Accessories, Eco Friendly Products, Health, Health and Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Kids Stuff, Organic, Personal Care Products, Pregnancy and Birth, Reviews, Uncategorized, Women's Health

As I mentioned last week in our MommysClub giveaway post, we have been reviewing the MommysClub All In Bundle.

Products in the MommysClub All In Bundle

None of the products smell chemically. They barely have any scent. I love that they are organic and or all natural, toxic-free and hypoallergenic.

Total Body Health with Multivitamin – To be honest this is weird tasting but I’m not one to shy away from weird tasting health products. Now bad tasting products, I usually won’t buy again. Weird I can get use to. I think only my oldest and I have been taking it.

Total Body Health for Children with Multivitamin – Only our youngest son likes to drink this. The rest not so much. I’d describe it as liquifying crushed up multivitamins. This would be great for those who cannot swallow pill form vitamins.

Children’s Multivitamin – All the children loved these chewable multivitamins!

Pre-Natal Plus – This is the same as the other liquid vitamins above but for expectant or nursing mamas. I did taste it. The flavor kind of reminded me of another health drink we’ve taken.

Daily Cleansing Foam – I’ve barely used this but it is a no-rinse hand washing solution that hypoallergenic with moisturizer for post-diaper clean up, cuts and burns. This would be nice to keep in the car.

Baby Shampoo – I haven’t even had a chance to fully review this product. I kind of forgot about it amidst all the other products. It smells great though!

Rash & Remedy Skin Relief – Haven’t had any use for this yet. Though Jr. does seem to have some spots I could try it on now that I think about it. It is for rashes and common skin problems.

Perfect Touch Sanitizer – Since we’ve been sick, I’ve been using this sanitizer on taps, door knobs etc. Yep, sick for the first time in two years and we’ve been double slammed in the last month.

I cannot honestly say how any of these products work long term because we have only been using them a short time. I can just give you our general thoughts about our initial usage.

About MommysClub

MommysClub is a network marketing company so becoming a member may enable you to earn an income from sharing their products with others. As a part of the giveaway and upcoming review, I became a member so this post includes my unique link.

You can learn more about MommysClub via their social media pages:

https://www.facebook.com/themommysclub

https://twitter.com/themommysclub

http://www.pinterest.com/themommysclub/

https://vimeo.com/user21859339

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Blog Forward 2014 Challenge #1 by ZonePerfect

Posted by html404 on January 27, 2014
in All Natural Products, Blog Stuff, Health and Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Monday Motivation, Uncategorized

This post is taking the place of my Motivation Monday post.

Blog Forward 2014 Challenge by ZonePerfect

I am a ZonePerfect blogger and part of the requirement is to write a post and in exchange I receive ZonePerfect bars! Yum! We got a box of 28 bars and thoroughly enjoyed them!

The first assignment is a challenge:

Challenge #1: Post a blog article detailing 3–5 New Year’s resolutions and include a letter to your future self that encourages you to stay on track or get back on track.

New Year’s Resolutions

You all know I don’t make resolutions so here is my “loose” list of goals for 2014:

1. Increase our income. (I *think* God is well on His way to answering this prayer…need a bit more time to be sure.)

2. Nutrition. Eat and grow more vegetables to we can freeze and can our winter supply.

3. Take our children on more field trips.

4. Get more organized as a whole family – mostly the house as it is an ongoing battle, that and getting the children to stay on task.

Letter to Future Self

Dear Self,

Just wanted to remind you of a couple of things to assist you in accomplishing your 2014 new year’s resolutions or “goals”. You have to be focused and keep your “hand to the plow” so to speak. There are going to be times when you don’t think you are moving forward but realize you are, no matter how small the step. History has proved that. Remember when you moved to the farm nearly three years ago?

Count your blessings amidst your successes and failures.

Work hard, play with your children and set aside time each day to organize something together as a family.

Your goals are not unattainable, which is good because it will make the journey to fulfilling them much easier.

Press on,
Your “Past” Self

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« Older Entries

Archive for Health and Nutrition

The Benefits of Organic Beef Over Traditional Beef

The Benefits of Organic Beef Over Traditional Beef

Share and Enjoy

Non-GMO Artisan Oils

About Emile Noel

Review of Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils

Share and Enjoy

Crest – Smiley 360

Share and Enjoy

Natural Mosquito Repellent – Do You Use it?

Share and Enjoy

ZonePerfect Blog Forward Challenge #2

Share and Enjoy

Viactiv Build Strong Bones Together: Yours and Hers

Which delicious flavor of Viactiv® Calcium Soft Chew would you choose – Milk Chocolate or Caramel?

Share and Enjoy

Stonyfield Greek Yogurt

About Stonyfield Greek Yogurt

Our Review of Stonyfield Greek Yogurt

Share and Enjoy

Fresh Express Salad Swap Party #momsmeet #saladswap

Fresh Express Facts

About the FREE Fresh Express Salad Swap App

Fresh Express Salad Swap Party

Share and Enjoy

MommysClub All In Bundle Review

Products in the MommysClub All In Bundle

About MommysClub

Share and Enjoy

Blog Forward 2014 Challenge #1 by ZonePerfect

Blog Forward 2014 Challenge by ZonePerfect

New Year’s Resolutions

Letter to Future Self

Share and Enjoy

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