Category: Healthy Food Stores


Fast, Fresh & Delicous Dinners: Healthy Affordable Dinner on a budget @ $2 per plate

Filed under: Healthy Food Stores, Recipes, Simple Solutions for Cooking — 1 Comment
June 5, 2012

Healthy Affordable Dinner on a budget @ $2 per plate

Time: 45 Minutes
Yield: 4-6 Servings
(10 Item Recipe)

Ingredients:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
*Trader Joe’s 3lb -16 piece bag of chicken for $6 No Hormones, No Steroids, No Antibiotics, Grain Fed Natural Chicken – used only 4 pieces*
1 organic Zucchinni Squash, sliced into rings
1 organic Yellow Squash, sliced into rings
1 organic Red Bell Pepper. sliced into strips
1 organic Avocado, sliced
Extra Virgin Olive oil spray for searing chicken and veggies
1 cup organic Brown & Wild Rice
1/4 cup organic Cilantro, finely diced
1 organic Lemon or Lime
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions:

In a large pot or rice cooker start your wild rice according to package.  About 10 minutes before rice is done heat pan or flat top grill.  Sprinkle chicken with sea salt and pepper.  Five minutes before rice is completed sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Cook chicken until juices are clear.  While awaiting chicken 6 minutes before done start veggies.  Slice squash and bell pepper into rings, sprinkle with sea salt then put onto flat top or another skillet on medium heat.  Cook for 2 minutes each side.  While awaiting veggies take avocado and slice it into pieces.  Let chicken rest for 2 minutes.  Plate one piece of chicken topped with avocado, one large spoonful of rice, and grilled veggies. Finish plate with wedge of fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice on all plate.

Note:

This is an amazingly affordable and super nutritious meal for all the family.  We picked up the chicken from Trader Joe’s which was all natural and only used 4 pieces of the 16 piece bag which came in at $1.50 total for the 4 large chicken breasts.  This meal is fast and fresh and filled with healthy nutrients for the whole family.  If you are feeding children they will get a 1/2 plate which comes in at $1.  When cooking the veggies they cook fast you only want a slight sear on the outside without burning them.  They will still be crunchy and firm inside keeping their nutrients intact.  Be sure to spray your pan with olive oil cooking spray so they don’t burn or stick.

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2 More Day Until the Raised Garden Beds Happen

Filed under: Health Tips, Healthy Food Stores, Nutrition, Wellness — Leave a comment
April 9, 2012

We are getting very excited over here as we have two more days and the raised garden bed project begins.  If you are just tuning in and haven’t heard we have been growing the seedlings for our organic garden.  We started the seedlings indoors for the last month, they then went outdoors to aclimate for one week and then will be meeting their new raised garden beds we will be building.  If you have thought about a garden and having table fresh fruits and veggies at your disposal all year then you may want to consider a raised garden bed.  We will have fresh red and green lettuces, spinach, kale, herbs, tomatoes, yellow and green squash, spaghetti squash, green beans, 5 colors of bell peppers purple, green, yellow, orange and red, carrots, beets, broccoli, asparagus, onions, garlic, cantaloupe, strawberries, and more.

We will be updating you on the growth and the steps on the project letting you know any challenges we ran into as well as short cuts to a smooth project.

We have calculated the savings on producing your own food and you will be amazed at how much you can save.  Not only do you save fuel, packaging, advertising costs and more, but you also have much more nutritious fresh foods to your table intact with more nutrients then store bought that sits around and drives all over town as it transports itself to the store.  Save the fuel to and from the store and make feeding your family much more convenient.  It is a much closer distance to pick your food from your backyard then it is to pay the high premiums and travel out to go get it.  Children love to get involved with picking the garden delights for dinner and you can educate them on their food source while doing it.

 

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Bob’s Red Mill Online Deals

Filed under: Healthy Food Stores, News, Nutrition, Wellness — Leave a comment
April 9, 2012

For more information and specials running visit this link at: Bobsredmill.com

They have an amazing array of grains and more with some great savings the month of April. I hope you all will visit the store and see what they have.  We love to place large orders and get all our family and friends to split the cost of the food as well as the shipping which really brings the price way down.

Take care lovely readers and subscribers and enjoy this amazing week ahead!

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Bob’s Red Mill Online Flour Sale – 20% Organic Wheat Flour

Filed under: Featured Stores, Health Tips, Healthy Food Stores, News, Nutrition, Product Reviews, Wellness — 4 Comments
April 2, 2012

If you have been following the blog for a while you have heard me talking about Bob’s Red Mill and their wonderful line of products often. If you are new to the site, this may be the first time you have heard the name.  Bob’s Red Mill Brand  is my preferred flour brand that we use in all the recipes we post.  Not only do they carry wonderful flour they also have incredible grain products, which we use regularly.  They have an array of wonderful products which they carry in bulk from sea salt, oats, rice, beans, cereal, soups, and so much more. If you haven’t had an opportunity to take a look at their site, please do at Bob’s Red Mill.com.  They are currently running a 20% off special on the organic flour.  They also have a sale section listed at the top of their site where they run specials on items daily.  We highly recommend this flour and use it in countless recipes on the site. We love a good bargain, and wanted you all to be sure to get every bit of savings available.  They carry the large 5 and 25lb sizes as well as the very small bags.  When they have their sales we like to stock up, and I hope you do as well.  This is a great site to pick items and get them in the large sizes and split them amongst friends and family to get the best least expensive bulk deal without the big cost of buying it all.

Have a super great day and week.

Some other favorites we get from Bob’s Red Mill that are on Sale this Month are:

Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
Brown Rice Flour
Organic Coconut Flour
10 Grain Cereal
Organic Brown Flaxseed Meal
Organic Golden flaxseed (We have been using this soaked in many recent recipes listed on our blog)
Organic 7 Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix
13 Bean Soup
Gluten Free Baking Flour
Gluten Free Brownie Mix
Gluten Free Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal

**Enjoy 10% Off Everyday on any Case Packs – These are great for sharing and splitting**

Experience the SUPERIOR DIFFERENCE of Bob’s Red Mill Product Line

Preserving Nutrition Through Tradition

At Bob’s Red Mill, we know that you can’t rush quality. That’s why we manufacture our products using time-honored techniques, like grinding whole grains at cool temperatures with a traditional stone mill. This production ‘secret’ allows us to seal in the freshness and bring you wholesome, quality foods, just as nature intended.

Our beautiful stone grinding mills are much like the ones used during early Roman times. And to this day, our quartz millstones remain the best way to produce the finest products available. Unlike high-speed steel rollers, our stone mills ensure the most nutritious parts of the whole grain remain, so we can pack all-natural goodness right into your bag.

Milling, Testing, Packaging, Distributing—All Under One Roof

We’ve known from the first day we opened our doors in 1978 that to make the best products possible, we’d have to be able to do it all ourselves. And with our state-of-the-art milling, packaging and distribution facility located right in Milwaukie, Oregon, we’re able to guarantee quality, every step of the way.

Bob’s Red Mill takes great pride in handling all aspects of the production process in-house, starting with processing, washing and inspecting the grain, and ending with shipping the finished product to your door.

Each product undergoes extensive quality control tests within our in-house laboratories. During this testing phase, our gluten-free offerings are segregated from our other products, and tested in special gluten-free-only ‘clean room facilities.’

But don’t just take it from us; you can actually see the results of all our hard work. With our special clear packaging, you get to be the final judge of the quality and freshness of our products, before you take them home.

Sourcing the Finest Products
from Our Farms to Your Table

Our relationship with our product starts at the source, with the farmer who produces the grain. We maintain personal relationships with farmers from across the country and make an effort to visit their farms. Together, we ensure that we’re offering the best product available, while always using best practices.

Ensuring Certified Organic, Whole Grain Goodness

We often hear the question from our customers, ‘What does organic really mean?’ It is, simply, a label assigned to foods that are produced without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and that do not contain genetically modified organisms (more commonly known as GMOs). Organic food production also supports farming methods that are deemed environmentally sound.

We’re proud to offer one of the largest lines of organic, whole grain foods in the country. When you see the ‘USDA Organic’ label on our products, you’ll know that to earn that label, Bob’s Red Mill had to complete a rigorous certification process through the USDA’s National Organic Program.

Our Most Popular Organic Products

MEET THE REAL BOB

Before you get to know about our business, you need to meet the man behind it — Bob Moore. You’ll recognize his friendly face on our products and if you ever tour our mill or visit the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store and Visitor’s Center you might even get to meet the man himself. For over three decades, Bob has been committed to providing people everywhere with the best quality foods available.

His passion for health and belief in taking care of one another is as strong today as it was when he first started the business with his wife, Charlee, all those years ago. Bob plays a fundamental role in the daily operations of the business and his enthusiasm and ‘honest-to-goodness’ approach are shared with every of one his employees. It’s this passion for providing the very best nutritional whole grains that has helped make us the leading name in health foods across the country.

How Bob’s red mill began

Bob’s journey began serendipitously in the mid ’60s after coming across a book about old stone-grinding flour mills. His enthusiasm was immediate and he decided to find usable stone mills, which were becoming rarer due to the domination of high-speed steel roller mills. His persistence paid off. Equipped with several sets of millstones from an old North Carolina water-powered flour mill, Bob and his wife ,Charlee, began their first mill in Redding, California.

After a few years, they decided to pursue others interests and retired to Oregon City, Oregon in 1978. On an afternoon walk, Bob came across an old mill that, as luck would have it, had a big sign out front reading “for sale”. In just a few short months, he was able to source a beautiful old mill that could stone grind flours and cereals for local customers. Word quickly spread and Bob’s Oregon City based mill enjoyed much success until 1988 when a fire destroyed the building.

Never one to back away from a challenge, Bob knew he owed it to his family of employees and loyal customers to build the business again from scratch. Rising to the challenge, he spent many years growing the business to where we are today. Our current site located in Milwaukie, Oregon is a 320,000 square foot facility covering some seventeen acres and produces thousands of products each day, all made with the same good old-fashioned techniques our customers have come to love and trust since our beginning.

A name you can trust

Trust, honesty and integrity. These are the three principles our business is built on. Our packaging is a great example of this commitment: our clear bags that let you see the high quality of every one of our products. By producing the very best in whole grain foods, we’re able to fulfill our commitment to help look after more and more people through better nutrition. Bob simply wouldn’t have it any other way.

An employee owned business

Bob’s 81st birthday was particularly special. Rather than receiving gifts, he decided to give his greatest gift away — his business. Bob surprised all his employees by giving them total ownership of Bob’s Red Mill through an Employee Share Ownership Program (ESOP). For those who know Bob, it’s yet

 

Another example of his kind-hearted generosity. As Bob puts it “It was just the right thing to do. I have people that have worked with me for over 30 years and each and every one of them deserve this.”

You can rest assured that every Bob’s Red Mill employee is committed to sourcing, milling, testing, packaging, labeling and selling the finest products available. After all, it is our business.

Watch Bob’s Interview with Diane Sawyer »

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Activities In Your Town – Get Out & About!

Filed under: Art, Feel Good, Healthy Food Stores, Inspiration & Motivation, News — 1 Comment
December 17, 2011

Local Activities Unique to Your Area

If you are looking for a great day out in your community find out what your area is offering.  This time of year their are so very many community activities going on.  You will not only have a fun day out to meet and greet your locals but also find many wonderful hand made crafts, farmers who bring their goods to you.  There are many local vendors, artisans, and musicians performing.  At our local fair over the weekend we found lovely hand made crafts for very affordable prices, local farmers who brought out organic fruits and veggies, bee keepers who brought fresh honey and preserves, local musicians performing free, dance exhibitions with local talent, along with local food vendors who brought samples and made lovely dishes for $1-3 per plate.  Their were amazing animals out for the children and no cost to attend.  We played with lamas, enjoyed the local musicians and crafters.

What amazing local activities does your town offer.  Do a simple google search in your town or zip code to find local activities.  These are wonderfully fun for all ages and makes an affordable outing for the whole family to enjoy.

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Farmers Market & Local CSA’s

Filed under: Healthy Food Stores, Nutrition — 2 Comments
December 17, 2011

Farmers Market & Local CSA’s

If you are looking for local produce and lower costs then the farmers market and local CSA’s will be your best bet.

Every town produces local produce and goods.  Find which ones are near you keeping your costs down, your foods fresher all the while helping support your local community and agriculture.

Costs to Get Involved with a CSA

We looked around and found many wonderful CSA’s in our area.  With an average cost of $11-15 per week for a bountiful box of organic fruits and veggies, we were amazed at the freshness and the wonderful people attached to these lovely products.  In our box came 6 products from 6 different organic growers.  Not only did we reap the savings as the growers did not have to market and waste funds on packaging and marketing materials that would just be thrown out, but we also had fresher sweeter food that hadn’t been driving around breaking down in transit, and incurring heavy fuel costs imposed on us.  We saved precious fuel by buying locally helping the environment.  The smiles and joy we brought to many local families by supporting them have been priceless and made the purchase mean so much more.

Knowing Your Food Source on A Personal Level

  The CSA’s and Local Farmers Market allow you the opportunity to get up close and personal to your food source.  You can ask questions and learn more about where your food is from and how it gets from its grower to your table.  They also welcome all questions about the growing process. Their was no extra cost for organic fruits and vegetables and we were proud to say all the fruits and veggies were naturally organic.

The local growers took great pride in producing more responsible agriculture and everyone wins.  We now are involved with our monthly farm days and have wonderful relationships with our local farms and family producers. Do a simple search in your area or zip code and find out where your local farmers market and CSA’s are.  You will be surprised that they are all around us.

Products you can Find at Your Local Farmer’s Market & CSA

Organic Fruits
Organic Veggies
Organic Herbs
Fresh Organic Breads
Responsible Organic and Pasture Raised Meats
Responsible Organic and Pasture Raised Eggs & Milk
Bulk Organic Grains, Nuts & Seeds
Organic Home Made Granola
Organic Spice Mixes
Organic Teas
Hand Made Gifts & Crafts

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Trader Joe’s Store – Healthy Food for Less!

Filed under: Healthy Food Stores, News — 2 Comments
December 17, 2011

Trader Joe’s

If you are looking for good buys on healthy food items then you want to get yourself over to your local Trader Joe’s.  If you are lucky enough to have a store near you then you will be in for a real treat and great savings on your grocery bill.

What to Do if You Don’t Have a Store Near You

If you don’t have one near and you are traveling for the holidays look them up and see if there is a local store near your destination. You can simply find a store near you by searching their site at Traderjoes.com.

The consistency of the store is just amazing no matter what location you are at.  I have personally been to 7 stores and have been super impressed with the reliability from any location.  The great buys seem to be at every store we have been to.  Some stores are a bit larger then others but all in all every one of them has been GREAT. The staff is always super friendly and helpful and can guide you to what you need.

$50 Dollar Grocery Challenge

This trip we did a challenge with $50 and came up with a cart full of groceries including 10 days of meals for four.  The groceries included breakfast, lunch, dinners and laundry soap.  You will be surprised at the cost savings and even more excited about the healthier choices they have available.  Their unsalted and Un-sweeteened peanut butter runs  under $2, and the same for so many other items.  They are the store of $2-3 items and you can get so much for so little.  They have a large pasta selection in the under $1 range.  We made pasta dinner for four and spent $1 for pasta and $2 for the fresh marinara sauce we made.  The total for the meal was $3. For $3 you can’t even get a fast food sandwich, and certainly not a healthy food sandwich.  The deal was incredible.  The nuts and seeds are a great deal.  We pick up the raw and unsalted sunflower seeds for the delicious kale salads we make and they run under $2 for a large bag. The bag lasted all week for our salads, granola and snacks.  All the items we tested ended up better then the national brand for considerably less and much healthier alternatives.

Trader Joe’s Brand Green Tea

A box of 40 tea bags for $2 this is one of the best buys on Green Tea that we have seen.  The quality product is excellent and the price even better.

Some of the items you will find for under $2

Bread
Green Tea
Soy Milk
Rice Milk
Yogurt
Kefir
Eggs
Pasta
Organic Black Beans
Peanut Butter Unsalted/No Sugar Added
Preserves
Marinara Sauce
Fresh Organic Produce
Fresh Fruit & Veggies
Organic Whole Wheat Crackers
Nuts and Seeds
Healthy Snacks
and so much more!

Great Trader Joe’s Brand Detergent Deals $10 for a Large Size

We also tested the detergent they sell that is a high efficiency type without dyes or fragrance and were amazed at how great it worked.  For $10 it was better then the leading brand and also saved us $8-10 dollars off the same size popular brand names that all had heavy synthetic fragrance and other unhealthy additives.

Pet Food Deals

They have a super deal on a 25 lb bag of dog food that is natural and healthy.  The bag runs $10 and compared to Natures Balance which sells at Petsmart for $50.  No matter what type of food you are getting chances are you can save BIG with their store brand Dog Food.  The bag is large and the feed a healthy balance you can count on. Our Readers who needed to find a better deal for their pets requested the comparison and ended up saving $40 by switching from Natures Balance to the Trader Joe’s Brand Food.

Trader Joe’s Personal Items

Although the lane of personal items was small we were very impressed with the every day items that they carried.  They had everything from toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, body soap, hand soap and more. The deodorant was a super deal and saved us 75% off our name brands.  The Deodorant we picked up was made with cotton and had no aluminum, no chemicals or synthetics and compared to Tom’s of Maine.  We paid under $3 for this great product.

Trader Joe’s Vitamin & Mineral Section

They have a super section for vitamins, minerals, protein powders and more.  We were surprised at the pricing available on all these supplements.  The Echinacea, vitamin C and more were super low coming in at 75% off the leading brands.

Trader Joe’s Olive Oil

If you are looking for a deal on olive oil then you definitely want to find a Trader Joe’s near you.  They have the small, medium and large bottles and all different types of olive oil.  We picked up the largest bottle for under $5 which will last for over a month and is a super deal.  The same size and quality botttle runs up to $20 in other stores.

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Affordable Organic Onions & Organic Garlic Each Under $2 @ Whole Foods Market

Filed under: Healthy Food Stores, Simple Solutions for Cooking — 1 Comment
June 4, 2011

If you are looking for healthy organic items and are looking to save pick up your organic onions and organic garlic at Whole Foods.  The 3 lb bag of organic onions and 3 Large heads of organic garlic are both under $2.  I picked up both of these for under $4.

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Farmers’ Market During Summertime

Filed under: Healthy Food Stores, Simple Solutions for Cooking — 14 Comments
May 20, 2011

Farmers’ Market During Summertime

Summer is such a fun time at the farmers’ market.  There are so many wonderful varieties of produce that are available during this special season.  With the sun’s energy there are many vibrant and delicious fruits available in the summer months. Fruit is sweeter and juicer, watermelon, sweet corn, perfectly ripe peaches, garden fresh tomatoes and berries are in abundance.  Piled high at farmers’ markets, organic fruits and vegetables are super pretty and brilliantly colored during these warm summer months. Local, organic produce is the freshest, best-tasting, and most nutritious you can find, short of growing it yourself.

This summer, be sure to visit your farmers’ market often for fruits and vegetables at their peak, and put recipes together that highlight the produce in season. Keep your meals simple, with a minimum of ingredients, and use fresh organic herbs. I use these by the handful and am always amazed at the robust flavors using fresh herbs bring. Using fresh herbs will help you save time by spending less time in the kitchen, yet the resulting meals will be sensational.

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Buying organic affordably

Filed under: Health Tips, Healthy Food Stores, Nutrition, Wellness — 1 Comment
April 7, 2011

Buying organic may feel like just another task on your list of things to think of.  The best most economical way to approach organic buying is to familiarize yourself with your health food store nearest you.  I prefer Whole Foods as a first choice and Trader Joe’s second (Due to their smaller selection, and limited organic options).  Be sure to ask if your local health food store has a store brand.  Whole Foods carries a 365 branded  items in plenty of foods and other option selections that can considerably drop your costs down.  The cost is always way down from the big brands and the ingredients always identical or better.  See for yourself the next time you go to pick anything up, see if they have their own store brand, if so you will see that many items are exact ingredients and considerably less on the budget.  Another great store for organic store branded foods is Trader Joe’s.  They are my second choice as their stores are a bit smaller and selection of organic items is less- Great value with everything $2-3, I do love this about the place).  Start looking and saving, as you compare the big brands with the smaller store brands which can cut your food bill as you implement these new steps immediately.  Almost everything I buy I have the option for a 365 branded Whole Foods option, or bulk buy organic item put on by the store.  Bulk buying also allows you to purchase only the amount you need, rather then being stuck with the large size box of something and the looming costs involved.  If you are looking to save on cooking spices Trader Joe’s has a great selection of store brand spices at 1/2 the price.  Depending on the items needed the stores are both great places to go.

**DO YOUR DIET AND BUDGET A FAVOR AND START TODAY!**

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