Shake It Up!

Is it just me, or can a smoothie make almost everything taste good?

In our house, my famous peanut butter/banana/chocolate shake is the go-to snack option most often begged for by my children.  I've served them to grandparents and friends with glowing reviews as well.  And the best part is they're healthy (although high in calories, if you're watching your consumption).

These shakes are perfect for a snack that stays with the kids.  With Daddy's long commute, a lot of times we eat dinner late around here and the kids need something with some staying power.  I have also found this smoothie is good for a pre soccer/baseball game boost.  Add a scoop of our newest find from Isagenix and you are in nutrition heaven.

Oh, you need a recipe, you say?  Okay, to be honest, I just throw the ingredients in a blender, mix it up and taste it.  The kids often discuss, "Oh, it's more banana-y today," or "Mom, did you use almond butter today?"  The point being, if you have a blender and at least some of these ingredients, you too can be a super cool mom making a shake the kids will beg for.  And if you add something different than what I suggest, let me know.  Maybe I will try that next time, too!

If you run across some good bananas on sale, grab a bunch of them.  If you live in Northwest Indiana, I suggest checking out Evan's Farmers Market at 8201 Taft St in Merrillville.  If you stop by often enough you can sometimes score some awesome deals in organic produce.  Lately their organic options have been poor but they often have bananas for $.39/lb and I have bought ripe bananas there for $1 a big box.  They aren't always organic, but because of the thick skin on bananas I compromise on this particular fruit at times.  When I score a deal, I peel, bag and freeze the bananas whole.  A frozen banana thrown in a blender along with other smoothie ingredients give a great consistency!

Finally, the very modifiable recipe...

For two servings:

2 frozen bananas
3T cocoa (a bit less or omit completely if you use the shake mix)
2T honey (raw is best)
1/4 c organic peanut butter (or organic almond butter)
1C unsweetened almond milk (or organic milk or water if you use the shake mix)
optional:  1 scoop of Isagenix IsaLean Chocolate Shake

If your bananas were not frozen, add a glass full of ice.  Blend, taste and enjoy!

It's Like Christmas Every Two Weeks Around Here

Hooray!  Today was a Timber Creek Farms delivery day.  If you live in Indiana, Illinois or Wisconsin, you are likely in an area where your family can experience the fun that we do with a produce delivery from Timber Creek Farms.

Really, I could go on and on, but why don't you just take a peak at what we received in our boxes today:

Oh, phooey, I forgot to add these because we grabbed them for a soccer game snack:

 

And a tomato and two apples were gone before I snapped the picture .... but you get the idea, right?  

This is the box called the Farmer's Market Box and typically it is automatically delivered to my door every other Thursday.  The part that makes it like Christmas is that we never know exactly what we are going to get.  For example, this week included fennel, bok choy and green mustard.  Typically these particular vegetables wouldn't make my shopping list, but when included in my fruit and veggie box, I have the opportunity to educate myself about an item and figure out what to do with it.  YUM!

The kids always gravitate towards the fruit box, of course.  Every delivery there is something different for them to enjoy.  As they unloaded the box, a couple of my grapefruit loving kids were chatting away about how they could not wait for breakfast tomorrow morning.  

And guess what? With the delivery fee the Farmer's Market Box is less than $55.  What a deal for organic produce I didn't have to drive to the store for!  

Typically I will receive my boxes and then plan out some meals to make the best use of all these great whole foods.  These boxes become the base of our dinners for the next several days and snacks become a no-brainer.

I have used Timber Creek Farms for many years and have come to appreciate their efficient service and excellent produce.  Give it a try and eliminate some of your grocery trip while being assured that you are getting whole food that has not been engineered or contaminated.  

There are many different types of boxes you can order depending on your family size and preferences.  Visit Timber Creek Farms at tcforganics.net, call them at 630-553-1119 or email valerie@tcforganics.net.  Tell them Erin Taylor sent you and let me know how you like your box if you decide to give it a try.

A Label You Should Know

Have you taken the time to research the GMO issue yet?  If so, and if you're like me, you may be tempted to stick your head in the sand and forget the whole thing.  I agree, is seems overwhelming.  But WAIT... just take this thing one step at a time and I promise, you will get there.

Until you are knowledgeable about all of the GMO ingredients out there, and until you become adept at what to look for, it is quite likely that your grocery cart will be loaded with less than ideal food sources.  If an item you are purchasing is USDA organic, GMO ingredients will not be used in the product.  That is one way to avoid supporting GMO crops.

Another way is to look for this label on products that you purchase:

In fact, for a wealth of information on GMOs, the nongmoproject.org website is a wonderful place to start!  You can even look up your favorite food items and see if they are verified non-GMO.  For example, a quick browse through the verified products shows that Hodgson Mill, a brand I have used often in baking, has many products verified to be GMO-free and more of their products in the process of verification.  I like feeling confident that I am feeding my family foods that have not been tampered with genetically.  This might not be so difficult after all!