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Posts Tagged ‘Bob’s Red Mill’

Breakfast Musings

Posted in Art, Creativity, food, Home Stuff, Life, Photography, Reflections, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 27, 2014| 6 Comments »

FarinaStrawberries2It’s always a good sign when I want to take a photograph of something, even if it is only my breakfast, and even better when I want to write about it. Still fighting some persistent flu or virus, I have been using all my energy these last 6 days to keep up with my workload. Creativity on my own behalf has hardly been an issue. Most days, just getting up and moving has been my primary focus. I’m sure you’ve been there.

But this morning I planned on making a hot breakfast and including the most luscious organic strawberries folded in and on top. What you see is a delicious brown rice farina. Yum! I’m not a shill for Bob’s Red Mill, really I’m not, but I do love many of their products, all of which are whole grain. If not organic, they are all non-GMO, and knowing my food is safe and not gene-spliced makes me a happy camper. As for the yes, pricey, organic strawberries, I look at it this way. Although I am all for cooking with produce in season, I’ve come to the conclusion that, as is often true in life, exceptions can be made. On the plus side, berries are phenomenally rich in anti-oxidants. I recently read about a study where women who faithfully ate strawberries 2 times a week actually reduced their risk of cancer. (Blueberries are another powerful anti-oxidant fruit.) The other plus is that because mainstream strawberries are the most heavily pesticide-sprayed fruit in existence, buying organic also buys me peace of mind.

Farina-MBastinBowl2

Now before I sign off, take a look at that bowl. It was given to me as a gift by a friend  about 14 years ago and is my favorite bowl for hot cereal all fall and winter. It’s the perfect size, has a handle, but most importantly, features the artwork of the so very talented wildlife artist, Marjolein Bastin. I know for some time she had an arrangement with Hallmark, and it was fairly easy to find her wonderful work, now a little harder. I’ve bought her calendars in the past, from which I’ve plucked a print to mat and frame in my kitchen. Her work is so lovely, why not toddle over and take a look? Bastin is a modern day artist whose work is something to emulate.

And so I’ve mused. Isn’t it wonderful how some of the simplest things in life can brighten our day? Good food, friends, inspiring art … it needn’t take much to bring us a bit of happiness and gratitude. Thanks for stopping by and sharing breakfast with me, and may your day be warm and bright!

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Foodie Finds

Posted in food, Home Stuff, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 25, 2013| 2 Comments »

In my search for healthier, lower fat/cholesterol, non-animal based and still tasty food, I continue to come across new items which have proven quite good. For those of you who also want to eat healthier, I figured I’d share some of my recent finds.

Vegenaise2Vegenaise – giving up mayonnaise is pretty difficult. I don’t eat or need it all the time, but it sure does make something even as simple as a fresh tomato sandwich sing. So I was very happy to find that the Vegenaise, from Follow Your Heart, I bought was, as the label states, “better than mayonnaise.” I say this as a Hellman’s fan, although for years I’ve been buying the “light” version. Well, Vegenaise actually tastes better than Hellman’s, in my opinion, and without the suffering of egg-laying chickens and without the animal-based fat, (a major source of cholesterol.) This product is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and non-gmo. But while it avoids the animal products and is cholesterol-free, it’s not completely fat-free. One tablespoon of Vegenaise equals about the same fat as Hellman’s light, so be aware if you’re looking to cut fat as well as for a vegan product. And, of course, coming from a smaller manufacturer, it is pricier than something from a conglomerate producer. BetterThanBouillon2Follow Your Heart also has a wonderful line of salad dressings, cheeses that are not animal-derived and more.

Better than Bouillon is an organic vegetarian/vegan base to use in soups and stews. It was called for in a recent recipe I made, and worked great. I just whisked the base up with the stated amount of water and voila! Perfect. Made by a company called Superior Touch, who also makes a variety of other soup bases, many organic, gravy bases, also many organic, and a variety of crockpot season mixes.

BobsRedMill-HotCereal2Bob’s Red Mill makes a variety of grain products, many organic, but all non-GMO. I’ve bought flour and rolled oats from him before, but recently tried granola – very good – and this package of Organic High Fiber Cereal, a hot cereal made with a blend of stone ground oatmeal, nutrient rich flaxseed, wheat germ, high fiber oat bran, and wheat bran. There are plenty of vitamins, minerals, fiber and … 1000 mg. of Omega-3! I would much prefer to get my Omega 3 from a non-animal based source, and now I’m seeing how I could switch over. Check out Bob’s Red Mill website – he has a really vast array of natural grain products, from oats to cereal to flour to baking mixes, including gluten-free.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd last but not least … a snack …. from Food Should Taste Good. I agree! My local supermarket is now carrying a full line of these non-GMO, mostly vegan, some organic, etc. snacks – crackers, kettle-cooked chips, and tortilla chips. I bought the lime tortilla chips and they are truly tasty – not too heavy on the lime. FSTG has a great line of products in really good flavors.

So there you have it – some delicious, wholesome, non-animal derived foods to try out. Enjoy!

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