Whole Foods 365 Frozen Veggies

Want to know one of my very favorite Summertime dinners? Salty edamame and cold beer. I love it. I could snack on edamame til i was blue in the face and it matches so well with cold beer. In fact, i believe that Chinese bars often have edamame to snack on instead of chex mix or peanuts. They've got the right idea.

I mentioned yesterday how much i love to sprinkle frozen corn and peas on my salads: frozen vegetables are about the only veggies i buy from the grocery store anymore. I try to get my fresh produce either from my garden or from the farmer's market, I almost never buy canned vegetables, but i do occasionally get frozen veggies from the store. Whole Foods was nice enough to give me some samples of their Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value frozen veggies, and i can vouch for their quality. The packaging has less plastic than some other brands and the produce quality is superb. I purchased some frozen peas and of course this edamame, and i think this may be some of the best edamame i've had.

Flash frozen fruits and vegetables are a game-changer for preserving fresh taste and nutrient content, especially when you can’t pick directly from the tree or vine.  365 Everyday Value frozen produce contains only the harvest, which means these goodies are the real deal, with no artificial preservatives or additives of any kind.  And with these ready-to-go bags of bounty you needn’t plan for prep time— they’re already primed for a quick and healthy weekday meal.  If you're inclined to stock up on frozen veggies, you can fill your freezer with a medley of these frozen sweet and delicious packs from Whole Foods Market’s 365 Everyday Value:

NEW 365 Everyday Value Organic Southwestern Blend

Daydream of soaking in the warmth of the Sunbelt as this crunchy new Southwestern Blend of onions and red and green peppers sizzles on your stovetop.  Serve it in a salad; stir it in a soup or stew, or liven up a fajita filling. Since all 365 Everyday Value vegetables are flash frozen soon after harvest, this colorful combo is a great source of Vitamin C. 

NEW 365 Everyday Value Organic Mediterranean Blend

This satisfying medley of zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, green beans, red peppers and onions has newly arrived to make your mouth water for a seaside siesta.  It’s a hearty blend that can strengthen a sauce, complement any casserole, or be served simply on the side. Stock up on this colorful combination bursting with nutrients and fireworks of flavor.

NEW 365 Everyday Value Leafy Greens Blend

The ultimate staple for your frozen stock, this blend is scintillating when sautéed with garlic and onions for a luscious bed of greens.  Mild-flavored collard greens mellow the more peppery mustard greens and “kick” of kale for a scrumptiously savory combination to color a variety of plates.  Vibrant with antioxidants, iron and magnesium, do go ahead and fortify your freezer. 

Fruit Loot

Lock in the sweetness of spring and summer with 365 Everyday Value Frozen Wild Blueberries, Strawberries or Dark Sweet Cherries.  With these bags of frozen fun in the freezer, sour fruit and spoilage is no longer a concern.  Dress up sundaes, make snazzy smoothies or bake pies aplenty with the berry booster of your choice.  For a delectable dessert when you can’t decide, call upon the new Frozen Berry Blend of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries to mingle in your mouth with vanilla ice cream.   

I even picked up a 6 pack of New Belgium Somersault Ale that was on sale for $6.50something. Apparently Whole Foods CAN be affordable. Haha. I'm sad I didn't try one of their specialty blends, but i'm quite pleased with the edamame i purchased.

Whole Foods Market: Affordable Options for Simple Living

A few weeks ago I posted a bunch of recipes for homemade body and housecleaning alternatives. I'm in love with my deodorant and tooth powder, and formulated the absolutely best dish washing soap i've ever used:

• Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds ($7 for a HUGE 32 oz bottle) 
• Vinegar  
• Water

Simply mix 1 part Sal Suds, 1 part vinegar, 2 parts water in a squirt bottle, old dishsoap bottle, or spray bottle and bam - dishwashing, counter cleaning, refrigerator scrubbing goodness! A little bit of Sal Suds goes a really long way. I used to swear by Mrs. Meyer's dish soap. That stuff goes a super long way as well, but it's really spendy and isn't concentrated like the Bronner's. The label recommends mixing 1 tsp to a full sink of dishes or gallon of water for all around household cleaning. I mixed some with some baking soda and cleaned the disgusting stains of my fridge door handle. Amazin' stuff!

Anyway, it is obvious that for environmental, health safety, and frugal reasons I've been trying to learn and formulate new cleaning products from the household and natural ingredients i have on hand. I just read a blog post about using lemon halves to bleach the sink or tub - genius! I cleaned off the nasty scuz from my car's battery with some baking soda and vinegar just yesterday before giving a neighbor a jump. I like to make things and make due, but it's also nice to find a good product available in stores for a modest price.

I've been contacted by a lot of PR folks lately looking to get me to pitch their product. I like free stuff as much, or probably more, than the next guy, but An Austin Homestead has standards and I will only accept products or articles that i feel will benefit my readers.  When a representative for Whole Foods contacted me, i jumped on the opportunity. Austin is the headquarters of Whole Foods and home of their very first store front. It's a doozy! They are remodelling as well, and the already vast realm of organic foods seems even vaster. I'm completely obsessed with this bulk food section and could spend all day there. Thus, i moved along quickly. I do have to wonder though, we are in the capitol of Texas and everything, but will all those lovely leeks really get purchased before their no longer fresh?

I had been asked to review some of the new and affordable cleaning products under the Whole Foods or 365 brand. I was almost out of my Seventh Generation dishwasher detergent, so i grabbed one of those and a glass cleaner. The prices were similar to the budget eco-friendly brands like Seventh Generation, but were much less than Mrs. Meyers or Ecover. The ingredient list is very clear and discloses all, and the packaging is attractive and ergonomic.

I'm pretty sure the people behind me in line through i was a nut taking pictures of the counter

The detergent smells DIVINE and seems to clean the dishes really, really well - even with blenders full of lotion. I don't love that the box is oversized to the amount of detergent inside. It comes wrapped in a plastic bag inside the recycled cardboard box (thin plastic, but plastic just the same) with a plastic scoop for divying out the detergent. This is more convenient than the normal pup out metal spout thingy, but i feel that packaging inside packaging is kind of misleading. I guess i'll be saving up a lot of little plastic scoops if i keep buying this brand of detergent - they're useful, but i'd probably rather use the metal spout, despite increased awkwardness. Whole Foods is very fashionable (i've actually wanted to work in their design dept working on packaging, but alas) and knows what the consumer has an eye for.

The glass cleaner and all purpose cleaner's bottle are very attractive and made from partially recycled content. It isn't see through, so there's no need to add freaky blue dye to the solution. The glass cleaner i have been using is some $1.50 grocery store brand with ammonia. I'm not sure if ammonia is terrible for the environment. Probably is. It sure works well though. The WF glass cleaner doesn't cut through the puppy nose prints as well as the ammonia cleaner does, and it doesn't spread out as easily. It seems more concentrated. It does wipe off streak free, so i'll continue to use it when the heavy duty toxic stuff isn't necessary.

I'll still be calling Whole Foods "Whole Paycheck" and keep most of my grocery shopping confined to HEB and Central Market - but it's nice to find out that there really are very affordable options to be found within the temple of Whole Foods.

Now, if only they wouldn't support Monsanto and GMO Alfalfa.... but that's for another post....

*Disclaimer: i was given a Whole Foods gift card in order to purchase these items, but was under no obligation to choose the 365 or Whole Foods brand items, or even to review them here. My opinions are solely my own.

Now That's Some Spicy Kim Chee!

On Sunday I posted my process and recipe for delicious Kim Chee. It has been happily bubbling away on my counter for about 3 1/2 days now and it's ready. It was mostly ready last night, but i wanted to give it overnight just to be sure.

How can you tell it's done, you may ask? While it's fermenting, it smells nasty. If you open the lid that is. I was also having some problems with my seals - i'd replaced the old, rotten french seals on these 'made in France' jars, and the seal i replaced it with wasn't as wide as the original. Plus my recipe made a bit more than usual with that added half a purple cabbage so there wasn't enough room at the top - you really do have to leave that 1 inch of room! I kept waking up to liquid oozing out of the top. Not so pretty.
Anyhoo: solution= i removed some of the veg and put it in a separate little jelly jar. I also added another rubber seal to really seal that lid! Worked great.

Back to the when is it done issue: While it's fermenting it's quite okay to open the lid daily and press the veg down into the liquid (with clean hand or spoon!)(Some texts disagree with this and encourage you to keep it well sealed through the entire process to keep any oxygen out, i'll try that next time and report back if i notice a difference). You'll smell it - it will smell bad. You will wonder what the heck you're about to feed your family and why does it smell rotten. Never fear. In two - 5 or so days you'll open it and release a ton of pressure. Inside will be a zesty, softened mixture of veg that smells and tastes tangy, pickly, and spicy if you added hot peppers. Mine was still quite fizzy last night which is why i let it sit until morning. This morning the liquid was beginning to sink a bit and the veg definitely tasted like Kim Chee.

My recipe made 4 pints, in this case 3 pints for me and 2 jelly jars for friends. I added 2 jalapenos, habaneros and some dried cayenne and let me tell you

 it is spicy!

Serve kim chee with soup, as a condiment, in spring rolls, as a side dish, as a mid afternoon snack. 

Fermented foods, like kimchee,  aid in digestion and should be on your menu daily.
Fermenting foods is an ancient art - one of the first methods of preserving food that is often forgotten today. In the modern world so many things need to be mass produced and safe across a large range of variables and fermenting is best done in smaller batches. It is easy to do at home and perfectly safe if the correct precautions are taken: use fresh produce, clean jars and hands, and fresh (preferably raw if you can get it) whey.

Lacto-fermentation (in this case adding whey) preserves the food by inhibiting the bad bacterias with the lactic acid, and provides helpful enzymes and anticarcinogenic substances, promoting healthy flora in your digestive system. You may have seen the commercials for live yogurts being so great for your intestine and 'regularity'? The modern methods of pasteurization and high heat preparations have killed the lactobicilli in our foods - replace it by eating more fermented foods and get that body workin'!
This also goes for whole grains: there was a time when no one ate whole grains without first soaking, sprouting, or fermenting them - this was done to preserve the grains and to increase digestibility. The phytic acid on the bran of the grains inhibits the absorption of nutrients, minerals and vitamins that you're trying to get out of the whole grain. By soaking the grains first, you are essentially pre-digesting it and thus increasing the amount of goodness your body is capable of absorbing. So get rid of that 'puffed wheat' and 'bran flake' and soak yourself some steel cut oats for breakfast!

Have you fermented at home? what's your favorite recipe?
(i for one can't wait to make some pickles this summer!)

Homemade Sour Cream

• 2 cups fresh cream, preferably raw
• 2-3 tablespoons cultured buttermilk
• sprinkle of salt

• Boil a canning jar to sterilize. Mix the cream and buttermilk together and pour into warm jar, mix hard and sit at room temperature overnight or until thick to your preference. Keep well covered and store in ridge up to 3 weeks. Can be mixed with spicy or other yummies to make a flavored dip, or added last minute to dishes you want a bit creamy.
  

PS: update. I skimmed this cream off myself. turns out it wasn't totally just cream.... so my sour cream isn't exactly creaming/thickening at this point --- but hopefully it will at least get a tangy sour taste so that i can mix it into things.


I belong to a local raw milk co-op: we get raw milk from a dairy in Schulenberg who raises pasture fed jersey cows. Organic goodness.  Since reading parts of Nourishing Traditions I have decided to radically change our diet. I have long preached eating as much homegrown, whole foods, as i say "eating close to the earth." But when i really thought about what we eat most often, i come up with : soy milk, tofu, cereal, canned beans, lunch meat, and purchased veg/chicken broth, low fat honey mustard salad dressing. These are overly processed things treated with chemicals and high heat, even when i buy as organic as possible. So what will i be doing differently?

To start with : lots of fermented foods. Kim chee using whey from cheese making and yoghurt making, cultured milk products from raw milk, soaking grains in whey and making my own warm cereals, sproating more grains, making my own ketchup, mustard, and mayo from homegrown tomatoes, mustard seeds, and chicken eggs. I also whipped together some very simple salad dressing: some fresh herbs in a bit of olive oil and a mixture of red and white vinegars. That's just a start. I'm motivated and ready to plant some mustard!

First thing i'm trying with this batch of raw milk is sour cream. I skimmed the cream off the top  so that our drinking milk will be lower fat. With the cream i will add a bit of cultured buttermilk and let sit overnight to produce sour cream. This isn't the same as the stuff you buy in the store as it is cultured and more alive. Won't be for cooking but can be added last minute to things to cream them up a bit and add some good milk without as much lactose that i can't digest.

I highly recommend chicken Nourishing Traditions out of your library - it is truly inspiring!  It reminded me of so many things i used to know and practice, and gave me some better information on some of the pieces of knowledge i had but didn't know how to explain to others.
Fats must be consumed to help absorb good vitamins and minerals and make our body function. Raw milk when cultured is a great source of good enzymes and vitamins that are more easily digested than pasteurized milk not fermented. I need to be eating more balanced whole things to be getting all the good things my body needs, and to help wash out the bad things like heavy metals that have found their way inside me.