Let's join Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Britain's famous chef, Jamie Oliver has made a new series for American TV about food – how families eat, what kids get at school and why, like the UK, the diet of processed food and snacks is causing so many health and obesity problems. The series was filmed in Huntington, West Virginia.
Jamie's challenge was to see if he can get a whole community cooking again. He worked with the school lunch ladies and local families to get everyone back in the kitchen and making tasty meals with fresh ingredients – no packets, no cheating. He's started a Food Revolution: to get people all over America to reconnect with their food and change the way they eat.

Message from Jamie

I believe that every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious school meals, and that every family deserves real, honest, wholesome food. Too many people are being affected by what they eat. It's time for a national revolution. America needs to stand up for better food!

You live in an amazing country full of inspirational people and you have the power to change things. With your help, we can get better food into homes, schools and communities all over America and give your kids a better future. Sign the petition to save America's cooking skills and improve school food. It could be the most important thing you ever do for your family. America's health needs you now!

The American Food Revolution needs to start now! If you care about your country and the health of its children please help us make a difference. We need your support to get people back in touch with food and keep cooking skills alive before it's too late. We want to make sure every kid gets good, fresh food at school. It's proven that real food promotes more effective learning. If you want better health for your kids the junk food must go. I need to be able to show The President and industry how many of you out there really care about this issue so please don't wait, sign up today. It will only take 30 seconds.

America's health needs you!

Thank you. Please forward this to your friends, family, classmates, teachers, colleagues and anyone else who you think cares as time is short.

Sign the petition

 

    

Simple Tips for making Homemade Fish Sticks

My kids love fish sticks, but I won't go near any of the prepackaged stuff. I mean...have you read the ingredient labels on those frozen packs? yikes!
I mean...how difficult can it be to make them from scratch? right?
I made a batch last weekend, they were ok, but next time I want to make them really good. Finger licking good! :-) For that I need to learn the fundamentals of making good homemade fish sticks and of course Mark Bittman is my go-to guy for simple cooking techniques

Getty Images

His teachings are simple: know your fish, know your coatings, know your cooking methods; and the rest is just a matter of personal taste. Simple right!

Know your fish:

Fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel are too oily and won't work; flounder and most trout are too thin and delicate for making fish sticks. The best fish for this purpose are pollock, cod, Pacific halibut, farm-raised catfish, even locally caught swordfish all work brilliantly and are sustainable choices as well.  Bittman recommends buying a piece that looks good, "with no drying or browning; fish that has been frozen at sea and well-handled (no freezer burn) is a good alternative."

Know your coatings and your cooking methods:

I'm not a fan of deep-frying, which immediately eliminates pancake-like or beer-based batters and the much-beloved tempura. For shallow-frying there are many coating options, ranging from a dusting of flour or cornmeal to breadcrumbs (specially for oven frying), to a super-light egg coating. 

No matter which coating you choose, unless you want to bake the sticks (recipe below) the procedure is the same: Cut the fish, lay out the coating, get your oil hot, and cook quickly: by the time the coating is golden, the fish is ready to turn.

Fast Fish Sticks (shallow frying)

by Mark Bittman

Serves 4

Ingredients

• About 1 1/2 pounds boneless, firm, not-too-oily fish, like cod, pollock, swordfish, or catfish
• salt and pepper
• Cornmeal (or flour) for dredging
• Olive oil as needed
• Lemon wedges or sauce of your choice for serving

Directions

In a non-stick or well-seasoned skillet, add olive oil to a depth of about 1/8-inch and turn the heat to medium. Cut the fish into sticks about 1/2-inch thick and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Put a pile of cornmeal on a plate.

The oil is ready when a pinch of cornmeal sizzle instantly when you drop it in there. (If it instantly sizzles, turns brown, and sinks to the bottom the oil is too hot; turn the heat off and wait a couple of minutes before turning it on again.)

Turn the fish sticks in the cornmeal, trying to get it to adhere to every bit of each side but not fretting about the thickness of the coating. As each stick is done, add it to the oil. ; the amount that adheres is right.

For lightly Battered Fish Sticks: For the coating, prepare a pile of flour (cake flour is best, but if you don't have it all-purpose is fine) and a bowl with 2 or 3 beaten eggs. Dredge each fish stick in the flour, then in the egg, then put it in the pan immediately. Cook as above.

Fish Sticks (Oven Fried)

by Mark Bittman

Serves 4

Ingredients

• About 1 1/2 pounds firm filleted fish, like cod, pollock, swordfish, or catfish
• 1 1/2 cups milk, buttermilk, or yogurt
• Bread crumbs, preferably fresh, for dredging
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons melted butter or extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon wedges or sauce of your choice for serving

Directions

Cut the fish into sticks about 1/2-inch thick; soak in the milk while you heat the oven to 450°F. Put the bread crumbs on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

When the oven is hot, pull the fish from the milk and let it drain a bit. Dredge the still-wet fish in the bread crumbs, patting them to make sure they adhere. Drizzle a little of the butter or oil over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or large rimmed baking sheet, then lay the fish sticks in the pan. Drizzle with the remaining butter or oil.

Bake near the top of the oven for about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness; the fish will be crisp on the outside and tender and opaque when done. Serve immediately.

    

Part 2: Mom Blogger's Challenge: Recipe Makeover for Healthier Raspberry Sherbet Punch

Last week, mom blogger Deanna, from the Mami Shopaholic Blog, accepted our challenge to give her Raspberry Sherbet Punch recipe a healthier makeover. She accepted the challenge and today she surprised us with a deliciously healthier and yummier version. Deanna has proven to herself and to everyone else that preparing more natural and more nutritious meals is not only good for us but is also lots of fun!

And now...here's Deanna's new and improved recipe:

Healthier/Natural Raspberry Sorbet fruit punch

½ box of Strawberries

½ bag of Seedless Grapes

1 Honeydew Melon pre-cut is fine

1 Cantaloupe pre-cut is fine

1 Pineapple pre-cut is fine

2 Peaches

6 Oranges

1-2 pint. Yolato Raspberry Sorbet or Haagan Dasz

33 fl oz Mango juice


Take the 6 oranges and squeeze them, pour the freshly squeezed orange juice into the punch bowl. Next peel and cut up the peaches, after cut up honeydew melon, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries and grapes then place them in the bowl with the orange juice.  Pour the Mango juice into the bowl, and last but not least, empty the Yolato or Haagen Dasz Raspberry Sorbet into the punch bowl. Stir well and serve

Serves 6 to 8


This recipe sounds delicious and we can't wait to try it!

Thanks Deanna! keep up the good work!

Part 1: Mom Blogger's Challenge: Recipe Makeover for Healthier Raspberry Sherbet Punch

As you may know, we have been inviting fellow mom bloggers to guest blog for us. Mom Blogger Deanna from the Mami Shopaholic Blog signed up for the task and sent us a post with a "simple but delicious" Raspberry Sherbet Punch recipe. Our BestBabyOrganics "all natural" mama immediately saw that Deanna's recipe could use a few tweaks to make it healthier, so we sent Deanna a challenge. Deanna has 7 days to give her delicious punch recipe a more natural and healthier makeover.

Deanna is up for the task once again and has accepted the challenge!!
Here is Deanna's original recipe:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raspberry Sherbet Punch recipe

1/2 gal. Raspberry sherbet or berry sherbet
1 can of fruit cocktail
1 bottle of fruit punch

Optional:  You can place 7up in ice cube tray with Maraschino Cherries.  When the ice cubes are frozen place in punch bowl as added treat.

Combine ingredients in a large punch bowl and serve.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Can't wait to see Deanna's new and improved version

Guest Blogger: Trina O’Boyle from O'boy Organic

I was thrilled when Best Baby Organics asked me to be a guest blogger. Thank you in advance
for this great opportunity to showcase my baby O'Boy! Organic.
 
When I became pregnant with Jackson, my first child (I am now a proud mother of two young,
vibrant boys – 2 years old & 4 years old), I wanted to make sure he began his life with
healthy, organic foods free of pesticides and preservatives. Eating this way would help support
the natural progress of his still developing little body without polluting it with chemicals that
could be harmful to that development. My initial research found that my options were limited to
buying over-processed jarred food or to make his food myself. My desire to feed my baby 
properly along with my love for cooking made that decision a no-brainer – I would make his
food myself. To my pleasant surprise, I found the process to be quite simple, efficient, and cost
effective! I also found great satisfaction watching him, and later my younger son Finnegan, 
enjoy exploring these fresh new tastes knowing that he was eating the best ingredients I could
find and tasting the meal to its fullest as organic ingredients generally have much more flavor
than non-organic! Jackson took to it so well that, at his first birthday party, he was more inter-
ested in eating the organic fruit than the decorated the cake.

The benefits of eating this way don’t just stop at the nutrition your youngster will receive; as a
former Montessori school teacher, I would cook with my school children (as well as my own
children at home) as it not only gets them involved with what they are eating, but it also helps
with the development of fine motor skills, it boosts self confidence, and it helps create the foun-
dation for a healthy and nutritious lifestyle. This is why I created the Children’s Cooking
Parties – to create a fun learning experience for both the children and their parents.

O’Boy! Organic is an extension of my life’s work as a mother and a teacher. All of the things
that I will provide to you and your family are the same things I have been providing to my family
and school children for years. My objective is to show parents and children that eating 
homemade organic food is easy and fun by providing tips and recipes to keep the magic I have
experienced alive in your own homes as your child grows and grows.

At O’Boy! We provide different services for families to make their life easier and FUN too. 



Cooking Classes for Mommies
Make this a fun Moms Night Out with your friends and enjoy a
fun evening of food making. All ingredients are fresh, local and
most of all ORGANIC. We want the BEST for your little ones.
Moms can choose from 3 different classes; 
Just starting Out, Curious Babes or Picky Eaters.





Kids Cooking Parties 
If you are looking for a new way to celebrate your child's next 
birthday or if you are looking for a party idea, consider the fun of 
having a kids cooking party. Kids love creating and eating that which
they have made. Whether they are boys or girls they will love the
idea of being chefs for the day. We will give them an apron, hat and al-
low the children to have a real hands on cooking experience!

Personal Baby Chef

Our baby meals will allow you to give your baby the best nutrition
possible, in a world of busy work schedules and sleepless nights.
Our meals are made with all organic, in season and local ingredi-
ents, so you know that you are feeding your baby the best foods
possible.




This is one of my favorite recipes that I make weekly for my boys, I bet you didn’t know how
much you could pack into a pancake!

Pancakes with a BUNCH!
Ingredients
1 cup of whole wheat Pancake Mix
1/2 cup of organic milk
1 egg
2 TB of oil
6-8 oz of Sweet Potato purée
1/2 cup of quick organic or Irish oats 
1-2 banana (sliced and quartered)
1/2 –1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
1-2 TB of flax seed
1-2 TB of wheat germ
1-2 TB of nutritional yeast
 
Preparation
Mix all ingredients together and let sit for 5 minutes, if you feel the mixture is too thick then add
more milk or water. Cook on griddle until done on both sides. You can serve right away or
place them in the freezer and reheat when your little one wants a pancake.
 
** You can also use Squash Puree, Spinach Puree, Cauliflower Puree instead of the Sweet
Potato. If you can also substitute oats for Quinoa.

For more information on O’Boy! Organic services please visit us at www.oboyorganic.com
and if you love the Pancakes with a Bunch check out my blog http://oboyorganic.blogspot.com/ 

What's for eats? Free Range Organic Beef

I'm not a fan of red meat but I love to cook and experiment with new flavors, so when a well known cash and carry store was having a sale on  free range organic ground beef, I made sure to stock up for the ice age :-)
Was feeling creative these past few days and came up with a really tasty dish that everyone loved- even the kids!

Here's the recipe if you want to try it at home:

Organic Meat Balls with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce

Note: I'm not the type of cook that measures everything to perfection (like the Barefoot Contessa, I'm more of a Rachel Ray type cook) so bear with me and make this dish according to your own cooking style. I also assume that you know the basics of cooking and what foods need to be washed, peeled, etc before using.

Feeds 4-6 people

For the Meat Balls
-1 lb Organic Ground Beef
-2 eggs
-about half a cup of bread crumbs
-salt & pepper to taste
-2 cloves garlic minced
-about 1 tsp ground cinnamon (secret ingredient)
-about 1 tsp ground clove (top secret ingredient)

Mix everything together and form the meat balls - if you have small children make small little ones for them. Put olive oil in a skillet and preheat at medium temperature. Avoid non-stick cookware please! I use a large AllClad stainless steel french skillet for this type of food preparation. Pricey investment but so worth it. When olive oil is warm, put the meat balls in the skillet and brown on all sides (basically fry them). While the meat balls are cooking at medium temperature, get the veggies ready

For the Vegetables
-1 red bell pepper - julienne cut
-a bunch of broccoli florets (enough for everyone)
-1 white onion - julienne cut
-2 cloves garlic minced
-salt & pepper to taste

While meat balls are browning chop the veggies.

When meat balls are thoroughly browned, make space in the center of the skillet and add the onions. Cook and stir the onions until translucent (by this time your kitchen should have a wonderful aroma), then add the garlic and cook for about another minute. Stir in the center. Then add the peppers and the broccoli. Stirring and cooking in the center of the skillet for about 3 more minutes. Then start incorporating the veggies with the meat balls. Mixing everything together in the skillet and adding salt & pepper to taste. Cover with a lid and lower the temperature a little bit to allow the veggies to sweat and release some water. While this is cooking covered, get the peanut sauce ready

For the Peanut Sauce
- about half a cup of all natural peanut butter (by this I mean that when you read the ingredients on the jar, the only ingredient listed should be: peanuts). I use the Smucker's Creamy version.
- water

In a bowl mix peanut butter and water until a sauce is formed and all lumps are dissolved.
You can make more or less quantity depending on how saucy you want the dish to be. For this you can play with the peanut butter/water quantities

Uncover the skillet and add the peanut sauce to the meat/veggie mixture. If it's not saucy enough for you, then make more sauce and add. Mix everything together and make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to release any meat/veggie particles that stick to it. This will give the sauce a more robust flavor.  Cover again and lower temperature to low. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes and voila!!

Serve over jasmine or basmati rice

enjoy!

The Dangers of Soy - Please read!

Some of you already know that I'm a big fan of making meals from scratch using natural organic foods. Well, tofu was one of my favorite ingredients to use, as I always thought that soy based products  (ie. tofu and soy milk) were tasty and healthy protein options. Was even proud to give these foods to my children, but lately I've been reading really alarming details about soy based foods. I suggest you also get informed by reading more on the truth of soy. Even when you think you are not at risk because you do not consume soy foods, you should know that many of the food products sold in the USA have added soy substances (much like corn products that are added to other foods as fillers, additives, etc.)

I am concerned because just recently learned that soy contains high levels of naturally occurring toxins, which once ingested can wreak havoc in a person's body and mind. Some of the health problems linked to consumption of soy are malnutrition, stunt growth in children, digestive problems, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, decreased libido, immune system breakdown, and even heart disease and cancer

Follow the links below to read more:

http://www.nourishingourchildren.org/Soy.html
http://www.westonaprice.org/Soy-Alert

I've decided that I'll have to let go of my favorite curried thai tofu recipe for good and no more chocolate soy milk for the little ones!

Please get informed. Don't quit these foods simply because I say so. I urge all of you to learn more about the foods we eat. Don't let big food companies decide for you. They are not always thinking of what's the most nutritious way to feed America, but rather the most profitable. Soy is very cheap to produce and due to misinformation, people (including myself until a few days ago) think of soy as a miracle food.

A final word of caution for pregnant women, soy has estrogenic effects, which can make those dark patches, also known as melasma or chloasma, worse. "Soy can make the 'mask of pregnancy' (dark splotches on facial skin) worse", so if you are pregnant stay away from soy foods and soy based skin products. Read more here

food/snacks for tots on the go? Ditch the tupperware

This past December we asked our twitter followers what were some of their New Year's resolutions. The most popular responses were of course loosing weight and getting in shape followed closely by having a greener life style.

So how about loosing weight and being green at the same time?
Avoid eating junk food. Pack your lunches and also your kids' foods and snacks for on the go.

If you want a cleaner, non-toxic alternative to tupperware and other leaching plastic containers, these supper cool 100% Stainless Steel tiffins from To-Go Ware are the best way to go. Who knew a tiffin could be so practical and eco-friendly :-)

I have seen many people in poor countries use metal tiffins to carry their food and always thought what an ingenious way to stack up food in different compartments and carry it all in one hand! So great to see an eco-friendly non-toxic version now available in the US.

The To-Go Ware tiffins are not just any tiffins :-)) these are nicely designed, small sized (perfect for little hands), and made from 100% Stainless Steel. They come in 2 and 3-tier versions and they are great for hot or cold foods. We have the 2-tier version with the side kick (great for yogurt sauce to drizzle over our to-go fruit salads). Picnic anyone?

If cared for properly, these multitasking/super safe food carriers can last forever. So you can pass them on to all your future generations. Try that with tupperware... eeewww!

WIN HAPPY BABY ORGANIC BABY FOOD!! ended 10/19/09

 CONGRATULATIONS NAN!!

GIVEAWAY   GIVEAWAY   GIVEAWAY   GIVEAWAY   

Happy Baby is one of the three finalist companies in the American Express "Shine A Light" Contest. 
To Celebrate, Happy Baby is giving away Free Organic Baby Food.

 

Here's what you can win:

2 free trial coupons for each of our five product lines
2 free trial coupons for our marketing partner YoBaby Meals
1 FAQ on Probiotics & DHA
1 infant and toddler Nutrition Guide co-authored by Dr. Sears
1 HAPPYFAMILY Recipes
1 HAPPYFAMILY: The Organic Guide to Baby's First 24 Months co-authored by Dr. Sears

How do you win?
Simply visit the Shine A Light website and read Happy Baby's Story to learn why this company is so special. Then leave us a comment quoting anything you read in the story.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

• Giveaway is open to USA & Canada residents only
• When leaving your comment, don't forget to list your email address as well, otherwise we can't contact you in case you win.
• The deadline to enter is October 19th, 2009 Midnight EST. 
• One winner will be randomly selected.
  
• The winner will be notified by email on October 20th, 2009
• If we don't hear from you within 7 days to claim your giveaway another winner will be chosen.

GOOD LUCK!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Express, in partnership with NBC Universal, is sponsoring the "Shine A light" most inspiring small business award. The contest in now down to three finalists and the winner will be chosen by popular vote when online voting ends on October 16.

One of the three finalists, HAPPYBABY, is a company we identify with because they are small, woman owned, and green.
HappyBaby is an organic baby and toddler food company in Brooklyn, NY.

Let's help them win the $100,000 grant and marketing support from American Express.
Vote for them
you do have to fill out a quick registration form for your vote (I guess to make the vote legit) but helping out a fellow woman-owned-small-organic business is worth the effort. Remember that voting ends October 16, 2009.

Baby Finger Food Review: Happy Baby™ Organic Baby Foods

Our 2 and 3 year old food critics put Happy Baby™ Organic Foods to the test this past weekend.  These toddlers are picky eaters (as most toddlers are) and of course they love to snack on cookies and sweets, which doesn't make the parents happy. So, we went looking for a healthy and nutritious snack that would appeal to these toddlers' capricious palates. On the weekend we had them try the different Happy Baby™ organic food products and the Whole Grain Organic Puffs were the immediate favorites. The kiddies enjoyed holding the eco-friendly containers with their own hands and picking puffs with their little fingers. As parents we had peace of mind knowing that our kids were eating a naturally healthy organic snack that's been fortified with vitamins and minerals. These Happy Baby Organic Puffs are a keeper!

SHINE A LIGHT on "HAPPYBABY socially responsible organic baby foods"

American Express, in partnership with NBC Universal, is sponsoring the "Shine A light" most inspiring small business award. The contest in now down to three finalists and the winner will be chosen by popular vote when online voting ends on October 16.

One of the three finalists, HAPPYBABY, is a company we identify with because they are small, woman owned, and green.
HappyBaby is an organic baby and toddler food company in Brooklyn, NY.

Let's help them win the $100,000 grant and marketing support from American Express.
Vote for them
you do have to fill out a quick registration form for your vote (I guess to make the vote legit) but helping out a fellow woman-owned-small-organic business is worth the effort. Remember that voting ends October 16, 2009.

Delicious Organic Snacks for picky little eaters

I don't know any one year olds or two year olds who are not picky eaters. Maybe they exist in a far far away land. Who knows?

Here are two delicious and healthy treats that are never rejected by our kids: Organic Grapes and Organic Yogurt.

Grapes are an excellent snack and kids love their shape and love to pick them with their fingers to put in their mouths. Even though expensive, you should always try to buy organic grapes. If you find organic grapes on sale. Buy them!! Here's why: Grapes have been found to contain high amounts of pesticides. They are on the Dirty Dozen Foods list

"Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin.
Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include blueberries, kiwi and raspberries."

Another all time favorite treat that everyone around here just loves is the Stony Field Whole Milk Yogurt. Perfect for breakfast, perfect for snacks, perfect for dessert! The cream on top is just too deliciously decadent! Definitely and adult and kid favorite. And on top of that Stonyfield is a very cool company. They have coupons that you can use to save money on their products

Natural Remedies to Ease Pregnancy Heartburn

Heartburn can be one of the most annoying conditions triggered by the increased level of progesterone hormones during pregnancy. Progesterone makes it easier for stomach acid to move back into the esophagus, by relaxing a valve that would otherwise stop stomach acids from flowing back and irritating the lining of the esophagus.






Did you know that eating papaya can help you ease that nasty heartburn?

Yeap...it works! Papaya is not only delicious, healthy, and nutritious; papaya also contains digestive enzymes that work wonders at curing pregnancy heartburn. Another natural cure is Yogurt. We personally prefer a small serving (about half a cup) of Organic Natural Yogurt

In short, the HEARTBURN natural cures that have worked for us are:

• PAPAYA CHUNKS

• NATURAL FLAVORED YOGURT

So...how about making yourself (or asking hubby to make for you) a nice papaya/yogurt salad or a nice papaya/yogurt smoothie?