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Organic Dairy Rated!
Feb. 21st, 2015 06:45 amorganic dairy brands rated--click on the farms to see how they are rated!
I am pleased to say that the new-to-us brands at Natural Grocers are four and five cow brands.
I am pleased to say that the new-to-us brands at Natural Grocers are four and five cow brands.
Those of you who know me are aware that I have a decadent chili recipe made slowly with dark beer. But now that I live alone AND no longer eat gluten, I haven't even returned to my wonderful recipe. (I can now have an occasional wheat sourdough-made-with-natural-sponge-and-no-yeast. Like once every six months. Sigh.)
Wandering at my local Natural Grocer, I found the Simply Organic packets. Most of them are still too powerful for me, but my inner sense liked the Mild Chili packet. I had a pound of grass-fed beef begging to be used, so I grabbed a 14 oz. can of Muir Glen tomatoes (I like whole, peeled and cut them up--the recipe on the packet suggests diced tomatoes) rejected beans this time and hurried home for chili.
I will say right here that this product is labeled Vegan, but not GF. I am often HIGHLY sensitive to GF, and did not have any of my gluten reactions to this product. The company does make Certified gluten products, and I will keep a lookout for their mole sauce (certified!). So this is a "possible but verify" in whatever fashion you use for safe food for you. Organic, simple, possibly a new week night meal....
I did it this way:
1 Tbsp EVOO (that's Extra Virgin Olive Oil for those new to the acronym.)
1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
1 can Muir Glen Organic whole, peeled tomatoes, cut up (I toss the stem areas; never ripe enough for me.)
1 packet Simply Organic Mild Chili spice.
I decided not to add extra salt, garlic or onion until I tested the packet, and felt it did not need it. Wasn't my chili, of course, but it was tasty! No beans (in the recipe) since I am being easy on beans right now. Also--I am into good fat, and this was Grass-fed beef, so I did NOT drain it as the packet suggested. If you're not using grass-fed beef, I would definitely follow the packet and drain after cooking the beef (cooking on low, if you use the EVOO.)
I did have chili burps from this version, and I don't burp from my version. So one of their additions was saying "hummm?" Maybe the coriander, maybe the rice flour or cane sugar in this form.
Lovely with GMO-free corn chips (blue, today!) or cheesy rolls I made.
Wandering at my local Natural Grocer, I found the Simply Organic packets. Most of them are still too powerful for me, but my inner sense liked the Mild Chili packet. I had a pound of grass-fed beef begging to be used, so I grabbed a 14 oz. can of Muir Glen tomatoes (I like whole, peeled and cut them up--the recipe on the packet suggests diced tomatoes) rejected beans this time and hurried home for chili.
I will say right here that this product is labeled Vegan, but not GF. I am often HIGHLY sensitive to GF, and did not have any of my gluten reactions to this product. The company does make Certified gluten products, and I will keep a lookout for their mole sauce (certified!). So this is a "possible but verify" in whatever fashion you use for safe food for you. Organic, simple, possibly a new week night meal....
I did it this way:
1 Tbsp EVOO (that's Extra Virgin Olive Oil for those new to the acronym.)
1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
1 can Muir Glen Organic whole, peeled tomatoes, cut up (I toss the stem areas; never ripe enough for me.)
1 packet Simply Organic Mild Chili spice.
I decided not to add extra salt, garlic or onion until I tested the packet, and felt it did not need it. Wasn't my chili, of course, but it was tasty! No beans (in the recipe) since I am being easy on beans right now. Also--I am into good fat, and this was Grass-fed beef, so I did NOT drain it as the packet suggested. If you're not using grass-fed beef, I would definitely follow the packet and drain after cooking the beef (cooking on low, if you use the EVOO.)
I did have chili burps from this version, and I don't burp from my version. So one of their additions was saying "hummm?" Maybe the coriander, maybe the rice flour or cane sugar in this form.
Lovely with GMO-free corn chips (blue, today!) or cheesy rolls I made.
Environmental Working Group has released their 2012 Dirty Dozen of most contaminated fruits and vegetables, and their Clean Fifteen list of foods with the least amount of pesticide contamination. Note that this is pesticide, not herbicide. We need other lists for herbicides, alas. This link goes to the summary and charts.
There is now a "Plus" group for foods that are not in the dirty dozen but have special concerns:
This year we have expanded the Dirty Dozen with a Plus category to highlight two crops -- green beans and leafy greens, meaning, kale and collard greens - that did not meet traditional Dirty Dozen criteria but were commonly contaminated with highly toxic organophosphate insecticides. These insecticides are toxic to the nervous system and have been largely removed from agriculture over the past decade. But they are not banned and still show up on some food crops.
Which is why I always, always buy organic! I DON'T BUY if there is no organic available. I was getting a sticky ring from cooking kale that had to be scrubbed off pots by hand with a Brillo pad or my trusty cherry pit scour stuff. Now I know what it was, and pray I'm not damaged by it.
Think organic -- and vote for it.
There is now a "Plus" group for foods that are not in the dirty dozen but have special concerns:
This year we have expanded the Dirty Dozen with a Plus category to highlight two crops -- green beans and leafy greens, meaning, kale and collard greens - that did not meet traditional Dirty Dozen criteria but were commonly contaminated with highly toxic organophosphate insecticides. These insecticides are toxic to the nervous system and have been largely removed from agriculture over the past decade. But they are not banned and still show up on some food crops.
Which is why I always, always buy organic! I DON'T BUY if there is no organic available. I was getting a sticky ring from cooking kale that had to be scrubbed off pots by hand with a Brillo pad or my trusty cherry pit scour stuff. Now I know what it was, and pray I'm not damaged by it.
Think organic -- and vote for it.
