10.31.2008

Voting Red, Blue or.....Green?

Whether you're voting "red" or "blue" this election, we can all be green. We know the elections have grabbed our attention as have the wild gyrations of the stock market, but this is a great time regardless of party affiliation to look at going green by recycling election materials.... We've all been wrapped up in focusing on the candidates, the issues, the piles of propositions on our ballets. Some of us have voted early, some of us will cast our ballots on Tuesday. But when it's all said and done, you've probably got a pile of last minute election mail just sitting around. Instead of tossing it in the trash, be sure to recycle it. Since it's always a good idea to remove your name and address from paper before you recycle it, I always find that it just starts piling up on a counter when I come home from a long day of work and check the mail - the last thing I want to do is deal with junk mail, flyers and miscellaneous no-longer-relevant mail.

So, I developed a new system that's working pretty well, it might work for you. I toss all my junk mail (or mail that's ready to be discarded) in a box in the corner and once a week, I pull it out and deal with it. I create three piles - shred, recycle and trash. Then, during an hour of TV one night, I go through all of it during commercial breaks and boom, it's done. (Make sure bills get put in a safe place and not in this pile or you might find yourself with late payments - better yet, sign up for e-statement and forgo the paper statement altogether...).

If you have kids, you can do this once per month and have a contest as to who can remove the most address parts of the mail. Remember there are address labels on the outside and on the inside of many catalogs these days. You can shred the address labels and in most towns, if you shred into clear plastic bags, you can also recycle the shredded paper (I know, it's a plastic bag, I haven't figured out a way around that one yet).

So, let's remember that while we all have our opinions about politics and elections, it's ultimately about how each of us participates in this world of ours. So, once the elections are over, take all those flyers, postcards, mailers and yard signs and recycle them.
Read more!

10.28.2008

Food Fundamentals - Natural Sweeteners - Stevia

Stevia is an intensive sweetener made form the leaves of a South American plant commonly known as, well, stevia, or Stevia rebaudiana. It's been used for centuries in South America to sweeten mate tea. The active ingredient in stevia is stevioside.

Stevia has no calories and is considered safe for use by diabetics. It's a great substitute for artificial sweeteners and has similar properties. Intensive sweeteners like stevia (the other commonly known intensive sweetener is licorice root) are often imperfect replacements for table sugar.

Stevia can be used in both cooking and baking as well as for uncooked foods such as cold cereal or to sweetened hot or cold beverages. Stevia does not carmelize like sugar does, so you'll need to adjust your recipes that use sugar if you want to substitute stevia when baking.

Here's a link to the Sweet Leaf Stevia website with recipes using stevia.

Here's a link to Stevia Liquid and Stevia powder at shopOrganic.com.

Next up....Succanat. Read more!

Food Fundamentals - Natural Sweeteners - Blackstrap Molasses

My sister gave me this amazing book last year, it's called On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee. It's food and cooking for geeks, really. It's one of the most fascinating books I own - I pick it up, open it to a random page and read interesting and sometimes arcane facts about food. At any rate, if you're a food lover, you might find this book interesting and since the holidays are quickly approaching, it might make a superlative, affordable gift for the foodie in your life (and you know who they are...you're most likely having Thanksgiving dinner with them or they're the ones who bring the absolutely best pies, cakes, cookies, entrees, or desserts - you get the idea).

At any rate, I use this book as a reference all the time and I thought today's post on molasses might be a good use of some of Mr. McGee's knowledge...

Cane sugar is made from crushing the whole stem of the cane plant, which includes substances such as proteins, complex carbohydrates, tannins and pigments. These days, most sugar cane is processed using two distinct phases. Since harvested sugar cane is highly perishable, the first phase of crystallizing the raw, unrefined sugar is done very close to the plantations where the cane is grown. The second phase occurs elsewhere and the crystallized sugar is refined.

Molasses is the syrup left over in cane sugar processing. The "first" molasses is the product of the first step in cane sugar processing and is the lightest molasses. The "second" molasses is darker in color and is more concentrated than the first. The "third" or final molasses is typically called blackstrap molasses for its dark color. It contains the least amount of sucrose of the three and is typically more bitter.

The darker the molasses, the more its sugars have been transformed by carmelization, so the less sweet and more bitter it is. The flavor of molasses is far more complex than simple cane sugar. It's popular in gingerbread, spice cookies, BBQ sauce and baked beans. Molasses, unlike other cane sugars, can also help retain moisture in baked goods.

So, thanks to Harold McGee for this world of knowledge about molasses, its origins and uses. If you're baking this upcoming holiday season, be sure to have molasses on hand for those deep, rich spice cookies. Here's my favorite molasses cookie recipe - there's a relatively long list of ingredients, but they're standard pantry items so don't be intimidated.

MOLASSES SPICE COOKIES

Ingredients:
1/3 cup (about 2.5 ounces) granulated sugar (plus more for dipping)
2 1/4 cups (11.25 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon (tsp.) baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice (for a variation, substitute 1/4 tsp. cardamom)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup (about 6 ounces) light or dark molasses

(P.S. If the spices in your cupboard have been in there since time began, do your recipes a favor and replace them before the holiday baking season is upon you. Fresh spices make your baked goods taste remarkable rather than simply ho-hum...)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup of sugar for dipping cookies in an 8 inch or 9 inch cake pan.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda, spices and salt in medium bowl and set aside.

3. In standing mixer with paddle attachment (or by hand), beat butter with brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes in the mixer).

4. Reduce speed to low, add egg yolk and vanilla. Increase speed to incorporate.

5. Add molasses, beat until incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

6. Reduce speed to lowest setting, add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Give dough final stir with spatula to ensure there are no unmixed pockets. Dough will be soft.

7. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll between your palms into a ball then drop in sugar pan and roll around to coat with sugar.

8. Set on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

9. Bake on sheet at a time until cookies are browned, still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft. (cookies will look raw between the cracks and seem underdone - do not overbake!).

10. Cool in baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack for cooling.

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated Magazine, Jan/Feb 2002, p. 24.

Here's a link to Organic Blackstrap Molasses

Here's a link to Organic Dark Brown Sugar

And here's a link to Organic Cane Sugar

Finally, if you're interested in different kinds of natural sweeteners, here's a link to the whole sweetener & syrup category at shopOrganic.com.

Next up, the skinny on stevia.... Read more!

10.27.2008

Food Fundamentals - Natural Sweeteners - Agave Nectar

There are a lot of different sweeteners available and in a series of short posts, I'll cover some of the lesser known stars. Let's start with one of my personal favorites, agave nectar.

Agave nectar is produced from the agave plant - the same plant tequila happens to come from. However, agave nectar is nothing like tequila. Agave nectar has a very mild flavor - it tastes more like simple syrup than anything else. The amber version has a bit more depth of flavor, but if you're looking for a great all purpose sweetener, agave nectar may just fill the bill.

Since it's in liquid form, it's really good for sweetening cold liquids, but it's suitable for use in just about any application that requires a sweetener (you may have to adjust baking recipes to account for the liquidity and viscosity of the sweetener).

What's remarkable about agave nectar is that it's mild flavor is similar to table sugar but it has a very low glycemic index - meaning that it won't tweak your blood sugar like regular sugar (or many other sweeteners) will. In fact, agave nectar is considered suitable for most diabetics because of its uniquely low glycemic index.

So, discover agave nectar - for your morning coffee, a bowl of cereal, a refreshing glass of iced tea or lemonade - or anything else you might want to sweeten.

Here's a links to organic agave nectar products on shopOrganic.com:
Madhava Organic Light Amber Agave Nectar

Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Raw Blue Agave Nectar

Madhava Organic Light Amber Agave Nectar gallon

Madhava Organic Dark Amber Agave Nectar gallon

Enjoy! Read more!

10.24.2008

The Affordable Organic Life

I've been talking with a lot of people recently about this economic meltdown and how it's likely to impact people committed to organic food and green lifestyles. It's interesting because without exception, I've heard people say things like "I can cut back in a lot of places if I need to, but I'm not willing to compromise on the food I eat."

I think that's a fairly universal sentiment among organic consumers. Certainly, economic considerations factor in - but most folks I've talked to have said they'd rather eat fewer meals out or buy fewer new clothes than buy conventional (non-organic) food.

The good news in all of this is that many organic products have come down in price and are often comparable to conventional items. I found organic bananas in my grocery store the other day that were actually less expensive than the non-organic variety. So, there are some bargains are available if you keep your eye out for them.

At shopOrganic.com, we've expanded our line of value-priced organic foods so that a wide cross-section of consumers can purchase affordable organic foods. We have a line called "Our Pantry" that is one of the least expensive and most delicious organic food we've ever tasted.

We also offer a wide variety of bulk foods so that we reduce packaging AND reduce costs. Bulk foods are a great way to buy organic on a budget and we've increased our bulk line, called "Greater Goods" over the past several months.

The flip side is that food is one of the least expensive ways you can treat yourself and your family to a special night. Make an exotic recipe at home, get the whole family to pitch in. Rent video on demand or a DVD and create affordable at-home events. Splurge on interesting ingredients for a special meal and share quality time with your friends, family and loved ones.

The bottom line is there are a lot of ways to continue to buy organic and green products on a tight budget and to splurge and indulge your taste buds on a budget. We're doing our part to help our customers find products they need at fair prices. As a small business, we're living through the same trials and tribulations you are, so we're committed to continue finding ways to work together through this turbulent time knowing that when we work together, better days are ahead.

Thoughts? Comments? We've love to hear from you. Read more!

10.01.2008

Chinese Products & Why Organic Matters Even More

You have probably heard about the problem with tainted milk products from China. This is another reason, in a very long and growing list of reasons, for sticking with organic products. The number of Chinese products in organic products in the US is low and dropping. Many organic manufacturers are looking hard at their supply chain to ensure that only high quality reliable organic ingredients make it into their products.

China is growing fast and furious and the world's hunger for low cost goods has created a bit of a 'gold rush' mentality in China. Just like the gold rushes in the U.S. back in the 1800's, rules are broken and the rule of law is often ignored. It doesn't make it right, but that's just how it is right now.

So, in the meantime, support your local producers and buy certified organic products whenever possible. Your risk of any exposure to these harmful products is already low, but it becomes extremely low when you stick with organic products.

Of course, if you haven't been to shopOrganic.com yet, give it a shot. I'm one of the owners and I can tell you we're committed to providing high quality organic products you can trust. And, if you want to save even more, use coupon code GRGDS to save 10% off your first order. Cool or what?

Now, go out there and enjoy your day. Read more!