Yuck GMO

 It must have been a new moon, full moon or something since my kids played nicely all day yesterday together. It was cute listening to them use there imaginations playing school and house (especially at there ages of 3, 7 & 10. you'd think they'd be doing there separate thing but they really play well together) So, my husband and I took advantage of (this rare occasion) and cozied up on the couch under a blanket and watched Netflix. 

I came across "GMO OMG". I really thought it was a great documentary. It taught me a few new things about where GMO's might be lingering. I have a handful of friends who eat organic and feed there families very healthy home cooked meal. But then, I have the other handful who think organic food is for "hippies" and they have no idea what GMO stands for (in case you don't know it means Genetically Modified Foods http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food). I once had somebody ask if I cook anything else besides organic, and if I make regular food.....???? I stood dumbfounded. Seriously?!? What do you think organic means? Were people this uneducated about what organic is and where there food is coming from? 

After the movie a bit of guilt came over me, because here I am trying to feed my family the best that they can eat, and in actuality I can't protect them from the harmful possibility they're eating nasty chemicals. Every Halloween, every time we go out for ice cream or they get a birthday treat at there friends parties, they are really eating poisons. Ugh, so gross. It's very frustrating as a parent. 

Then it got me thinking more. Wow, my mom was diagnosed for the first time in her 40's with breast cancer (a woman who came to America from Europe, who most likely ate mostly fresh organic foods) Was it something she ate when she arrived here. My mom always made a home cooked meal every night for dinner (take-out and fast foods was non existent in my family growing up) but she was always looking for the bargain (she would put the people on "Extreme Coupon-ing" to shame) We never had organic foods (it was almost unheard of in the 80's). Everything she seasoned her foods with was most likely MSG filled. All her cereals she bought on sale (full of GMO'S) And all the dairy & meats (hormone up the waazoo) For lunches we practically lived on "Ramen Noodle Soups" (Imagine if she did feed me McDonalds, I'd probably be glowing)A little more towards the time my mom was diagnosed for the second time with cancer she became more knowledgable of eating more healthier, she began researching and using natural products and remedies (she almost became like a "Go To" medicine lady. She'd would actually get phone calls all the time from people asking her about her natural remedies to help them) At one point we even raised our own chickens which gave us fresh eggs daily. Unfortunately, cancer got the best of my mom and she passed away in October, of 2009. 

Though I know cancer and other illnesses can be genetically passed on, and the "research" hasn't been proven that all these chemicals are causing all these illnesses, I don't feel like taking my chances. As soon as the movie finished I ran online to find local organic farms. I was very pleased to find a farm only 20 minutes away from my house. They sell only organic meats, eggs and dairy products (can't wait to visit them later this week). I also went onto www.seedsavers.com  and ordered my seed catalog to start my own home grown fresh "organic" fruits and vegetables (I'm really excited since this will be my first garden in my new home and I have tons more places to plant) 

So, as hard as it might be I will always make sure to give my kids the best stuff for them. The greatest gift my husband and I can give our kids is, the knowledge of healthy eating, the knowledge of where our food and products come from. My goal in life is (and though my kids might not understand this today)... but, maybe in there future they will realize "Hey! My parents fed me all that good healthy organic, GMO free, Hormone free stuff and I just walked out of the doctors (at 99years old) with a clean bill of health". 

I highly recommend everyone watches this movie (even if you're not an organic eating hippie like me). You'll still learn a lot (and you won't ask others if they make regular foods besides organic). I guarantee you'll look at food you buy and eat differently.  Plus the family in this movie is adorable!

New Year, New Eats

Both my parents passed away from cancer by the time I was 27, so being healthy and raising my family to be healthy is very important to me.

I try to buy as much organic products as possible (Yes, I do opt out sometimes and buy the non-organic product) But, no matter what I at least try to stick to organic milk and meat products. It can get pricey,but I feel that is the best gift that I can give my kids (now they're young and don't understand too much, but hopefully it will benefit them in the future).

 As the New Year approached I wasn't even going to make a resolution (because I don't usually stick to it)But last minute,I decided I'd start the New Year with new eating habits (not a diet). Three weeks in, (a few minor slip ups)but, I've been sticking to my resolution and I really feel good! Breakfast has always been my least favorite meal. A cup of coffee with sweetened creamer, 4 sausages and waffles doused with syrup used to be my usual start to my morning....(now that I think of it, thats sounds like a gross start to my day) After researching and pinning I decided to creative with my morning meal. No sugar (not even imitation) & none,(to little) carbs.

Here are some pictures of my morning eats .



       2 scrambled organic eggs. Fresh strawberries and 1 Tbls of salsa! Coffee with skim milk, no sugar. Yummy and filling.

Avocado and egg bake I found this idea on Pinterest. I love avocado and egg. But together I wasn't a fan of this breakfast (at least I tried)

2 eggs scrambled. Fresh raspberries. Chopped spinach sautéed in garlic. A sprinkle of salt to taste.

2 eggs scrambled. A dab of red horseradish. Fresh apples sprinkled with cinnamon (my favorite 

breakfast, and very stuffing)

(Sorry the pic is so blurry)

Eggs scrambled with spinach and garlic. Tbls and salsa. Green tea no sugar.

I'll also have plain Greek yogurt with chia seeds, oatmeal with cinnamon & fruit. I've also tried making the over night cold oatmeal. Breakfast is slowly coming together. I'm always searching for new breakfast ideas ( less eggs)

"Banana Sushi Rolls"

One of the most popular snacks in my home is "Banana Sushi Rollups". I'm not sure how this snack came about, but I think I might have seen this on "Rachael Ray" so I can't take all the credit! But this is a favorite in my home. For one it's something different (not the usual goldfish) and it's a great finger food for the kids! My kids won't go near real sushi, but when they eat these they like to pretend they're eating the real thing (go figure. For the most part I use just "Peanut Butter" and banana...but I have done this with Nutella (yum) or P.B banana and honey. My oldest (who loves her chocolate) added chocolate chips to hers. So, there are a whole lot of ways of making this! All you need is: 4 slices of soft sandwich bread 1 banana 1scoop of peanut butter (or Nutella) Rolling pin Parchment paper. Pizza cutter (I literally use my pizza cutter for everything when it comes to cutting the kids food up) So, what I do is lay out the 4 slices of bread on the parchment paper (I didn't (oops) but you might want to lay a cutting board underneath the paper)

With the pizza cutter slice off the crust of the bread. Now over lap the edges (a little) of the bread to make one big square. Now lay another piece of parchment paper on top of the bread.

Roll it out flat. (make sure the edges are touching this way they won't separate later) Then on the flat bread spread P.B. or whatever you like

Then lay the banana on the bottom diagonal part of the bread. Then start the bread and banana together like you would sushi roll.

Cut it up into slices and there you go "Banana Sushi Rolls"

I'm a little new to blogging, and recipe writing so sorry if I confused you at all, lol. Leave a comment and/or pics of how they turned out!

600 Miles Away....

We did it.... We MOVED all the way from CT to MI!!! Yea, I am in a little shock still too. Over 600 miles away from all we ever knew, but we are adjusting very well. We love the house we chose (thank goodness since I hadn't seen it before we bought it lol) the kids and pets love it too! So, moving day was a little stressful. Since we had everything shipped out 2weeks prior (thank goodness for my sister and hubby coming down to move our moving truck for us)We thought, filling a mini van with the "very little" stuff I kept to get us by would fit perfectly....ummm nope. I had way to much stuff. I think I packed and repacked the van like 10x...I ended up having to toss like half of everything I kept....so, now we had a mini van packed to the roof (literally) 3 kids, our dog,cat (yes cat) and over 600 miles ahead of us. Amazingly we all did very well (even kitty) Had a few stops along the way. No tears,no tantrums,and GPS is the best!!! The house is very nice. Everything we were looking for, 4 bedrooms 3 baths 2 car garage. It's a little bigger than I thought, so some rooms still look a little bare with empty walls (it's always a good excuse to go to Home Goods) But, we have been here for a few months now and we seem to be settling in nicely. MI is not to much different from CT. The only cons are the pizza & Chinese food (yuck) and I can't find Portuguese rolls....and of course we miss our friends and family. Pros are we love the house and neighborhood. It doesn't get dark here until 10pm so that we like a lot, and everything is very family oriented (much more than Ct) (Advice) if you are thinking of moving out of state to start new "DO IT". Dont let family, friends or comfort stop you. I feel like I can conquer anything now. The way I feel is its 2014 and its so easy to hop in a car,plane, train or bus or Skype/FaceTime family and friends (they can make the effort and visit you too) everything is the same state to state (it is America for goodness sake) But, honestly this move feels no different than as if I moved down the street. Here are some pics of our new home. Just a few. I am still decorating the kids rooms and master bedroom. So hopefully I'll have more pics up soon! Pictures are from our Main Bathroom.Formal living room. Kitchen and of course the outside of the house!