The holiday season is a magical time of the year—but can also be a wasteful one. The time period from Thanksgiving-New Year’s has a huge environmental impact in terms of water use, greenhouse gases and land disturbance caused by the production of some of our favorite holiday treats and staples. The good news? If we take even tiny steps toward reducing our footprint this holiday season, the results an go a very long way. (FUN FACT: If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 28,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the Earth!).
Here are some easy ‘green’ shifts to consider this year:
DIY Gifts. If you’ve been given a homemade gift lately, you know how special it feels to receive such a treat. Keep it simple, keep it healthy, and keep it from the heart this holiday season.
Gifts in a Jar
Edible Food Gifts
Gifts Kids Can Make
Or…buy eco-friendly gifts. Resist buying gifts that will end up in a landfill. Purchase Earth-forward gifts that will improve the life of the recipient without harming the planet. Some of our favorites:
Use recycled wrapping paper. Did you know traditional gift wrap is not always recyclable? Reusing and recycling materials you find around the house (paper grocery bags, magazines, newspapers, old bits of fabric) is a better (and free!) way to go—at least your wrap served a purpose at one time. Or purchase reusable wrap like this.
Make your own decorations. Most of these DIY decoration ideas—based on recycling and upcycling what you have at home and foraging for what you don’t—cost next to nothing to make and are fun family activities (with a subtle environmental message attached!).
Use LED holiday lights. A household with an extravagant Christmas light display will spend enough money to heat and power an average house for six weeks, and produce 882 pounds of carbon dioxide. Save energy and reduce harmful CO2 emissions by purchasing LED (light emitting diode) lights this holiday season. LED lights are pricier, but they last longer and use 80 percent less energy than conventional lights. Solar lights—charged on a sunny winter day and glowing by night—are also a better bet, and require no electricity source.
Buy an organic tree. Like conventionally grown produce, the pesticides used on conventionally grown Christmas trees have been associated with a range of health issues including cancer, birth defects, asthma and more. Find an organic Christmas tree farm on Long Island/NY State, then make sure you dispose of it the right way.
Don’t waste food. Americans throw away roughly $165 billion in uneaten food every year, according to government data. To help combat all this waste, the NRDC’s Save the Food Campaign has come up with a dinner party food calculator…just in time for the holidays. Make what you need, eat what you make.
Enjoy your holidays! And if you start a new holiday habit with an eye on the environment, post it on Instagram, and tag Rising Tide Market. We’d love to see what you’re up to! Little changes can go a long way…
You pick your own, you carve it, you clean out the goo and roast the yummy seeds. But what else can your pumpkin do? Turns out pumpkin is one of the healthier things you’ll eat this fall. Packed with antioxidants, Vitamins A and C, fiber, and omega-3s, pumpkin is much more than just its gorgeous orange flesh. And what feels more like fall than eating pumpkin (or drinking it, as in the case of the pumpkin spice latte from vegan heavyweight Oh She Glows)?
Make this fall the pumpkiny-est ever with this awesome collection of recipes (note: fresh pumpkin is not required for most of these recipes. A high-quality canned pumpkin puree like the one from Farmer’s Market is more than adequate in almost every case.)
Don’t have time to whip up your own pumpkin-coctions? Rosie’s homemade Pumpkin Spice Pudding and Brian’s Pumpkin Protein Smoothie are right here at Rising Tide Market, in the grab and go case by the Deli.
BREADS & MUFFINS
Savory Pumpkin-Sage Muffins
Alton Brown’s Pumpkin Bread
ENTREES
Chipotle Pumpkin Veggie Burger
Pumpkin Chickpea Hot Pot
BREAKFAST
Pumpkin Spice Latte Quinoa Breakfast Casserole
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes (vegan)
Pumpkin Waffles (dairy)
VEGAN
Pumpkin Pie Tarts
Pumpkin Spice Latte with Salted Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Pumpkin Spice Latte Chocolate Pudding Cake
Everyone who makes lunches—for themselves or their kids—knows what a hassle it is to make meals (every day!) that are well-rounded, healthy and most elusive of all…enjoyable to eat. Try as we may, time and creativity can be hard to come by in the midst of work, carpools, homework and other obligations.
Yet…the facts are in. School lunch is not something to be overlooked or undervalued. Among the many, many studies about school lunch, a recent paper out of U.C. Berkeley demonstrated that school districts serving healthier lunches had higher test scores. A direct correlation. If these districts can improve test scores by jacking up nutrition content, imagine what you can accomplish from your kitchen at home?
It All Starts With an Idea
As with most things in life, the first step is inspiration. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has put together some great tips for cleaning up your school lunches in terms of ingredients and sustainability (zero-waste lunch, anyone?). Pinterest is a well-spring of innovative lunch items, as is this article on bento-box lunches, and this one from Bon Appetit. 100 Days of Real Food has loads of ideas for real healthy lunches, made with real clean ingredients. Peruse the articles, then come in to Rising Tide to stock up for the first few weeks of school. We’ve got a whole lot of back to school snacks and more on sale in August; you may find your child’s favorite new treat amongst them.
Not yet sold? This article from the NY Times does a great job illustrating how far a few solid, healthy school meals can go in the life of an impoverished child.
Here are a few more back-to-school recipes to get you started:
Carrot Applesauce Muffins
Hummus Wrap
Creamy (Vegan) Tomato Rice Soup (Thermos lunches are the bomb! Or try our Lifefactory glass storage containers…on sale this month!)
Peanut Butter Stuffed No-Bake Cookie Bites
**Post and WIN!**
What’s YOUR favorite lunch to pack for work or school? Post it on our Instagram and you’ll WIN 2, 8oz reusable round storage containers from Preserve—perfect for all your on-the-go snacks. Just come in and show us your post…the containers are yours!
For omnivores, a traditional July 4th BBQ means burgers, hot dogs, and other meaty treats. Think out of the (butcher’s) box this summer, and you’ll be healthier for it.
You might have heard: grilling meat at high temps can cause nasty, carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to form. That char you love so much on your grilled chicken? Once your meat reaches that level of blackness, the protein has literally transformed into a whole different, cancer-causing chemical.
All You Need Is a Few Good Marinades
If meat IS on your summer grilling menu, there are ways to reduce its harmful byproducts. The simple act of marinating can reduce the concentration of HCAs by up to 99%! The trick is to choose a marinade without added sugars (store-bought commercial barbecue sauces are the worst), preferably one that’s thin and vinegar-based (beer and olive oil can also cut down on carcinogens). As an added bonus, add some herbs from the mint family (basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano and thyme); they’re rich in antioxidants that can counteract any carcinogens created by grilling. Check this out for more on safer meat grilling.
Or better still…go veggie this 4th! Grilling provides a smoky twist to seasonal produce (and man, is this season’s produce amazing).
And we’re not just talking veggies…grilling fruits is healthy way to soften, sweeten and bring out all their lovely juices. Having friends over? Provide a whole bunch of fruits (peaches, plums, pineapple, bananas and more) and let each person kabob and grill their own picks.
When deciding which fruits and veggies to throw on the grill, keep in mind the Dirty Dozen—those items plagued with the greatest amount of harmful pesticides.
NY Times Grilling Essentials
Tips for Grilling Veggies
How to Avoid Mistakes When Grilling Veggies
Best Fruits to Grill
Amazing Grilled Fruit Recipes
Whether it’s at the beach or a park or your own backyard, there’s nothing better than dining outdoors.
Here are some of the best places to lay your blanket on Long Island, along with some excellent tips for staging a terrific event.
DO’s and DON’Ts for the Perfect Picnic
DO’S
DO choose a good location. If it’s a romantic picnic, select a spot with significance to the two of you, or a spot with a pretty view. For a family picnic, make sure there’s lots of room for kids to run around (preferably on a playground, field, etc.).
DO pick a theme. It will give both you and your guests a chance to get deliciously creative.
DO pack cheese, fruit, bread, crackers, salad, cold chicken, sweets, and other foods that will be easy to pack and serve.
DO organize a potluck picnic. Be sure to delegate so you don’t have five pasta salads or cut-up watermelons.
DO devise a meal plan ahead of time so you aren’t digging in your refrigerator at the last minute.
DON’TS
DON’T bring ice cream or foods that can easily spoil.
DON’T make it complicated, or bring anything with too many moving parts (i.e. nothing you have to cut with a knife!). Simple is best.
DON’T feel like you have to spend a ton of money to make a great picnic. Homemade dishes are your best bet for keeping costs down. Check out the ton of great picnic recipes below.
DON’T worry about having a fancy picnic basket. A cardboard box works fine, as does any insulated bag.
DON’T forget the vino! Rising Tide carries a 64oz HydroFlask growler that can hold two full bottles of rosé. Toast to summer with the taste of summer.
3 Themed Picnics from Mark Bittman
101 Picnic Ideas from the New York Times
Great Picnic Salads
Simple, Rustic Picnic from Ina Garten
More Easy Picnic Ideas
Margaritas, nachos, sombreros…here in the U.S. we make a big party out of this May holiday most of us know very little about.
Contrary to what a lot of us think, Cinco de Mayo does NOT celebrate Mexico’s independence from Spain, but instead, Mexico’s unlikely victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla, 1862. Mexico’s actual Independence Day is on Sept. 16th and that IS a big party in Mexico. In fact, Mexico’s partying on May the 5th doesn’t hold a candle to the one in L.A., which hosts the biggest Cinco de Mayo bash on the globe. (If we’ve piqued your interest, click here for more facts about Cinco de Mayo.)
Taste of Mexico
History aside, we DO like an excuse to serve up great-tasting goodies, Mexican-style. Here at Rising Tide we’ll have all the organic avocados you’ll need to make a truly superb guacamole, along with tortilla chips on sale from Late July, Way Better Snacks, Lundberg Family Farms and more. If you don’t want to make your own guac, just pick up some from the Deli, along with homemade pico de gallo and more. And grab some of our freshly squeezed, organic Strawberry Lemonade; nothing is tastier when mixed with some good tequila!
The egg-heavy holiday of Passover (not to mention that pesky lamb shank!) is an opportunity for Vegans to get creative. If you’re also avoiding rice, beans and corn, you have to improvise even more, but that shouldn’t stop you from having a deliciously festive holiday.
First, let’s get straight what’s allowed and not allowed, according to Jewish law. During their escape from Egypt, the Jews didn’t have time to let their bread rise and instead ate unleavened bread or matzoh, so leavened foods (chametz) are off the menu. These include bread, pasta, and any foods made with yeast, wheat, rye, barley, spelt and oats.
In addition to these restrictions, Ashkenazi Jews also stay away from other foods known as kitniyot. As mentioned above, this includes rice, corn, millet, peas, beans, legumes (including soybeans), peanuts and sesame, poppy and mustard seeds.
Even with all of these no-no’s, there are lots of ways for Vegans to go when preparing a Passover menu. Quinoa, for example, is not considered a grain (it’s actually a very versatile berry!), and can make a wonderful pilaf. Traditional pasta is no good, but veggie noodles are; get that spiralizer out for a delicious “noodle” dish everyone will love. Do without chopped liver? Never, when you can improvise with this savory mushroom cashew dip.
Check out these Vegan Passover primers from the NY Times and onegreenplanet.com, and a whole bunch of other recipes we think you’ll love. A Zissen Pesach (Happy Passover!) to you and yours. (Don’t forget your Passover staples! While you’re shopping for the ingredients to make your fabulous Vegan seder, pick up your organic Manischewitz Matzo and organic Kedem grape juice.)
Mushroom Cashew Dip (faux chopped liver)
Quinoa Veggie Pilaf
Noodles with Avocado Herb Pesto
Spinach Potato Matzah Gratin
No-Bake Chocolate Macaroons
Sweet Potato Kugel
To gift an Easter basket to someone who loves you is one of the holiday’s simple pleasures. And it doesn’t need to be stacked with all kinds of avoidables—high fructose corn syrup, food dye, sugar, sugar, sugar—to be something special. We’ve got everything you need to create a thoughtful Easter basket that’s plenty sweet, but with a healthy twist.
Chocolate
Start with the main event. When it comes to Easter chocolate, don’t settle for less than the best. We’ve got organic Lake Champlain Chocolates in every shape and form: chocolate bunnies, chocolate, peanut butter and caramel Easter eggs, chocolate carrots, and milk and dark chocolate truffles and more. Everything is beautifully wrapped and ready for its Easter close up.
Candies & Other Treats
Equally delicious (and still made without any preservatives or chemical food dyes) are organic lollipops and gummies from Yum Earth, and organic jelly beans from Surf Sweets. Mint and Red Velvet Snowballs (in the case near the Deli) by local baker Pleasant Petites are colorful (and tasty!) enough to grace the prettiest Easter basket, and are Vegan, gluten free and organic. Colorful candy coated chocolate peanut candies by Sunspire can be found in our Bulk section, as can organic trail mix—the crunchy nuts and seeds cut nicely through all the sweet treats. Go a little crazy and add a few pieces of fruit—oranges or small containers of organic pomegranate arils are bright and fresh and packed with disease-fighting antioxidants.
Colored Eggs
Add a rainbow of colors with hardboiled eggs decorated with a non-toxic dye kit by Color Kitchen; then get creative serving up the leftover eggs. We’ve also got colored frosting and rainbow sprinkle kits for beautiful Easter cakes cupcakes.
Surprise Items
Lastly, personalize the basket with some fun, non-edible items. For small children, stickers, erasers, stuffed bunnies, watercolor paints and coloring books, small puzzles and Play Doh (comes in an egg!) are always a hit. Treat tweens and teens to chemical-free Pogo Lip Balm from Eco Lips in fun, bright colors; colorful stainless steel water bottles from Hydro Flask and Life Factory, spring-themed candles from Big Dipper Wax Works, and our favorite Easter basket add-in: our top-selling flossing toothbrush from SoFresh.
Once you’ve assembled your healthier Easter basket, gift it to someone you love…and have a wonderful Easter!
As St. Paddy’s Day approaches, you might be thinking about how you can get festive, bright green foods on your table (and in the kids’ lunchboxes, etc.) without toxic food dyes (linked to hyperactivity, allergic reactions and tumor growth—and banned in Europe). Here are some fun St. Paddy’s Day alternative snacks, desserts and entrees, using naturally green goodies like spinach, avocado, kale and more (your kids don’t need to know what’s in them!), plus a DIY food dye that can be used in a million creative ways.
Green Muffins
Avocado Frosting
Kale Chips with Chile and Lime
Great, Green Potato Skins Appetizer
Vegan Basil-Walnut Pesto
DIY Green food coloring
Traditional soda bread contains just flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Depending on the baker, you’ll find loads of variations on that theme including brown breads, dessert breads, and the classic Irish-American version with raisins and caraway seeds—the one you’ll find in most U.S. bakeries. If you’re a DIY bread maker (and this one is easy…no kneading!), play around with different recipes this St. Paddy’s Day, and see which one you like best. Or come into Rising Tide St. Paddy’s Day week and try ours (we make Irish Soda Bread scones, and they are FANTASTIC).
NY Times Skillet Soda Bread
Irish Brown Bread
Soda Bread with Dark Chocolate and Candied Orange Peel
Gluten-free Irish Soda bread
It’s almost spring…time to RENEW, to dig out from the piles of dirt and clutter we accumulated over the winter and get everything glowing again.
Are your cleaning products as healthy as your diet? According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit environmental research organization, 53 percent of cleaning products they reviewed contained lung-harming ingredients; 22 percent have been shown to cause asthma. In addition, carcinogens like formaldehyde and chloroform were found in several cleaners.
DIY Cleaning
In an effort to minimize the negative effects of chemical cleaners in your own home, common household items can be great substitutes. Here are some must-haves to keep in your DIY cleaning supplies arsenal. Stock up on the basics, then use these simple recipes to create everything you need to make your house sparkle, naturally.
Lemon: Super effective against household bacteria (and smells fresh and lovely!)
Olive Oil: Makes a great base for leather furniture cleaner and more
White Vinegar: Safely cuts through grease, and removes mildew, odors and stains
Baking Soda: The ultimate green cleaning weapon—cleans, deodorizes and scours
Tea Tree Oil: An excellent natural disinfectant and natural mold fighter
Make These Products Extinct
Once you’ve greened up all your necessary products, let’s dump the ones the EWG says we don’t need anymore, EVER. These include:
- Air fresheners (open windows instead, or diffuse your favorite essential oils)
- Anti-bacterial products, which can spur the rise of antibiotic resistant superbugs. Good old soap and H2O does the trick every time!
- Fabric softener or dryer sheets. Instead, use wool dryer balls or add a little vinegar to the rinse cycle.
- Drain cleaners (use a plunger or snake instead) and oven cleaners (make an inexpensive paste of baking soda and water).
What is better on a cold winter day than a steaming, comforting, filling hot bowl of SOUP? The only thing better is a soup made from scratch, and being around to enjoy the warm, savory aromas while it cooks.
Let’s clear one thing up from the start: making soup is NOT difficult. Aside from some chopping and stirring, it virtually cooks itself, makes a large quantity, and freezes like a charm.
Start off a meal with a helping of soup and studies show you’ll feel fuller, longer. Make your own stock (so easy!) or bone broth (great for digestion and immunity) and you up the nutrition ante on any recipe you use. (If you don’t have time to make your own, there are some great bone broths at the store, located in the refrigerator case across from the Deli.)
We’ve got a bunch of recipes here for you, but don’t feel like you have to follow them to the letter. The nature of soup is that it is very forgiving. Change nearly all the ingredients and it will still taste wonderful!
A NY Times Guide to Making Soup
10 Bloggers Share Their Favorite Soup Recipes
17 Soups to Make and Eat All Week Long
Jamie Oliver’s Gorgeous Winter Soups
Recipe: Beef Bone Broth
Bon Appetit: Homemade Veggie Stock
Snacks. You love ‘em and you hate ‘em. But either way, you’re most likely having them. According to one study, some 90 % of adults surveyed admitted to snacking at least once daily; 50% nosh 2-3x/day. But what, exactly, are we noshing on? And are we serving our bodies in a way that helps us to stay healthy, strong and satiated? If your snack is too carb heavy, the answer is no—all you’ll get from that is the inevitable sugar crash an hour down the line.
We’ve all been there, and we get it. That’s why when we’re really on our game, we opt for snacks that meet a few key criteria: a) convenience (it’s got to be grab and go for us!), b) a healthy mix of fat, protein and carbs for satiety, strength and blood sugar regulation, and c) it’s got to be tasty.
Make this the year of the no-bake protein bite. A breeze to whip up (most take 15 minutes or less), made from only whole foods, and unlike some other healthy snacks really delicious, they’re the answer to our snack prayers. Plus there are so many different kinds, you’ll never get bored. We’ve included a few recipes here, but there are hundreds of others online (do a search for “protein balls” or energy bites”). Have one or two when you’re in a slump, and they’ll keep you full until your next meal. With zero guilt.
Coconut Lime Energy Bites
Superseed Protein Chocolate Bites
Bluberry Muffin Energy Balls
Raw Protein Energy Balls
It’s common knowledge…the amount of holiday cheer you’ll enjoy is directly related to the quality of your TREATS! Whatever you celebrate in December, you’ll want to get your hands on some holiday-specific goodies that’ll really make your season bright. You really want your stuff to sparkle? Make them yourself.
Cookies
Take a cue from Martha herself and keep it simple with this assortment of kitchen-tested recipes. Come into Rising Tide for all your baking staples, including a ton we’ll have on sale this month for the occasion.
Hanukkah Love
It’s Jewish tradition to eat fried foods in commemoration of the miracle of the Temple oil. Two must-haves on the Festival of Lights: Potato Latkes and Jelly Donuts (sufganiyot).
Warming Cocktails
Ensure your guests are nice and toasty; round out your holiday nosh with a festive hot drink (preferably with a fairly serious hit of booze!). Here are some stylishly delicious options from the folks at Saveur.
Whatever you do, and whatever you serve…we hope all your holiday festivities are healthy, safe, and filled with joy!
For all our vegan friends out there, we’ve got your back this holiday season! We checked in with Alyson, our Assistant Store Manager (and one of Rising Tide’s resident vegans) to see what ingredients she uses to make all the magic happen for her family on Christmas.
Here are some vegan MUST-HAVES…from Alyson’s holiday table to yours:
If you have any questions about how to “veganize” your traditional holiday favorites, just ask! We have all kinds of ideas for simple swaps that’ll make your holiday meet YOUR needs.
Sometimes it’s fun to experiment on the holidays, turning your Thanksgiving menu on its head with a lot of new and exotic dishes. Other times, it’s nice to be able to rely on the gold standard of Thanksgiving classics (or if you’re like us, do a combo of the two strategies–that way there’s something for your vegan cousin AND your grandma).
For the more traditional dishes, we look to some of our favorite sources, those that simply never let you down. For the time-tested dishes with a twist, we did a bit more research, but wound up with a vegan side that is destined to be a NEW classic. Bon appetit!
How to Brine and Roast a Turkey
Ina Garten’s Sausage & Herb Stuffing
Courtesy of Sylvia Fountaine, Feasting at Home Blog
Yield: 2-4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 mins. + 50 mins. = 1 hour
Ingredients
spaghetti squash | 1 small, about 2 lbs.
butter | 1 Tbsp
olive oil | 2 Tbsp
onion | 1/2, chopped
sliced mushrooms | 12-16oz, cremini, shittake or chantrelles
garlic cloves | 4-6, finely chopped
fresh, torn sage | 3 Tbsp
salt & pepper | to taste
nutmeg | a generous pinch
grated Roman cheese | 1/4 cup
truffle oil| a drizzle (optional)
toasted pine nuts | optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Cut spaghetti squash in half (either way) and place open side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes-50 minutes – or microwave for 12 minutes.
- While squash is baking, heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté onions until just tender about 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms , turn heat to medium and saute until they begin to release their liquid,about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and sage and continue cooking until mushrooms brown, about 4 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper and nutmeg.
- Check squash, by piercing with the tip of a sharp knife to see if it’s done.
- When tender, take out of the oven, turn over and let it cool slightly until cool enough to handle, then scoop out seeds. Scoop out the spaghetti squash into the saute pan with the mushrooms and stir to incorporate. Taste for salt, and add more if necessary. Stir in most of grated cheese, saving some for garnish. Place in a serving bowl, top with remaining cheese and a drizzle of truffle oil and sprinkling of pine nuts.
If you haven’t tried Cacao Nibs, you don’t know what you’re missing. With the crunch of a nut, but the satisfying mouthfeel of chocolate, nibs are bits of fermented, dried, roasted and crushed cacao bean (essentially the least processed and most natural form of chocolate). They’re packed with fiber, have free radical (anti- cancer) fighting properties, and have been shown to help prevent heart disease. These nutritional powerhouses are like superfoods on steroids!
Plus, it turns out Cacao Nibs are extremely versatile. Our favorite way to enjoy them is in a smoothie. Rising Tide features Raw Cacao Nibs in two of our yummiest smoothie creations; The Betterfinger (better than a Butterfinger!) and The Boss (named after the man, the legend, Rising Tide founder and owner Jerry Farrell).Try them once–you’ll be hooked.
At home, swap Raw Cacao Nibs for sprinkles on ice cream or cupcakes, bake them into granola or cookies, or use in savory dishes like this salad from Chef Michael Chiarello http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/mixed-green-salad-with-whole-citrus-vinaigrette-recipe.html. And there’s certainly no harm in just snacking on them. Mmm, mmm, mmm.
We’ve got Raw Cacao Nibs for a great price in Rising Tide’s bulk section. At $12.99/lb., they’re $5/lb. less expensive than the packaged kind. Pick some up, get creative, then let us know YOUR favorite way to use them.
We recently renovated our entire Bulk department with an eye toward serving your needs. That’s right–we listened to you and our other customers about the items you use most in your kitchens, and those that you wanted to save money (and packaging) on. And voila, our new Bulk section was born, featuring a bunch of items that are brand new (and pretty exciting, if you ask us!).
Probably the biggest change we made to our Bulk offerings was to add in those items—Organic Almond Flour, Organic Coconut Flour and Organic Coconut Sugar—that let gluten-free and Paleo diet followers bake their own treats and snack foods without breaking the bank. Buying whole foods, baking your own healthy snacks, and making meals from scratch is healthier for you and your family, and with just the tiniest bit of web research you’ll find hundreds of easy recipes out there that are quick, nutritious and delicious (you won’t miss the wheat!)
Some of the best sites we’ve come across for kitchen tested (this is key!) G-F and Paleo recipes include:
http://www.ohsheglows.com
http://www.againstallgrain.com
http://www.minimalistbaker.com
http://www.elanaspantry.com
http://nomnompaleo.com
http://www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
We also tested one terrific coconut flour recipe right here in the Rising Tide kitchen, with great results:
When working with Coconut Flour, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Coconut flour is super absorbent, so you’ll need less flour than when using traditional wheat flours. The general rule of thumb: use 1/4-1/3 of a cup of coconut flour in place of 1 cup of grain-based flour.
- Because it’s more dense than wheat flours, adding extra moisture is necessary. Doubling or tripling the eggs in your favorite recipes adds the requisite moisture to ensure baked goods remain moist and delicious.
- Besides eggs, other things that help with binding include sweeteners like honey and maple syrup. Flax, chia, guar gum and xanthan gum can also be helpful as they develop an egg-like consistency when mixed with liquid. One tablespoon of ground flax seeds soaked in 3 tablespoons of water can replace 1 egg, and just a little bit of the gums can add an extra binding element that mimics gluten.
And here are a couple of tips for baking with Almond Flour, adapted from Danielle Walker’s site, Against All Grain (http://www.againstallgrain.com):
- The finer the grind, the better your baked goods will turn out. On the flip side, the coarser the flour, the grainier the texture of your treats.
- Nut flours burn easily. You’ll be using a lower baking temperature and longer time than you would use with a normal wheat flour recipe. Keep a close eye on your baked goods though, because all ovens heat differently.
- Almond flour is DEFINITELY less expensive if you BUY IT IN BULK. You can store flour in your refrigerator for a month and your freezer for 6-8 months. If you store in the freezer, just remove the portion you need for your recipe and let thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Almond Meal is different than Almond Flour. Almond Meal is ground almonds with the skin ON, while Almond Flour is blanched almonds with the skin REMOVED. In other words, the Almond Flour is more finely ground, and ideal for making, say, a fluffy cake, that is not terribly forgiving.
Good luck baking with your alternative flours. If you make something fantastic, reach out to us on Facebook!
Come by and help us celebrate 40 years of friendships, fun, and delicious natural and organic food.
What started in 1976 as a bunch of macrobiotic cooking classes has grown to become a cornerstone of the Glen Cove community and a bastion of the organic movement on Long Island.
And we couldn’t have done it without YOU, our loyal customers, collaborators, friends, and comrades in GOOD, CLEAN FOOD.
You’ve made us what we are all these years. So on June 12th, we’ll give back the best
way we know how. We party!
Come to the Rising Tide Market on June 12th for:
- BBQ
- Music
- Raffles
- Giveaways
- Face Painting
- Ice Cream
- Kombucha
- Fun for the whole family!
With our great thanks to: Four Seasons Produce, Taste Nirvana, Vermont Bread Company, The Piggery, Aqua Vitea, Three Twins Ice Cream, Slow Food North Shore, Dr. Hauschka, Weleda, Pacifica, Alaffia, Spa Room AromaMist, Dr. Bronner’s, Evolution Salt, Honest Company, Bluebonnet, Wiley’s, New Chapter, Nordic Naturals
June 12, 2016
11 am-4 pm
42 Forest Avenue, Glen Cove
Like you, we are beyond excited to get out in the sun, soak up some precious Vit D, and do all the outdoor things we’ve dying to do all winter long. The only hitch: when it comes to sun exposure, how do we protect ourselves from sunburn, aging and skin cancer? Which sunscreens are the most effective? How often (and how much) should we apply?
Here at Rising Tide Market, we look to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment, when stocking our sunscreens for summer.
Each year at this time, EWG creates a Sunscreen Guide to help shoppers locate those products that score highest on different criteria such as:
- how well it protects against UVA and UVB rays
- how harmful the ingredients are known to be to humans
- how well the ingredients hold up over time
It’s all this great research that led us to All Good sun products.
Launched by massage therapist and outdoor enthusiast Caroline Duell with a goal of connecting nature with healing, All Good’s sun protection products ALWAYS put the planet first.
Try:
- All Good Kid’s Sunscreen, SPF 33, featuring non-nanoparticle zinc oxide and calendula, chamomile, and sunflower oil to soothe kids’ sensitive skin
- Sport Sunscreen, SPF33, made with non-nanoparticle zinc oxide and jojoba oil
- All Good Sunscreen butter with SPF50, water resistant for up to 80 minutes!
- All Good Broad Spectrum Sunsticks (SPF30) in Unscented and Coconut. Made with an oil and wax base, the Sunsticks hold up to the most rigorous activities.
Now that we’re sure our sunscreen matches our healthy lifestyle, let’s make sure we use it the right way. When it comes to sunscreen, no product will be effective if we don’t apply it—and re-apply it—properly. The American Cancer Society recommends lathering up early (30 minutes before going outside), regularly (after being in the water, sweating a lot or towel drying) and generously (The American Academy of Dermatology recommends applying one ounce — about a palm-full –evenly to all exposed skin). Studies show that most people apply only half to a quarter of the suggested amount, which means the actual SPF they have on their body is lower than advertised.
Also, it’s important to remember that sunscreen is just one part of a sun-healthy lifestyle. Limiting sun exposure and wearing protective clothing are also important.
Let the Sunshine!
If you’re looking for a healthy, great-tasting way to hydrate when the temperatures climb, look no further than Coconut Water.
The clear liquid found inside a young, green coconut, coconut water is the most popular beverage in many tropical countries where it’s used treat a variety of health conditions, especially those that are digestion-related (constipation, stomach flu, intestinal worms—even dysentery.) (Note: pregnant women also use it to ease nausea and constipation; nursing moms to boost the immune boosting properties of their milk!)
The primary reason most Americans love their coconut water—besides its low calorie count (46 per serving) and its lightly sweet, refreshing taste— is its ability to HYDRATE. Coconut water contains 600 mg of potassium per serving (12% DV), along with magnesium, sodium and calcium, all important electrolytes necessary to maintain blood volume and heart health, and to prevent dehydration. Maintaining adequate electrolyte levels can also help reduce fatigue, stress, and reduce muscle tension. (Who couldn’t use that?!)
Feeling Good Hydration
It’s the hydration effect that makes coconut water a great post-workout alternative to most sports drinks. One study showed that while water, sports drinks and coconut water all have similar rehydrating effects, the coconut water made participants feel less full, have less stomach upset and feel less nauseous than the other drinks—even regular bottled water. Plus coconut water is only about 4.5% carbohydrates whereas traditional sports drinks can contain 6-8% carb concentration— this makes coconut water a great choice athletes trying to watch their sugar intake after a workout (not to mention their need to avoid the artificial colors and flavors, high fructose corn syrup, and caffeine found in most commercial sports drinks…yuck!).
For most casual exercisers, coconut water—sometimes referred to as Nature’s Gatorade—is a great low-sugar, post-workout hydration choice. (Note: Some long-distance endurance athletes may need more specialized products that contain more sodium and carbs.)
When shopping for coconut water, look for those that are 100% coconut water, NOT from concentrate, with no added sugars. We’ve got a whole bunch here at Rising Tide Market, all vetted for both taste and quality of product. Try adding some to your morning smoothie, or drink whenever you need a hydration boost. The taste will win you over; the way you feel will keep you hooked.
