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!
