~ Things I Love ~ Thursday

Organic. I buy it whenever possible. Some things I've been buying organic for years, such as milk and baby food, while condiments are relatively new to our cart. When organic isn't an option, I look for food with no preservatives, artificial flavoring or sweeteners. I know the term "certified organic" is a hot-button topic in some circles, but I've always felt it's the least I can do for my growing family. It can't hurt anyway, and I feel better knowing that I'm cutting down on the chemicals that enter their itty bitty bodies. And with store brands expanding their lines, organic is more affordable than ever. It drives me crazy that bad food is cheap and good food is expensive. It should be the other way around, right?



Oh, and I should mention... though I LOVE eating food, cooking it has never been my thing. My Sweets is the gourmand in our house. For years he concocted deliriously decadent meals for us while I worked late at the office. Then suddenly I was home with Buby and had to figure out how to boil water... at age 29. My weeknight dinners still leave a lot to the imagination ~ and we do dine out on occasion ~ but I'm pretty strict about the quality and freshness of what we consume at home. And as a result, Buby has never turned his nose up at a bowl of raw veggies. I realize he's only 3.5 and may still hit a picky patch, but we've always talked to him about what's healthy for kids and what's not. He understands and has developed a taste for green. I love to hear him ask the waitress for steamed broccoli instead of fries. That said, he still enjoys sprinkle cookies as much as the next kid.



Since I don't always have time to cook Buby's meals from scratch, I like to stock up on a few faster foods that can be prepped in minutes or packed up for the road. This is in addition to fruit + veggies, of course. Here's what I swear by, as well as some staples in our fridge and pantry.



Quick Breakfasts:

• Kashi Strawberry Fields cereal
• Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs cereal
• Maple Grove Farms Organics Buttermilk pancake mix
• Maple Grove Farms pure maple syrup {I don't like, but Buby does}
• Earth's Best mini waffles with blueberries
• Dr. Oetker Organics Apple Cinnamon muffin mix
• Kashi TLC cereal bars {strawberry and blackberry}
• Gerber Organic Brown Rice made with natural whole grain
• Earth's Best Organic baby food
• Stonyfield Farm Organic Low fat Plain yogurt {for smoothies}
• Stonyfield Farm Organic Yo Baby yogurt {banana flavor}
• Shop Rite Certified Organic 1% milk

Quick Snacks:

• Kashi TLC Original 7 Grain crackers
• Organic cheese for slicing
• Organic petite carrots
• Newman's Own Organic California raisins
• Earth's Best Kidzs Organic apple sauce
• Lundberg Organic rice cakes with popcorn
• Health Valley organic soups {especially minestrone}
• Shop Rite organic peanut butter
• Annie's Organic cinnamon bunnies

Quick Dinners:

• Organic whole wheat pizza dough
• Del Monte organic tomato sauce
• Organic Valley shredded mozzarella
• Earthbound Farm Organic baby lettuces
• Annie's Homegrown mac & cheese with organic pasta
• De Boles Organic Whole Wheat Penne
• Hodgson Mill Certified Organic Fettuccine {whole wheat with milled flax seed}

Condiments:

• Smart Balance Organic whipped buttery spread
• Shop Rite Organic balsamic vinaigrette dressing {best ever!!}
• Shop Rite Certified Organic sweet cream stick butter
• Organic Valley cream cheese
• Pam Organic olive oil spray for cooking
• Land O Lake all natural large brown eggs or Organic Valley

I prefer to buy organic fruits and veggies until our local farmers markets start back up in May, but it depends where I shop that week. The bagged organic apples and bananas at the store near us are consistently too soft + mushy. They wouldn't last more than a day on our counter. Other exceptions include Minute Maid for Kids orange juice, because we like the taste and added vitamins. Our Sam's Club blueberries are not organic, but they are heavenly.



We have yet to find a regular beef supplier, though we've had excellent luck with a local cattle farm. For sandwiches I like Polaner All Fruit spread {sweetened only with real fruit} on Arnold 100% natural whole grain whole wheat bread. The only hot dogs I buy for Buby or I are Applegate Farms uncured turkey dogs. They are free of nitrates, antibiotics and preservatives. I simply throw them in a bowl with beans; sprinkle with mustard, ketchup and brown sugar; and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Yum! So that's what we're doing. It's my theory that when Buby + Bleu are in their 30s ALL food will be organic, and the kids won't remember a time when it wasn't. We will care more about our bodies and our earth. Dunkin' Donuts will still be busy, but my beloved bowties will probs be 100% natural or soy or gluten free. Ha.