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Tillamook Cheese (plus, our cheese-shopping rules)

February 16, 2012 By 24 Comments

Our family has a few “rules” when it comes to cheese-shopping:

  1. We buy blocks rather than pre-grated. It’s more affordable that way and tastes much fresher.
  2. We buy Tillamook, whenever possible. It’s just plain better.

In Arizona, our local grocer carries Tillamook Medium Cheddar and Colby Jack in 2 lb. loaves. We would likely also buy Monterey Jack if it were available.

face painting at the phoenix zoo Tillamook Cheese (plus, our cheese shopping rules) tillamook cheese at the phoenix zoo Tillamook Cheese (plus, our cheese shopping rules) 32 weeks pregnant at the phoenix zoo Tillamook Cheese (plus, our cheese shopping rules)

The ingredient list seems pretty solid – with only four ingredients (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes, Anatto).

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Tillamook-branded ice cream. It’s delicious…but it is also full of who-knows-what ingredients. Even if it were available in the Arizona market, I’d likely pass it over for Haagen-Dazs or homemade from our ice cream maker.

zebra watching at the phoenix zoo Tillamook Cheese (plus, our cheese shopping rules)  tillamook taco making at the phoenix zoo Tillamook Cheese (plus, our cheese shopping rules)

Have you ever had Tillamook cheese? If not, you can get free samples and fun prizes at a Tillamook Loaf Love tour stop in 2012 (coming to Tucson on the 25th and 26th of February!).

What brand of cheese do you buy and why? Do you look for certain ingredients on the label?

* Our family attended a VIP Tillamook party at the Phoenix Zoo with a select group of bloggers a few weeks ago. Super fun…even at 31weeks pregnant (31!).

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how to shop for eggs: what egg labels mean

February 13, 2012 By 36 Comments

I’ve been confused by egg labels for some time now and decided to put on my “detective hat” to conduct an investigation.

what do egg labels mean how to shop for eggs: what egg labels mean

After all, eggs range in price from $.79 to $5.00/dozen (and I want to know what exactly I’m paying for). They can be jumbo, large, extra large, or medium. They are sometimes white, sometimes brown, occasionally blue or speckled.

My research led me to these basic definitions:

Free Range – USDA regulations apply only to the chickens and indicate that the animal has been allowed at least limited access to the outside. The USDA regulations do not specify the quality or size of the outside range nor the duration of time an animal must have access to the outside. Free range does not imply in any way that the hens were fed any differently than on normal commercial farms.

Cage Free - This simply means that the hens are not kept in cages, though there are no federal regulations to govern care beyond that.

Hormone/Antibiotic Free - Hormone use is not allowed in any commercial U.S. egg production so this label isn’t of particular importance. Antibiotics are used rarely and only for sick birds.

Omega-3 – These are eggs that are produced by hens fed a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Vegetarian-Fed – These are eggs that come from chickens that have a strictly vegetarian diet. This designation does not indicate anything about the living conditions of the birds. Some experts dispute that, when chickens are left to graze on their own, they are not vegetarians. They eat worms, insects, and lizards in addition to seeds and plants. 

Organic – The chickens are fed organic feed, have access to the outdoors, and cannot be raised in cages. It is prohibited to feed these chickens with animal byproducts or GMO crops.

Pastured – These hens are raised on pasture (instead of being kept in confinement) and are allowed to eat a natural diet of seeds, insects, etc. This term is not regulated by any governmental agency.

Local – Eggs that are locally produced may or may not be cage-free, free-range, organic, or vegetarian-fed. That said, the advantage of local eggs is that you have the opportunity to talk directly with farmers about their process. You may even be able to visit the farm and see how the chickens live and are fed.

Brown Versus White – The color of the egg depends on the breed of the chicken, but the nutrients are the same.

Grade AA, Grade A, or Grade B – AA is the highest quality. Then, A. Followed by B.

It strikes me that almost all of the labels are not regulated and may not mean as much as they seem. My “ideal” eggs would be from chickens who live out of doors on a natural diet. I’m not as concerned about Omega-3 additives in the diet since we consume fish and nuts regularly.

Based on my research, I will likely search for LOCAL eggs above other labels. That way, I can talk directly to the “source” (not to mention that it’s always a good thing to stimulate the local economy and reduce environmental impact).

If all else fails, it seems that the “organic” label is the most trustworthy.

What “kind” of eggs do you buy? Which labels are most important to you and why?

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How We Save Money…by shopping at expensive grocery stores

January 30, 2012 By 36 Comments
whole foods market austin texas How We Save Money...by shopping at expensive grocery stores

Whole Foods Market - Austin, TX

I am a fan of upscale grocery stores. They have wide aisles and beautiful displays. They tend to offer in-store amenities and samples. They usually offer superior customer service. AND – they save us money.

In our family, we don’t abide by the “eat everything on your plate” mentality. In fact, we adopt quite a different philosophy: “Eat delicious, healthful foods until you are full.” If we buy rolls and they end up being stale, we throw them away. If I go to a dinner party, sample a truffle, and don’t care for it…I (discreetly) throw it away. If I order something at a restaurant and find that the side dish is salty and unsatisfying, I leave it on my plate.

It is important to clarify that our family does not invite complaint, rudeness, or unnecessary waste to sit at our table. We are teaching our girls to say “please,” “you’re welcome,” “excuse me” and – especially – “thank you.” We encourage them to try new foods and, if they don’t like something, to eat other foods quietly. We strive to lead by example in practicing these principles.

The purpose of food is twofold: to nourish us AND to be enjoyed.

We save money when we buy from high-quality food vendors (upscale grocery stores, independent bakeries, farmer’s markets, health food stores) because we tend to eat all of the food. The produce is more likely to be ripe and in-season. The meat is more likely to be organic and unadulterated. The bread is more likely to be fresh and heavenly. We eat every last morsel – or save the rest for leftovers (which we actually eat). Zero waste. Plus, our bodies feel alive and energetic (rather than sluggish from eating processed, hormoned, salted, and high-fructosed foods).

bananas How We Save Money...by shopping at expensive grocery storesOver the years, we have acquired a taste for good-for-you food. Our girls love peas, corn, broccoli, pears, peaches, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh bread, and whole milk.

One time, when we were very busy, we took the girls to Chic-Fil-A and ordered a kids meal. Our 4-year-old took about 2 bites of the chicken nuggets and fries, and then said quietly, “This doesn’t taste good.” Touché. I didn’t have the heart to make them finish.

Another time, we bought a smoothie from a fast-food place. “Our smoothies are better,” our 4-year-old declared after a few sips. Maybe because they actually have fruit in them?!

When we drive by Burger King or a similar establishment, they wrinkle their noses, “What’s that smell?“

Even on a meager budget, eating well is possible. Think: rice, beans, frozen veggies, made-from-scratch baked goods, and as much produce as you can manage (look into co-ops and CSA’s).

We save money at better grocery stores because the quality of the food is better…which means that we waste less and also stay healthier (less illness; fewer doctor’s visits). Food is medicine, after all. I do believe that.

* We also cut corners by limiting meat consumption, eating simple meals, and – most importantly – eating IN. 

How do you save money at the grocery store? Please share your expertise.  (I’m still looking for ways to bring our monthly total down a notch).

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A Reader Asks :: Eating On-The-Road

August 17, 2011 By 9 Comments

Sarah asked, “Have your eating/meal planning habits changed much now that you are living on the road?“

tim washing dishes A Reader Asks :: Eating On The Road

Tim at his usual evening post - washing dishes

Yes. A bit. We still eat in more than we eat out. We still prefer simple, nutritious meals – not made with cans or boxes. We still eat fruit like nobody’s business.

That being said, we don’t always have the availability of high-quality grocery stores, the luxury of time, or the convenience of a large kitchen working area. Plus, we don’t have a dishwasher (which makes clean-up longer).

We do, however, have a refrigerator, a small freezer, a stovetop, a microwave, and an oven – not to mention a full set of pots & pans and a set of glass bowls w/ plastic lids for storing leftovers.

These are some tricks of the trade we’ve picked up over the past 6 months. They work equally well for most any kind of travel.

1. Ask a local. In the beginning, we just typed “grocery” in our GPS and navigated to the nearest place. Big mistake. Now we find a local and ask for recommendations.

2. Pack a picnic. It’s so nice to eat outdoors, isn’t it? The girls love to be out in the wild and, if they spill crumbs, Tim doesn’t get stressed out. ;) We like to pack at least two big reusable plastic water bottles (easy to carry and refill throughout the day), sandwich fixin’s, chips, fresh fruit, and lots of wipes for easy clean-up.

3. Use a Crock-Pot. We love ours. Favorite recipes include Chicken W/ Black Beans & Cream Cheese and Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue.

4. Use other speciality kitchen appliances. We make regular use of our breadmaker & our blender (fruit smoothies!).

5. Buy a Rotisserie Chicken at the grocery store. We like to shred the meat on a big salad. Then, we use the leftovers for chicken quesadillas.

6. Grill. Tim’s especially good at making sweet corn. He has it down to an art.

7. Eat vegetables, rice, beans, and/or noodles. They’re (1) good for you, (2) inexpensive, and (3) kids usually love them. Speaking of which, we’d like to start eating even more vegetarian meals in the coming months.

You might be wondering about all of the products in blue font? They’re made with plastic components…and we would have a rough time eating healthy without them.

What are your top tips for eating healthfully when you travel? Also – Do you have any good vegetarian recipes to share?

I am participating in a compensated program by Plastics Make it Possible® in partnership with the American Chemistry Council and Ogilvy PR. 

Filed Under: Food

an entire post about ice cream

May 16, 2011 By 38 Comments

As you know, we rarely eat processed foods. We cook almost all of our meals from scratch. We buy organic and local as often as possible.

We do these things because it makes us feel better – stronger, more energetic, less ill, smarter, happier – all of that and more. I’m not pulling your leg. Food is medicine…for your body, heart, and mind.

balloons on day 100 an entire post about ice cream

I should point out, though, that we still go to ice cream shops from time-to-time. Our girls inevitably pick the most unnatural and neon-colored ice cream of all – bubble gum or birthday cake or something like that. And we let them enjoy it.

We also like self-serve frozen yogurt shops. Have you tried mango or raspberry? So delicious. We usually forgo toppings because it’s so good exactly as-is.

Also – gelato is very good. I hear it’s healthier than regular ice cream, but I’m not exactly sure why.

I’d like to see bigger ice cream brands (Breyers, Dreyer’s, Blue Bunny, Blue Bell, Ben & Jerry’s, etc.) focus on creating higher quality products with fewer ingredients. The Five line by Haagen Dazs is like this. It’s pricey, but good.

My favorite flavors of ice cream are vanilla, mint, coffee, and peach. For gelato, I like cheesecake. But frozen yogurt is my favorite.

Do you prefer ice cream, gelato, or frozen yogurt? What are your favorite flavors?

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take a peek inside our grocery cart, part 2

May 15, 2011 By 23 Comments
fruits and veggies take a peek inside our grocery cart, part 2

a real glimpse inside our freezer!

Besides produce, dairy, and bakery products, you would also find these foods in our grocery cart.

MEAT - We look for labels that say grass-fed, no antibiotics, and cage-free. Chicken is typically our meat of choice, but we buy beef sometimes too. We rarely buy ham, turkey, or pork. We try to eat meatless meals several times a week. I like salmon, but I usually don’t because it’s expensive and often farm-raised (not as enticing as wild).

BAKING – I keep a well-stocked kitchen with sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, dry milk, cinnamon, spices, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, active dry yeast, oats, Ghirardelli chocolate chips, honey, etc.

FROZEN – We almost always have frozen blueberries, strawberries, and peaches in our freezer for smoothies. We also freeze whole bananas for that purpose. Other things in our freezer? Steam pack veggies (so convenient!) – peas, corn, carrots, broccoli, and green beans. Occasionally, we buy vegetable lasagna (but I’d rather not).

morning coffee take a peek inside our grocery cart, part 2THE MIDDLE AISLES – We don’t buy very many foods here, but…we buy Bear Naked Granola (sprinkled on plain yogurt, it’s one of my favorite breakfasts!). We buy plain Cheerios (and drizzle it with 100% honey). We buy peanut butter – the kind you have to stir (we look on the label to make sure it only has 2 ingredients – peanuts, salt). We buy Sun-Maid raisins, dried fruits, dark chocolate, black beans, and pasta noodles. If we are at a health food store, I sometimes buy licorice or gummy bears (candy is healthier there, right?).

DRINKS – Tim loves coffee, but we don’t buy it at the grocery store. We get it almost exclusively from Camano Island Coffee. The girls usually get two drink choices at meals – milk and water. We have a filter on the tap…no bottled water. Tim enjoys good craft beers. I drink water 99% of the time, unless we buy Simply Orange Juice (I can drink a whole 1/2 gallon in one day – I like it that much). Every once in awhile, we’ll get A&W root beer for floats or a bottle of wine for dinner.

What is in your freezer right now? What drinks do you buy? What else do you purchase in these categories?

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take a peek inside our grocery cart, part 1

May 13, 2011 By 25 Comments

If you bumped into our family at the grocery store, you’d probably see us with one of those humungous car-shaped grocery carts that are impossible to push. Tim can’t stand them, but I usually convince him because the girls love it in there – laughing all the way.

vegetables at whole foods austin take a peek inside our grocery cart, part 1Here is what you would find in our cart:

PRODUCE - We like fruits & vegetables. We eat bananas, berries, melons, tomatoes, avocados, broccoli, peas, carrots, asparagus, corn, sweet potatoes, and pineapple. All 4 of us. We would eat produce all day long if we could. Unfortunately, good produce is expensive and hard to find. Whenever we can, we buy organic. If the price differential is too much, we buy regular.

BAKERY - We make homemade bread in our bread machine several times a week. Today, I made it twice – one loaf for lunch, one for a bedtime snack. That said, we don’t make all our bread from scratch. We buy rolls, bagels, french bread, sandwich bread, buns, and more. We don’t, however, buy cookies, muffins, cupcakes, cake or cake mix, pies, pancake mix, or waffle mix. I make all of those things from scratch – healthier, more affordable, and tastier.

dairy products take a peek inside our grocery cart, part 1DAIRY -

We buy:

  • organic, whole milk…despite the high price. I’ve read up on the benefits of raw milk and would love to buy that, but most grocery stores only sell the pasteurized stuff so we make do.
  • block cheese – preferably Tillamook.
  • cream cheese – the Philadelphia brand.
  • tubs of plain yogurt – I like Mountain High.
  • parmesan cheese – for sprinkling on noodles.
  • real, salted butter (never margarine).
  • real whipping cream (never cool whip or the stuff in the can).
  • ice cream, but not as often as we used to. We scour high and low to find brands that have the fewest ingredients and that don’t have HFCS. (An ice cream maker is one of the things on our wish list).
  • Also? We’ve learned to steer clear of generic brands for dairy – they tend to be disappointing.

If we could, we’d buy all of our produce and dairy products from local farms…and all of our bread products from a real bakery. We’re on the road so we do the best we can – grocery stores can be hit or miss.

Do you buy your bread or make it? What kind of milk do you drink and why? What brands of cheese and ice cream do you prefer?

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