Meatless Monday: Diablo Potato Salad

Today's Meatless Monday features a potato salad recipe with a twist from one of the Honorable Mentions from therecipe contest I just held. The combination of the mildly sweet Yukon Gold potatoes with a mix of spices give your otherwise classic potato salad a kick. Thanks to Ashley of Healthy Mom for Junk Food Kids!

Diablo Potato Salad

Ingredients

(serves a cook-out!)

3 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved

1 tablespoon Salt

1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika

1/2 tablespoon White pepper

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced chives (or more- I used 3 tablespoons)

Boil the potato halves for about 20 minutes or until tender. When I made this, I couldn't find any baby Yukon Golds at the local supermarket, so I just used regular Yukons cut into halves, then quarters, then halved again. While potatoes are cooking, whisk together all other ingredients. Drain potatoes once they're ready then mix together in a large bowl with the sauce. Serve at room temperature with extra chives if desired.

about to be boiled

whisking...

Final outcome with added chives

This was quite delish! I am a big potato salad fan and this one immediately caught my eye while perusing Ashley's blog one day. I'm glad she submitted it for the contest and that I got to try it! I still have a lot left to eat with lunch for the rest of the week! Lily and Paul liked it too, and I will be book-marking this for future BBQs.

Paprika is such a fun spice I think. It’s sweet and slightly hot and really works well with mayo. I especially like to top egg salad off with a sprinkling of it. You may not know it, but paprika does more than add a spike of flavor to your food. It’s high in vitamin C and has anti-inflammatory, blood-regulating, antibiotic, and digestion-aiding properties. Paprika is also great on poultry and in rice dishes, such as this one that’s a favorite in my family.

For baby:

Mash-up a half or two of the boiled potato and mix it with a little olive oil. The olive oil is very good for developing babies :)

Kids should like this potato salad too; despite it’s name, it is not as firey as you might think, and actually just has a nice bite to it that’s more on the mild side for kids who don’t like spicy foods. My Lily never did seem to mind spiciness as long as it wasn’t mouth-burning hot!

So, this is me trying to get back on track with my blogging. Hopefully I will get back to my 3+ posts a week and then have a new up-and-coming blog of the month next month, as well as my weekly blog hops. If you have someone to nominate for blog-of-the-month, do it now! Preferably a blog with 200 followers or less that’s related to parenting, cooking, arts and crafts, health and/or well-being. Have a good week!

A hearty, zesty soup for a stuffy, achy head

It’s that time of the year again- the transition from winter into spring, meaning cold and flu season, and the start of my seasonal allergies. I love the flowers, but that pollen can be relentless when it comes to my sensitive nostrils! Lily and I seem to be passing a head cold back-and-forth and currently I am experiencing the brunt of the symptoms. Sneezing, stuffy nose, sore throat, stuffy head, bodyaches- I have it all. So, yesterday I was thinking: “chicken soup for dinner, yum!”

But, I didn’t want just any chicken soup, I wanted something hearty and zesty as well. And I didn’t want to have to go out shopping for any additional ingredients. After searching through a few Southwestern-style chicken soup recipes on good ol’ google, I didn’t find any that really made me go “ooo” except for a good one by Alton Brown that I didn’t have all the ingredients for. So, I raided my fridge and pantry and below is the soup I came up with.

Creamy Southwestern-style Chicken and Vegetable Soup

3 cups water

3 cups low-fat chicken stock

½ lb chicken tenders or breast

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup light cream

½ cup onion, chopped

¼ cup cooked black beans

¼ cup frozen corn kernels

¼ cup sofrito*

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 bay leaf

Chopped fresh cilantro for topping

Start by boiling the chicken. While you are waiting for that, you can go ahead and chop all the vegetables like I did. Once the chicken is all white instead of pink, drain it and rinse with cold water until you are able to handle it with your hands. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot for about a minute, then add the onion and garlic. Let it fry for about 2 minutes, then add the sofrito, bay leaf and all seasonings except cilantro and cook stirring until most of the liquid is gone. Add the chicken by tearing it into shredded pieces then tossing it in and stir into the soup base you have created so it is covered, then add the water and chicken broth. 

Heat until the broth boils then add the potato and carrots. Cook until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the beans, corn and cream and cook for another 5 minutes, then you can taste the broth and add additional seasonings if you like. I added a few more shakes of everything at this point, so know that the measurements I gave above are just guidelines. Once the broth tastes to your liking and all ingredients are cooked, go ahead and serve it up with as much cilantro on top as you want (I like to put a lot in mine!). Makes 4-6 servings.

*For the gringos who may not know what sofrito is, it’s a tomato-based Latin food base mainly used in soups, stews and meat dishes. You can make your own by searching for it on the internet (I recommend this one) or just buy one by Goya like I did, they carry it at just about every grocery store. I use it in a lot of dishes and most Latin recipes, it’s really good, especially with beans and chicken.

Now since this recipe was totally made up by me last night, you should be aware that it is completely alterable to your liking. For instance, Paul suggested I add rice to it next time. Some ingredients that I may have used had they been in my kitchen are tomatoes, red peppers, green chilies and avocado. It could even be topped with cheese, but of course that would add more fat and this is a low-fat recipe. You could also use heavy cream or sour cream instead of light cream, but that would also make it more fattening and I assure you, this soup was quite tasty without the extra calories.

Lily also had a similar meal of

2 tbsp cooked black beans

2 tbsp shredded Mexican mix cheese

2 tbsp cooked whole-wheat pasta

That can all be blended if your little one is still spoon-fed. Lily prefers finger foods only now, although I can still get her to eat some applesauce or yogurt if she’s in the right mood.

So, although the cream may have not been the best for my phlegm, the spices did get my stuffed up nose running (TMI?), so I think this soup was a success. Plus, Paul liked it and he can be picky :)

Birthday Time!

Right after my last post, I suddenly remembered I said I would blog about the birthday cake I made for Lily’s first birthday, so here it is!

Note: I just made a single layer cake for her because I wanted to keep it simple and not have too many leftovers as we just had a small birthday party gathering. The recipe below is the original recipe I based mine off of for a double layer cake. To make it single, just halve all ingredients.

Lily's First Birthday Cake (adapted from “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots

1 cup apple juice concentrate

1 1/2 cups raisins

Vegetable spray, shortening or butter

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 whole eggs

4 egg whites

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup wheat germ

2 tbsp low sodium baking powder

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 9” square cake pans with waxed paper and spray the paper with vegetable spray/shortening.

Combine the carrots with the juice concentrate in a medium size saucepan.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 mins. Puree in a blender of food processor until smooth.

Add the raisins and process until finely chopped. Let mixture cool. Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat just until well mixed. Fold in the carrot puree and applesauce. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 mins. Cool briefly in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting below or sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar if desired.

Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup white sugar

1/8 tspn salt

1 tspn vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cream cheese mixture.

For the colored frosting we (Grandma and I) added vegetable-based food coloring and powdered sugar to the cream cheese frosting. Grandma decorated and I added shredded coconut to the sides.

 

The frosting came out especially well, and the cake was tasty and moist. Not bad for my first cake, although I did make two test cakes prior. The first one was way too wet because the original recipe said to add a cup of apple juice to the actual batter as well. So, for the second cake I didn’t do that and it came out perfectly. If you try making this cake and think the batter is too dry for any reason, add some apple juice to it gradually to get desired consistency.

Also, I came across this recipe from WholesomeBabyFood.com for a banana glaze that sounds really good if you’d rather not use dairy or any frosting. I didn’t try it, but here is the recipe below.

Banana Glaze

1/2 med. banana

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped nuts optional

2 or more cup powdered sugar

Mash banana well then add lemon juice and nuts. Gradually add powdered sugar until you obtain right spreading consistency. Ice cake after completely cool.

And I don’t mean to direct you to another site, but WholesomeBabyFood.com is a wealth of information on how to feed your baby and great recipes. I refer to it quite often.

Aside from the cake being yummy and everyone enjoying it, the party was a success. We had about 20 guests and a variety of hors d’oeurves were served including tortilla chips, hummus, veggie dip, carrot sticks and baby cookies. Lily looked super cute in the outfit I got her for her special day with matching custom-made headband, and she got a lot of great gifts, although I was the one who opened them all. She also got a lot of playtime in with her cousin Rhys which was really sweet.

The only downside was that it took us about three days to fully recover from all the madness and cleaning and having to get Lily re-introduced to her routine. Then once that happened, I got the flu, and then Lily got a resurgence of roseola. It was not a pleasant week. But, we are all good now and Lily is walking around all over and getting into everything. So, I’m exhausted again. Sigh. But, she sure is fun to watch :) 

Enjoying her cake?

Lily's Growing Up and Mommy's Steaming Artichokes

So I think it’s official- Lily only wants to feed herself now. Not with a spoon yet, mind you, but she is only down with the finger food. I still have some frozen baby food I have been trying to get her to eat, but it’s usually a losing battle, so I’ll probably just use it for something else. It’s all natural organic applesauce and pureed string beans, so it’s not like it’s something gross I won’t eat myself. I just won’t eat it as baby food, of course.

So, tonight Lily had steamed broccoli and corn sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. For lunch she had cooked black beans and shredded cheddar cheese topped off with raisins (her favorite!). Although she’s off the baby food, I will continue to include baby food recipes on this blog anyway since that is what my original intention was with this blog. I just didn’t expect her to dis the mushy stuff so soon.

Tonight I attempted to make steamed artichokes for the first time. It sounded simple enough- cut off the stem, trim the leaves, stick them in a steamer basket for 20 or so minutes and voila! Well, the cutting and trimming was simple enough, but after letting them steam for about 20 minutes they were no where near done, so I put them back in for 10 more minutes, and then they were pretty good after that.

I did this with 2 artichokes, each the size of a baseball. I made a lemon mustard sauce to top them with, but after tasting it I decided not to use it. So I just dipped the petals into lemon juice and they tasted just fine that way. I made a huge mess taking these things apart; I hope I ate them right. Like I said, I never did this before. Eating an artichoke is such a process. 

The artichoke mess

The first time I tried an artichoke that wasn’t all mixed up in a dip was at a dinner at my sister-in-law’s house years ago, before she was even my sister-in-law. Her mother- now my mother-in-law –baked the artichokes in tin foil and when I first sunk my teeth into that first tender petal it was so good. I don’t know how you bake them, but I may see my MIL this weekend, so hopefully I will remember to ask her how she made that magic I so fondly reminisce about happen.

Anyway, I ate various parts of the artichokes and tried to find what is referred to as “the heart” (which I have had before in salads and in oil), but I don’t think I found it. I ate some yellowy-colored part in the middle near the base of where the stem had been, but I don’t know if this was what I was looking for. It didn’t taste too bad, but not how I remembered from those Greek salads.

I had the artichokes with baked herb-encrusted cod and steamed asparagus. I normally would’ve had a grain along with the vegetable and fish rather than 2 veggies, but I needed to use both the artichokes and the asparagus before they went bad. So I got a good dose of folate, and vitamins A and C, along with fiber, potassium and magnesium from the artichokes. It was the kind of meal you feel good about eating. Here are the directions:

Herb-Encrusted Baked Cod with Steamed Asparagus and Artichoke

Ingredients:

2 cod fillets

2 medium sized artichokes, trimmed

10 spears asparagus, trimmed

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp parsley

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

For the cod:

Preheat oven to 400°C. Coat glass baking dish with butter and place cod fillets inside. Top fillets with lemon, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Put in oven for about 15 minutes.

For the asparagus:

Trim off stalks then steam for about 7 minutes until tender and still bright green.

For the artichokes:

Cut off stem and trim the tips of leaves about ½”. Place in steamer basket and steam for 20-30 minutes. To check, pull a leaf off each artichoke. If the leaves come off easily without having to tug, they’re ready. 

I said I didn’t like how the sauce turned out, but if you want to try it anyway, here are the directions:

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp fresh thyme

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together and drizzle over artichokes and asparagus if desired. Can also be used for dipping.

Lily had:

3 broccoli florets, steamed

2 tbsp corn kernels, steamed

1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Bonus baby food recipe:

3-Grain Creamy Fruit

3 tbsp pureed fruit such as apples, peaches or banana

1 tbsp oatmeal cereal

½ tsp ground flax seed

½ tsp wheat germ

1 tsp plain yogurt

Mix altogether and serve. Very healthy and sure to wake your little one up (as if they need it!).

Vegetarian Time

Vegetarian tonight!

Tofu and Black Bean Skillet

Ingredients:

1 block firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 cup black beans, cooked

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ cup chopped onion

1 tbsp oil (olive or canola)

1 cup tomato sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)

Handful or 2 of baby spinach

Shredded cheddar cheese as topping (optional)

Bean sprouts as topping (optional)

Fry the oil in a medium skillet and then add the tofu. Fry for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned, then add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes then ad sauce and beans. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes, then add all seasonings and mix in. Cook for 10 minutes, then add spinach and remove from heat. Mix in spinach until it is softened. Dish onto plates and top with cheese and/or sprouts. Makes 4 servings, or 6-8 sides.

This is a tasty and simple vegetarian recipe. I conjured it while deciding what to make for dinner one day with what I had available in my fridge at the time. I’ve served it to several people who aren’t veggie heads, and they liked it just as much as any herbivore would. It’s also easily alterable, so you can add anything you like to mix it up if you please, or to make it for omnivores, such as adding chicken instead of tofu, corn, Spanish olives, potatoes…you be the chef!

Before I became pregnant with Lily, I had been a vegetarian for years. It started when I was about 12 years old and then I got on and off the wagon about 2 or 3 times, but never for long. I made the choice to become a vegetarian because I became particularly aware of where the meat on my plate came from and I did not like it one bit. So, I decided to brave the ridicule of “being different” I was sure to get from my peers and face the questionable looks from my family, and dive right in to a meat-free diet, a diet I was able to maintain for quite a long time with no issues.

About 3 months into my pregnancy, I had a couple of friends over my place for a music festival and we were grilling in the backyard. Everyone was enjoying the usual beef burgers while I opted for my usual Dr. Praeger’s veggie patty. One my friends was sinking his teeth into his burger and I caught a whiff of it and suddenly felt an old craving I hadn’t felt in a very long time. After pondering the sensation over for a few minutes, I revealed to my friend and husband my sudden craving, and Paul quickly handed me his burger.

I told my OBGYN about the burger incident and she told me my body was probably craving iron and B vitamins that could only be found in meat, and that I should go ahead and eat meat whenever I craved it. I asked if I could just take supplements, and she said it was best to get it from food sources and if my body was craving it, then I needed it to help my baby grow and thrive inside of me. Ever since then, I have been back off of the pesco-vegetarian horse (or zucchini instead of horse to keep it veggie!).

I sometimes think about going back to vegetarianism, and I hope that I will. Not only did I feel better about my choices when I was abstaining from meat, I honestly felt better physically and spiritually, and weighed less too. It’s better for me and better for the environment in so many ways in that it helps to reduce the carbon footprint left by all the toxins raising livestock produces and also keeps antibiotics used on the animals out of my body. Organic-raised meat usually costs a lot more than conventional and often (from what I’ve read, anyway) is not always guaranteed completely organic, USDA approved or not.

These thoughts all ultimately lead to how I plan to handle Lily’s diet as she grows. As of right now, she has not tried meat or any animal products other than dairy. Paul and I have talked it over a few times, and although at first he disagreed with my wanting to raise her veggie, he did agree that it would be healthier for her to have a meat-free life. He was mainly worried about any teasing she might receive from her peers in school and also guilt she might experience from wanting to try meat, a situation he experienced growing up with parents who suddenly wanted him to eat vegetarian after he’d already gotten used to eating meat. I informed him I would give her the option to choose to go omnivore when she was older if she wished to and not pressure her or preach about the wrongs of butchering animals for food if she got curious about fried chicken. He has relaxed since then, but we are still undecided about how to proceed as of right now, so we are just taking it as it evolves.

Tonight Lily enjoyed her usual vegetarian meal, this time of

3 tbsp pureed spinach

3 tbsp pureed corn

1 tbsp brown rice cereal

1 tbsp plain yogurt

Warm spinach and corn and then mix in other ingredients. Make sure it’s not too hot before serving!

I love beets!

On cozy, winter days I really like to eat soups and stews and borscht is one of my favorites, a well as my husband’s. We enjoy it all year round actually, but winter is the best season for it. It’s a very versatile soup, but I like to make it vegetarian and with the main focus on the beets.

Beets are definitely an underrated vegetable in this country, usually labeled with a reputation akin to Brussels sprouts and broccoli. But, the beet is filled with nutrients like B vitamins, beta-carotene and antioxidants. It’s also as versatile as borscht, in that it can be used in other soups, stews, and salads, and as a great side dish or even juice. Beet juice is probably the most used natural food coloring. Beets are especially good for is juicing due to their detoxifying and cleansing properties.

Borscht

2 beets cubed

2 potatoes cubed

2-3 carrots chopped

8 cups of water, 2 vegetable bouillon cubes or 4 cups water, 
    4 cups vegetable broth

½ cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp red cooking wine

or

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp dried parsley or ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

Sour cream for topping

Borscht cooking

Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil in large pot for about 2 minutes. Add water and/or broth and bring to a boil. Add bouillon cubes if using. Add beets and cook for about 10 minutes or until tender. Add carrot and cook for about 5 minutes, then add potatoes. Add all other ingredients except for sour cream and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl and fresh parsley if available. Makes 6-10 servings depending on amount served to each person.

I haven’t given Lily any beets to try yet since organic are harder to come by around where we live, but next time I’m in a Whole Foods or farmer’s market I plan to pick some up for her. While I was enjoying my borscht last night, Lily had:

2 tbsp shredded Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses

2 tbsp cooked black beans

Enjoying her dinner

2 tbsp steamed mixed chopped veggies (corn, peas, carrots and green beans)

 

As you can see, Lily likes her finger foods. Giving her finger foods to eat also helps keep her occupied while I cook or feed myself. She makes a big mess, but that’s all part of it. She goes right into the tub after dinner anyway.

Recently she tried a new snack that has become a fast favorite- raisins. She’s had black and golden raisins and seems to enjoy them both equally. I plan to make her a carrot cake for her upcoming birthday and raisins are a main ingredient in the recipe I have. I made a test cake about a week ago and it didn’t come out to well. The dough was too wet and it ended up with the consistency of a pumpkin pie rather than birthday cake. The cream cheese frosting was delish though and Paul and I gobbled that up quick enough. It was my first try making a cake ever though, so hopefully next time will be better. I will be sure to blog about it!

For more info on beets, click here

lazy day pasta and the importance of using rBGH-free dairy

Yesterday we had a lazy day. Lily woke up 3 times the night before (which is rare) and I went to bed much later than I normally do. She also got up earlier than normal, therefore guaranteeing a very sore and tired mommy. It was okay though. I still managed to get some work done and do some light chores (washing the dishes, preparing simple food…that’s about it), and devoted the rest of my time to taking care of my sweetie.

She tried whole-wheat pasta for the first time for dinner that evening, and guess what- she liked it! She’s not a very picky eater luckily for me; she’s only refused avocado and tofu so far. Those are 2 of my favorite foods though, so I’d been hoping they would be something we could easily share together. Not so much luck there. Oh, well, I’m not complaining.

Whole-wheat pasta usually gets the short end of the stick when it comes to taste and texture, I myself not being a big fan of pasta’s healthier counterpart. However, the brand I used last night for Lily’s first taste was Stop & Shop’s Nature’s Promise line and it tasted pretty good. I even had some of what I’d made for Lily and it was easy to see why she was numming away with such satisfaction.

Last night for Paul and me I made this yummy chicken, pasta and spinach dish. It was one of the times when I just used what was readily available in my fridge and pantry and it worked out. I love when that happens! Here’s the recipe for what I made:

1 12oz package of tri-color pasta

1 large sized chicken breast

4 tbsp olive oil

1 cup fresh baby spinach

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1½ tbsp oregano

1 tsp salt, divided

1 tsp black pepper, divided

Juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small

Start boiling the water for the pasta. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Pound the chicken breast until it’s about half the thickness it originally was, then season it with half the salt and pepper and ½ tbsp oregano, and then place in pan. Half way through cooking, add the juice of one lemon to each side of breast. Fry until cooked through, but still tender. Add pasta to water when it boils and cook until al dente or whatever your taste is.

Chop up chicken into smaller chunks and put aside. After draining pasta, use the same pot you cooked it in to lightly sauté the garlic and add some of the salt and pepper to add flavor. Turn off heat then toss in the chicken and coat with the olive oil. Add pasta, the rest of the olive oil, seasonings and lemon juice, and then mix altogether. Add the spinach and feta and mix it until spinach is tender. 

You don't have to use tri-color pasta, but I think it adds a nice flavor and added bonus of nutrients

Makes 8-10 servings. I made a big batch so I'd have leftovers, a practice I've been implementing ever since I realized how difficult it can be to get certain things done with a baby around.

What Lily had:

2 tbsp steamed mixed chopped veggies (corn, peas, carrots and green beans)

2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp cooked whole-wheat elbow pasta

Serve as finger foods if your baby is ready.

I want to note that when providing food for my child I go as organic as possible. Everything she ate last night was organic, and most other things she eats are as well. It’s especially important to stick to the organic regimen when offering dairy for growing babies and children due to all of the hormones used on the cows at most dairy farms. There are many cases supporting the negative influence these artificial hormones can cause, such as unhealthy bacteria to grow, the risk of cancer to increase, and it is also believed that the consumption of too much dairy products from hormone-treated cows can cause children to grow at a much faster rate than normally. If you simply look at the rate most kids grow up these days- specifically girls –compared to how they used to before hormones like rBGH were developed, there is plenty of evidence supporting this theory. Just google “negative effects of hormone-treated dairy on children” and you’ll get about 500,000 results. eHow.com sums it up quite nicely though if you want to take a look.

My main concern with cows being treated with hormones is the well being of the animals, honestly. I am a huge advocate for animal rights and just thinking about the pain cattle suffer from these drugs (mastitis, which is an infection of the udder, is not pretty!) let alone all the other turmoil they go through being raised on an industrial, mass-producing farm makes my heart hurt. 

So, please, do yourself and the cows a favor and get rBGH-free products whenever possible. Moo!