Product Review: EnviroKidz Organic Leapin' Lemurs Cereal

It's been a while since I've done a product review. I don't write them often; a product really has to impress me to get me to blog about it. 

Like most kids, Lily loves her cereal. At least once a day, whether it's breakfast time or not, she's looks at me and says, "Cereal, Mommy". She gets it from her daddy, I think- Paul likes to have it for a snack, too.

It's hard to find a good cereal that is healthy and fun that's not covered in sugar. Not that Lily needs to eat a sweet cereal; in fact, she is happy with shredded wheat and bran flakes. Yet, when I saw this adorable cereal box in the "Natural Foods" aisle at Stop & Shop, we just had to give it a try.

How cute are those lemurs? The cereal is peanut butter & chocolate flavored, and made from organic ingredients such as corn meal, molasses, soy oil, and of course peanut butter and cocoa. It's gluten-free and low in sodium, and also boasts packaging made from 100% recycled paperboard. On one of the side panels, it gives examples of why it's good to eat eat organic, which can be helpful for older kids who are already reading when they're sitting at the table like this:

The box also has information about lemurs on the back. Kids can learn about where lemurs live, how they are becoming endangered, and a non-profit group that helps to protect them. This is definitely better reading than the hyped-up cartoons and games they put on most kids' cereal boxes. 

Now, I'm sure you've heard enough about the packaging- how's the cereal??? Well, Lily always asks for seconds, and then even thirds! It does taste pretty good, sort of like a Reese's Cup without being too sweet. A very nice balance with the almond milk. The cereal is little balls with a nice crispy, crunch texture. I say it's a hit!

EnviroKidz® also makes these other flavors:

• Gorilla Munch
• Koala Crisp
• Peanut Butter Panda Puffs
• Amazon Frosted Flakes

Look for them at your local supermarket if you want to try a fun kid's cereal that's organic and good for the environment and its inhabitants.


Note: I was not paid or asked to write this review, I did it by my own accord. Do you know a great product I should review, or a product you’re curious about but afraid to try? Let me know in the comments! Just please suggest a natural, organic, eco-friendly, or health or food-related product so it will at least coincide with my blog’s theme, thanks! OR you can send me a product you'd like me to review for you, by contacting me at healthymommyhealthybaby@gmail.com for more details.

Product Review: BabyGanics Lavender Bubble Bath and Foaming Shampoo & Body Wash

I hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day. I had intended to do an awesome Mother's Day post, but guess what- I was sick. On Mother's Day. Yes. sigh. My hubby did the best to make it count anyway. I was surprised by a bouquet of flowers on the dining room table, and then he took me to get the hammock I was longing for, only for me to pick out a new lounge chair instead. Then we had Mexican take-out for dinner...plus a mucho necesito Margarita at the bar. So, it was a lot better than it could've been, despite my crankiness from feeling like poop. It was such a nice day out too. I'm feeling much better now, just a little achy and congested. 

Since I didn't focus much on cooking anything new and spectacular, I am presenting you with another product review. I finally decided to try BabyGanics® body products, which have been highly recommended to me by several people and have gotten low toxicity ratings on EWG's Skin Deep website.  They happened to be on sale one day when I was at Babies R Us and in the market for a restock on body products for Lily, so I picked up two bodywashes (one in lavender and one unscented), one bubble bath, one bug spray and one sunscreen.

The first thing we tried was the lavender Soothing Bubble Bath & Body Wash. It smelled really nice, very subtle and soothing, just as the product described. It made a decent amount of bubbles (not as bubbly as these!), but I had to use more than two squirts as recommended. I had to use about five squirts, and our tub is a pretty standard sized tub. We also went through them pretty quickly, which was disappointing. Additionally, I also liked that Lily didn't have a residue feeling on her skin after she rinsed off, as some bubble baths tend to leave. Her skin was silky soft and scented with the delicate perfume of lavender...mmm...

Please don't judge the filthy tiles. I'll get to it, I swear.

See how much bubble bath has already been used after just less than 3 weeks?

The lavender Soothing Foaming Shampoo & Bodywash is wonderful, though! Five stars for sure! It smells AMAZING and a little bit goes a LONG way. I thought the applicator was kind of weird at first, but now I see that it's good at keeping water out and balancing the bottle upright. If your kid is like mine, they tend to drop their bodywashes in the water and then the water gets inside the bottle, making it watery too. It also suds up very nicely from plant-based sources rather than sulfates. 

The weird-looking spout helps keep water out and the bottle standing upright

More about these products:

• tear-free
• paraben-free
• non-toxic
• plant-based ingredients
• never tested on animals
• no synthetics
• no phthalates
• no mineral oil
• petroleum-free
• sulfate-free

The one thing I found misleading about this product is the fact that it's called "BabyGanics", which to me implies that the product is organic. No where on the ingredients is anything labeled as organic. I visited their website and no where there does it say anything about being organic either. Maybe it's just me, but I truly thought that the name implied their product being organic, but apparently not. No biggie, but I wonder if that has been a peeve with anyone else. 

I haven't tried the bug spray yet, and have only used the sunscreen a few times so far, so I will let you all know how that goes later (so far so good! It's also award-winning according to website). 


Stay tuned for some tasty treats coming soon and this month's Up-and-Coming Blog of the Month next week! Hopefully I can keep my act together and not let being sick or anything else keep me down!

Note: I was not paid or asked to write this review, I did it by my own accord. Do you know a great product I should review, or a product you’re curious about but afraid to try? Let me know in the comments! Just please suggest a natural, organic, eco-friendly, or health or food-related product so it will at least coincide with my blog’s theme, thanks!

Linking up today with:

Traditional Pork Bacon vs. Turkey Bacon

I haven't always abstained from eating pork.

When I was young, I was raised eating pig meat. And like most people, I loved it. I loved pork chops, I loved ham, and I loved bacon. But, then I got to learn where bacon comes from and got to meet cute little pigs in person, and eventually I just couldn't eat them anymore. I have an early memory of meeting a cute little piglet on a class trip to the farm in the first grade. I feel this memory has helped to instill the negative feelings I have towards slaughtering these darling creatures.

For a long time meat wasn't on the menu at all, but then I abandoned my vegetarian diet once again and started eating red meat and poultry once again. I still won't eat pig, but sometimes I catch a whiff of bacon frying and can't help but desire a taste. 

Then last year I was introduced to turkey bacon. I had known of its existence, but I was afraid it just would not compare and make me miss traditional pork bacon all the more.  Guess what- I was mistaken! It's great! It tastes very similar, and much less fatty! 

Now you too can have your questions and concerns answered if you've been thinking about making the switch, just read on!

Q: Why is turkey bacon better for you than "regular" bacon?
A: It has far less saturated fat and calories than pork bacon.

Q: But, what about the often higher sodium content?
A: Even though in most brands of turkey bacon there is a higher sodium content, the benefits of eating less saturated fats far outweighs those of eating less salt. There are even brands available that should have less salt than others, just read the labels. If you have a problem with high salt intake, you should be cutting back on salty meats to begin with. Everything in moderation!

Q: What else should I be aware of when choosing turkey bacon over pork bacon?
A: Choose organic over conventional as a healthier choice that is also more sustainable, and also look for "nitrate-free." Nitrates when cooked at temperatures high enough to be burned can cause cancer-causing carcinogens to form. Eating turkey also leave a slightly lighter carbon footprint on the planet. 

Q: How do I cook turkey bacon?
A: You can cook it the same way you cook regular bacon- by frying it to desired crispiness, or by baking it. Baking it is healthier and less greasy, plus can make it even crispier if that's how you like it! Cook in oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on baking sheet, turning once half way through.  

If you switch to turkey, you will see it is just like using pork bacon, and you will be helping your health and the planet :) Of course, simply cutting back on meat or out of your diet completely is an even better choice, but I think most people who read this blog are omnivores! 

Pigs are also treated very poorly in factory farms, to an extent that would break any person with a conscience's heart. They are kept in cages where they can barely move, just to be fattened up before their slaughter. Piglets are taken away from their mothers just weeks after birth, only to be crammed into other cages just as their mothers were. The air is over-polluted, the animals suffer from disabilities due to lack of exercise, and the environment not only breeds poorly treated animals, but poorly produced food for consumption. Just read here and see if it doesn't make you reconsider your supermarket shopping list. 

This is not to say that turkeys are treated any better, but if you are a meat-eater and want a healthier choice, turkey is the way to go. Choosing organic, cage-free, antibiotic-free turkey will help to ensure you are getting the best offering out there.

Currently, my favorite way to enjoy turkey bacon is lightly frying it up in a pan then sticking it in between 2 slices of multi-grain bread with smoked cheddar. Grill or fry in pan- yum! Another yummy way is to wrap up asparagus spears in it and bake. Click image below for recipe.

Have a good weekend! Check back soon!

November Cookies: Dark Chocolate Coconut 'n Flax Cookies

I am POOPED today! I took Lily to a zoo in Brooklyn yesterday and after having to take 3 different trains there and back, not to mention having to be on my feel all day with her, I am still sore. I am almost too tired to even write anything right now…but, bloggers can’t rest now, can they? Not when they’re trying to actually stick to what they set out to do and post at least 3 times a week and have a different cookie recipe every Friday! Not when they’re computer acts up non-stop, narrowly avoiding being punched in the screen several times in less than a day! And definitely not when the internet connection was acting up all morning for no known reason, luckily finally deciding to work again as soon as I was about to reach my wit’s end! (It’s been that kind of day…) No, nothing will stop me from getting healthy cookie recipes to you, my devoted readers (at least I think you’re devoted…), not even a cranky toddler (who I just put down for a nap, yay!).

Note: Lily woke up just minutes after I started writing the paragraph below…what a stinker! She only napped for about 30 minutes!

And for the sake of chocolate and indulging in naughty sweets, this first November Cookie recipe is not the healthiest I have, but certainly one of the yummiest, and I think it deserves to be the first I post, mainly because it has become the new favorite of the house and because I felt like it.

Dark Chocolate Coconut ‘n Flax Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted

¼ cup ground flax flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup butter or ½ butter ½ cup coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup shredded coconut

I usually preheat my oven once the dough is ready to be put on the cookie sheets, but if you prefer to preheat your oven once you start making dough, you can go ahead and set it to 375 degrees. Combine flours, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. In separate bowl, mix sugars, vanilla, and butter and/or oil together until smooth and creamy. Add each egg one at a time until well beaten and combined with mixture. Then slowly add the flour mixture, a little at a time, until well blended together with sugar mixture. An electric beater works best. Lastly, add the chocolate chips and coconut until mixed in evenly with dough.

Drop rounded spoonfuls of cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets in rows, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-15 minutes in oven on center rack until golden brown. Remove cookies and allow to cool before serving, as they will be HOT! Enjoy with a nice glass of milk (I prefer almond).

Can't you just smell them baking?

Of course, cookies are best when they’re fresh out of the oven, and often I can only wait for about 10 minutes before sinking my teeth into one of these heavenly delights. The coconut and dark chocolate go perfectly together, and the whole wheat and flax flours add the extra benefits of fiber and omega-3s. This recipe also calls for 25% less sugar than the average classic chocolate chip cookie recipes. 

Delicious outcome

I use organic and Fair Trade chocolate chips when I can, like Sunspire, which is available at Whole Foods if you have on near you. You can also find a store online. I have written a post about slaves being used for harvesting cocoa beans where you can read more on the abominable practice of forcing children into unpaid labor under harsh working conditions. It’s very difficult to find chocolate that is truly slave-free, especially when it comes to chocolate chips. If you feel very strongly against using chocolate that may have come from unsavory sources, try just breaking up a slave-free chocolate bar instead! Here’s a site that lists many of the organic, Fair Trade and/or slave-free chocolates available.

I know it’s very difficult to find chocolate that is not only organic and Fair Trade, but also truly slave-free. It’s also hard to find an affordable one! Vitacost.com- one of my favorite websites ever! –has Sunspire baking chips available at very reasonable prices and in a variety of different versions, from grain-sweetened, to vegan, to carob and more! Of course, they don’t offer a “classic” semi-sweet or dark chocolate version on vitacost, but they do have that kind available at Whole Foods.

Of course, I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone; I don’t always use certified chocolates myself since they are not always readily available like I said. I a merely trying to draw attention to the situations surrounding the cocoa bean trade that some sources claim is “getting better”, yet many state otherwise. It’s always good to be informed, and if you are able to make a better buying decision isn’t that always the best way to go? Most of you have children and are horrified that children as young as three (probably younger!) are put into labor camps to harvest cocoa beans, coffee beans, and many other items. Heck, even if you don’t have kids I’m sure you are just as saddened by the situation, so let’s do our best to support those companies that are trying to make a difference!

To end on a lighter note, Lily recently tried chocolate chip cookies for the first time (here’s the photographic proof!) and loved them! This version of chocolate chip cookies would be a great first cookie for a little one in your life due to the added benefits of whole grain flours, coconut and less sugar than most readily-available cookies out there. And of course you want your child’s first cookie to be homemade! They will taste the love you put into making them, I guarantee it!

Dark chocolate has also been proven to be quite healthy itself, especially in comparison to milk chocolate. First of all, it is full of heart-healthy antioxidants and natural mood-boosters which is why many people crave chocolate when they're feeling blue. It also contains many vital minerals such as iron and magnesium. I don't know about you, but I greatly prefer the taste of dark to milk chocolate anyway!

Check back next week for Meatless Monday, the first featured up-and-coming blog post, and another cookie recipe! Have a great weekend!!!

Family Favorite Friday

I came up with this concoction the other night when I hadn’t planned dinner and was just using what I had readily available. It was one of those rare occurrences when Lily handed me her empty plate after eating what I served her, and saying, “Moooore” in the drawn-out cute way that she does. I was beaming with pride and happiness. She gobbled up the second helping and Paul took the leftovers to work. Success! I made it with the olive oil the first time then the coconut oil the second time and it came out great each time. Some nice add-ins would be peas and/or potatoes, although I haven’t tried either. This is the perfect dish for picky eaters, especially if the carrots are fresh and sweet.

Chicken, Carrot and Rice Skillet

Serves 4-6

½ lb chicken breasts, tenders or cutlets

1 cup brown basmati rice

2 cups chopped carrot

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

Lightly season the chicken with the salt, pepper and garlic. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat (I’ve tried it with olive and coconut, both tasted great so whichever you have available/prefer) and brown the chicken on both sides, but do not fully cook. Set aside on a plate covered with a paper towel or other cover. Cook the rice in the broth in the same skillet for 5 minutes, then add the chopped carrot; I simply layered the carrots on top of the rice, as in the picture below.

Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the chicken on top of the carrots; sprinkle the lemon juice and paprika on top of the chicken before covering. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and chicken and carrots are nice and tender. It should all be nice and fragrant from the paprika and lemon when you open the lid! Serve as is, with a light salad if you like.

Babies can have the rice and carrots mashed up with some milk or formula, and younger babies can just have the carrots with milk or formula and cereal. Lily loves carrots!

Carrots are a good thing to love! We are all too familiar with the benefits of carrots in relation to vision; the vitamin A content in them is over 600%! They also have a fair share of vitamins C and K, and are anti-cancerous as well as very cleansing and detoxifying, especially when juiced. If you have a juicer, or even just a blender with a liquefy option, give juicing carrots a try! A glass of pure carrot juice everyday will better your skin, your vision, your immune system, your cardiovascular system, and so much more! Just keep in mind that there is also a very high amount of sugar in carrot juice, so little ones should only drink about 4 ounces a day. That little “rush” you may feel after drinking a glass is normal. In fact, the sugars found in carrots have been found to be beneficial to diabetics due to their carotenoid content, which actually helps to lower blood sugar, although some studies still show risks ifdiabetics drink too much carrot juice due to its high carb rates.

Carrots are also considered safe to eat conventionally as opposed to organically, although I’d recommend always going organic if you can. The conventionally grown ones contain less pesticide residues then some produce since they grow in the ground. The soil they grow in can contain toxins from pesticides however, and if you want non-GMO foods, then going organic is a must. If you want to try and grow your own carrots, it’s pretty simple, here’s a link that explains how. 

Zesty, Lemony, Spinach Soup

With the weather getting colder and my allergies starting to bother me already, I have been on a soup kick. Those of you who have been following HMHB already know I like to post a lot of soup recipes here- they’re easy and flexible and you can make enough for plenty of leftovers. I recently made batches of borscht and lentil soup, but also decided to try out this great new green soup that I found a recipe for in my favorite magazine, Eating Well.

I ended up just basing it off of the recipe I found, firstly because I did not have Arborio rice on hand and didn’t feel like going out to get any, and secondly because when I went to blend up the spinach like the recipe calls for, after I turned the blender on I discovered in the messiest of ways that there was a huge crack on the side of it! I’m sure you can just imagine the mess that was made all over my kitchen counter and floor. There was quite a bit of clean-up indeed…

So, rather than starting from scratch and abandoning my soup, I did what I could with what I had left, and it came out pretty good! It was my first time caramelizing onions too! So here it goes:

Spinach and Lemon Soup

12 oz package of spinach

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp + ¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

Juice of 1 lemon + extra wedges for garnish

To caramelize the onions: Sautee the onion in the olive oil in skillet over medium heat with ¼ tsp salt. Cook and stir frequently until it browns, then lower heat and add 2 tbsp water and cover. Cook onion, stirring frequently and then just occasionally, allowing the pan to cool and then heat up again after stirring, always covering pan again. Basically, continue to do this until onions turn a deep caramel color and are greatly reduced for about 25-30 minutes.

When onions are ready, toss in the spinach and stir-fry it with the onions for about 2 minutes, then add the broth and water. Stir in the remaining salt and cayenne; adjust to your tastes if needed. The tsp of cayenne will make it nice and spicy, but not too hot, so if you want it hotter add more. Bring it all to a boil then bring back down to a simmer and add the lemon juice. Serve right away with some whole-wheat buns or rolls. I had a whole-wheat English muffin with mine and it tasted really good dipped right into the spinach! Add more lemon and olive oil for garnish if desired. 

And there you have it- very simple and probably even sounds a little boring, but the combination of the cayenne and lemon with the spinach and broth was way more amazing than I’d thought it was going to be. I’m really excited to get a new blender now and try the Eating Well recipe that includes Arborio rice and chard.

I use spinach in many things I cook due to it being full of nutrition and also being so incredibly versatile. Just throw it in with just about anything you can think of and you are adding a large amount of iron, manganese, folate, and vitamins A, C and K with a rich yet delicate green taste. Spinach pairs great with chicken and white fish, and goes great in just about any soup. Enjoy fresh baby spinach with beets and mandarin oranges for a healthy and fruity salad; make a delicious green smoothie with fruit and yogurt; add it to stir-fries with tofu for a healthy vegetarian dinner.

Going organic when it comes to spinach is a good idea as well. Spinach has become notorious for being one of the top 12 produce items with the most pesticide residue found on it, even after repeated washing. Since the leaves are so delicate and tasty to insects, they are coated with extra pesticide to ward off pesky pests- pesticides that leak directly into the spinach itself.

The Environmental Working Group releases a list of the “Dirty Dozen”, which is a list of produce that contains the largest amounts of pesticides each year. The list contains mainly delicate fruits like blueberries and leafy vegetables that you don’t peal, and other veggies you don’t peal for that matter like peppers. It also has a list of the items with the least amount of pesticides. Print this list out so you can bring it with you to the supermarket and know what to buy conventional and save your money, and what to buy organic and save your health!

Save this recipe for when you're in a pinch on a cool night, or for your next Meatless Monday! Or, make tonight meatless, or any day for that matter :)

Healthy and tasty sugar-free cookies and crock-pot tomato sauce recipes coming soon!