Free Vanilla Extract and more!

My children at our annual visit to The Southern Lights.  They are a fun bunch of kids!  :)

Hello friends!

I hope that your Christmas was beautiful, meaningful, and fun.  We had a very good time visiting with extended family, both local ones and the ones that traveled from as far away as Florida and Massachusetts!  Today my children are enjoying their new gifts.  I have two boys working on their new world map puzzles, and a few others are asking for me to join them in playing their new Clue game.  :)  Never a dull moment here!

There are just a few more days before the end of the year, so of course our inventory reduction sale will continue since I'd rather give significant savings to YOU than pay taxes on stuff just sitting on the shelves.  So, enjoy these savings while they last.  On January 1 prices will be going back to normal.  You can see all sale items here.  

I would like to sweeten the deal even more by offering you a special gift.  Anyone placing a $100 order can also opt to get a FREE bottle of the delicious Vanilla Extract that I have available!  I just have a handful of these available, so this is a very limited offer.  You'll need to add the free vanilla to your shopping cart.  All of the details are here.

Cashews, almonds, walnuts, and pecans are all still available, though at very limited quantities now.  The pecans we got from South Carolina were absolutely awesome.  I am getting one final order of these for the season, so if you want some, speak now!  :)  I lowered the pecans to 3 pound increments because they fit better in a gallon bag, so for those of you that didn't need a full 5 pounds, this is your chance!  :)  

Have you seen this article about the treatment of Whooping Cough with vitamin C therapy?  Worth a read!  This is the sort of thing that I so often come across and share on our facebook page.  If you have not yet joined me there, please do!

This recipe for Hot Cranberry Cider was a nice addition to our Christmas brunch and is soothing if you are chilled or feeling a little bit sick.  Easy to make, too!

Stay cozy, my friends!

~Erica

Cranberry Walnut Granola

I originally found this recipe here, but of course have made some tweaks that I liked.

1 ½ cups raw walnuts, roughly chopped
 ½ cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
 ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
 ¼ cup more almonds, ground up as small as my food processor would do (all the way to flour, if you can)
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
 ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
 ¼ teaspoon sea salt
 ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
 1 tablespoon maple syrup
 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
 ½ cup dried cranberries (preferably fruit juice-sweetened) In my case I had cooked cranberries leftover from making Cranberry Cider, so I used a half cup of those instead and I am glad I did!  So nice and tangy!

 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use no-stick spray on a 9x13 glass pan.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the walnuts, almonds and almond flour, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, maple syrup, and flaxseed. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until combined. Add in the cranberries if you are using wet ones like I did.  If you're using dried ones, wait.  Spread the mixture out onto your pan. Bake for about 25 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes with a spatula, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and stir in the cranberries if you used dry ones. Allow the granola to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or if you used the wetter cooked cranberries, store in the fridge.

Hot Cranberry Cider

My friend Jill (who makes the lip balms and soaps that we have in the store) sent me this recipe today because she saw on facebook that we were dealing with some sickness at our house, and she recommended it as soothing and good for coughs, chills, and aches.  I made some of this wonderful stuff and boy oh boy it tastes great and was easy to make.  I'm not sure how totally medicinal it is, but seems like it should be a decent choice for drinking when illness is going around the family.

1 pound of fresh cranberries
1.5 cups raw honey
1.5 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
two-thirds a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 cinnamon sticks

In a large pot combine the cranberries with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil until the berries pop.  Strain off the berries, reserving the liquid.  (I saved the cooked berries and later used them in a granola recipe!)  Add in the cinnamon sticks and another 2-3 cups of pure water and bring to a boil for 10 minutes.  In the meantime you can juice your orange and lemon with a citrus juicer.  After the 10 minute boil, remove from heat and add the honey, orange, and lemon juice and stir well.  You can take the cinnamon sticks out or leave them in, as you like.  Very nice for drinking warm or cold.  We found it very soothing.  It makes about a gallon of nice cider that you would certainly enjoy whether sick or healthy.  :)

Our Big Holiday Sale Starts Now!

Want to get the best deals that will be available from now til Christmas? This is it! 20% off store-wide starts today and goes til Monday. Stock up on all of your favorites now by clicking on through this link to have your discount automatically applied.

Please note: Due to very low profit margins on the almonds, walnuts, cashews, and vanilla, this discount does not apply to those. If you need to order any of those items in addition to your sale items, just leave me a message and I will help you get it worked out.

Carrot Cake Waffles

I saw this interesting recipe posted by Crystal over at Money Saving Mom, and since I just happened to have some cooked carrots left over from dinner, I decided to try it for breakfast the next day, with some healthy tweaks, of course. These were really good, so I'm excited to share this with you:

2.5 cups whole wheat flour

3 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

half teaspoon sea salt

4 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

(Or if you are in a pinch like I was, use 5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the ginger and cinnamon)

4 eggs

1 cup pureed cooked carrots

1.5 cups milk, nut milk, or milk alternative (I used fresh cashew milk)

1 cup coconut sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

6 tablespoons of melted butter (or you could use olive or coconut oil)

I used my ninja food processor to puree the carrots along with the nut milk and eggs, then mixed everything else together and cooked in our waffle maker. These smell and taste great! You don't notice the carrots at all. We used pure maple syrup on them. Perfect!

Vegetarian Alternative to Ground Meat!

So today I have made a pretty cool discovery that will be great for vegetarians or anyone who is just looking for a plant-based and raw alternative to meat every once in awhile. Before today I have only used it as "meat" in a raw chili recipe, but today when my boys were wishing for meat with their pasta, I decided to experiment.

I got the main idea for this concept from Ani Phyo, one of my most favorite raw food recipe people, and tweaked it for my own needs. Here's the recipe:

1 cup raw walnuts--run through your food processor until they are in small little bits, like chopped up cooked ground meat would be

then add in

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Bragg's liquid aminos

2 teaspoons of ground coriander

half a teaspoon of sea salt

Mix it all up and voila! you've got a nice meat substitute! We just added it to the pasta and it definitely did the trick of giving the visual, textural, and flavor of ground meat. Mixing this stuff up takes just a minute (less than cooking meat!) and is certainly less expensive than meat. If you wanted this to taste more like taco flavored, you could add cumin and chili powder. If you wanted it less salty, leave out the Bragg's.

You could use this in salads, chili, casseroles, etc. I hope that you will tell me how it has worked for you!

Walnuts are tremendously healthy for you, especially when raw. (so I would suggest adding this to your cooked and heated foods right before eating, and not heating it, though of course you could) Even if you aren't vegetarian, this is a great way to occasionally add in a powerful nutrient into your diet. Right now we have raw walnuts for sale, so this is a perfect time to stock up.

Leftover Soup

Tomorrow I am making leftover soup! I thought I would tell you a little about how it goes.

Leftover soup is delicious, easy, and thrify.

The base for the soup ingredients is....leftovers! After meals when you have a little bit of rice or veggies or broth or meat that nobody wants to eat, stick in the freezer til soup day. Eventually you'll need a crock pot meal, and you should have a nice variety of items to go into your soup.

Start with some liquid. Whether you have homemade broth, or an organic broth like Imagine brand (please none with MSG), or a creamy soup base (I often get Imagine brand organic soups marked down at Kroger), any of it plus some water will work. Pour it into your crock pot.

Now is the time to empty all of your little containers and ziploc baggies of leftover bits and pieces. Put it all in the crock pot.

Then add in any fresher leftovers that you have in the fridge as well.

Then if you aren't happy with the amount of stuff in there, chop up some onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, etc. Toss in some frozen veggies if you like. I now like using my Thrive freeze-dried veggies--I have a really nice variety, so it makes my soups so much more flavorful and colorful than I used to have when I didn't have so many different veggies on hand all the time!

You can add cooked or uncooked brown rice, wild rice, or barley. If you want to add pasta it does best to go in toward the end of cook time since it gets pretty mooshy after being in the crock pot all day.

Once you've added all the food bits that you want, add more water or broth if you feel that it's needed. Then add seasonings like parsley, a bay leaf, marjoram, sea salt, pepper, or any other herbs or seasonings that you think will add to the taste.

Cook it on low in your crock pot. Come home to a beautiful dinner!

It's never the same soup twice, but it's really good regardless. As long as you get the liquid-to-food ratio right, you can't really go wrong.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Balls, take 2

Those of you that have taken my class have my original peanut butter ball recipe that I grew up with when my healthy-eatin' grandmother would make them. I found a new recipe recently that I adapted and enjoy. Here's the original source, with several variations there that you might enjoy. Personally, my family and I didn't really like the almond butter versions, but your taste buds may vary!

1 cup healthy peanut butter (I like the crunchy kind and it works fine, but creamy would work too)

half a cup + 2 T raw honey (you could use agave if you don't have any honey available)

1 teaspoon vanilla

half cup + 2 T coconut flour

6 T ground flax seed (I use my coffee grinder for this purpose)

half teaspoon sea salt

optional: half cup chocolate chips or raisins

Mix it all up thoroughly and then form into balls and store in the fridge in a covered container. Once again, I use my pampered chef scoop to make this easy and mess-free!

My kids and husband scarf these up! Not low in calories, though, so go easy if you're needing to watch the waistline.

Delicious Raw Scones

I've had this recipe for awhile, though I'm not sure where the original inspiration came from. This is easy to make and is such a yummy healthy treat to have on hand for a quick grab on the way out the door, for a light snack, etc.

2 cups grated carrots
2 cups grated apples
2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups raisins
1 cup cranberries
1 cup ground flaxseed (I use a coffee grinder to grind these up quickly)
4 tablespoons agave or honey
quarter-cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil

Generally I measure the carrots, apples, and walnuts dry, going a little above the 2 cup amount. I throw all of these ingredients into my food processor, pour it out into a bowl and hand mix if it isn't evenly mixed already. Then I use my pampered chef scoop to make nice even mounds of the dough onto my teflex sheet on a dehydrator tray. Since nothing gets bigger in the dehydrator, you can put them really close together. This recipe fills one tray plus usually makes about a dozen more scones on another tray.

Dehydrate at 105-115 degrees for 15-20 hours, then turn them over (remove the teflex sheet) and do another 3 hours to get the bottoms finished. Store in a covered container in the fridge.

Cheesy Kale Chips

I have pulled myself away from devouring the latest batch of these delicious yummies in order to share the recipe with you. You will need a dehydrator that you can adjust the temperature on. I use and recommend the Excalibur dehydrator. (link to the left side of the blog for you to check it out)

First you need one of those big bags of washed, cut kale (or you could use collards) from the produce department. They are probably about 2 gallons in size.

At home you need to mix up the following ingredients in your food processor, blender, or whatever similar equipment you've got:

2/3 (two thirds) cup raw cashews

4 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons water

half a cup extra virgin olive oil

1.5 teaspoon sea salt

half cup nutritional yeast (this is what gives it the cheesy flavor and is a good source of vitamin B12)

about a half cup finely minced onion (I used Thrive freeze dried onion and added a little extra water to the mixture)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cloves minced garlic

half a teaspoon black pepper

Mix all of that up until it's mixed well. It'll be a little chunky because of the onion and cashews.

I used two very large bowls to put the kale in. If you take the time to rip the kale leaves away from their big stems, it will make for more convenient eatin' later on. (Those stems are very tough and not nice to eat. You can leave them on and just rip them away later as you're snacking, but once you see how fast you want to stick these in your mouth, you'll wish you could do so without the unpleasant surprise of those tough stems!)

I split the kale in two bowls just because the mixing goes a little easier. Pour half of the cashew and liquid mix onto each bowl of kale and just mix it up with a big spoon or spatula. You want to get all the pieces coated as much as you can.

Next you need your Excalibur dehydrator and the teflex sheets* that go with it. For this size batch I usually fill 3 trays with the now-coated kale leaves. Just gently plop them on the teflex and try to spread them out to be fairly even and not too lumped up on each other. When you put the trays back into the dehydrator you'll need to use every-other rung in order to have space for the height of the kale.

Put the door back onto your dehydrator and turn it up to 115 degrees and let it do it's thing for at least 12 hours or until not damp at all. It's a weird smell to wake up to, but very convenient to do overnight, since you can just let the dehydrator go til lunch time when you want some of these for a snack.

Warning: Turn off the dehydrator before you remove the door to check on the kale. The blower will blow the delicate, dehydrated leaves right out if you aren't careful. :) (ask me how I know)

Store these in an air-tight container. If they lose some of their crisp-ness, just throw 'em back in the dehydrator for a little while and that'll take care of that.

The large bag of kale costs less than $3 at my Kroger, and the ingredients for the sauce are quite economical. Such an easy way to enjoy your greens, and an easy way to sell them to your kids!

*If you don't have the teflex sheets, you could use parchment paper if you needed to. I've done it in a pinch and it worked fine, though not as convenient.

**I adapted this recipe from one I think I got from Green Smoothie Girl. I have tried some other kale chip recipes, but this one is the best tasting and most successful one I have tried.

Let me know how it goes for you.

Go Make This...STAT!

I just made this awesome healthy caramel dip to go with the Macintosh apples my in-laws brought back from NY state. SO GOOD! Plus, enjoy the video interview from two years ago....especially my rambunctious boys in the background. True to life, folks!

Raw Nut Sale is Live!

Once again we are able to offer fresh, raw almonds, cashews, and walnuts to you in bulk. This is our third year doing this, and each year I have been very pleased with the quality of the nuts, and our customers have been, too.

Cashews and walnuts are available in 5 pound increments. Almonds are available in 10 pound increments. Shipping is only $6.95 regardless of how much you order, as long as you live in the USA.

Right now we are accepting orders, and I expect to be placing a large bulk order by the end of October. If we get enough orders before that, I'll order sooner. Basically, I need to order these nuts in large quantities and then break down the orders for each of you, so we wait til we get many-hundred pounds worth of orders placed before getting the ball rolling. I'll do my best to make it speedy for you. :)

If you have any questions, let me know.

The Wonders of Coconut Sugar

To say I am excited about coconut sugar would be an understatement. This wonderful product has allowed me to be able to "healthify" SO many more recipes without sacrificing a bit of taste or convenience. I am in Love!

Coconut sugar isn't actually a sugar at all. It comes from the sap contained in coconut flour buds. The sap is cooked, the liquid evaporates off, and the crystals are ground up into sugar. (actually, you can get coconut sugar in various forms, but the crystallized kind is what I am used to using) It is sometimes also called Coconut Palm Sugar and a few other names.

Basically, coconut sugar is a form of coconut and is considered a whole food. It has a low glycemic index of 35, so it's a great thing for anyone trying to lose weight and for diabetics. It is very high in minerals and macronutrients that our bodies need, too!

It's super easy to use: You use it in place of white or brown sugar in any recipe, at the same amount of other sugars that were called for, and you don't have to change the baking temp. either. IT DOESN'T GET ANY EASIER THAN THIS, PEOPLE! :)

I buy my coconut sugar from amazon. If you use the Subscribe & Save option you get an additional 15% off the regular price PLUS free shipping! Yes, you have to get six bags of it at once, but they will keep in your pantry so you will just be glad to be stocked up! :)

As you will see, coconut sugar is not cheap like white sugar. For me, when I compare homemade goodies to store-bought ones, even with the coconut sugar going into the homemade ones, it's still cheaper than a package of cookies from the store shelf. When I consider that I'm getting extra nutrients, I'm eating something that isn't going to lower my immune system and help me get sick (and then I'll have to buy stuff to take to combat the sickness), PLUS it isn't contributing to extra weight that I'll regret, it is worth it to me. Your feelings on this may vary. :)

This is the link to what I have been using.  (click here)

You can read more in-depth information about coconut sugar here.

The Philippine Food and Nutrition Research Institute released the following information about their analysis of nutritive values found in coconut sugar:

Macro-nutrients (mg / l – ppm, dry) Coconut Sugar Brown Sugar Refined White Sugar Nitrogen (N) 2020 100 0 Phosphorus (P) 790 30 0.7 Potassium (K) 10,300 650 25 Calcium (Ca) 60 240 60 Magnesium (Mg) 290 70 10 Sodium (Na) 450 20 10 Chlorine (Cl) 4700 180 100 Sulfur (S) 260 130 20 Boron (B) 6 0 0 Zinc (Zn) 21 2 1.2 Manganese (Mn) 1 2 0 Iron (Fe) 22 0.6 0.6 Copper (Cu) 2 12.6 1.2 Source: COMPARISON OF THE ELEMENTAL CONTENT OF 3 SOURCES OF EDIBLE SUGAR - Analyzed by PCA-TAL, Sept. 11, 2000. (MI Secretaria et al, 2003) in parts per million (ppm or mg/li) Health Attributes of Coconut Sugar Nutrients Macro-nutrients Health benefits provided by these nutrients Nitrogen (N) help treat cardiovascular diseases Phosphorus (P) important for bone growth, kidney functions and cell growth Potassium (K) reduces hypertension, helps regulate blood sugar, helps control cholesterol levels and weight Calcium (Ca) vital for strong bone and teeth, and for muscle growth Magnesium (Mg) essential for metabolism, nerves and stimulates the brain (memory) Sodium (Na) plays a key role in the functioning of nerves and muscles Chlorine (Cl) corrects the pressure of body fluids and balance the nervous system Sulfur (S) important for healthy hair, skin and nails, also helps maintain oxygen balance for proper brain function. Boron (B) essential for healthy bone and joint function, enhances body's ability to absorb calcium and magnesium Zinc (Zn) called the "nutrient of intelligence" is necessary for mental development Manganese (Mn) has antioxidant, free-radical-fighting properties, is important for proper food digestion and for normal bone structure Iron (Fe) vital for the quality of blood, mental development and the immune system Copper (Cu) helps to release energy, helps in melanin production in the skin, helps in the production of red blood cells and aid in the absorption and transport of iron Source: www.nutritiondata.com

Deal of the Week: SuperDad vitamins!

Deal of the Week: SuperDad vitamins: Always popular, the SuperDad vitamins are on sale for you! The big, economical 240 tablet bottle is normally $48, but this week you can get it for just $39. It appears that our supplier is no longer offering this size, so once we sell out of our current stock of this size, that's probably all we'll be able to get. Of course, we'll still have SuperDad vitamins in the other size bottles, so don't panic!

Sale ends Oct. 12 or when I run out of stock, whichever comes first. :)






Interested in weight loss support? We had a bit of discussion about this on the facebook group awhile ago. While I don't have a complete plan right this minute, I do want to hear from those of you that feel you would benefit from some sort of community to encourage you in this area. Simply reply to this newsletter and tell me a little about where you're at on this and what kind of thing you think would be helpful to you.

Ingredients to Avoid in skin care, body care, and cosmetics

This helpful list was compiled by our friends at Good For You Girls. We are exposed to hundreds of chemicals in our daily beauty routine. By knowing what's in the products we use, we can be empowered to make educated decisions. We want to look beautiful and feel beautiful without needlessly exposing ourselves to harmful ingredients.

Ingredients to Avoid:

• Acrylamides - Thickeners used for a variety of cosmetic purposes. In personal care products, they act as stabilizers to add richness and body. However the material may be a possible human carcinogen because of its potentially harmful impurities. It is already a restricted substance in European cosmetics.
• Alcohol denat (denatured alcohol) - A petrochemical byproduct. Usually contains benzyl alcohol, making it undrinkable. Can cause systemic eczematous, contact dermatitis and chemical sensitivities. Used in all commercial perfumes, used as solvent.
• Aluminum ingredients - Skin irritants, linked to Alzheimer's and lung disease.
• Benzyl alcohol - Harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Severe irritant for eyes, skin and respiratory system. Petrochemical.
• Bismuth Oxychloride - Bismuth is put in cosmetics because it gives a sheen to the face, is soft to the touch, and is extremely inexpensive. A byproduct of lead and copper refining, bismuth oxychloride is a heavy metal. Heavy metals have been linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease.
• BHA and BHT - Encourages the breakdown of vitamin D, can cause lipid and cholesterol levels to increase. Linked to cancer and endocrine disruption.
• Diethanolamine - DEA is used as a skin softener and humectant in personal care products. It can be carcinogenic when combined with other ingredients. It's a skin irritant. It's close and dangerous cousins are TEA, and MEA.
• Ethoxylates - Chemical compounds made as reaction products involving ethylene oxide. Ethoxylated materials include ingredients such as Laureth, Myreth, Ceteth, Ceteareth, Glycereth, etc. Trace contaminants in some ethoxylates have been implicated as potent carcinogens.
• Formaldehyde - A preservative which includes Imidazolidinyl Urea, Diazolidinyl Urea, DMDM Hydantoin and Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate. A known irritant and potential carcinogen. It is often hidden in other ingredients, banned in Sweden and Japan mainly because of its inability to inhibit the growth of acid producing bacteria and it's implication in cancer.
• Fragrance - Highly allergenic. Companies do not have to list the chemicals used in fragrances. They contain large quantities of toxins and chemicals not disclosed. Fragrance-free means that fragrance chemicals have been added to the product to mask the natural aromas of the ingredients.
• Glycol - Often used as solvents for preservatives and other materials. Glycols are potentially irritating and harmful to the skin. Examples are: Propylene, Butylene, Pentylene, Hexylene, and Caprylyl Glycol.
• MMP (Matrix Metalloproteinase) - An enzyme that breaks down collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. They are involved in wound healing, but also cause premature aging of the skin and tumor cell metastasis.
• Methylisothiazolinone - An antimicrobial agent found in some shampoos and hand creams and widely used in industrial settings. It inhibits the development of particular neuron structures that are essential for transmitting signals between cells. Prolonged exposure to low levels of methylisothiazolinone (MIT) may have potentially damaging consequences to a developing nervous system.
• Phthalates - Phthalates are synthetic chemical compounds mainly used as softening agents and to create fragrance. Look out for your plastics - squeeze bottles, shower curtains, soft plastics. Possible carcinogen.
• Parabens - Parabens are synthetic compounds used as a preservative in most beauty products. You can find them listed as methylparabens, propylparabens, butylparabens, and ethylparabens. Parabens cause many allergic reactions and skin rashes. They have also been found in breast cancer tissue and implicated in a multitude of health problems.
• PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) - A water soluble polymer used as an emulsifier and plasticizer. Impurities in these materials have been cited as potentially carcinogenic.
• Petrochemicals - Derived from raw materials of petroleum or natural gas origin. These include materials such as propylene glycol, ethoxylates, acrylamides, mineral oil and polyethylene glycol (PEG).
• Petrolatum - A derivative also known as petroleum jelly. Petrolatum is very occlusive and can clog pores. Additionally, it provides no nutritive value to the skin and contains no essential fatty acids. Petroleum by-products can pass through the brain barrier and cause ADD/dyslexia symptoms. Acne producing, may be carcinogenic, causes dry skin, respiratory toxins, and may cause dizziness.
• Phenoxyethanol - A synthetic ether alcohol preservative. Synthetic preservatives are considered by leading dermatological associations to be the number one cause of contact dermatitis.
• Silicone - A synthetic additive used to provide emolliency. Some forms of silicone such as Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone and Cyclopentasiloxane, Methicone, and Phenyl Trimethicone can be harmful or irritating to the skin.
• Sodium Laurel/Laureth Sulfate - Is used in many soaps, cleansers, and shampoos to enhance the foaming action of a product. It is a common skin irritant and is rapidly absorbed into the heart, liver, brain, and eyes, which can cause long term effects. It has been linked to cataracts in adults and inhibiting proper development of children's eyes.
• Synthetic Dyes - Synthetic colors are byproducts of the petroleum industry. The molecular structure of these products are so small that they can pass through the brain barrier. This can manifest itself as turning numbers backwards when writing or reading, peeling skin, acne, or ADD symptoms. Many people have allergies to artificial colorings, especially red 40.
• Talc - Talc has asbestos in it. Asbestos is another dangerous carcinogen. Do not use on babies, linked to ovarian cancer, possible respiratory toxin.
• TEA (Triethanolamine) - Contains ammonium salts. It is an eye irritant, and sensitizer and is mildly toxic.

Introducing Good For You Girls

Good For You Girls is the leader in all-natural and organic skin care specifically formulated for the special needs of young skin. Common skin care products are made with risky parabens, harmful petroleum ingredients, potential carcinogens, and more. These chemicals are not safe or healthy for anyone, let alone girls who are going through delicate hormonal changes.

My teenager daughter and I tested these products for 6 months before deciding to bring them to our customers. We have been pleased with the performance, scent, texture, and everything! What I've found is that they work great even for my skin--and I'm 40! So for all the moms looking for affordable, natural skincare products, you'll want to check this out!

Psst.....boys can use these products too! Just pull the labels off. ;)

NO Parabens
NO Sulfates
NO Phthalates
NO Propylene glycol
NO Mineral Oils
NO Silicone
NO Synthetic Fragrance
NO Dyes

Gluten-free and vegan!


I love this starter skin care kit! Perfect for Christmas gifts for all the teen and tween girls on your shopping list. Don't you agree?

Our supplier had a mix-up during their production process for the Blemish Wash and Deodorant that resulted in them getting the wrong bottles, which caused their labels to not affix nicely to the bottles. The end result is that although the product inside the package is top-notch, the container isn't as attractive as it normally would be. This problem turns into a WIN for you, because we are able to offer you the products at a deeper discount than would be normally possible. Once our initial stock is depleted, I don't know if we can get more of the cosmetically-imperfect product or not, so if you want to take advantage of this bargain, now is the time! :) Clickety-click on the product photos to read all about 'em and take advantage of the sale price!





Some of the Good-for-your-skin ingredients used in these products:

* Organic Arnica Extract - Anti-inflammatory properties. Improves skin circulation and stimulate healing.

* Organic Lavender Extract - Natural antibacterial. Tones and revitalizes skin as well as provides a soothing, calming aromatherapy effect.

* Organic Chamomile Extract - Anti-inflammatory properties and very calming to the skin.

* Organic Calendula Extract - Antimicrobial skin healing properties; it is also helps retain skins natural moisture.

* White/Green Tea Extracts - Beautiful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Reduces free radical damage, and healing to the skin.

* Black Tea - Astringent and toning properties.

* Comfrey Extract (Allantoin) - Repairs skin tissue and promotes new cell growth.

* Vitamin E (Tocopherol Acetate) - Important antioxidant in the deactivation of free radicals and in maintenance of the body’s cell membranes. Improves skin softness and smoothness.

* Organic Olive Oil - An antioxidant, moisturizer and skin smoother. Rich in vitamins and minerals.

* Organic Avocado Oil - Nourishes with Vitamins A & E; also has antioxidant properties. Beautiful for sensitive skin.

* Organic Jojoba Oil - Helps provide a protective barrier on skin to maintain moisture and keep out environmental toxins.

* Organic Sunflower Seed Oil - High in essential fatty acids that nourish the skin and help break up excess sebum that can clog pores.

* Glycerin - Plant derived skin-softener and humectant.

* Witch Hazel - A natural astringent, chosen for its antibacterial properties. It is cooling and soothing to the skin.

* Organic Aloe Vera Gel - Anti-inflammatory properties, it’s cooling to the skin, and stimulates repair to damaged skin.

* Spirae Ulmaria Extract (Meadowsweet) - Targets clogged pores, anti bacterial and reduces sebum.

* Canadian Willow Extract - Natural salicylic acid helps to exfoliate and slough away dead skin cells. Anti-inflammatory, and promotes new cell growth.

* Papaya Extract - The enzyme papain, for its exfoliating properties, ability to remove dead skin cells. Antibacterial without irritation.

* Pineapple Extract - Anti-inflammatory properties, helps repair skin.

* Pumpkin Seed Extract – Helps repair the skin, and promote new cell growth.

* Organic Rose Hip Oil – High in Linoleic and Linolenic essential fatty acids which are beneficial for the treatment of damaged and distressed skin.

* Organic Borage Oil – Excellent for dry skin, acne, and dermatitis.

* 100% Natural Aromatics - A combination of natural essential oils and aromatics. No synthetic fragrance

How to Make Smoothies

Most mornings I make smoothies. It's SO delicious, and a great way to get some fresh produce into your body and those of your husband and kids! Here's our basic recipe:

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup frozen strawberries

half cup plain organic yogurt (you can make it in your crock pot!)

several handfuls of organic spinach or mixed salad greens

3 bananas

Enough water, juice, or healthy lemonade to make it all go 'round nicely.

You can do this in a food processor, blender, vita mix, or right now I have a Ninja that I use. Whiz it all up and serve with a straw.

Obviously you can swap out the types and amounts of any of these things, so try it with what you have on hand. Organic berries are best, but if you feel you can't afford them, just start with regular. A big hit with the whole family! (and you can freeze it in popsicle molds if you have leftovers!)

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I made this delicious soup tonite and served it in homemade bread bowls. Oh so very yummy! I found this recipe thanks to Pinterest and adapted it to meet my healthfulness guidelines and what I had on hand. Also, you will notice that I used some freeze-fried foods in this recipe. I was recently introduced to Thrive Foods from a company called Shelf Reliance, and I was so impressed that not only have I started using their products in my own everyday cooking, plus building up some emergency food storage, I've also decided to start offering their products for sale. More about that at a future date, but that's the short version, and you are welcome to check out what Thrive has to offer here.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

quarter cup butter

half cup chopped onion (or half cup Thrive FD onion plus half cup water, rehydrated for about ten minutes)

1 clove garlic

quarter cup whole wheat flour

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup milk

2 cups organic chicken broth (or veggie broth)

half pound fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried broccoli (if freeze dried, reconstitute with water first)

1 cup shredded, chopped carrot or 1 cup Thrive freeze dried carrot plus 1 cup water, reconstituted.

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

4 ounces colby jack cheese

sea salt and pepper to taste

If using freeze-dried foods, set them up to reconstitute first, then gather your other ingredients.

Saute the onion and garlic in the butter over medium heat. Then add the flour, stirring constantly. Then add half-and-half, milk, and broth. Heat at medium high, stirring frequently, until almost boiling.

Reduce heat to simmer. Add broccoli and carrots. Simmer for 20 minutes. Stir every now and then.

Add salt, pepper, and cheese. (you could use more or less, or even leave it out, as you like) Let simmer for another 10 minutes before serving. Oh-so-very yummy!

Homemade Bread Bowls

Bread bowls always seemed so very comforting to me, and although I had heard about people making them from scratch, I hadn't gotten around to it. I think I thought it was going to be kinda complicated. Well HELLO it was easy! Now I won't hesitate to make bread bowls to spruce up any soup or chili night around here. What a revelation!

I used my usual Honey Whole Wheat recipe, except cut it in half. As it turned out, this made 8 generous bread bowls plus a loaf of bread, so probably a lot of families would want an even smaller amount of dough to work with. To break it down for you, here's my recipe, but only half of what I made. You can probably get 4-6 bread bowls out of it:

1.5 cups warm water or milk

1.5 tablespoon yeast

.75 tablespoon lecithin (just eyeball it)

a little more than a quarter tablespoon sea salt (I'm sure there is some perfect measurement in teaspoons, but I don't know it off the top of my head, so do your best and know that the bread will be fine without you knowing a specific amount)

3 tablespoons sliced butter

quarter cup honey

And however much freshly ground whole wheat flour it takes to get the right consistency. (read my original bread post for more information on that.) Let your mixer do it's job and knead that dough for ten minutes.

In the meantime, let's get the bowls ready! I sprayed two cookie sheets, and then got out all of my glass custard cups, turned them upside down on the cookie sheets, and sprayed them generously. The glass bowls are going to be the mold for your bread to bake around.


Once your dough is done kneading, grab a fistful of dough (maybe a little smaller than a tennis ball size?) and roll or pat it out into a round, maybe ending up 5-6 inches or so. This part is going to vary depending on the side of the bowls you are using for your mold. The ones I had are probably a little more than a one cup capacity.

Once you get your dough flattened down a bit (but still a little thick--maybe a half inch or so), just lay the dough on the overturned bowl, and kind of pat it around the bowl and if you need to, stretch the dough a bit to make it fit all the way to the cookie sheet.

Repeat til all your dough is gone. If you end up with more dough than bowls, you can always just roll the dough into balls and make some dinner rolls as well!

Cover with a light towel and let rise for a half hour. (In the meantime, start making your soup. Recipe coming up in the next post!)


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees so that it will be all warmed up and ready to go when your bread bowls are done rising. Pop your cookie sheets full of bready goodness into the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. Then once you take the cookie sheet out of the oven, you need to flip each bread bowl, remove the glass custard cup from the bowl of the bread, and then put the cookie sheet back in the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

The technique that worked for me was to use a wide spatula for flipping the bread bowls, and my hand was protected from the heat of the bread by a clean, dry cloth. I used a table knife to get a little edge of the glass bowl separated a bit from the bread, then grabbed the glass bowl and pulled it out of the bread. Very easy.

After you let the insides of your bread bowl bake, this is what you should have:


Place your bread bowls inside regular bowls, and then fill 'em up with your soup, stew, or chili. Warm, delicious, and filling! Oh...and did I mention *healthy*? There's no apology in the healthfulness of this meal, guaranteed!

Healthy Hot Cocoa

It was a chilly day at my son's football game this morning, so when we got home my boys were clamoring for some homemade hot cocoa. My happy discovery of coconut sugar has made so many of my regular, non-healthy favorites possible to make in a healthy way, and BOY AM I HAPPY ABOUT THAT! :)

So today, I bring you the Healthy Hot Chocolate recipe:

3 cups milk (you can use rice, almond, coconut, or regular milk as you wish)

half a cup water

Heat the liquids either on the stove top, stirring often to avoid the milk scorching on the bottom of the pan. Or if you are not opposed to using a microwave, just microwave the liquids for three minutes or so and avoid the scorching issue altogether.

Add to the warm liquid:

3 tablespoons cocoa, cacao, or carob powder

a dash of sea salt

two-thirds cup of coconut sugar

Whisk it up and enjoy!

I'm back to avoiding sugar, so I am glad I can make this in time for cold weather! :)

German Pancakes

I tweaked a recipe to try out this morning, and my boys are still raving about it. One son says that when he opens his own restaurant someday he will offer this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, because people will love it so much. :)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt half a stick of butter. Pour into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Combine:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup milk or milk alternative (rice milk, almond milk, etc.)

6 eggs

half teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour combined ingredients into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Easy!

**You can add fruit to the batter to make this even yummier! I made it with pears this morning. (took about 10 extra minutes to bake) Certainly you could use apples, peaches, raisins, cranberries, etc.

I now make a simple fruit topping for many of our bready breakfast foods. Basically you just need 1-2 cups of fresh or frozen (but thawed) berries, plus a couple tablespoons of coconut sugar. Whiz it up in your food processor or blender. Voila! So easy, and so delicious!

Apple Crisp the Healthy Way!

We have several apple trees in our back yard, so we need plenty of ideas for using them up. Tonite I made a quick, easy, and healthy version that I wanted to share with you.

One of the things that has held me back from making apple crisp is facing the chore of peeling and coring a dozen apples. It is not often that I have time for that! Last time I made apple crisp I decided to try out *not* doing the peeling. Know what? It turned out just fine! So hooray for a short cut. We can all use some time-saving tricks up our sleeves, can't we? The only disclaimer I would add is that I am doing this with home-grown apples that have not been sprayed with any pesticides. You may not want to do this with conventionally-grown apples.

Get a 9x13 pan and spray it with the non-stick stuff of your choice.

Quarter and core a bunch of washed apples. Just chop them up roughly in your food processor and toss them into the pan until your pan is full.

Combine:

1 cup coconut sugar

1 tablespoon whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon (or more) cinnamon

Sprinkle that combination all over your apples, then pour a half cup of water all over the top.

Next, combine:

1 cup oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup coconut sugar

quarter teaspoon baking powder

quarter teaspoon baking soda

Sprinkle that combination all over your apples.

Then pour a half cup of melted butter all over the top of that.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Yummy, whole-food goodness, and not much different from the sugared-up version people are used to! I have one in the oven right now.....

Healthified Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just made these and they are so soft and perfectly delicious for a fall day! Yes, it's true, the chocolate chips are the kid-friendly part (ok, everybody-friendly!), but you could substitute dried cranberries, nuts, or raisins for the chocolate if you like.

Super Soft Healthified Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
half teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
half teaspoon ginger
quarter-teaspoon nutmeg
quarter-teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup coconut sugar (NOT a refined sugar at all. It's really dried coconut sap and it is great!)
half cup olive or coconut oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips, raisins, dried or fresh cranberries, or nuts

Combine all and drop by tablespoons on a baking sheet (non-stick it first) at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Soft and wonderful!

Anniversary Time!

Yesterday my husband Dave and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary! It's funny how that sounds like a long time, feels both like forever and not very long at all, and we don't feel quite as grown-up as it seems like we "should" for being an old married couple. :)

For this week's special deal I decided to go a little crazy and invite you to celebrate along with us: 20% off everything in the store! Just click through here to have your discount automatically calculated.

We thank you for your interest and support of our family business. Creating Supermom's Health and Wellness has been one of our favorite adventures and we appreciate all of you so much!

Deal of the Week: Miracle Salve

After using Miracle Salve on my family for almost a year now, I am confident that it will be a blessing to yours!

This is a wonderful product for minor scrapes, burns, cuts, stings, bites, sores, rashes, eczema, dry skin, and more. At our house it is the go-to remedy for every skin-related issue that arises. I appreciate it that this one product can do so much, instead of needing to purchase many different items for specific ailments. My children appreciate that it does not have a strong scent like some herbal skin salves do. :)

The coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil are moisturizing, and soothe and heal rashes and scrapes. Coconut oil is especially helpful for eczema and other skin rashes caused by yeast overgrowth. Olive oil is a wonderful moisturizer because it manages to allow your skin to still do all of it's normal things (sweat, shed dead skin cells, release sebum) even though it is moisturizing as well. The antioxidant properties of olive oil make it additionally beneficial to your body as well.

The beeswax gives the salve a good consistency even in the hot summer months, and it provides a protective barrier as your skin heals.

Plantain is a wonderful herb that is effective for all types of stings and bites from insects.

Comfrey is especially suited to healing cuts and scrapes. It is also an astringent that soothes and helps calm inflammation and bruising.

Propolis is another excellent ingredient that helps with abrasions, gum infections, eczema, acne, skin cancers, bruises, and burns.

Lavender essential oil is emotionally calming, plus hastens the healing of burns and minor cuts.

Rosemary essential oil has strong anti-inflammatory properties and is soothing to sore muscles.

Although this wonderful salve can do so many things, it manages to last a really long time. The two-ounce size is great for keeping in the diaper bag, back pack, or purse, for all of those small injuries that happen away from home. The 4 ounce size is perfect for everyday use at home.

Normally the 2 ounce size is $15 and the 4 ounce size is $25, but this week you can get them for just $11.80 and $19.69! Sale price through next Wednesday, August 3.

Deal of the Week: Everything's on Sale!

This week's deal is simple: Take 15% off of your entire order. Just clickety-click here for the discount to be taken automatically. Enjoy!

Deals of the Week July 14-20, 2011

Two timely products on special this week!

Did you know that you can actually help your kids (or yourself!) prevent head lice? My Supermom's No-Lice Hair and Body Spray has a pleasant peppermint scent, but is made from a combination of herbs that lice and other pests hate! Perfect for spritzing on hair before your child goes out to school, camp, sports activities, and church. Normally $19.95, on sale this week for just $10.95! Now is the time to make sure you are stocked up before the new school year. This product keeps for a long, long time when stored in the refrigerator.


So many parents asked me for a natural, non-toxic way to keep mosquitoes and other pests away. Now we have it!

This all-natural product will keep those pesky insects away from you and your family, without harmful chemicals.

Bug Stuff is a solid bar that's convenient to rub on your skin. No sprays or messy liquids! It comes in a tube with a cap, sort of like a deodorant container. So it's easy to carry in your purse, car, diaper bag, or back pack. At a nice sale price this week.

Deal of the Week: Vitamin D3

I am seeing it more and more: news reports letting us know that vitamin D3 is an incredibly valuable and important vitamin for fighting disease and keeping our immune systems strong. Well, this week you can stock up on this normally very affordable supplement at an even lower price! The small gel caps are easy even for children to take. Mine eat these like tiny jelly beans. :)

In addition, I had some people tell me they were on vacation and didn't have time to take advantage of the SuperDad vitamin deal from last week. So, I am going to let that deal stay active for this week as well. A great opportunity since you save $12 on each bottle right now!

Now view this site on your phone!

Good news--you can now see a convenient mobile version of this blog on your smart phone. Great for when you are at the store and need to check out the latest recipe ingredients!

Raw Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I've been doing some raw food making tonite to get a jump on things. I whipped up this batch of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and thought I would share the recipe with you since it doesn't take any complicated equipment or ingredients. Enjoy!

1 cup pitted dates, soak in some pure water for about an hour+ before you want to make this. Drain off but save the water before making the cookie dough.
2 cups quick oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon
about a cup of raisins, dried cranberries, other dried fruit, or if you're really going crazy, chocolate chips, carob chips, or cacao nibs

If you have a strong and mighty food processor, you might be able to get away with throwing all of the ingredients together and just whizzing it all up. If you have a finicky food processor, then try something like this:

Put drained dates into your food processor and chop them up as smoothly as you can realistically do with your machine. Add in the oats and cinnamon and continue to whiz it all up, adding some of the reserved water from the date soaking as needed. You want it to be wet enough to be able to smoosh the dough into cookie shapes. Not too wet to have the stuff hold together. If you have a smaller processor you may have to do this in batches.

Once you've got it all mixed, you've got options. :) You can form cookie shaped patties, little treat balls, or if you're in a hurry or looking for convenience just pour it into a 9"x9" pan and later you can cut it into whatever size cookie bars you need. These are quite tasty!

Deal of the Week: SuperDad vitamins!

The SuperMom and SuperDad vitamins are hugely popular with our customers. They are full of high quality nutrients, including green superfoods like Chlorophyll, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Spirulina, and more.

The only difference between the SuperMom vitamins and the SuperDad vitamins is that SuperDad has NO iron in it. Perfect for those that don't need more iron in their diet or who find iron to cause constipation.

This week we are featuring the big, economical 240 tabs bottle of SuperDad tablets at a big 25% off (just $9 per month!!). If taken as directed, this is a 4 month supply. Please note that the tablets are somewhat larger than the capsules. However, you take fewer of them to meet the daily recommended dose.

Order as many as you like at this price. No limit on quantity. Sale runs through July 6, 2011.

SuperKids Deal of the Week!

Pretty much everybody can use a multi-vitamin, and your kids are no exception. Sadly, most of the children's multi-vitamins available in the grocery store are full of cancerous aspartame and other artificial flavors and junk filler ingredients. That's why I'm so glad to be able to offer SuperKids, which has no fillers, is sweetened with beneficial xylitol, and includes all of the usual good vitamins and minerals PLUS green superfoods and other excellent nutrients. Happily, it tastes good too! (there are two flavors to choose from)

For really little kids you can give half a dose, and for adults who are unable to swallow pills you can double the dose, and even add it to a smoothie or applesauce if you like.

Order all you want at this great price, though when/if I run out of current stock, it may take a few extra days to ship. I'll let you know. Sale price goes through Wed., June 29, 2011.

Deal of the Week: Raw Almonds

Hello from mild and balmy central Kentucky!

After a week of blistering heat last week, we are now enjoying a very enjoyable mild week of weather. So nice!

This week's deal is on Raw Almonds. I normally have these available for you October-November each year (and I plan to this year as well!), but I ended up with some extras after the last bulk buy, and don't think I'm going to be able to use all of them before it's time to buy again. So, I'm passing the opportunity on to you.

These almonds are from the most recent crop. They have been stored in the freezer, so they are very fresh and in great condition for you! While not certified organic, these almonds come from a farm that has not used any pesticides for over 15 years. Basically, you're getting organic almonds without the official name, or higher price.

I have a limited amount of almonds that I'm able to part with right now. Once those are gone, that's it until fall. So, if you're wanting to order, do it right away. You can order as little as one pound if you want to.

To learn more about these almonds, click here. Please note that some of the information is related to the bulk buy back in November and is not current. (like, we do not have a ten pound minimum right now)

To see some of my family's favorite recipes using these almonds, click here.

In other news, I would like to know what kind of products I could offer in the store that would be helpful to you. I have many ideas, but don't know what you want. Leave me a comment with your suggestions!

Awesomesauce

Tonite while I was making dinner, my son Jacob came along to see what was cooking. "Is this the awesome sauce you make?!"

You betcha, Jake.

And then I knew I had to re-name this recipe, because, who wouldn't want to make awesomesauce in their own kitchen?!

Supermom's Awesomesauce

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

4 cups warmed milk

2 cups of organic chicken, veggie, or beef broth (**See my note at the bottom about bouillon powders.)

In a medium to large cooking pot melt the butter over low heat. Then add the flour and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble but do not let it brown. Gradually add the milk and broth, and stir constantly with a whisk. You'll probably want to have someone to chat with or a book to read, because it takes a little while before it thickens. (10-15 minutes, usually) 1.5 cups of this sauce equals a small (10 3/4 oz.) can of soup.

This sauces tastes wonderful. MUCH better than a can of cream-of-something soup. It works well for me to make a batch of this and then have it in a jar in the fridge all week, so anytime I want to make a casserole that requires a cream soup, I can use this easily.

Options:

You can add finely minced vegetables that have been sautéed.

For a cheese sauce you can add shredded Swiss, cheddar, or parmesan while the sauce is still hot. Stir until melted.

1 ½ cups of this sauce equals a 10 ¾ ounce can of cream soup

This sauce freezes well when already combined with other foods in a casserole.

**The reason that I use the organic broths in this recipe instead of bouillon is this:

Most bouillons have MSG in them. And unfortunately, even the ones that do not say MSG in the ingredients *still* have MSG in them. If the list of ingredients has anything that is autolyzed, hydrolyzed, or modified, that is all other ways of saying MSG. You can learn more about the many tricky names for MSG at MSG Myth.

True Confessions

Undoubtedly, I could have a whole series of true confessions of ways I have slipped, slid, and fallen off of my various healthy eating goals from time to time. (I could also tell you a lot of Get Back Up stories as well, because I always do...) Living healthy hasn't been a straight path for me. It's been full of ups and downs, weak and strong, more or less.

If you're looking for a perfect size 2 health guru who never slips up, you've come to the wrong place.

Confession: I mentioned a few weeks ago that somewhere along the line my vitamin box got empty, and I didn't get around to refilling it. Some days I was remembering to grab a vitamin or two from a bottle, but mainly just wasn't taking them at all. All the time when I would complain of how tired I felt, my husband would say, "Well have you taken your vitamins today?" and I would be all, like, "Pshaw....vitamins. Who needs 'em?"

How quickly we forget.

Well, I took a few minutes to refill the box. I didn't want another round of PMS-from-you-know-where.

In addition, I have re-fallen in love with Bee Strong. Man, that stuff works *wonders* for me!! In just a few days of consistently taking two at breakfast and two at dinner, I am a motivation MACHINE! I have been a more hands-on parent, and been more productive in pretty much every aspect of my life. I love that!

I don't know how I forgot. This is just like when I first started taking it. It's an awesome product. It's the mommy speed that I've been wishing for. ;) I love it. As long as you aren't allergic to bees, you will too. Safe for pregnant and nursing moms. Get some!

Deal of the Week: All Time Favorites!

The following is a testimonial I wrote way back in January of 2008 after having my life measurably improved thanks to my two favorite products, Bee Strong and Berry Well. Since that time I've been able to share these products with so many tired-out people who now love the products as much as I do. In fact, they are the best selling products in the store.

So, this week I am offering *BOTH* of these great products at a great price, because I hope you will try them both and see how they work for you.

No limit on quantities. Feel free to stock up!

From the archives:

Like a lot of you, I’ve tried many different vitamins and supplements. In the last year (or two, or three….or who knows how long?!) I have felt very, very tired and run-down, and always like I was just one step away from getting sick. During this time I have done things like eating a mostly raw-foods diet, or exercising 4-5 days a week, or trying some new vitamin that someone told me made them feel great. Well, for me, none of those things helped. I gained a pound a week (for 7 weeks straight!) while I ate a 100% raw foods diet (!!!!!), only felt more tired and more hungry when I was working out, and the vitamins didn’t give me any energy but did succeed in making me constipated! (Thank You Iron!!) ugh.

As most of you know, I have six children, plus homeschool, plus run my businesses, plus have a husband. I Need Energy!! I had been watching projects pile up, things going undone, and just felt too stinkin’ tired all the time to get a handle on any of it.

Recently I was doing some reading and two new supplements caught my eye. Because of my desperation to feel better, I got both (they were very reasonably priced) and started taking them. The first time I took them was at night, and by the next morning I was literally BURSTING with energy. That day I worked around my house conquering all sorts of projects and chores for at least 12 HOURS!!! It was amazing! Since then I have continued to have a lot of energy, except on the days when I realize I have forgotten to take the stuff. It has been since December 23 and I am still GOING STRONG and feeling SO thankful that I found these supplements.

As usual, I don’t clutter up my store here with just any old thing you can buy. (There are plenty of places like that on the web) Supermom’s Health and Wellness exists to offer you products that I personally feel are very worthwhile. So, of course, I had to bring these products to you.

The first product is called Bee Strong, and it is a bee propolis supplement. This is well-known for giving lots of energy, and it certainly works for me. Of course, if you have a bee allergy, this isn’t going to be something for you to take.

The second product is called Berry Well and it is an elderberry syrup with good stuff like raw honey, raw apple cider vinegar, among other ingredients. Berry Well is intended to be taken if you are sick, or feeling like you’re getting sick. I decided to take it since I could tell that my immune system just wasn’t very good. Although I do experience good amounts of energy when I take the Bee Strong, I feel really, really, REALLY great on the days when I also take Berry Well. I really enjoy it mixed into my healthy lemonade, and that has proven to be a great way to give it to my children. (You could even make it into a popsicle for sick little ones that need a health boost!) The taste of the syrup is fine and not objectionable, but when I put it in the lemonade it just makes a yummy berry lemonade that is very refreshing. (It mixes up great in juice as well)

I highly, HIGHLY recommend these new products to you. If it helps you feel half as good as I’ve been feeling, you will be THRILLED that you gave it a try!

I Love Peppermint Tea!

One of the things I am enjoying so much right now is peppermint tea! There are many ways to make it, but here is the super-easy way I have made it lately:

Using our 10 cup coffee maker, I put 4 peppermint tea bags in the filter basket, fill up the water area with distilled water, and brew. Later add 3 droppers full of Peppermint stevia to sweeten. Enjoy cold and so refreshing! You can keep it in a pitcher in the fridge.

Easy, economical, perfect for the rising temperatures, virtually no calories, and a whole food! (yes! Did you know that about peppermint tea?)

I want you to give this recipe a try, so I'm keeping Peppermint Stevia on sale for this week! It is wonderful.

Deal of the Week: Say goodbye to joint pain!

Almost 13 years ago after the birth of my third child I started experiencing a lot of pain and soreness in my hands. Thankfully, someone told me about glucosamine and how it helps lubricate our joints. Through three more pregnancies and all these years I have found glucosamine to be a good friend in helping me feel good and stay active with my growing family. :)

Glucosamine is an amino acid that contributes to making cartilage, which is the shock-absorbing gel in our joints. As we age, or as our bodies take on a lot of hard work, our bodies can slow down the production of cartilage, resulting in us feeling sore even while doing regular things in life.

Although pain killers can take away the symptom, that doesn't help solve the problem. Glucosamine gives relief from the symptom while also helping your body repair itself!

MSM is a natural sulfur compound that aids in pain reduction by blocking the pain signals from your nerves.It also helps lessen the amount of scar tissue and degeneration in the joints.

Many glucosamine supplements are made from shellfish, which doesn't work out well for those of us with seafood allergies. This wonderful formulation is made from fermented, non-genetically modified corn, and it works great.

The glucosamine used in this supplement is Glucosamine HC1, which uses less sodium than others on the market. This means you are getting more of the actual supplement and not just a filler.

Although you may experience relief from the pain in your joints soon after taking this supplement, for best results you will want to take it regularly over a longer period of time. You will want to plan on taking it for at least 30 days. Once you take it for 12 weeks, you can actually take 6-12 weeks off from taking it while still enjoying the same benefits! Pretty cool, eh?

Enjoy a big 25% off discount from now through next Wednesday, June 8, 2011.

Deal of the Week: No more PMS! and more...

Men: Avert your eyes.

Thank you.

Ladies, I'm going to be frank: the reason why I decided to offer Vitex as this week's deal is because I recently went through a h-o-r-r-e-n-d-o-u-s round of PMS, and was reminded that I had forgotten to take my Vitex. OH NO!

I gave Vitex a try because I wanted relief from some rough PMS symptoms plus very heavy menstruation. In just the first month I noticed a great improvement, and have really appreciated this wonderful supplement. (my whole family appreciates it, actually! LOL)

I don't know what happened. I guess my vitamin box got empty and I didn't refill it. Must've been busy. (go figure) Either way, when the evil PMS monster came to visit me recently boy-oh-boy I was thinking "Why didn't I take my Vitex?!?!" Well, hopefully that was enough to keep me remembering from now on, and I'm happy to introduce you to this great product as well.

Whether you are dealing with PMS, menstrual difficulties, menopause issues, or having difficulties getting pregnant, Vitex has something to offer you. Read all about it on the product page, and enjoy 25% off from now through next Wednesday, June 1, 2011. You can order as many as you like at this price, but larger quantities may take a few extra days to ship.



Since the Vitex is a great product, but quite inexpensive, I knew that it would be disappointing to some of you to pay shipping for just one little thing. So, I decided to throw all of the liquid stevia products up for sale this week as well! We have all flavors and sizes in stock right now, so go ahead and stock up. :)