CLEANED UP BEST STEAK or CHICKEN MARINADE

If you love a good grilled steak or chicken, then THIS is exactly what you need to make it OVER. THE. TOP!  12-24 hours can make almost any cut of meat taste moist and delicious.  The fresh basil flavor is a beautiful compliment to both chicken and/or steak.   I love this because my man usually loves steak and I usually love chicken...this marinade can go w/ either/or.

Best yet...it incorporates fresh (or dried) herbs and I almost always have all the ingredients in my pantry/herb garden. 

• 1/3 cup low sodium organic soy sauce or coconut amino 
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4-1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce (FYI: has some sugar in it)
• 2-4 cloves of minced garlic 
• 1 1/2 dried basil or 1 1/2-3 tbsp of fresh chopped basil
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh or dried parsley (chopped)*optional
•  1-2 tsp of fresh or dried oregano
  
• 1 teaspoon of fresh ground black or white pepper
  
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

Pour all ingredients into a large bowl.  (Double this recipe if using it for 4 or more pieces of meat) Mix well w/ a fork or whisk.

USING A FORK OR MEAT TENDERIZER, poke holes in your meat.  (make sure and get both sides)

Place meat in your marinade and seal TIGHT.  I usually give the bowl a good shake to make sure the meat is completely covered.  Place meat in frig THE NIGHT BEFORE you grill.  (24 hours makes it taste better...at LEAST try and marinade it for 8-12 hours)

The next morning, flip your meat over so the other side can marinate.

ENJOY!

AGAVE SWEET TEA

Nothing says summer like a glass of sweet tea!  Here's a simple recipe.
Adjust sweetness to taste. 



 

Sweet Black Tea

Serves:

Makes 1 Gallon

Ingredients:

12 black tea bags
6 cups boiling water; plus additional cold water
2/3 cup  Agave Nectar
Ice
Lemon wedges or fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Directions:

Place tea bags in a large heat-proof 1-gallon pitcher.
Add boiling water and steep for 5 minutes.
Spoon out the tea bags and squeeze them into the tea, then discard tea bags.
Stir in 2/3-cup Madhava Organic Light Agave Nectar.
Add enough cold water to fill the pitcher.
To serve, pour over ice and garnish with lemon wedges or fresh mint

Recipe taken from:   http://www.madhavasweeteners.com/organic-agave-nectar/agave-recipes/


OTHER ADDITIONS:

• Fresh or Frozen Fruit: Fruit can definitely jazz up any iced tea. If using a flavored fruit tea base, try a different kind of fruit to make a blend. Think of other fruits other than the usual lemon garnish. If using frozen fruit, they can also act as cooling agents for your iced tea. Chop up fruit into smaller pieces and add to tea after pouring over ice.
• Herbs and Spices: Add by the teaspoon various spices to add flavor to your teas while your tea is still hot, so it will incorporate properly. Try steeping star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger along with the tea to get the full flavor affect. Fresh herbs added to the tea once over ice will also help bring a certain complexity to your brew. Clean and trim fresh herbs such as mint, sage, lemongrass, lavender, basil, verbena, and lemon balm and add to your pitcher of iced tea. They'll add flavor and make for a nice garnish.
• Other Additions: Try sweetening your iced tea with 1/2 Cup of fruit juice or fruit puree. Pomegranate juice adds healthy components (to an already healthy drink!) and it's flavor is not too strong to overpower the tea flavor. Garnishes can also make for a winning iced tea: citrus flowers and herbs like mentioned earlier, but also edible flowers can make a darling decorative touch if you float them on top. Try also freezing juice or tea in ice cube trays and adding to the tea for both flavor, color, and to keep the tea cold. Rim your serving glasses with sugar to add a little flair!

REALISTIC BALANCE: HOW OFTEN, WHAT IFS, & THE 'BE CAREFULS'

You are committed to cleaning up your diet but the question remains...how OFTEN do I eat this way?

This journey is going to look different for each person...and your percentage of clean eating may change as you learn more and become more confident in HOW to do it.

HOW OFTEN:

Obviously, if you are doing this for weight LOSS, you really need to jump in w/ both feet as soon as you can and get going.  If you only eat 50% clean, you might lose SOME but you won't reach your weight goal and I'm afraid you could easily slide back into old habits.  Plus, eating clean is, in many ways, re-training your BRAIN and your BODY.  Both your brain and your body are going to go into a sort of..shock phase for lack of better words.  As you rid your body of all the gunk, your body might try and convince you that you really NEED that diet soda.

Dig deep, find your inner spark, and let God turn it into FIRE.  Find SOMETHING that helps you fight the old addictions.  Chew gum, down some lemon water, grab carrot sticks..replace the old w/ the new.  Hmmm...Scripturally, doesn't this sound familiar???  (put off the old, put on the new) Don't you just LOVE how God's Word is TIMELESS? 

So how serious ARE you?  I think most the experts say..."Allow yourself 1 cheat meal per week".  I think that is a great goal to start off with from the very beginning.  I really love my dessert recipes posted on this site b/c they taste like I'm cheating, but really, they are packed w/ nutrition.  So I get the best of both worlds. So even when I "cheated" I didn't really "cheat" that bad. 

WHAT IF'S

What if my boss wants to treat me to lunch?  What if we go to someone else's home?  What if we are on vacation?  What if, what if, what if....

What if...

You told your boss you can't go out to lunch anymore because you are pursuing a healthier lifestyle?  (a friend of mine did that today!)

What if...

You still went out to lunch w/ your co-workers but just order the grilled chicken green salad, hold the dressing and ask for oil/vinegar?

What if...

You packed your own lunch the night before and took it along with you?

What if...

You inspired everyone in your office/work place to bring their own lunch 4 out of 5 days a week?

What if...

You packed your tennis shoes in a bag and after a quick, light lunch you walked around your work parking lot for 20-30 minutes or walked up and down the stairs? (By the way, "stair running" is actually now officially a SPORT and there are even organized races happening all over the US.  It is one of the VERY BEST workouts and for those who work in office buildings that has them, it's a GREAT workout to do during lunch or even right before/after work.  30 minutes of stairs...you will be feelin' it!) 

What if...

You graciously ate whatever your host prepared for you, not even worrying about calories or fat and counted that as your "cheat meal" for the week?   

What if...

On vacation you ordered steamed vegetables and grilled chicken breast or salmon instead of the 12 oz steak and french fries, dipped in loads of ketchup?  


GET THE POINT????  Find accountability partners...people who will really push you in the right direction and/or take this journey WITH you.  Accountability is very important. 


THE 'BE-CAREFULS'...

As you start to get the hang of it and you are seeing the fruits of your labor, 2 things can easily creep into your heart if you aren't careful.

1. PRIDE.  Oh how easily it can turn into..."Look at me and what I've done" vs "Look at how God is at work in my heart!"  HUMILITY.  GRACE.  MERCY.  Don't let pride sneak in.  One thing that keeps me very humble is being honest about my struggles.  When we are an open book and are REAL with ourselves and with others, that's when we can evoke the most change, both in our OWN lives but it can also inspire change in those around us. 

2.  IDOL.  Call it "OCD", VANITY, PASSION or whatever else you want to sugar coat it with...But listen to me...just as eating JUNK can become an addiction, SO CAN EATING HEALTHY BECOME AN IDOL.  Anything you pursue MORE THAN GOD is a false idol.  Want to know something CRAZY?  Ladies, I'm going to be real with you for a second.  I'VE HAD TO CONFESS TO GOD OVER THIS VERY SITE.  I'm so passionate about this.  I love to educate.  I love to cook.  I love to share my success AND my failures.  I love that people are finding this blog helpful.  BUT...I've already had to tell the Lord that I'm sorry it has STOLEN AWAY TIME FROM HIM.  (Don't worry...I'm back on track, now.)  But do you see?  See how the master accuser (Satan) works?  He can take something good and STILL turn it against you and your walk with God.  He PURPOSELY wants sin to look pretty...so BE ON GUARD.

3.  DON'T GIVE UP.  You will sometimes take a little detour from your diet and some days you completely de-rail.  This is normal and part of the fun, I suppose.  Re-group, clear your head and heart, and get your focus back.  But do NOT throw in the towl!  Endurance is NEVER easy!!!  In my blog about my own story, I mentioned that many MANY times I wanted to quit.  I did P90X when I was still 60 lbs overweight.  After 5 WEEKS OF DOING IT EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, I still had not lost but maybe 1-2 lbs.  I was SO discouraged but I had TO BELIEVE IN THE PROCESS and stuck with it.  I FELT much healthier and active but my outside didn't match my inside.  It's a good thing I didn't throw in the towel because it was around week SIX, yes, SIX that the pounds started slipping off.  Every one's body will respond at a different rate.  BE PATIENT with your body as it tries to figure out what you are doing.

We Americans are so into "instant gratification".  If we don't get what we want right away, it is extremely frustrating to us.  Our kids are the same way.  We, as a society, are not used to having to WAIT. Is 40:31...they that WAIT on the LORD will RENEW their STRENGTH.

So WAIT...your body WILL turn a corner...keep going...and always remember you are not alone!

SAUCE: THE SECRET SABOTAGE

Today I made a turkey sandwich on Ezekiel bread.  As I pulled out my 0 calorie mustard, it reminded me of a conversation I had with my friend a couple of weeks ago about sauces/condiments and how all those little squirts and dips can completely sabotage a person's diet.

I pulled out some of the condiments/sauces in my frig to compare.  Take a look at your labels and next time you eat that sandwich, make a GOOD CHOICE.

Serving size: 2 tbsp

Natural Yellow Mustard:  0 cal
Spicy Brown Mustard:  10
Ketchup: 40
LIGHT Ranch:  50
Mayo:  90 cal
Miracle Whip:  40 cal
Gates Bar B Q Sauce:  35

DIRTY DOZEN: The MOST & LEAST contaminated foods

The nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that consumers can reduce their chemical exposure by some 80 percent by either avoiding the most contaminated conventionally grown fruits and vegetables altogether, or by eating only the organic varieties. To help us sort through what and what not to buy, the group offers a handy Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, which fits on a small piece of paper that you can keep in your pocket and have handy on grocery trips. You can print it out for free from EWG’s FoodNews.org website, or you can download it as a free App for your iPhone.

To make it easy to use, EWG has distilled its analysis into two lists. The first, “Dirty Dozen: Buy These Organic,” lists foods that when grown conventionally contain the largest amounts of pesticide and fertilizer residues. These include peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, kale/collard, greens, potatoes, and (imported) grapes. Consumers should definitely spend the extra money for organic versions of these foods.

On the other side of the coin, EWG’s “Clean 15” list includes foods that contain the least amount of chemical residues when grown conventionally. These include onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mangos, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes and honeydew. It’s OK to eat conventionally grown varieties of these foods.

EWG analysts developed the “Clean 15” guide using data from some 89,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between 2000 and 2008 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). What’s the difference, you may ask? EWG found that by eating five conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables a day from the Dirty Dozen list, a consumer on average ingests 10 different pesticides; those who stick to the Clean 15 list ingest less than two.

Other foods you and your family eat, such as meats, cereals, breads and dairy products, might also be exposing you to unwanted chemicals. According to EWG, the direct health benefits of organic meat, eggs and milk are less clear, but you should play it safe by sticking with all-natural, free-range, grass-fed meats that are not fed antibiotics or growth hormones, and by choosing only organic dairy products.

Thanks to increasing demand, more and more food purveyors are putting extra emphasis on organics. This will ultimately result in both lower prices and larger selections. Natural foods market aisles are already teeming with organic choices—and chances are your local supermarket or big box store has introduced organic versions of many popular items. Consequently, there has never been a better time to take stock of what you are feeding yourself and your family, and to make changes for better health.

VIEW DIRTY DOZEN/CLEAN 15 LIST BELOW!  For more ways to live toxin free, (and make an easy change in your own home), please visit our site of non-toxic/affordable household products HERE.

CONTACT: EWG, www.foodnews.org; USDA/FDA, http://usda-fda.com/articles/organic.htm.

Article taken from HERE.

(sorry my list is a little blurry!)

MIDDLE EASTERN CHICKEN BURGERS

These are delicious.  If you aren't a big fan of curry then you should completely omit it or use less than what the recipe calls for.

***FREEZE FRIENDLY***

Middle Eastern Chicken Burgers- Spice it up!

Burgers!
There’s just something about them that make people smile. But burgers don’t just have to be a slab of meat on a bun. When I make mine, I like to grab some spices from the spice drawer and have the kids cut a handful of fresh herbs from our garden in order to come up with a mixture that will really jazz things up.
By incorporating some curry, garlic powder, fresh parsley and mint into the ground chicken and sauce, you give the ordinary burger a huge burst of unforgettable flavors. The best part is that you don’t need to wait for your summertime grill to enjoy these burgers. They’re beyond easy to make in a sauté pan any time of year.
Smiling now?

Middle Eastern Chicken Burgers (Serves 4)
2 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable Oil, divided
1 Small Onion, diced
1 lb. Ground Chicken Breast
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Curry Powder
Burger Buns or Pita Pockets
Sauce:
1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
2 Persian Cucumbers, peeled, grated & strained
Pinch of Salt
Accompaniments: Tomatoes and/or Lettuce

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté onions for 4 minutes until tender and set aside to cool.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the sautéed onions, ground chicken, salt, parsley, garlic and curry powder. Evenly divide mixture and shape into flour patties.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt, mint, cucumber and salt to make the sauce.
4. Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in a pan and cook patties for 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Place burgers on buns and top with yogurt sauce and desired accompaniments.

**WEIGHT LOSS TIP:  Skip the bun and just have the burger w/ the yogurt topping...but use the sauce sparingly.

***this is NOT my recipe.  Taken from weelicious.com.  (If you haven't checkout her site you need to do so.  It isn't all clean but very healthy and really tasty)

CLEAN EATING & A TIGHT BUDGET: How I make this work

This was my first and foremost question..."Can I AFFORD this?"  The short answer is YES...but it takes some practice (learning your prices) and a little extra effort at FIRST.  But I hope this blog will give you some ideas to make your transition easier, cheaper, and faster. Of course, I'm sure for every good idea I have, there could be 20 better ones...so please, keep in mind, this is MY experience but always seek out your OWN answers.  Let me forewarn you...THIS IS FOREVER LONG.  But there just aren't any short answers for this.  So pull up a chair and a glass of lemon-water.  You'll be here a while. :)

(LOOK FOR EXTRA MONEY SAVERS IN BLUE.)

1. AD'S:  Every Wednesday is a day I look forward to...know why?  THE AD'S COME IN THE MAIL.  I love browsing for great sales, specifically in the produce, meat and dairy.  I always look at all the canned and boxed (not sure why...rarely buy but for some reason I can't help myself) but your focus will be on LEAN MEATS, FRESH PRODUCE, AND BLOCKED CHEESES/YOGURTS. If you see something at a great price, STOCKPILE if it can be frozen.  (for instance, 93% was on sale and I bought 20 lbs worth of meat and put it in our deep freezer)

BUDGET TIP:  If you don't have a deep freezer, than you might want to consider buying one.  My husband got one off of craigslist for free and had to buy a part for less than $5 to get it up and running.  I'm all about buying used.  But having a deep freezer will ensure that when there is a great price on lean meats, etc, you have the liberty to buy as much as you want.

BUDGET TIP:  Did you know many fruits and veggies can be frozen?  Buy some good freezer ziplocks...I'd recommend name brand freezer bags as every off-brand I've tried so far have not completely kept my foods from getting freezer burn.  Last week my friend told me she stockpiles on avocado's when they are on sale, puree's them, then freezes the puree.  Guacamole all year round! 

As I see something, I do 2 things.  Circle it in the ad and also write it on a separate piece of paper, including the price and which ad it came from.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A TYPICAL GROCERY LIST:

93% lean ground beef: $1.99 at PC (price chopper)
Red Seedless Grapes $1.99/lb at HV (Hy Vee)
Fresh Corn $.25 each at PC
Avocados: $.25 each at Aldi
YoPlait Strawberry Yogurt for kids $1.49 at HV

You might be wondering...do I go to each store?  NO!  WALMART MATCHES ALL AD PRICES!  I know, I know.  Walmart is NOT my favorite place to shop...but just like me, you'll have to get over it.  Choose a time of day when it won't be crowded if you can.

You have to present your ads to the cashier at checkout, so be sure and take them w/ you.  The reason why I put so much detail on my actual list is b/c often Walmart's price is cheaper than the ad price.  So that saves me the hassle of having to pull out my ad.  The reason why I always include which ad the food item is in is so I can quickly find the right ad to show the cashier at checkout.  Try and put all ad items on the checkout belt LAST.   This just makes it go quicker.

Here's the thing...I don't necessarily buy apples all year round.  I buy WHAT IS ON SALE/IN SEASON.  I'm not saying you CAN'T do that...apples are wonderful!  But this is a money saver when you stock up on fruit that is in season and therefore, cheaper.  If you have kids, you will probably always want fruit/veggies they love but we are always trying new food.  I often let my kids choose a new fruit or veggie to try.  

2.  FARMERS MARKETS: During the summer, you MUST take advantage of this.  The fruits/veggies are DIRT cheap.  Buying local and knowing where your foods have come from is a HUGE aspect of clean eating.  Plus, you are supporting local family owned farmers.  It's also FUN!

3.  Organic...not all the time.   In a perfect world, I would buy all organic, only organic.  (meaning, no harmful pesticides or herbicides on food)  BUT...financially it is just not possible for us.  I like to often refer to "the dirty dozen" list and when I CAN, I abide by it.

DIRTY DOZEN LIST 

12 Most Contaminated

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (Imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

12 Least Contaminated

• Onions
• Avocado
• Sweet Corn (Frozen)
• Pineapples
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas (Frozen)
• Kiwi Fruit
• Bananas
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Papaya

4. Costco is a huge money saver when looking for healthy options. We used to have a Sam's membership...but once we switched over I've never looked back.  Costco prides itself on providing many organic options for the consumer.  I save TONS of money by shopping there.  Here are some of my Costco staples that I find save me lots of money vs buying elsewhere:

Kirkland Wheat Bread (not clean but my kids love it and has no HFCS)

quinoa

ground flax

organic chicken broth

all kind of spices (WAY cheaper than grocery store)

Natural Peanut Butter

Almond Butter

Organic Strawberry Jam

Maple Syrup

Agave Nectar

Organic Sugar (not clean but great for things like cinnamon toast!)

Organic Honey (when I can't get my hands on raw)

All kinds of nuts...almonds, walnuts, pine nuts

whey protein shake mix 

Organic Lemon Juice (for when fresh lemons aren't in season)

Kirkland Olive Oil (recently read an article that it is very high quality)

Kirkland Balsamic Vinegar

Organic (Del Monte) Diced Tomatoes (canned)

Organic Unsweetened Apple Juice

Fage (strained Greek Yogurt...I use it ALL the time and its super cheap here)

Hebrew National Hot Dogs (kosher beef hot dogs for the kids)

Sulfate/Sulfite free organic hot dogs (trying to switch my kids over)

All kinds of blocked cheeses (you won't find cheese cheaper anywhere else)

Organic Heavy Whipping Cream (for our homemade ice-cream, of course!)

Raw Wheat Tortilla's (these. are. awesome!)

Tortilla crusted Tilapia (frozen section..great for quick dinner)

Organic Frozen Veggies (such as green beans, sweet corn, broccoli, etc)

Frozen Sweet Potato Fries

Frozen All Natural Waffle Fries (I usually make my own but these are a good frozen alternative)

Organic Butter

Pumpkin Granola Flax Cereal

 Organic Tortilla Chips

 Sugar in the Raw

Chicken Sausages (several different flavors...SO yummy.  Kind of like bratwurths but way better for you.  I think all of them are organic)

Any kind of meat/produce

All-natural Vanilla Bean Cream Cookies (think Oreo but way better ingredients)

**Very rarely have I seen the above items cheaper elsewhere.  You can shop at Costco CONFIDENTLY knowing you are paying a great price.

BUDGET TIP:  Costco mails out coupons and if something you buy has a coupon, STOCKPILE. 

5.  BARGAIN ZONE/CARGO LARGO: These 2 stores are like going on a treasure hunt and I rarely walk away disappointed.  Bargain Zone is located in Lees Summit, just east of Home Depot.  Cargo Largo is MUCH larger with many more selections and is located off Noland Road (north of I-70).  You will never find the same thing twice...it's a constant flow of different overstock from who knows where.  Oddly, many times they have organic foods.  The downside is you have to go often as they get new stuff every day.  I recommend asking an employee when they get "new stock" so you know which days of the week to shop on. 

BUDGET TIP:  several different newspapers (free ones in the mail) have coupons for Bargain Zone.  Usually its a percentage off your total purchase.

6a. TRADER JOES:  You might be one of those people who are wondering, "What's all the hype?"  Here's the scoop...TJ's sources ALL of it's products from NON-GMO food sources.  They carry NOTHING in their store w/ HFCS (high fructose corn syrup).  While not ALL of TJ's can be labeled as "organic", you can at least feel good that they have a high standard of offering the consumer food that has better ingredients at a VERY affordable cost.  And around the winter holidays they make the most incredible candy-cane oreos! :)  It's still good to label read and when you go, plan on staying a while the first few times so you can really browse all they have to offer.  It's well worth the trip.  Here are just a few of my favorite TJ products:

All produce

Ezekiel Bread (for info on this bread, click here)

Raw Pizza Dough $1.19ish (freezes great, thaw night before, makes awesome pizza!)

TJ's pizza sauce $1.99...enough for 2 pizza's
Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (has a very mild wheat flavor and great price)

TJ's Stevia Powder (price fluxuates, $7-$10)

Flours (white whole wheat, unbleached all purpose, whole wheat)

Different Oils (grapeseed, flax, safflower, sunflower, etc)

Cocoa Powder

Coconut Oil

Yogurt Squeezers (like Yo-plaits "Go-Gurt")

Lots of Greek yogurt options (for info on why Greek is better, click here)

Lots of frozen food entree options that are MUCH healthier than grocery store couterparts...but eat in moderation.  

Coconut Milk/Almond Milk...great prices

Juices

Chocolate Syrup (contains sugar but is much closer to clean than Nestle)

Lavander Salt Scrub...$5.99, pure ingredients, smooth legs!

Tea Tree Facial Wash (paraben free, benefits of tea tree oil) $5

Lavander Oil Spray (a blend of oils, smells awesome, makes skin look/feel great) 

Lavander Castile Soap (I use this to make my own household cleaners...its cheaper here than anywhere else that I have found so far)

SO MUCH MORE!!!!

6b.  NATURAL GROCERS:  located in Overland Park at 91st/Metcalf, this store is my dream come true.  All 100% organic AT DISCOUNT PRICES!!!  Walk in, take a whiff and you'll know you are right where you need to be.  (how can I make my house smell like an organic grocery store???)  Items on shelves change depending on overstock from brand-name organics.  BULK FLOURS/NUTS/SPICES in back of store WORTH THE TRIP.  Wow.  I'm in love. To view their website, click here.

7.  SPECIALTY ITEMS:   The only thing I haven't mentioned is where I buy some of my "specialty" items.  Sucanat, tapioca flour, xanthum gum, raw honey, grass fed beef, free range eggs, etc.  BUDGET TIP:  Some of these things I have bought online.  Amazon often offers free shipping on orders over $25...it doesn't take too many pounds of sucanat to do that.  Shopping local and supporting local farmers is a great way to get eggs, beef, chicken, and much more.  This will take some homework on your part.  Go to Farmers Markets and talk personally with local farmers.  Ask friends who live in the country if they or anyone they know sell food.  Visit Amish Stores. Post on facebook what you are looking for. 

8. GARDENING.  Oh dear...I'm sure some of you are like, NO WAY.  Guess what, I was like that, too!  Neither of my parents were gardeners.  I don't ever remember my mom talking about fresh herbs.  Gardening has been an entirely new world for me.  My first year was a complete flop.  My garden produced very little so I decided to try a new location.  The second year was almost a complete flop although I managed to get a few tomatoes, a green pepper, and some sweet corn that got eaten up by the local wildlife before I could harvest it.   Thankfully I at least had a thriving herb garden that took very little maintenance.  I thought I was destined to forever have a black thumb.  So...we moved our garden AGAIN.  We prepared the soil in the fall, changed a few things...our garden is thriving and I am still learning as I go.  Gardening takes PRACTICE and asking LOTS of questions to people who know what they are doing.  But...it is so very economical and saves so much money...and you have so much control about what goes IN and ON your food.  Even if all you plant is a tomato plant, you will find no greater joy than picking and eating your own food...and your kids will be more prone to eat it, too!  My 2 advice tips before you go all crazy and buy every plant out there is:  1. start w/ a SMALL garden your first year and then each year you can try adding something new.  2.  Find someone who has a knack for gardening and actually go and LOOK at their garden.  See how they did their rows, made their wall climbers for plants like green beans and cucumers, ask how they control weeds and pests,...it is really helpful to actually SEE a garden.

9.  TJ MAX/MARSHALLS/HOME GOODS/BIG LOTS:  Browse their food section.  I have gotten some GREAT organic foods at great prices.  But again...KNOW YOUR PRICES.  They almost always have agave nectar and although it APPEARS to be cheap, you'll find it cheaper at Costco.  So do your homework.  If you have to, carry around a little notepad in your purse and write stuff down or save it on your cell phone. 

10.  GLUTEN FREE:  If you are wanting a GLUTEN FREE DIET, you need to find a good source that supplies your types of flours.  I've heard that mixing your OWN all-purpose flour rather than buying say, Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, is MUCH cheaper.  And don't forget, you'll need some xanthum gum to hold your baked goods together.  Gluten Free takes practice and is a little more costly, but it can taste just as good!  If you are curious as to whether or not you are gluten sensitive, Arbonne is one of many programs that offers a 28 day gluten free program to "detox".  It is a great way to see how your body responds and to help you determine if you need to head in that direction.

In closing, let me remind you of what you AREN'T BUYING.  Boxed, Canned items, frozen entree's, fast foods.  So in many ways, you aren't spending a DIME MORE.  I actually think we spend LESS because I no longer buy JUNK.  And don't underestimate the power of fresh healthy food and the effect it has on your health.  Many of you may be able to get off medication, have less doctor visits, and actually reverse certain diseases...all of which can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars.