THE WINNER OF THIS GIVEAWAY IS MARY OF ONE PERFECT BITE!

I am very fortunate through my blog to receive product samples from some great companies. For a long time now, I haven’t done any product reviews. But lately I have gotten some very interesting requests and decided to start reviewing products again, on my terms. I get requests from a lot of companies, but I don’t accept products from all of them. I like to work with companies that fulfill certain requirements. If I know right off the bat that I wouldn’t recommend their product to my readers, because I wouldn’t use it myself, then I don’t bother.

The holidays are swiftly approaching, and it is this time of year that people are always looking for gifts to send to friends and family or new foods and ingredients to cook with for their holiday tables. So for the next few Fridays, I am going to be sharing with you some of the great products that I have had the chance to review these last few months. Maybe it will give you some holiday ideas of your own!

I have made it my personal mission to shop responsibly this holiday season. This is something I try to do as best as I can, but this year, I have stepped up the challenge to myself by making my own gifts, and buying gifts handmade by an actual person as opposed to a large company. If neither of those criteria are possible than buying gifts made on the North American continent (I have to include Canada, because we practically live there!).

Many people, including myself, bake special holiday treats to give away as gifts. I spent 2 whole days last weekend baking biscotti and other cookies (recipes coming soon!). I made sure that the exotic products (meaning not local to my area, and most times not produced in the USA) , like vanilla extract and chocolate products are Fair Trade. Fair Trade means that you are paying a higher portion of the price to the actual producers that make the product. It means producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and can promote sustainability. When people are given a  fair price for their own products, the quality is much higher, which means better products!

I recently received some free products from Equal Exchange a name ubiquitous with Fair Trade Products and high quality. Proving again, that you get what you pay for.  This is how it all started: “It all started with an idea: what if food could be traded in a way that is honest and fair, a way that empowers both farmers and consumers? What if trade supported family farms that use organic methods, rather than industrialized agribusinesses that rely on harmful chemicals?” Sounds good, right? Well Equal Exchange features a lot of wonderful and delicious products from coffee, to chocolate, to bananas and sugar. So if you are doing some baking this holiday season, I suggest checking out the Equal Exchange website for available products and making sure your non-local ingredients are Fair Trade. You can even buy straight from their website . Everyone deserves an honest price for the products they have worked hard to produce, don’t you think?

The next product I want to share with you was a bit of a surprise! You know how we are all about real food here, on The Leftover Queen, so when I was contacted by Lori who works for Dr. Josh Axe asking me to review a free copy of the Real Food Diet cookbook, I was skeptical. I mean, eating real food is all about no diets. But then I went to Dr. Axe’s website and started reading some of the articles and the more I read, the more I liked this guy! So I decided to review the book, so that if it looked good, I could recommend it to many of my readers who are always asking where to start when changing to a real food way of life. Well, I am happy to say that this book is a great way to bridge that gap.

Dr. Axe has a great no nonsense way of explaining why real food is not only better for your health, but can help you lose and maintain a healthy weight. In the first few pages, I was struck by his ability to simply explain and show how foods we think are healthy, like juice for example, are really fake foods. We take a nice, healthy, found in nature apple, then we mash and press it until only the juice remains, then we pasteurize it, killing off all the nutrients, then we add water, preservatives, coloring and added sugar. No wonder there are so many unhealthy people in this world when we decide that this is a health food – we are better off just eating the apple! He also shares with you his top 30 list of nutrient dense foods, a revised food pyramid, and his top 5 best real foods in several categories: veggies, fruits, beans, nut and seeds, ORGANIC meats and eggs and herbs, spices and GLUTEN FREE grains. He covers all the bases!

I think my favorite part was his five worst fake foods: refined sugar (he warns: “refined sugar is lethal when ingested by humans” but he does not advocate artificial sweeteners – there is a whole section on why those are also poison), hydrogenated oils, processed grains/white stuff, pasteurized dairy aka “scary dairy” (he advocates for raw milk products), conventional meats and eggs.

His advice for the higher cost of organic, pastured meat, dairy and eggs? “ Spend less money on something else that is a lower priority and buy organic meat!”

He also discusses kitchen equipment and advises you throw away non-stick and teflon cookware, microwaves and plastic containers.

See what I mean? I love this guy! He also rates all of his recipes according to what they are good for: quick recipes, raw food recipes, kid favorites, feeling sick, low energy/working late, post workout and inflammation or arthritis pain.

So what did I think of the recipes? I really liked most of them. My biggest complaint is that he uses a lot of protein powder in some of the recipes, which I don’t consider a real food. I also didn’t like that he uses some non-whole ingredients, like gluten free crackers or “gluten free mixes” as an ingredient. I would have liked to see more actual ingredients – he should have created his own gluten free mix for the cookbook and taught readers how to make gluten free crackers and breads on their own, using gluten free flours. Then showed us how to use those products to make or enhance meals.

My favorite part of the cookbook was all the raw food desserts. Something that I have been wanting to try my hand at for a while! Some I plan to make soon are raw carrot cake, raw pumpkin pie, raw chocolate mousse and raw cheesecake! These recipes include a lot of dried fruits, soaked nuts and raw honey but are relatively easy to make – and no baking!

So my overview for Dr. Axe’s book is that I think it is based on very sound dietary principles and has a lot of great ideas for meals, snacks, and desserts that get you started on your own real food journey!

The best thing about this post for my readers, is that I will be GIVING AWAY a copy of Dr. Josh Axe’s book, the Real Food Diet cookbook! I will also throw in a bag of Fair Trade coffee. All I want you to do is comment here and tell me why you really need this book. Are you just starting your real food journey, or are you looking for some new and fresh recipes for your real food repertoire?

How to Enter The Real Food Diet CookBook Giveaway:

Anyone is welcome to enter, provided doing so does not violate any local laws of your place of residency. International participants are welcome, but all participants must be over the age of 18.

Please remember that for your entry to count, you must leave a separate comment for every entry you make.

1) DO THIS FIRST (REQUIRED): Tell me why you really need this book. Are you just starting your real food journey, or are you looking for some new and fresh recipes for your real food repertoire?

Optional ways to get more entries:

2) Blog about this giveaway describing why you want to win the book, and link your post to this giveaway. (1 extra entry)

3) Subscribe to The Leftover Queen RSS feed. (1 extra entry)

4) Enter your email address to Subscribe to Daily Emails. (1 extra entry)

5) Tweet and Tell your friends to sign up for @leftoverqueen Daily Emails or RSS feeds. (1 extra entry)

6) Fan The Leftover Queen on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

7) Follow The Leftover Queen on Twitter and tweet @leftoverqueen with a link to the giveaway. (1 extra entry)

If you are already a fan of The Leftover Queen and have done all or some of the above, and wish to enter the contest just write that you already subscribe to the newsletter, facebook page or RSS feed, by email, etc. Make sure to leave a separate comment for every entry.

Why Enter?

1) Because it is free

2) There are tons of awesome recipes and photos for each recipe in the book

3) Who couldn’t use a cookbook with real food recipes! Maybe you have a friend or family member who might like this book, even if you don’t and this is the season of giving, is it not?

The winner will be announced on this post Monday, December 6th 2010. The winner will be drawn at random and contacted on December 6th. The winner has until Wednesday, December 8th 2010, by 10 AM, EST to respond before another winner is chosen.

If you would like to purchase a copy of the book for yourself, or for someone else (they make great gifts), you can use this link.

Life in its fullness is Mother Nature obeyed ~ Dr. Weston A. Price

I had the honor of attending the Wise Traditions Conference in King of Prussia, PA this past weekend. This was the first time I attended the conference, but not the first time I wanted to go. I wanted to attend last year, but found out about it too late to make the plans necessary to travel across country. This year I was invited by the Weston A. Price foundation to attend the event and cover it for my blog. So Roberto and I were given free press passes to the conference on Saturday giving us the chance to attend many of the talks, and meet many vendors, some of whom I have known for a long time, online, but not in person. And of course we were also able to meet a few food bloggers, too!

The Weston A. Price Foundation or WAPF, is at the heart of the fight for real food. The conference this year focused on The Politics of Food. The topic was perfect timing in light of the many government crackdowns that many small family farms and food artisans have been facing in recent months, which calls into question whether people in the USA have a right to choose what foods they eat. It is also timely as another Food Safety bill is about to be voted on.

(Jenn with Jill Cruz at WAPF table, Jenn with Sharon Kane, Sally Fallon Morell and Jeffrey Smith)

For those who are new to the work of Dr. Price, Saturday’s conference opened with a talk by Sally Fallon Morell, President of the WAPF and author of the wildly popular book Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. Her talk was extremely informative. Dr Price was a prominent dentist of his day. In 1939 Price published Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, a book that details a series of ethnographic nutritional studies performed by him across diverse cultures of isolated non-industrialized peoples from the Swiss Alps to the South Seas and although the foods in the diets were different, there were some key similarities like the consumption of animal fats and fermented foods.

Price believed that various diseases endemic to Western cultures of the 1920s and 30s – from dental caries to tuberculosis – were rarely present in non-Western cultures. He argued that as non-Western groups abandoned indigenous diets and adopted Western patterns of living they also showed increases in typically Western diseases, and concluded that Western methods of commercially preparing and storing foods stripped away vitamins and minerals necessary to prevent these diseases.

Well, I for one appreciate and agree with Dr. Price’s findings. Which is why I follow the foundation’s guidelines for preparing whole foods. We have been eating this way for over a year and it has made a tremendous difference in our health from digestive and skin issues to emotional balance and energy. It has been profound. With a diet rich in full fat, good quality (humanely raised, grass and pasture raised) animal products, I have lost and then maintained a healthy stable weight for over a year, gained more energy to sustain my busy and active lifestyle, and despite popular and mis-informed belief, I have maintained an excellent cholesterol level and all my other blood tests came back normal or above average. All this on a diet full of cream, butter, cheese, raw milk, bacon fat, etc. *

In Fallon’s talk she discussed how eating local, sustainable, non-industrial foods is a political act these days since it keeps money local, brings prosperity to small farms, instead of commodity farms and produces healthy people, which means less money for the pharmaceutical industry. Very wise woman.

We also listened to two other amazing talks on Saturday. One by a hero in my book Jeffrey Smith, founder of the Institute for Responsible Technology and author of Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eating

Jeffrey opened his talk with some interesting reports:

* In 2010 Monsanto went from being Forbes company of the year to the worst stock of 2010.

* The Nielson Survey named “GMO Free” the fastest growing claim for store brands in 2010. Meaning the trends are moving in the direction that consumers want – which is non-GMO foods!

* The American Academy of Environmental Medicine stated that all Mds should prescribe non-GMO foods to all of their patients.

For helpful tools to make sure you are not eating GMO foods look on the package for these words “Non-GMO Project Verified” in the coming months and visit this page to download the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.

The third talk we attended was given by Judith McGeary of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance . Judith has been working to amend the Food Safety Bill, so that it will not destroy small farms. To find out more about how you can help please voice your concern to your senators as this bill is about to be voted on. Also make sure to check out the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund to learn more about your right to eat the foods you want and those rights that may be taken away.

In between talks we took a break to peruse the vendors at the conference. I had a great time meeting some new friends and seeing face to face some people that I have been working with online for a long time. Some of my favorite vendors were:

WAPF
Sharon Kane who wrote “The Art of Gluten Free Sourdough Baking”
Cultures for Health
Farm Fromage
Shiloh Farms
To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co.
U.S. Wellness Meats
Vital Choice

There was also an amazing farmers market, featuring the local bounty and many Amish vendors from nearby Lancaster County, PA. We bought some delicious cheeses and fresh raw apple cider for lunch. Between that and all the samples we were able to try, we were quite satisfied!

To end our day at the conference we listened to some fellow bloggers on a panel about how to use social media for effective food activism. It was a great talk that was presided over by the wonderful and fabulous Kimberly Hartke from Hartke is Online! Other panel members included:

Kari Carlysle, Linked In guru
Kelly The Kitchen Kop
Jenny McGruther of Nourished Kitchen
Ann Marie Michaels of Cheeseslave
Jill Nienhiser, webmaster for WAPF

There is so much to learn at Wise Traditions. All of the talks we attended were just part of what was available during the 3 day event. It is remarkable how much they offer and how well organized it was. My hat off to the organizers who did a superb job with every last little detail. I have decided to make this conference a yearly event. The information obtained is too important not to go.

If this sounds right up your alley and you are sad to have missed the event this year, fear not! All talks were recorded for your listening pleasure! You can purchase them here.

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional. This information is based solely on my own personal experiences with dietary change. Please consult a medial professional before making any major changes to your diet. Also the animals the products I eat come from are raised humanely on small family farms on diets of grass. Do not expect these results from the same products at a regular grocery store.

I don’t go to the grocery store very often anymore. I am lucky to have a variety of year-round farmers markets, local farm stores and independently locally owned markets that sell locally made food available to me. Generally going to the grocery store means that I am really really pressed for time, or desperately need something I can’t get at these stores like paper products. To save on gas, I might pick up some organic staples while I am there and make due for the week with what I have in the pantry and freezer. But I know that not everyone has this variety of Local Love available. So I wanted to talk about how the average person living pretty much anywhere, can eat organic and local and SAVE money.

Many months ago I had such an experience. We were actually still in Florida. I had just stocked up on frozen organic berries for smoothies and some organic meat ( which was on sale) and I was getting all my dairy to make cheese, yogurt and kefir for the week (not a farmers market week). The woman in front of me had her cart, which was not as full as mine, with frozen dinners, boxed lasagna, bags of frozen meals – where you add your own meat, soda and a few organic veggies (she was trying)– enough food for maybe a week of meals. I made sure to take note of her total just for curiosity’s sake. When my cart was rung up, my bill was only $2 more than hers. I had loads of fruits and veggies, grassfed beef, organic meats, frozen organic berries, eggs, dairy and pantry staples – things I would be using over the next several weeks. This really amazed me, because I have been told so often that eating the way we do, is too expensive for the average Joe or Joan. So much so, that I was actually starting to believe it.

This event has stayed with me all these months, and so when Andrew from Eating Rules asked me to guest post for his October: Un-Processed challenge (you can still take the challenge!!!), I enlisted the help of friend, fellow blogger and grocery store resister, Melissa from Alosha’s Kitchen to write a post about how eating locally and organic has reduced the cost of our food bills over a year by about 30-35%!!!

If you want to see how we did it, I suggest popping over to Andrews blog and reading all about it!

Learn how to  have fun in the kitchen and support your local community, while feeding your family healthy and nutritious meals that taste WAY better than pre-packaged fodder, for less than the cost of eating every meal out, or takeout, or from the frozen food section! Try it yourself and see what happens! There are several recipes in the post to help get you started! Enjoy and Have FUN!

This week has been spectacular in terms of media relations for this blog and for The Foodie Blogroll. I had an interview on The Afternoon News with Richard Brown earlier this week, and today a long awaited article about this blog and The Foodie Blogroll appeared in this week’s Seven Days, an altweekly  Burlington, Vermont Newspaper!

I feel extremely lucky and blessed with all this recent attention. I want to thank my loyal readers and Foodie Blogroll members for all your support of this blog and the blogger network all these years. Without you, none of this would have been possible. THANK YOU!!!! I will continue to do my best writing post about wholesome, natural foods on a budget, as well as continue my efforts  in partnering with great gourmet food companies and cookbook authors, to give you the best giveaways than any other food blogger network! The team behind The Foodie Blogroll may be small, but the network is a force to be reckoned with, with over 30 million monthly hits our widget is the most popular amongst food bloggers! So THANK YOU!

Please check out the Seven Days article here!

Congratulations to Christy, who is the winner of the ThinkFood Cookbook! Her comment was chosen using Random.org

Today is a very exciting day for me and The Leftover Queen blog! It is the day that I get to tell you more about my involvement in the ThinkFood Project and Book. Plus, I also get to give away a copy of this fantastic book to one of my loyal readers!

Although I can’t share the recipe with you yet, you’ll have to wait until the winter for that, I can tell you that it is a new and improved, totally revised recipe that I call my “Breakfast of Champions” and the main ingredient is eggs. I have been developing this recipe for about a year now and I am so excited to share it with everyone that picks up a copy of the book.

The inspiration for this recipe is two-fold. First, to find a dish that I would enjoy for breakfast, regularly. Prior to last year, I was never a breakfast person. Second, was to create something that has a balance of nutrients to keep me going through a hard workout (one of my passions and what this recipe was developed for), a day of work on the homestead, or just a busy brain day at work. This is an excellent recipe for anyone who wants a powerful and nutritious start to their day no matter what the day might bring. Some of the components can be made ahead, making it ideal for busy folk as well. Plus it is so delicious and satisfying, that I look forward to eating it about 5 days a week. It is also extremely diverse.

“Eggs are an amazing whole food. They are rich in choline, a key ingredient in the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is necessary for the healthy communication between brain cells. Studies have shown that choline intake promotes recovery from learning memory disorders in the aging brain, and may even improve psychic function in those with senile dementia or Alzheimer’s. Egg yolks are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, yielding additional brain benefits”. – ThinkFood, Recipes for Brain Fitness

I want to take this further and say that farm fresh eggs that are gotten local from truly free-ranging, pastured birds are even more nutritious. Nutrients can be lost the longer a fresh egg sits in storage, and mass produced eggs can have unwanted antibiotics in them. Birds that are free-ranging eat their natural diet which includes a variety of greens as well as bugs and worms. They are healthier, and therefore their eggs are better for you.

So how can you tell a good quality egg from a bad? Good quality eggs have a deep yellow, almost orange yolk that retains it’s shape when it is cracked open. Instead of a thin white, good eggs have a more viscous part surrounding the yolk and thinner area just around the perimeter.

If you purchase high quality eggs you shouldn’t have a problem with salmonella and other bacteria and viruses. Over 95 percent of all U.S. eggs currently coming from caged hens. Caged hens live their entire lives crammed together. They have no room to even lift their wings. They are stacked on top of each other in cages. Many never even see the light of day. These are mal-nourished and diseased birds. This kind of environment is a breeding ground for all sorts of nastiness. These eggs are at high risk for salmonella and other bacteria. You can tell them apart because they will have pale yellow yolks, a thin white and a bland taste. I believe that eggs are the perfect food, but only if you get the best quality eggs. They are more expensive, but if you do the math, they are on average about 40-50 cents per egg. Can you afford 40 or 50 cents for breakfast?  You can’t afford not to, if you take a look at this video. Think all eggs are the same? It takes 3-4 grocery store eggs to match the nutrition of one pastured free range egg! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmRlYLpz1jw

So support your local farmers, or even neighbors who have a few backyard chickens, with extra eggs. To find a local farmer near you, please check out Localharvest.org. Try several different producers and inspect your eggs for color, viscosity and taste. Or better yet, get a few backyard hens for yourself!

(Our girl, Gimpy)

I really can’t wait to share my recipe with you, and all my tips for making it ever more varied. So be sure to sign up for the free recipe of the week program at any time via this link.  You will get an email each week for 50 weeks highlighting each one of the recipes per week. The recipe of the week pages give each blogger’s tips, info about the blogger, and photos along with all of the recipes. There is really no reason why you shouldn’t sign up this minute!

Well, actually you should wait just a minute, because I want to tell you about how you can get your own free copy of ThinkFood.

How to Enter The ThinkFood Book Giveaway:

Anyone is welcome to enter, provided doing so does not violate any local laws of your place of residency. International participants are welcome, but all participants must be over the age of 18.

Please remember that for your entry to count, you must leave a separate comment for every entry you make.

1) DO THIS FIRST (REQUIRED): Tell me your favorite way to cook with eggs, and if you purchase farm fresh eggs.

Optional ways to get more entries:

2) Blog about this giveaway describing why you want to win the book, and link your post to this giveaway. (1 extra entry)

3) Subscribe to The Leftover Queen RSS  feed. (1 extra entry)

4) Enter your email address to Subscribe to Daily Emails. (1 extra entry)

5) Fan The Leftover Queen on Facebook. (1 extra entry)

6) Follow The Leftover Queen on Twitter and tweet @leftoverqueen with a link to the giveaway. (1 extra entry)

If you are already a fan of The Leftover Queen and have done all or some of the above, and wish to enter the contest just write that you already subscribe to the newsletter, facebook page or RSS feed, by email, etc. Make sure to leave a separate comment for every entry.

Why Enter?

1) Because it is free

2) There are tons of awesome recipes and photos for each recipe in the book

3) Who couldn’t use a little more brain health?

The winner will be announced on this post next Tuesday, September 7th. The winner will be drawn at random and contacted on September 7th. The winner has until Thursday Sept. 9th by 10 AM, EST to respond before another winner is chosen.

If you would like to purchase a copy of the book for yourself, or for someone else (they make great gifts), you can use this link. They will also be available on Amazon very soon.

From top, clockwise: Happy Boloco people, Inspired Burritos, My buddy Matt hard at work, Happy Bloggers – me, Cheryl and Greg from CrankyCakes)

This week I attended my first foodie event in our new (again) home state of Vermont! Again and again I am reminded in subtle ways why we moved back to this great state, and this was no exception.

Pairing is Caring was held on Monday, August 16th and joined the forces of Boloco Inspired Burritos and Magic Hat Brewing Company . I was invited as part of the press pack on behalf of PMG Public Relations. PMG stands for People Making Good. PMG is not your typical PR firm, they are local to Vermont and focus on healthy brands. Brands that care about the environment, culture and responsibility. PMG has core knowledge of issues, goals and philosophies behind socially and environmentally responsible business and their targeted audience. So thanks PMG for a great night out!

The proceeds from Pairing is Caring went to icouldbe.org, a leading online e-mentoring program that matches middle and high school students with adult mentors from all over the country. Funds raised from this event will be used to implement an icouldbe.org mentoring program in one of Vermont’s public schools. It is easy to become a mentor with icouldbe.org – it takes about an hour a week to connect with your “mentee” but can make all the difference in the world to them and the path of their lives. It all takes place online, making it all the more manageable for people with busy schedules. So check it out today!

We had the chance to sample all eight varieties of Boloco burritos as well as 4 Magic Hat brews – the goal was to see which pairings of burritos and beer were a match made in heaven.

Boloco is not just a burrito shop, it is a business that cares about people, both customers and workers. It cares about the environment by serving drink and food in corn cups and bamboo bowls. It’s about naturally-raised meats and organic tofu. It’s about composting and recycling and reusing building materials. CEO John Pepper in his presentation to kick off the night, discussed many of the goals for his shops. Mostly centering around being part of the community and about changing the face of the fast food world, where customer opinion matters and where employees can make a real living, and even career with their jobs.

This philosophy really shines through when you talk to the servers, the people behind the counter. Like my new friend Matt, who gave me the full menu run down, after I told him that this was my first time eating at Boloco. Matt was very well informed about the flexibility offered on the menu and clearly passionate about the ingredients and food philosophy of the restaurant. In one simple word, he was inspired, just like the burritos. I mentioned to John, the CEO towards the end of the night how impressed I was with Matt. He wasn’t surprised. He knows his employees and works closely with them to make sure that each person at Boloco is true to the vision. This is not your average fast food establishment, people.

As for the beer, well anyone who loves a good microbrew should be familiar with Magic Hat, whether you are in New England or not. Magic Hat is one of the pioneers of the microbrew movement, and has achieved much acclaim.

Now on to the Food and Drink section of this blog post! So as I mentioned, we were able to sample all 8 varieties of Boloco Burritos as well as a special burrito just for the event and 4 Magic Hat Brews.

BURRITOS AND BREWS

Burritos:

Buffalo Chicken
Memphis BBQ
The Summer
Bangkok Thai
Teriyaki
Yucatan Habanero
Cajun
Classic Mexican
Spicy BLT (this was created just for the event, and will be featured on the menu in the coming months – it features local bacon, cheeses and veggies).

Brews:
#9
Hex
High PA
Odd Notion

My personal favorite pairings were as follows:

Memphis BBQ and Hex
Buffalo Chicken and Odd Notion

Disclaimer: I did not personally try all 9 burritos or all 4 beers. I didn’t sample Bangkok Thai or Teriyaki burritos since both had soy products in them, tofu in one and soy sauce in the other. But those who did try them really liked them. I also did not try High PA as I am not a fan of IPAs and I didn’t drink #9 either, since I am already familiar with the beer, and although I like it, it is not my favorite of the Magic Hat varietals.

The Memphis BBQ burrito was my over all favorite of the night. It was filled with all natural pork carnitas, sweet bbq sauce, cole slaw, pinto beans and rice. It had a wonderful bbq flavor and the pork was melt in your mouth tender. Not to mention it has coleslaw in it – and I am a known cole slaw fanatic. I have never met one I didn’t like, and that is the truth.

The Buffalo Chicken was nice and spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. If you like buffalo wings and all the traditional accoutrements, this would certainly satisfy the craving and is a lot less messy.

I also believe that the Yucatan Habanero is worth mentioning – filled with grass-fed humanely raised steak and pickled onions, with a spicy habanero sauce, it satisfied my spicy tastebuds. Although for some it was too hot, so bear that in mind when ordering.

As for the beer, I really loved Hex, and could see myself buying it. It is a seasonal beer, amber in color with hints of toffee, caramel and smoke, all flavors that I am looking for in my beer. I also enjoyed the Odd Notion, a Belgian style beer with flavors of coriander, bitter orange peel and a hint of green apple. This brew was really refreshing, and just a bit odd – in a really good way!

So to wrap up, all in attendance had a great night at the event – the food and drink were really good, and the passion of the people involved in all aspects of the event, from the hosts, organizers and charities it was funding, was infectious. What I brought away from the night is that people have a lot of choices when you find yourself out and needing to eat at a restaurant. So why not support the local ones who also support the local food shed, and the people they work with to make your dining experience unforgettable? Spend your dollars wisely. We all have a choice, and we can all make a difference by making small choices that add up. There are inexpensive places to enjoy food that not only tastes good, but is also trying to make the world a better place, one burrito at a time.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, in a post about the ThinkFood project I am honored to be a part of, that I am a huge fan of eggs. They are a central part of our family’s diet, something we eat on a daily basis. One egg has 13 essential nutrients in varying amounts – including high-quality protein, choline, folate, iron and zinc. Eggs also play a role in brain function, muscle strength, healthy pregnancy, eye health and more. Eggs are an important part of a healthy diet, and do not have a link to high cholesterol, a common myth that has unfortunately been perpetuated through mis-information.

I love eggs not only for all all their amazing health properties, but because they are so versatile and delicious. I love them for breakfast, in omelets, crepes and pancakes. For lunch, hard-boiled on a salad, or made into egg salad. Sometimes even for dinner as a frittata, or the glue for a nice breaded, pan fried piece of meat or fish. They are perfect for dessert, be it clafoutis, creme brulee, pudding, ice cream, or custard. We probably could integrate eggs into every meal, and not even notice!

Living out in the country, we have access to many varieties of farm fresh eggs. White ones, brown ones, even green ones. You can also often times get eggs from other poultry, besides chicken as well. In our area, we have access to goose eggs, duck eggs, even emu eggs! A while back, at the Farmers Market, I got some goose eggs to try.

The first two I used to make a huge omelet, and I noticed that the goose eggs made the dish sweeter than chicken eggs. So I knew that with the third egg, I was going to make a creamy rich custard. I love a good, simple vanilla custard.

I went pretty basic here, wanting the flavor of the egg to really come through. I used this recipe from Evil Shenanigans as inspiration.  I don’t like my desserts super sweet, and I tend to cut the sweetener in any recipe by half, sometimes more. I figure that if it isn’t sweet enough, we can always add a drizzle of maple on top. But some desserts are so sickly sweet, and you can’t remove the sweetness once it is in. This is also a good way to make desserts if people in your family vary in the strength of their sweet tooth – this way everyone is accommodated!

We enjoyed the custard with a nice dollop of Frangelico-laced fresh whipped cream and a raspberry on top!

INGREDIENTS:

1 goose egg (or substitute 3 large chicken eggs)

¼ cup of pure maple syrup

1 TBS pure vanilla extract

2 cups whole milk

½ tsp ground cinnamon

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 325F. Boil 4 cups of water. Whisk together the egg(s), maple and vanilla. In a sauce pan, heat up the milk until it simmers and remove from heat. Add the milk to the egg mixture at about ¼ at a time, whisking the entire time. Once half of the milk has been added in ¼ cup increments, pour in the rest of the milk, and whisk well. Add the cinnamon. Then pour the custard into 4 ramekins, or a small baking dish. Place the ramekins, or baking dish into a roasting pan, or larger baking dish. Carefully add the boiling water until it reaches ¾ of the way up the sides of the ramekins or small baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until custard is set, and jiggles in the middle. Carefully remove from the oven, and allow the custard to cool in the water bath for about 30 minutes. Then you can chill it in the fridge, or serve warm. However you like!

My friend Shannon over at Nourishing Days who blogs about real food, natural homemaking and sustainability features the food journals of bloggers who choose to make real food made from scratch and full of nutritious, wholesome, healthy and delicious foods. This week she is featuring my food journal. Thanks, Shannon! So if you ever wanted to know what a typical 3 days of 3 meals looks like in our household, please go check it out.