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Surf Sweets Natural Candies

July 26, 2013

I love candy. In fact, during the decade of my twenties, Gummi Bears made up on of my main food groups! All my friends knew they could scoop a handful of jelly beans from the canister in the corner of my apartment’s kitchen every time they came over. I’ll admit, as well, that there were too many days when Gummi Bears comprised my meal. Oh, if I only knew then what I know now!

It’s true that I have a powerful sweet tooth, but as I’ve become more aware of foods I’ve realized that most candy is primarily high fructose corn syrup with artificial flavors and food dyes. Blech!

natural Surf Sweets jelly beans — Surf Sweets Jelly Beans natural candy.

So I was interested when Naturally Savvy approached me with an invitation to try out a few new organic candies from Surf Sweets. Surf Sweets candies are made without high fructose corn syrup (and the GMOs from HFCS), petroleum-based colors and chemical flavorings. Instead, Surf Sweets products are made with natural colors and flavors, organic fruit juice and sweeteners, and even a dash of Vitamin C. Surf Sweets are free of the ten most common allergens including nuts, gluten, and casein.

I tried Surf Sweets Jelly Beans, Gummy Worms, and Gummy Bears and can only say, Yum! It made me remember how much I’ve missed non-chocolate candies over the last ten years or so. This is one time when there is absolutely no loss of taste or eating pleasure by choosing the healthier version or a product.

I thought my favorite would be the Gummy Bears, but it turned out to be the jelly beans. The bag spilled out into my purse, so I continue to come across jelly bean treats as I go about my days (should I be embarrassed to admit that I am eating the jelly beans as I find them in the bottom of my purse? Oh well; at least they’re healthy jelly beans!).

One caveat: If you are sensitive to tapioca, you may want to steer clear of the gummy candies. My son, who is sensitive to tapioca, ate a gummy worm and immediately didn’t feel good. Fortunately, my daughter and I are not sensitive to tapioca, so we took care of eating the rest of the gummies. 🙂

Will Cast Aluminum Cookware Work The Same As Cast Iron Cookware?

July 24, 2013

Reader question: Possible addition to your Dutch Oven Deals blog post: I spotted these Art & Cuisine cast aluminum cocottes at Amazon.com, at just under $40 for the 2.5qt size in a gorgeous purple. This appears to have a metal lid knob & handles, too. The only thing is that it’s manufacturer-rated oven-safe to only 400 degrees F – possibly because of the removable silicone handle grips included. Here’s a link to the manufacturer’s website. And here’s a link to the listing on Amazon. I know it’s cast aluminum, not cast iron – but would this be worth investigating? ~ Catherine M., Dwight, IL

Hi Catherine. Thanks for keeping your eyes open for good deals on a pot for making Glorious One-Pot Meals. I wish the pots you found would be a good option for making GOPMs, but here are the reasons why they won’t work and you shouldn’t use them:

1. Cast aluminum has different heat conduction properties than cast iron does. There’s a reason top chefs like to prepare food with cast iron cookware: it absorbs, retains, and distributes the heat differently than any other type of cookware. This affects how the food cooks.

2. You should never cook with aluminum cookware because it will leach aluminum, a heavy metal, into your food where you will ingest it. Aluminum is not biodegradable or digestible; instead it is bio-accumulative, meaning that it builds up in your body. Too many heavy metals in your body can cause symptoms of poisoning. Aluminum toxicity may cause effects ranging from flatulence and heartburn to skin problems, liver disease, mental retardation, and Parkinson’s. If you own any aluminum cookware, you should stop using it for food immediately.

Aluminum cookware will usually be value-priced as aluminum is a cheap metal, but this is one time when you should pass up the bargain.

Aloe Vera as a Home Remedy for Burns and More

July 22, 2013

When it comes to plant-based remedies that work, Aloe vera should be first on your list. aloe vera plant

This desert succulent is easy to grow in any window, doesn’t need much water, and offers its healing gel inside each thick leaf for easy access. I keep an aloe vera plant on my kitchen windowsill and slice open a leaf for a quick burn salve after cooking mishaps. For burns, first run cold water over the area to cool it down (deeper burns may take up to 10 minutes under cold running water to cool down), then slather on a thick layer of aloe again and again as it dries. The aloe speeds the healing and reduces scarring while easing the pain of a burn.

I received a link to a list of 21 uses for aloe as a home remedy. The post is mis-titled as “homeopathic” uses when it should be “home remedies”, but its a good list nevertheless and aloe vera is a great remedy for a lot of ailments.

Be careful though: people who are sensitive to other members of the Lily family such as garlic, onions, leeks, or asparagus, may also be sensitive to aloe. In these cases, aloe is the opposite of helpful and may exacerbate other conditions.

Is Dry Polenta the Same As Cornmeal?

July 21, 2013May 16, 2017

Reader question: I have a copy of your Glorious One-Pot Meals cookbook. I was wondering iChat you mean by dry polenta in some of our recipes? Do you mean cornmeal? Thank you. Love your cookbook by the way. I just got it on Monday and have already tried 3 recipes.
~Jennie D., Bradford, On. Canada

Hi Jennie. Thanks so much for writing. I’m thrilled to hear you are enjoying GOPMs! This is a great question.

About polenta: Honestly, I had never heard of “polenta” before spending a year in Italy in 1989. Italians traditionally slow-cook polenta on the stovetop with water or stock in a cast iron pot for a long time to create a porridge consistency, and then serve it topped with freshly grated Parmesano Romano. Lately, the trend is to shape the porridge into patties to fry in olive oil.

In Glorious One-Pot Meals, I use dry polenta that I find either in the bulk food bins at a natural grocers, or in a box near the rice in the regular grocery store. You can find it on Amazon, too. I do not use the prepared polenta that comes in a refrigerated tube because they contain additional ingredients that I may not want in my dinner.

I believe the difference between “polenta” and “cornmeal” is in the grind of the corn. Personally, I like the polenta in a Glorious One-Pot Meal to be from a course-grind rather than a fine grind because the finer the grind, the mushier the result, and I prefer a more toothsome polenta.

Homeopathic Remedies for Poison Ivy Exposure

July 17, 2013

Summer is prime season for running into poison ivy. Luckily, there are some safe remedies that can bring immediate relief from the itching and burning.

The leaves of poison ivy are covered with an oil that causes topical dermatitis in the form of itching and swelling as well as a rash or blisters wherever it touches. The oil easily spreads to other body parts or other people, making it imperative to wash hands constantly and try to refrain from scratching.

Natural News offers an excellent summary of poison ivy symptoms and the correct homeopathic remedies to alleviate the discomfort. Be sure to match your symptom to the remedy or you will not find relief.

Here are instructions on how to take homeopathic remedies.

Surf Sweets Natural Candies

Will Cast Aluminum Cookware Work The Same As Cast Iron Cookware?

Aloe Vera as a Home Remedy for Burns and More

Is Dry Polenta the Same As Cornmeal?

Homeopathic Remedies for Poison Ivy Exposure

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