Fermentools' Starter Kit Review #ComplimentaryProductReceived

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My family had the privilege of trying the Starter Kit from Fermentools for this review to use in conjunction with our own curriculum at home. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Fermentools was started by Matt Gross in 2013 to produce a product that turns any wide mouth mason jar into a fermenting vessel with a custom designed airlock system. In 2019 Alex and Cassie Deputie joined the Fermentools family to expand upon the vision that started the company. They along with their 7 children use fermented foods and nutrition to maintain health, even since Cassie was diagnosed with chronic health issues in 2005. The Deputie family run Fermentools together and assemble, package, and ship every kit and product that is ordered from their website. All of their products are made and sourced in the USA.

Fermented foods are really good for you because of the probiotic nature of the end product. Probiotics are live microorganisms, good bacteria, that provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut flora. Having good gut flora is extremely beneficial for our: immune systems, digestive systems, skin, and absorption of nutrients from the foods we eat. It is generally great for overall health.

 Fermentools Starter Kit comes with all you need to start fermenting foods and beverages. Fermented foods and beverages should be created in an anaerobic environment away from air. This is helped by submerging the food underneath the brine (salt water solution) with a weight. The Fermentools kits come with glass weights that are the perfect size for a wide-mouth jar to keep the food under the liquid so that mold will not grow. This environment is necessary for lacto-fermentation to happen and produce a pro-biotic rich preserved product. The airlocks that Fermentools uses help keep the oxygen and external air away from the submerged food trapping in carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Carbon dioxide is produced and the more of it that is, the more air is pushed out and kept out of the container via the airlock. With this kit you can make sauerkraut, fermented veggies, pickles, beverages like Tepache, sodas, Kombucha, etc.; fermented hummus and other condiments, sourdough bread, fermented legumes, dairy like yogurt and cultured butter, fermented fruit, Kimchi, and Curtido. They also have these recipes and more on the Fermentools' website.

Fermentools’ Starter Kit Includes:

• Himalayan Powdered Salt – This ancient Himalayan sea salt has over 80 trace minerals and is ground fine enough to easily mix with cold water.
• 1 Soda Lime Glass Fermentation Weight – Made to fit inside your standard widemouthed Mason jar perfectly, are 2 ¾ inches in diameter and 10mm thick, and won’t react with your food like other weights on the market.
• 1 Rubber Canning Gasket – These are durable rubber gaskets from Tattler canning lid company and last up to 10 years when used for canning....probably longer for fermenting.
• 1 Stainless Steel Lid – Made from 304 food grade surgical stainless steel, the corrosion resistant lid will last a lifetime and is dishwasher safe. This lid is far superior than regular canning lids and has a hole with a 10° extrusion to make a tight seal on the stopper.
• 1 #2 Rubber Stopper with Hole – This is made from natural rubber and is used with the fermentation lid and air lock.
• 1 #2 Rubber Solid Stopper – This is made from natural rubber and can be used when removing the airlock to seal the container until a regular lid can be installed after fermentation is completed so that no air will enter the vessel.
• 1 Three Piece Air Lock – This is to help air escape with the help of carbon dioxide buildup. The CO₂  helps push the oxygen through the air lock and out of the vessel.
• Instruction Guide with Basic Sauerkraut recipe – Goes through what's included, how to use, fermentation process, and other tips...along with a simple Sauerkraut recipe and some variations.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

We received the Starter Kit and thought the craftsmanship was wonderful. This looked like a very nice kit that will last a good long time. I was very happy with the products and excited to start the fermentation process. I have never done this before and since it was my first time making fermented foods or beverages, except for making Milk Kefir, I was also a little nervous. I have a lot of friends that do this on a daily basis, so I was also in good company...even though if I needed their help I could only ask them by phone or online since we were still social distancing because of COVID-19 restrictions. I also was excited to share this process with my kids, as this was a great learning experience for both them and me. Fermentation is also a great way to preserve harvests and since we have a large garden and orchard I have wanted to do this for a while.

The veggies going into my ferment.

We made carrot, purple cabbage, radish sauerkraut with the Fermentools' Starter Kit. I shredded 4 carrots, 10 radishes, and a small head of purple cabbage. It was very colorful looking.

Shredded veggies for my ferment.

After adding the 1 ½ tablespoon of the Himalayan powdered salt, my daughter Zari massaged the vegetables with her clean hands in a large mixing bowl for 10 minutes until they became softer and more liquidy. We could have used a masher tool instead, but she wanted the tactile experience. I liked that there was a conversion chart right on the salt that tells exactly how much salt you need for the brine you would like.

Zari mashing the veggies and salt to make the brine.

Then we packed the large wide mouth canning jar that we had with the veggie mixture and brine until we only had about 1 inch of space between the food and top of the jar. We then added the glass weight so that the veggies were all submerged under the brine and unexposed to air.

From top clockwise: placing glass weight, rubber gasket, fermentation lid, and canning ring.

Next we placed the rubber canning gasket on the outer lip of the jar making sure it was clean and dry first so it would create a good seal. We then added the stainless steel lid, writing side up, making sure the gasket didn't slip into the jar. We found a wide mouth canning ring in our supplies at home to place around this and tightened it down. After that we stuck the rubber stopper with the hole in the hole in the lid that came with the kit.

Last fermentation steps: place stopper with hole and fill airlock 1/2 way with water and place in stopper.

Last, we filled the airlock 1/2 way with non-chlorinated water and placed it in the rubber stopper hole. Then we placed the whole contraption into one of our cabinets because it had to be in a dark, moderately warm place. Typically you wait 3-14 days depending upon how fermented you like things, usually about a week is good. We did a whole week and the carrot, purple cabbage, radish sauerkraut was really good.

The pluses of having this kit verses not were numerous. I did not have to have a large crock to ferment with. I did not have to take the time to 'burp' the jars every day myself so that they wouldn't explode. I also did not have to worry about mold because of air getting in. I was also thankful that the Starter Kit from Fermentools was so easy to use.

There are so many yummy looking recipes on Fermentools' website that I want to try! I will definitely be trying out more recipes with this kit! I recommend the Starter Kit from Fermentools highly!

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You can purchase the Starter Kit or other Fermentools products here. You can get 15% off with coupon code CREW2020 until June 30, 2020.

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Benji & The 24 Pound Banana Squash Book Review and Giveaway

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Benji & The 24 Pound Banana Squash is a hardcover children's book that is by bestselling author Alan C. Fox with illustrations by Eefje Kuijl. This adorable book is the story of a child named Benji's experience of growing a banana squash from start to finish. Benji & the 24 Pound Banana Squash is based on a real-life event that happened when Alan Fox was eight. It teaches kids about patience, love, dedication, and perseverance and how much fun it is to grow their own foods.

My kids enjoying our harvests.

Our Thoughts:
Benji & The 24 Pound Banana Squash is a wonderful story of garden-to-table. I love how Benji is so patient even though he sees nothing come from the seed he plants at first. After a while he reaps the reward of his determination and nurturing.

We loved this cute book and its lovely illustrations. The book starts from the beginning where Benji picks the perfect spot in the ground and plants the seed to his family sitting around the table eating the cooked squash with butter and brown sugar. The pictures are fun to look at too. One picture shows Benji trying to dig the hole himself with the shovel and he fell over on his back flinging dirt and earth worms into the air. Another shows his dog bouncing a ball on a small trampoline as Benji carries the large squash inside the house. My kids will treasure this book.

Teela and Zari enjoying the Benji & the 24 Pound Banana Squash book.

I recommend this sweet and endearing story to anyone. It is perfect for those who want to teach their children about where their food comes from or even help them grasp the concepts of being more patient...because it will certainly pay off in the end. It is wonderful for those city folk that want to give a piece of country life to their kids.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Wordless Wednesday Garlic and Potato Harvest

Elephant Garlic harvest this year was awesome!

This was my first time growing and harvesting potatoes.

Go Gourmet Slammers Snacks Review and Fun Valentine Printable

With Valentine's Day around the corner, finding healthy treats that won't give kids cavities or bellyaches can be hard. When walking down the Valentine's aisle you will see that stores have stocked the shelves with sweets, chocolate, and candy that are filled with sugar. With diabetes and obesity on the rise among kids, why not offer them a healthier, but fun option for Valentine's this year?

Slammers Snacks are tasty, superfood snacks designed to fuel kids with organic fruits and vegetables such as mangoes, acai berries, beets, sweet potato, carrots, and yumberries. Some even have ancient grains for added nutrition like: chia, quinoa, and amaranth. Not only are they a healthy alternative to sugar-laden candies and convenience store snacks, Slammers are, mess-free, easily digestible, and serve as a great source of essential vitamins. Three new Superfood Smoothie flavors: Creamy Banana Chocolate, Pomegranate Grape Crush, and Watermelon Kiwi Burst come packed with seven grams of protein. Creamy Banana Chocolate is their newest and has the least amount of sugar!

Our Thoughts:
We absolutely love Slammers Snacks! They are so delicious and good for you. We received two cases total with a selection of all the flavors to try. We love them all! I love that they are organic too. My favorite is the New Watermelon Kiwi Burst flavor with added protein. These are in a convenient pouch that lets them easily travel with you for snacks on-the-go.

Slammers Snacks can be given as valentines or placed in lunches with cute lunch notes. I have made some printable Valentine's/Lunch Notes with some Slammer Snacks graphics for you to wrap around your Slammers Snacks when sending them with your kids' lunches or as a special Valentine's Day snack. Click the above graphic to go to the PDF and save it on your computer to print out. Cut around the whole rectangle for each wrap, wrap around the Slammers Snacks, and tape remaining edge to secure it around the superfood smoothie pouches.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Garden Lites SuperFood Veggie Cakes Now at Northwest Costco Stores! Garden Lites Review

Garden Lites are delicious and healthy snacks, muffins, and entrees that are packed with vegetables as the first and main ingredient. These nutrient-rich, heart-healthy foods are vegetarian and GMO free. A lot of their products are also gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free, and/or allergen free (look at packaging to make sure). Most do contain eggs. Look for Garden Lites at many stores across the US in the refrigerated section, including local to me stores like: New Seasons Market, Whole Foods Market, Target, Walmart, and now Costco!!

Garden Lites products we received.

We got to try Garden Lites: SuperFood Veggie Cakes, Chocolate Muffins, and Blueberry Oat Muffins. I love the fact that they are all easy to heat up and take with you on-the-go. These are also great for a snack or side dish. These were all very yummy and I'd definitely buy them if I saw them in the store.

Garden Lites SuperFood Veggie Cakes are small veggie-rich cakes that are only 100 calories per cake and have a Weight Watchers PointsPlus value of 3. These are vegetarian, GMO free, gluten free, dairy free, and nut free. Like all Garden Lites, vegetables are their first ingredient. They are packed with a super food veggie blend of carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, onion, red bell pepper, and zucchini! These are available exclusively at Costco in the refrigerated section as a box of 12 veggie cakes. These should be kept refrigerated or frozen until eaten.

I found these very tasty and easy to make. Since it has been hot here and the oven heats up my house my preferred method was popping them in the microwave for about 25 seconds. You can also cook them in the oven or toaster oven on 250 degrees on a baking sheet for 12 minutes. These cakes reminded me of a Japanese recipe I have made in the past called Okonomiyaki (vegetable pancakes) or a vegetable filled quiche/souffle. I love these for breakfast, snack, or with a meal. I can easily pack them for lunches when my family goes on outings too. I love how healthy and delicious these are and that I can understand all the ingredients on the packaging.

Garden Lites SuperFood Veggie Cakes and Muffins.

Garden Lites Muffins come in a assortment of flavors with seven different variations. These are great at getting vegetables into your family's diet without compromising the flavor and if your kids are picky eaters these might just be the ticket to a healthier snack alternative. Comes individually wrapped in BPA free plastic and the box contains 4-6 muffins depending upon the variety. These should be kept frozen until eaten.

We got to try their Chocolate Muffins and Blueberry Oat Muffins. They are both packed with fresh zucchini and carrots. They are both: a good source of fiber (3g) and whole grains (5g), vegetarian, GMO free, allergy-friendly, gluten free, dairy free, and nut free. At 120 calories per muffin these have a Weight Watchers PointsPlus value of 3. These have 4 muffins per package and are easy to pop in the microwave bag and all on high for 10 seconds if defrosted or 35 seconds if frozen (although microwaves do vary and mine seemed to want an additional 10-35 seconds so the middle wasn't still cold). You can also defrost at room temperature for about 4 hours if you aren't in a hurry to eat them right away.

The Chocolate Muffins are similar to lava cakes I've eaten. They are moist with a gooey center of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. The very first two ingredients are zucchini and carrots and you can hardly taste them! They are hidden and you won't even know they're there. My kids and I liked them and ate 'em up.

The Blueberry Oat Muffins are delicious and moist with plump blueberries filled inside. You can see the shredded carrots and zucchini if you look, but these are delicious anyway. They also have gluten-free oats in them along with other gluten free ingredients. My kids and I liked these best because blueberries are one of our favorite berries!

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You can now find the Garden Lites SuperFood Veggie Cakes at Costco Stores across the country, including Texas, the Southeast, the Southwest, the Northwest and the Northeast regions. You can order these online if you live in the Continental US with free shipping at Healthy Goodness. You can also locate a store near you to purchase the other Garden Lites products.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Wordless Wednesday Fresh Garden Artichoke

Teela with freshly picked artichoke from our garden.

Teela being silly with the artichoke.

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden Book Review

Spring is almost over and summer is just around the corner. I cannot believe how the time has flown by so quickly!  My Mother's Day garden is growing very well. I still have a lot to do, but the main part is out of the way. Weeds still need pulled around my flowers, the soil needs tended to, and more seeds need sown and planted. I absolutely love growing in raised beds and containers because it means a lot less weeding. I love gardening! It is a favorite pastime of mine. Digging my hands into the soil and feeling the earth beneath me, relaxes me. It has always had this calming effect on me. 

The newly revised edition (which now includes a whole chapter dedicated to heirloom vegetables and herbs) of the Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden book by Karen Newcomb is a great resource with a lot of ideas to grow tons of organic vegetables in small spaces and in containers. This book is a very practical do-it-yourself (DIY) guide. In the beginning there is an introduction which introduces the history of small gardens. Eight chapters covering different topics, from planning your garden to controlling pests and other maladies, follow to host the bulk of knowledge being put forth. An appendix a and b containing how to compost and seed sources, a glossary, about the author, and an index ends the book.

Table Of Contents

Introduction   1
Chapter 1 Planning Your Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden   5
Chapter 2 The Postage Stamp Soil Mix   35
Chapter 3 Getting Your Ground Ready   43
Chapter 4 When and How to Plant   50
Chapter 5 Watering Your Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden   64
Chapter 6 Heirloom Vegetables and Herbs You’ll Love to Grow   68
Chapter 7 Plants That Like Each Other   165
Chapter 8 Controlling Pests, Diseases, and Critters   172
Appendix A How to Compost   186
Appendix B Seed Sources   195
Glossary   204
About the Author   211
Index   212

In retrospect, I really should have read The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden book before I planted my garden. Since it got a late start though, I was rushing to get everything in the ground. I went with a more conventional row design which isn't really the best way to plant. This book could have helped me tremendously in: planning the arrangement of my garden and maximizing my crop production.

I love that this book makes it easy to have a garden in a very small plot that produces a lot while taking very little work and water. Karen Newcomb recommends beds that are 4 by 4 feet minimum to 10 by 10 feet maximum. She also states that from a 5 by 5 foot bed you can produce a minimum of 200 pounds of vegetables, if it is properly prepared and maintained. This is really amazing if you think about it. There are also some very helpful crop stretching techniques that are talked about in the book like: French Intensive Biodynamic Gardening in a small space, vertical gardening, intercropping, succession planting, catch cropping, container gardening, raised bed gardening, window sill/box gardening, patio gardening, companion planting, etc. The book also talks about taking advantage of better planting times: planting by season, zones, and moon cycles. Watering techniques, soil enriching techniques, and how to organically get rid of or deter: pests, diseases, and critters that might devour your garden are also included in this book. I loved the part of this book that covered other plants to consider growing because I am well aware of the advantages of adding pretty edible flowers and plants that attract beneficial bugs and hummingbirds to pollinate and possibly eat some pests. I love the idea of having a garden also for the hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, etc.

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden book has great garden plans, charts, and tips to keep your garden growing gorgeously. I will just mention that if you like a lot of color photos or pretty pictures this will not be the book for you because it uses a simplistic three color (browns, grays, and greens) printing process for the drawings and charts throughout the book.

There is so much to consider when planning a garden. I wish more people out there would grow their own food because the benefits are just so great! The benefits of growing your own organic garden include: better health, less stress, feeling better, saving money, getting fresh air and exercise, eating healthier and safer and saving the environment. Even someone living in the city with very little space really doesn't have an excuse. This book is chocked full of helpful information to maximize yield organically and ecologically friendly in small spaces. I would recommend anyone who wants to have a wonderful organic garden to read this book, especially those who don't know where to start because they are just in the beginning stages.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program for free in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

My Mother's Day and Birthday Gifts

This year my Birthday and Mother's Day fell on the same day, May 10th. My Mother's Day gifts consisted of blueberry pancakes and french toast made by my oldest son in the morning, a beautiful handmade card and newly planted Marigold from Teela, and 6 garden beds full of new soil, herbs, tomatoes, vegetables, and strawberry plants from my husband. We had to majorly upscale the garden this year because we found last year that two beds don't really feed a family of 6 very well. We are also planning on putting in 6 more if we get around to it. The orchard we planted last year is in the background along with some chopped wood we are going to sell. Isn't it pretty!

We have raised bed gardens! Yay!

The card Teela handmade was absolutely adorable. The front had a heart glued on and on the inside she drew a forest scene with trees, nests of baby birds, mama and daddy birds, bees buzzing around a hive, butterflies, a sun, ladybug, bunnies, a deer, squirrel, and flowers. On the back she drew a heart filled with smaller hearts and three people holding it at the bottom, one person swinging off of it, and another climbing a ladder that goes to the top where you can apparently slide down a rainbow on the other side. Very clever :)

My Marigold plant and Mother's Day & Birthday Card from Teela.

My husband also took me to Burgerville in Kelso Washington so that I could participate in their annual free Mother's Day Strawberry Treat. They had a sundae and a shortcake you could pick from. I got the sundae this year. Yummy!

My Free Mother's Day Burgerville Strawberry Sundae. Yummy!

After I got my sundae and brought it home we ate my favorite Extreme Veggie artichoke pizza from our local Hometown Pizza and sang some My Little Karaoke with my family. I am really thankful for my family and grateful for everything they do for me.

How was your Mother's Day??

Schwan's Home Delivery Service Review

This review is sponsored by Schwan's through USFG.

Schwan's Home Delivery Service is a great convenience for saving time when meals at home need to be faster than homemade and healthier than fast food. On their website they have a great selection of whole meals, entrees, desserts, appetizers, sides, and drinks. They have items you can pick from that are especially great for people with special dietary needs including: gluten free, vegetarian, sugar free, heart healthy, low calorie, and low sodium. The food is delivered right to your home by refrigerated truck and it is so very easy to order the food online.

I received a $25 gift certificate to Schwan's to pick something out online. I wanted to pick out something that might feed my whole family of 6 and that my whole family might enjoy. I also wanted something semi-healthy. I selected the Home Style Chicken Bake, Pineapple Orange Juice, and Golden Fruit Blend. I was a little disappointed that they did not offer more organic items. There are only 4 organic items and they are all fruits and vegetables. I ended up going a little over the $25 with my order subtotal being $28.97 and the delivery fee being $1.75. I ordered my items and picked the date and time for it to be delivered.

My Schwan's driver, Harold, and his truck.

On the date and time I selected, the Schwan's driver from my area drove up to my drive in his refrigerated truck and knocked on my door. He introduced himself as Harold and was very friendly and punctual. When he got my order out of his truck he also handed me a current Schwan's catalog so that I could order again at my leisure without needing to look online. When he handed me the items I had ordered he let me know briefly about each one and what he likes to do with them at his home.  He also said I could peruse the back of his truck to see if there was anything more I wanted before he left. I politely declined his offer and told him it was nice of him to ask. He even posed for me with his truck so I could have a picture for my review.

Schwan's Home Style Chicken Bake, Pineapple Orange Juice, and Golden Fruit Blend in packages.

The Home Style Chicken Bake said it served 5 and although it wouldn't feed my complete family I figured that I could supplement with something else to go with it or make it on a day my whole family were not all home for dinner. I guess I could have picked the Six Cheese Tortellini which serves 9, but I was in the mood for a pot pie of sorts. The Home Style Chicken Bake was delicious and so easy to make! This meal has to be kept frozen until cooked and eaten. It can be cooked in a conventional oven or micro-baked (a combination of microwave and oven). It has no preservatives and has a gravy that is made from scratch with fresh frozen vegetables. When I opened up the one I received part of the flaky pastry crust that topped the gravy, chicken, and veggies was broken a little bit which probably happened in transit. I didn't really care about the presentation as much as the taste though. After I cooked it in the oven I tasted it and it was delicious! The combination of the white chicken meat, russet potatoes, sweet peas & carrots in chicken gravy topped with the pastry crust was so good. If you like pot pie you will love this even better!

The Pineapple Orange flavored juice beverage comes in a package of six 8 fl oz cartons that each make 1/2 gallon of juice when the concentrate is mixed with water. Although this is thirst quenching it is not the healthiest juice. It does have high fructose corn syrup and sugar as the very first ingredients with preservatives and dyes. The flavor of the drink is too sweet for my taste, but my kids loved it. I am not sure how they made the pineapple flavor since pineapple juice or concentrate isn't listed as one of the ingredients...just natural and artificial flavors (whatever that means). I did like the combination of pineapple flavor (however they made it) with the orange and apple juice concentrates, but once I put some ice in it and a bit more water I liked it a whole lot more. It contains only 15% real fruit juice, but every 8 fl oz serving provides 100% of the daily value of Vitamin C. Next time I think I will buy their 100% Orange Juice fortified with Calcium that has no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. It is a much healthier choice, although also more expensive, go figure!

The Golden Fruit Blend is all natural 100% Grade-A cut chunks of pineapple and mango with thick-sliced peaches and strawberries. It is delicious and my favorite fruit blend, but I wish that it was organic. It has 6 - 3/4 cup servings in a 2 lb. resealable bag, Serves 6. This great as a snack, with yogurt, or put in a smoothie! My kids ate this up because they love frozen fruit...they hardly left any for me (see the small cup of it below). At least it is good for them and better for them than other snacks.

Schwan's Home Style Chicken Bake, Pineapple Orange Juice, and Golden Fruit Blend prepared.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this complimentary $25 for Schwan's as part of my participation in The US Family Guide Blogging program. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. No other compensation was received. 

Planting a Fruit/Nut Orchard and Edible Garden with Food Stamps (SNAP EBT)

My daughters and our homemade raised beds.

A while back we made 2 raised beds for a garden (the third in this picture never got finished) out of used lumber we had lying around. Back then we didn't know how we were going to furnish the soil or plants because we didn't have the means or the money to that we knew of. We just knew we wanted a garden and that we loved the idea of a raised bed garden to tide us over until our greenhouse was built and the aquaponics system was put in.

Then we got on Food Stamps (SNAP EBT) because my husband, Brian, has been out of work because of a disability (an orthostatic intolerance). We, like many other people on food stamps, did not know at first that we could buy food bearing/producing plants and seeds with our food stamps at the stores that accept them. We found out through a friend, that bought a salsa garden for himself with food stamps, that it was possible.

Our fruit orchard is taking shape.

We decided to test the system out and see if we could get larger food bearing/producing plants like trees and large bushes. We came home from Fred Meyer with three gorgeous Earliblue High Bush Blueberry Bushes, their last ones in stock. We also went to both local Walmarts subsequent days afterward and picked up 8 Heritage Red Raspberry plants, 4 thorn-less Sawtooth Blackberry plants, 3 Sweet Cherry trees, 1 Profusion Flowering Crab Apple tree, 2 Granny Smith Apple trees, 1 Honey Crisp Apple tree, and 1 Bartlett Pear tree all with our food stamps! My neighbor also gave us 2 Desert King Fig trees that are going in the ground soon.

Thorn-less Sawtooth Blackberry plants: we planted these in the kids area where the large trampoline is.

Blueberry bushes and raspberries.

We have ran into a few snags when using food stamps, unfortunately though. Some of the plants had been marked down and were in the discounted section. The tags showing the discount didn't ring up the plants as a food producer and so the checkout person had to find the original tag to the plant and then take the discount off manually. We also tried to buy two beautiful Semi-Dwarf Eureka Lemon trees (the common supermarket lemon variety) from Fred Meyer, but even though it is without a shadow of a doubt edible and was even growing fruit on both trees when we showed it to them we couldn't get them because the tag didn't indicate anywhere on it that it was an edible. Instead, it called the tree a "patio plant", indicating ornamental. We are still fighting this one. We also found that at the time we found out about this program it was a bit late in the season and a lot of the Spring stock of plants were picked over and already taken. Very few places that take food stamps also carry food bearing/producing plants. We wish more gardens with nurseries and farms that sell their plants would take EBT. We did find one in the area that wasn't a large chain store, called Pikku Farm in Woodland Washington, but we haven't been able to get a hold of them by phone yet.

The cashier at Fred Meyer cut the tops off large paper sacks and stuck the folded top into the bottom of the sack for transport.

We also picked up some Sage (Common, 2 Pineapple, and Blue), 2 plants of Basil, 6 Brussels Sprout plants, 6 Broccoli plants, 6 Rainbow Swiss Chard plants. These we planted in our raised beds full of aged manure and soil. Our friend gave us some beets from her garden to eat and some she pulled out with the large ones were too small and so we put them back into the ground in our raised beds along with a bunch of scallions that had the roots on them still. We already had a cherry tomato plant in the corner growing.

Raised bed gardens with the blueberries and raspberries in the background.

My daughters with the raised beds and the compost pile in the background.

I love that all this planting and growing our own food will help us never go hungry. We also are teaching our kids where food comes from and how to grow and harvest it. Soon we will have a sustainable orchard and garden all thanks to the SNAP Gardens: Food Stamps Grow Gardens program.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Schwan's Home Service I am getting a $25 Gift Card for posting this information. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free GC. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Getting Your Kids To Eat More Vegetables

I am a very big fan of eating healthy. Getting the right amount of veggies in my kids' meals is important to me and the task can be challenging at times. There are many ways I have hidden vegetables in my kids' foods. Some of my kids are more picky than others. My daughter, Teela, loves eating broccoli, but not all of my children are like her. No parent likes to find out that their child is hiding their veggies in their napkin or trying to feed them to the family pet. I am going to share some secrets I have tried to get her and my others to eat their veggies.

SOME IDEAS:
1. Fruit and veggie juice blends without added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. You can also make them into Popsicles or frozen cubes and throw them into smoothies. Some kids love to just eat veggies frozen...esp. good on a hot day!
2. Bake them into things or add cheese (Broccoli with cheese sauce, so classic and I love chocolate chip zucchini muffins)
3. Make zucchini puffs, poor mans crab cakes, an omelet, or Okonomiyaki (A Japanese style pancake that you can put all sorts of things in.).
4. Have them make their own foods with ingredients you provide. Kids who cook or prepare it themselves (with a little help) usually end up also eating what they have made. Salads or fruit and veggie kabobs are wonderful to do this with!
5. Casseroles and Crock Pot meals loaded with veggies. Have your little one help you with what goes in it.
6. My kids think they are cool because they like "green paper", seaweed wraps for sushi, to eat plain. They think it is funny to eat them in front of someone who might think they were a bit strange for doing so.
7. Rename things in fun ways like the above "green paper"...broccoli could be mini trees, peas could be called "power peas", or spinach leaves could be "dinosaur scales", etc.
8. Use Japanese Bento Boxes or be creative about serving the fruits and veggies. You can make all kids of fun creations from animals to faces the skies the limit!
9. Teach 'em while they are young. Read books to your baby and toddler about veggies and the importance of eating healthy. Start early offering your child lots of different types of foods when they are young and letting them see you eat and enjoy a variety of foods, especially vegetables.
10. Have them help you in the garden...if they have picked it or grown it maybe they'll eat it.

About the book Peas and Thank You:
Peas and Thank You is a collection of recipes and stories from a mainstream family eating a not-so-mainstream diet. It's filled with healthy and delicious versions of foods we’ve all grown up enjoying, but with a Mama Pea twist—no meat, lots of fresh ingredients and plenty of nutrition for growing Peas. From wholesome breakfasts to mouth-watering desserts, there’s plenty here to satisfy the pickiest Peas in your life. It’s easier than ever to whip up crowd-pleasing meals that will have the whole family asking for, “more, Peas.” Sarah Matheny's delicious recipes and entertaining stories draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to her blog, peasandthankyou.com each month, where she makes raising a vegetarian family easy and fun. She is the author of “Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love.” Learn More about the book.

More info: http://peasandthankyou.com, Peas and Thank You: Simple Meatless Meals the Whole Family Will Love [VIDEO]. Peas and Thank You on Facebook. Follow @Mama_Pea on Twitter. Buy the book: Peas and Thank You.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Peas and Thank You blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Sneaking Fruits & Veggies Into My Toddler’s Diet

I am a very big fan of eating healthy. Getting the right amount of fruits and veggies in my kids' meals is important to me and the task can be challenging at times. There are many ways I have hidden fruits and veggies in my kids' foods. Some of my kids are more picky than others. My youngest, Teela, isn't the pickiest of my bunch by any means as you can probably tell from the picture here of her eating broccoli. But hey, I would love to share some secrets I have tried to get her and my others to eat their veggies in particular...fruits I don't seem to have a problem with...unless you are discussing the eating habits of my developmentally delayed special needs child, Tatiana.

SOME IDEAS:
1. Fruit and veggie smoothies.
2. Fruit and veggie juice blends without added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. You can also make them into popsicles or frozen cubes.
3. Bake them into things. I love chocolate chip zucchini muffins :)
4. Make zucchini puffs, poor mans crab cakes, an omelet, or Okonomiyaki (A Japanese style pancake that you can put all sorts of things in.).
5. Have them make their own foods with ingredients you provide. Kids who cook or prepare it themselves (with a little help) usually end up also eating what they have made. Salads or fruit and veggie kabobs are wonderful to do this with!
6. Broccoli with cheese sauce. Classic!
7. Casseroles and Crock Pot meals loaded with veggies. Have your little one help you with what goes in it.
8. My kids think they are cool because they like "green paper", seaweed wraps for sushi, to eat plain. They think it is funny to eat them in front of someone who might think they were a bit strange for doing so.
9. Rename things in fun ways like the above "green paper"...broccoli could be mini trees, peas could be called "power peas", or spinach leaves could be "dinosaur scales", etc.
10. Have them help you in the garden...if they have picked it or grown it maybe they'll eat it.
11. Teach 'em while they are young. Read books to your baby and toddler about fruits and veggies and the importance of eating healthy.
12. Use Japanese Bento Boxes or be creative about serving the fruits and veggies. You can make all kids of fun creations from animals to faces the skies the limit!
13. Frozen fruit and veggies...some kids love to just eat them frozen...esp. good on a hot day!
14. Start early, offering your toddler lots of different types of foods and letting them see you eat and enjoy a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables.
15. Last but not least, I am going to give Little Blends a try.

ABOUT LITTLE BLENDS:
Little Blends from Horizon is an all-natural yogurt blend of fruits and vegetables that will help parents incorporate more nutrition and variety into their child’s diet. Each 4-ounce cup packs a daily value of 20 percent calcium, 25 percent protein, omega-3 DHA and probiotics. Parents will really love how Little Blends makes sneaking fruits and veggies so much easier. This new line is just one example of how Horizon continues to deliver nutritious food options that support healthier kids and a healthier planet.

Little Blends is an all-natural yogurt, meaning it’s produced without added growth hormones, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It is also created without high fructose corn syrup. It comes in three flavors: Banana and Sweet Potato, Apple and Butternut Squash, and Strawberry and Carrot.

Thank you TwitterMoms for telling me about Little Blends! Go to TwitterMoms and you can blog and tweet to win some cool prizes too.

Wordless Wednesday Neighbor's Harvest Gifts

If you are participating in Wordless Wednesdays, click on the Mister Linky image, enter your name and URL in the form, and press Enter.

Nature's Bounty

I have planted a large garden in my backyard and had the boys help with planting, weeding, and watering. My boys love helping me out in the garden. I looked out there today and two of the yellow crookneck squash were ready to harvest. We picked them and a whole bunch of Oregon Giant peas. Take a look...