Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Another Birthday Celebrated...Not With Cake But Pie

For my daughter's 8th Birthday we made the Chocolate Tofu Pie from Post Punk Kitchen.  Easy and far better than any cake...even the Fat Free Vegan "Can't Be Beet Chocolate Cake", which is our favorite for cake! 

This No Bake Pie was chocolately without being too sweet and perfect for a hot summer day!  I kept it on ice while the kids were swimming in the pool.

I found the Dandie's Vegan Marshmallows at Hoover's Essential Health Market locally.  You can also get them online at Vegan Essentials.

Summer 2010 Healthy Clippings Coupon Books at Hoover's Essential Health Market

The Healthy Clippings Coupon books for Summer 2010 have arrived!  Get your copy at Hoover's Essential Health Market in Apopka.

The book includes some decent coupons.  There are more than what I'm listing. These are the ones that are Eat For Health Vegan compatible:

Drew's Products 8oz or larger (Salsa)- $1/2

Food for Life Meatless Patties or Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Burger Buns- .55/1

Sunshine Burgers any Breakfast, Falafel and/or Barbeque- $1/2

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Cafe 118 offers Raw Coconut Water To Go




Cafe 118 is an Organic Raw Vegan restaurant located in Winter Park that uses a lot of Young Thai coconut in their various dishes.  This benefits you because they have a lot of raw coconut water left over.  They are selling it for $4/glass, $20/gallon.  Bring your own container to fill and take it to go! 

For more information about Cafe 118 go to http://www.cafe118.com/.

Wellness 101 by The Wellness Forum now on DVD!

When I took Wellness 101 from The Wellness Forum back in 2006, the class was on audio tapes.  I had to go out and buy a cassette recorder!   It was well worth it because I'm more of an auditory learner, so listening to the tapes over and over again helped the information to stick in my head and make big changes quickly.

Now you can watch an entire Wellness 101 class taught by Pam Popper, ND, in the comfort of your home. It's now on DVD!  While it's not studio quality (it's a recorded live class), Dr. Popper's enthusiasm and passion for plant based nutrition (leaning toward veganism) makes this video fun to watch. It comes with a study guide that includes a Wellness Assessment and changes to implement at the end of each section.

Here's what's on the DVD:
1. Introduction/Welcome
2. John McDougall, M.D. (How he became interested in Vegan Plant Based Nutrition and the success he has had with his patients)
3. Structuring Your Diet (How to plan meals)
4. The China Study (A summary of the one of the largest studies on human nutrition ever conducted)
5. Nutrition Basics
6. Dietary Myths
7. Animal Food Consumption (Why it should be severely limited or eliminated)
8. Meatless Meals (Actual Cooking Demos)
9. More Super Foods
10. Eating Habits
11. Action Plan

If you have an interest in becoming a Certified Health Educator through the Wellness Forum, taking this class is the first step. For the cost of the class, $220.95, you also get a free membership to The Wellness Forum which includes:

  • Ongoing workshops, conference calls and webinars on a variety of topics ranging from cooking classes to cancer prevention (see upcoming events)
  • Monthly Book Club meetings via conference call
  • Monthly Q&A and workshop with Executive Chef Del Sroufe
  • Monthly Q&A with Dr. Pam Popper
  • Health coaching to assist you in meeting your health objectives
  • Convenient access to healthy products that make healthier living easier
  • Access to a members-only website featuring recipes, educational videos, book reviews and other health-related information
  • Referrals to Certified Lifestyle Medicine Practitioners
  • Free shipping on orders over $250 (for those in the Continental U.S.)
  • Half-price tickets to national conferences that feature speakers such as T. Colin Campbell and Caldwell Esselstyn.
  • Ongoing support to help you in filtering and making sense out of the enormous amount of information about health appearing in the media
 
To Order Wellness 101 call 1-800-761-8210. Yes, you have to order by phone :)  Their website is still not up to date with being able to order online but you will get fast and friendly service by phone. Please mention that Gretchen Goel referred you! 

Free Teechino Samples and New Newsletter

Teechino brand Herbal Coffee makes a great coffee substitute.  It's also the best way to wean yourself off coffee!   You start out with a small amount of Teechino added to your the ground coffee in your coffee maker and then gradually add more Teechino and less coffee every day.  Specific directions on how to do this are on the bag.

Teechino is giving out free samples and you can also add yourself to their newsletter for future promotions and coupons!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Naked Coconut Water BOGO at Whole Foods


Naked Coconut Water is Buy One Get One Free for $2.29 at Whole Foods in Winter Park right now.  You can buy a case and get 10% off, plus there's a .50/1 Coupon in The Whole Deal.  Tonight I used coupons for 4 Coconut waters and they scanned the coupons for the 2 free ones. 

That makes them .64 per container!  Almost a 70% savings!

Just a note...the water is not sweet like Thai Coconut Water. These are made from Green Coconuts in Brazil.  So this isn't a drink you would enjoy like juice.

I think it would be more appropriate to use in a smoothie or as a sports drink during an hour or longer of activity.  It could also be used as a recovery drink from a long training practice for endurance athletes.

I LOVE the Coupon Clutch!

Since I started collecting coupons for organic whole foods and household items a few months ago, I've been looking for a fashionable way to store them.  Well, I found the perfect solution to my overstuffed coupon accordion wallet...

The Coupon Clutch!   It's handmade here in the USA and comes with all the plastic pages to keep your coupons organized and visible. My only wish is that they would have sent more of the pages that hold large coupons.  It looks like I will have to buy more.

I was wasting a lot of time going through coupons to find what I needed before a shopping trip.  Now that I can quickly flip through the pages, I'm hoping I will spend less time locating coupons and not let coupons expire before I get a chance to use them.

The Coupon Clutch comes in several fabric patterns with the option to buy the pattern and make it yourself.  Right now through end of June 2010 there is a 10% discount through Carrie's Coins and Sense. 

My favorite Pasta Sauce is Enrico's Fat Free!


I often make my own pasta sauce using tomatoes from our garden but I also like to use Enrico's Fat Free Pasta Sauce.  Unfortunately, it almost never goes on sale, but Publix sells it at the lowest price- $3.49 for 26oz.  

It contains NO OIL, and NO SODIUM!  The two things in all commercial pasta sauces that make them unhealthy!  

The rule on sodium content is that your sodium milligrams should be equal to or less than the calories in one serving.  For most pasta sauces the calories are 60 and the sodium content is 600 milligrams!

Now, it takes adjusting to if you are used to high sodium foods, so you may want to lightly sprinkle salt on top of your finished pasta dish.  Gradually eliminate that habit and you will find that this sauce is perfect.

Organic Produce on Sale at Hoover's Essential Health Market

I had some time yesterday to check out Hoover's.  Here's what I found for produce deals...

Organic Coconut $1/pound
Icebox Watermelon $3.75 each
Organic Mango $1.50 each
Organic Raspberries $2.50 each (though they were looking not so fresh)
Organic Red Grapes $4.99/bag (looked like 2 pounds)

6/20 Meal Plan for the Week

Here's my Meal Plan for the week:

SUNDAY
Breakfast
Organic Oatmeal Pancakes with Walnuts and Agave Nectar
Organic Blueberries

Lunch
Romaine Lettuce Salad from Annie's Organic Buying Club with
Publix Greenwise Organic Carrots
Cucumbers from Annie's
Corn from Annie's
Green Onions from our garden
Grape Tomatoes from Annie's
Annie's Naturals Fat Free Mango Vinaigrette

Snack
Watermelon from Annie's Buying Club

Dinner
Father's Day Dinner Out

MONDAY
Breakfast
Organic Oatmeal Publix Greenwise with
Back To Nature Walnuts, Frontier Organic Cinnamon, and Bananas

Lunch
Green Smoothie
Lettuce Salad Wraps

Dinner
Romaine Salad
Okra and Lima Bean Masala


TUESDAY
Breakfast
Blue Green Smoothie


Lunch
Veggie Wrap


Dinner
Romaine Salad
Palak Tofu


WEDNESDAY
Breakfast
Blue Green Smoothie (Gotta use up those Blueberries!)

Lunch
Salad with Seasoned Tofu

Dinner
Beansprouts and Broccoli Slaw Salad with Coconut Ginger Dressing

Low Fat Lo Mein (Both from Fat Free Vegan Blog)

THURSDAY
Breakfast
Organic Oatmeal Publix Greenwise with
Back To Nature Walnuts, Frontier Organic Cinnamon, and Bananas

Lunch
Salad with Black Beans and Brown Rice

Dinner
Thai Coconut Curry with Broccoli and Zucchini from Annie's

FRIDAY
Breakfast
Brown Rice with Raisins, Walnuts, Cinnamon, Agave, and EdenSoy
Lunch
Eat Your Greens Fruit Smoothie

Dinner
Romaine Salad
Easy Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Using Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles and adding in Eggplant


 

Saturday, June 19, 2010

6/17-6/24 Publix Sale Items that are Eat For Health Vegan Compatible

Here are the best deals at Publix this week!

Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid- BOGO $2.99/2
Use two Manufacturer's Coupons and you get two for .99

Blueberries $3/2
Use the new Publix coupon to get your Berries for FREE!


Mangoes are $1 each!  Though not Organic.

Georgia Sweet Corn is $2/10

Sunkist Lemons $1/3

I received 3 containers of Organic Blueberries from Annie's Organic Buying Club this week, plus I'm still stocked up on Organic frozen blueberries from the last Cascadian Farms sale at Publix, so, I will pass on the Blueberries, but that is a good deal!

I will post any deals I find at Whole Foods and Hoover's Essential Health Market in the next few days.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Whole Foods takes a stand on Nutrition, promoting Plant Based and Vegan Diets

Whole Foods has finally taken a stand on defining what Whole Food nutrition should be.  They have adopted Dr. Fuhrman's Eat for Health plan and the Engine 2 Diet!  Two of the best plans for Nutrient Dense Vegan diets.

I am encouraged that they will be making the following changes in their stores:

-Educating employees about Dr. Fuhrman's plan
-Using Dr. Fuhrman's ANDI scores in the produce section of the stores so that people can see what foods have the highest nutrient levels.
-Providing menu plans and recipes on the Whole Foods website

For more information go to the Whole Foods website.

Friday, June 11, 2010

The Best Deal on Agave Nectar is on Amazon!

Even if you don't use a lot of Agave Nectar, why would you pay full price at Whole Foods or Publix when you can get it for 80% less!  The price is $16.21 for Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Raw Blue Agave, 44 Ounce Bottle (Pack of 2) and you can sign up for Amazon Subscriptions to get an additional 15% off plus FREE Shipping!  The price comes out to $13 and change and the Agave arrives within days to your home.

6/10-6/16 Publix Sale items that are Eat for Health Vegan compatible

Here's what's on sale at Publix this week that is Eat for Health compatible. There were other fruits and vegetables on sale but I follow the "Dirty Dozen" list and buy organic 90% of the time:

Publix GreenWise Market Organic Salad Blends 2/$5
Kashi 7 Grain Cereal (the unsweetened ones!) 2/$5
Edensoy Organic Soy milk 2/$4
Southern-Grown Sweet Corn 8/$2

Here's the coupons I will use:
1 Save A Lot Coupon to get $5 off any $20 purchase (There are 5 of these coupons in the Entertainment Book)

Harvey's $2 off $5 produce coupon to get the Organic Salad Blend for $1.50/bag.  You will need to sign up for a Harvey's Reward Key to get these coupons.

I wrote Eden Organic and got a stack of .55/1 coupons, so I will use two of those to get the EdenSoy for $1.50 Tetra Pack.  EdenSoy is different from other Soy Milks.  The product contains only Soybeans and purified water.  There's no other additives similar to what is found in other commercially made soy milks.

Get Kashi for .50 a box with 1 Manufacturer's Peel off coupon (on the boxes), 1 Whole Foods Whole Deal Coupon (you will need to pick these up at your local Whole Foods).

If you are just starting out couponing, you may only be able to get a few of these deals.  Keep collecting coupons!  The items will go on sale again and then you can take the opportunity to stock up a bit so that you have enough until the next sales cycle.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Learn How to Set Up a Holistic Kitchen

Check out my blog post on totalwellnessmentor.com.

Annie's Organic Buying Club now in Central Florida

I just blogged about this on the Central Florida Green Guide.

Super Plant Eaters Club- Plant Based Nutrition Classes for Kids!


Super Plant Eaters Club was started two years ago when the owner of Misty Forest Enrichment Center approached me about creating a class for kids. Prior to that I was only focusing on group nutrition and wellness classes and workshops for adults.

I put together a six week curriculum based on ideas that had worked well with my kids at home, and Super Plant Eaters was born! The class was well received by all ages of kids during the summer camp at Misty Forest in 2008 and has been popular ever since.

My most popular class has been the "Green Smoothie" class where I teach kids about the importance of greens in the diet and allow them to create their own smoothie in my Vita-Mix using spinach, kale and a variety of fruits and plant milk. We have come up with some very original recipes allowing the kids to experiment on their own!

If you are interested in booking a Super Plant Eaters Club class at your facility or in your home, please contact me.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Eat for Health compatible foods on sale at Publix this week

I checked iheartpublix.com and here's what I found on sale this week at Publix that would work with the Eat for Health plan. There's not much you can stock up on except the EdenSoy and Kashi 7 Whole Grain Cereals. These include coupon matchups. The rest is produce of course!

EdenSoy Organic Soymilk, 32 oz box, 2/$4
-$.55/1 Eden Organic Manf Coupon (email Eden Organic to get them)

Kashi Cereal (Any of the four varieties of "7 Whole Grain Cereals" excluding the Honey Flakes), 2/$5
-$1/1 Kashi Organic Promise cereal, any (Whole Foods coupon) – Whole Deal
-$1/1 Peel off coupon (on boxes of Kashi cereals)

Southern Grown Sweet Corn, 8/$2
Florida Premium or Plum Tomatoes, $.99/lb
California Seedless Grapes, $1.69/lb
Chiquita Bananas$.59/lb
Florida Athena Cantaloupes, $1.99
Southern Blueberries or California Strawberries, 16 oz or 1 pt pkg, 2/$5
California Cherries, $2.99/lb
Florida Red Seedless Whole Watermelon, $4.99 (half, quarter, or eighth, $.45/lb)
Georgia Grown Peaches $1.29/lb
Publix GreenWise Organic Salad Blends, 4 to 10 oz bag, 2/$5

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Couponing for Health Food? Can it be done?


I took a couponing class from a friend back in April after a group of my health conscious friends had taken the same class and raved about how much money they were saving. I viewed many store receipts from those friends and wondered how on earth they were able to save so much....with coupons?!

Well, I've learned a lot in the past few months...that's one of the resons I've been absent! I've been busy coupon collecting from every website I can find that offers Organic products.

I will admit, in the past I never paid attention to sales flyers or coupons simply because I thought it would take too much time and effort only to save very little money. But, when I found out you really can save up to 50% while buying organic foods, bath and body products, I have decided it is SO worth my time. The food budget at our house had been out of control for several years, starting from the days my babies became toddlers. I'm happy to report as of last month our total food and dining out expense has gone from $1200 a month down to $750 and I'm expecting it to go down to $600 this month.  (Of course a piece of this equation has to do with an amazing harvest from our garden this spring.  Lots of beans, lettuce, eggplant, squash, oakra, tomatoes, onions...we have been well stocked on the veggies!)

Some of the things I can think of off hand that I have saved 80%+ on are Organic Frozen Cascadian Farms Fruit and Vegetables, Seventh Generation Products, Jason Organics Products, Kiss My Face Products, Almond Breeze, Blue Diamond Almonds, and Silk Organic Soymilk! I have also found coupons for Eden Organics products, San-J Organic Tamari, Honest Kids Juice, Earth Friendly Cleaning Products, Rice Select, Publix Produce, and Restaurant coupons!

I was a big Whole Foods shopper, now I am at Publix every week and only once a month at Whole Foods, Chamberlin's Market or Hoover's Essential Health Market to pick up things I cannot find at Publix and catch any monthly sales...with coupons!!

You can get the best deals at Publix because they have the BOGO deals and you can use both a competitor store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon on BOTH the item you buy and the free item!

My favorite blog to follow for the latest deals at Publix is iheartpublix.com. The blog owner will post the Publix sales flyer three days prior to the sale with coupon "matchups" (she tells you exactly where to find the coupons to get the deals).

My favorite blog to follow for Organic Deals is Organic Deals and Coupons.

And lastly, if you'd like to take couponing classes in Central Florida you can join Couponing with Regina on Facebook. If you are outside the Central Florida area you can take classes online at Becentsable.com.

You have been enlightened! Now please do not ignore this post...go SAVE some money!!!