Blabbing About Bottled Finds!

I almost wasn't sure what to blog about today but then I quickly remembered I was lucky enough to go on a 2 day shopping spree for food so I thought back about some of the things I was able to find and thought about my TOP 3 bottled finds and thought I would share them with you.

First...Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar Drink - specifically their Apple Cinnamon Flavor.  WHY?  Well, some of you might know that DH has Crohn's and each day is a different experience.  Because of his Crohn's he has had other issues and we are finding out all go hand-in-hand in his case.  He was lucky enough to talk to a local doctor about his sinus infections and come to find out this same doctor also has Crohn's and seems to have many of the same problems as DH.  Long story short he needs to increase his intake of fermented foods.  Some of which he has already been doing.  DH doesn't seem to have a problem with ACV which I think is AWESOME.  This past weekend he tried this Apple Cinnamon flavor for the first time and LOVES it!  Problem?  It's hella expensive.  I'm going to try and make it myself soon!  I will keep you posted!  Something else I wanted to mention about this ACV Apple Cinnamon Drink is that I have now seen a vegan and an non-vegan version.  One version has honey in it so it's not technically vegan.  However, the one I bought for him had Stevia in it and no honey.  Interesting.  I wasn't aware of this until now!  Tricky, tho!  So keep your eyes peeled.  Unless you are a Apia(n) Vegan or Beegan that is.

Next up...Tahini from Trader Joe's!  I have yet to try TJ's Tahini but I'm certain it will be a winner!  Tahini was one of the many staples I have been out of in my pantry lately.  When I took that trip to TJ's I was able to find a FRESH and refrigerated version of it but I was looking for the self version.  When I got up to the check out there was a YOUNG looking 75 year old in front of me claiming that she was a first time shopper to TJ's and the WONDERFUL cashier let her in on some of their secrets.  Secrets?  I have been to 3 different TJ's thus far and I didn't even know about their secrets!  So I listened.  He was telling her that if you wanted to try/sample anything in the store that wasn't already prepared that they would OPEN IT for you and let you try it right there in the store!  Heck!  I didn't know that!  Then he was saying that if you bought something and didn't like it they would give you your money back.  That's always a good thing, eh!?  He even said that with their wine if you didn't like it to bring back the empty bottle and they would refund you!  NICE!  When I stepped up to check out I had a nice conversation with the cashier, too!  I was telling him that I was having a hard time finding this Tahini so the cashier-assistant ran back and grabbed one for me!  AWESOME!  In the meantime I was telling him I was from out of town.  I jokingly asked him if it was always so CRAZY at this TJ's and he said YES especially on Saturdays and Sundays.  He said the BEST TIME to shop was right when they opened.  I told him I noticed that the one time I shopped at the one near Buffalo.  When I was paying him for what I bought I noticed he put something in my cart that I didn't buy.  I looked up and he said 'There you go - sorry it was so busy in here today"...MY GAWD...it was a bouquet of FLOWERS!  How sweet!!!!!  What a wonderful store AND guy, eh!?

So this blog post was a complete blab-fest, eh?  Sorry about that!  I'm not quite finished...teehee!  Another bottled YUMMY I found this past weekend was Just Thousand!  It was available at Target in Erie.  This was yet another first for me.  I know Just Mayo is my most favorite vegan mayo to date and I like their flavored vegan mayos, too!  I know that my buddy Hillary is pretty obsessed with a few of the Hampton Creek Dressings and rightfully-so!  I tried the Ranch before and it was pretty good!  I thought it was more of a Peppercorn Ranch than a Buttermilk Ranch but that's ok!  This Thousand Island was pretty spot-on!  I have to say that I make a pretty awesome vegan Thousand Island Dressing, too, if I do say so myself.  I think the main difference is the consistency.  Mine is thicker than Hampton Creek's.  So they have me there!

Anyhow...I'm pretty excited about these 3 finds for one reason or another.  Now I just have to find the ACV for CHEAP in BULK or make my own...which is probably what will happen at some point.

Herbs & Home

Just a quick post regarding herbs and home stuff.  I posted another lengthier post earlier today if you would like to check that out by scrolling down as well.

Check out this herbal tea (tisane)!  It's from a company called Cha Tale in the UK.  They have some of the best tasting herbal teas I have had so far and I drink a lot of tea!  I'm not usually that fond of herbal teas.  Mostly because when I drink tea I want to drink tea and have it TASTE like tea!  Most herbals aren't that tea-like.  Another reason I wanted to post this herbal tisane is because of the Cassia Seeds you see on the bottom.  They have a TON of health benefits including those for eye health and I have been focusing on eyes lately!

This next one is a combo of Pandan Leaves and Lemongrass.  NOT by the company I mentioned above but I still wanted to blog about it because of all the benefits of Pandan Leaves more specifically regarding pain relief.  I have an upcoming article and recipe for this tea over at The Raw Food World NEWS Site so be on the look out.

This past week hubby confirmed that the kidney stones he has gotten time and time again are directly linked to his Crohn's.  After tests it was found that they were made up of calcium and sodium.  It's not so much that he consumes those two things much it's that because of his Crohn's those two things don't break down like they should.  So now he's focusing on lower calcium and lower sodium foods, however, he is a meat eater, and because of his Crohn's can't eat many raw fruits and veggies or even some of his cooked veggies he used to call favorites.  If you are new to my blog - it's true - our house hold is a mixed diet household.  This is becoming more and more common these days.  On top of everything else he has to make sure that he's eating low fiber foods, too.  A few random things we have found that meet all of those rules are spaghetti, rice crispies, and apple sauce.  I will do occasional posts with additional findings.

Mango Cream Smoothie, Dijon Walnut Sauce, and Raw Vegan Eggplant Strips

One of the issues our household has been battling since we've been back from West Palm Beach has been Kidney Stones.  Hubby has battled with them for years now and now that we know he has Crohn's we have found that they are connected.  While looking for foods that help certain issues I came across how the might mango may help fight kidney stones.  We will be incorporating more of them in our diet to see how they can help him.  I recently made a Mango Cream Smoothie and it turned out tasty so I shared it on The Raw Food World News Site.  

If you have been to my blog in the past you may have picked up on me being a SAUCE type person.  Above you will see the photo and excerpt of the Dijon Walnut Sauce I did for raw vegan zucchini noodles.  It was very flavorful and creamy.

On the bottom you will see Hearth Healthy Raw Vegan Eggplant Strips.  I paired that with info on heart health - of course!   I made those in my Excalibur Dehydrator.

In other news - I FINALLY ordered a new juicer!  I opted for the Tribest SlowStar Juicer.  It's a Single Auger Juicer and Chris over at Zombie Gate/The Vegan Zombie was the one who twisted my arm to finally make the purchase.  His Instagram Juicing Photos are amazing!  I'm still waiting on the juicer to arrive but I'm VERY excited to jump right in!

Reflecting on Last Week and Recipe Posts

This past week I was trying to focus on my Lymphatic System and I think I did a pretty good job with it.  I was able to try almost everything on my list from last week.  However...I didn't get around to the Plantains, Echinacea, and didn't do as much Yoga as I had hoped.  I made it about 90% or more with RAW FOODS last week, too! 

 It's been extremely cold over the past week - or month for that matter!  We've been seeing temperature anywhere between -18 and -29 and YES that is BELOW ZERO!  Brrr!

Because I am having some discomfort in certain areas of my body (and I am chalking it up to what time of month it is) I will be trying to focus on these things this week.  Most of the suggestions I have found online I already do with my diet.  So I think I will be upping my herbs and essential oils - as well as my green juices and smoothies.  I think I would be more excited about juicing again if I had a different juicer.  I'm still tossing the idea around of getting a new one.  Right now I am HOT on both a Breville and an Omega NC900.

In other news - I have been concentrating on Recipes over at The Raw Food World News Site and I will continue to but I will now be contributing articles again.  More on that down the road.

As for the recipes - I will include some quick links and sort descriptions throughout this week!  First up...Raw Tomato Garlic Herb Bread that I made in my dehydrator a while back...it strayed from the version just a little bit that I posted previously on my blog.  Brazil Nut Pesto was another recipe that was featured this past month.  You know I LOVE my Pesto's!  And the last preview for today is the Ginger Wasabi Noodle Bowl.  I did this a while back using a Wildtree Product but have since made it from scratch and enjoy it just as much!

Work has been going real well.  Incase I didn't mention it before I've been switched over to sales and I have already met my goals for the first two months of this year and I am really happy about it.  I'm still keeping a few of my responsibilities from before, too, so I won't solely be doing sales eventho that is my main priority from now on.

Furkids Update: Riley has been showing his age a bit and I think he is either getting random muscle pains or spasms or arthritis.  Paco has another appointment today for his ITP and they will be doing another full blood work up to check his levels.  We have been going about every other month since his levels have been coming back better the last few times, however, I have been getting meds for him every month.  Charlie seems to be doing as well as he has been since his tail amputation...so that is good!

Hubby has been on and switching meds for his Crohns and doing fairly well with it, however, our insurance changed over the last few months and things are NOT working to our benefit with the changes and his prescriptions.

As far as my love of Pop Culture as of late...I was able to watch the 40th SNL Anniversary Special and LOVED it!  We are back into The Walking Dead and will watch Sunday's Episode tonight.  Nothing, really, in the way of movies, lately, and my ears have been enjoying a split of Reggae and New Wave, it seems.

What about you!?  Do tell!

Paying It Forward

One story I didn't share with you from last week was this...in the middle of everything going on with Riley's removal on his neck and then the MAJOR health issue Paco had been dealing with for a few weeks PLUS hubby's Crohn's being confirmed by a 2nd doctor...I was having a HELL of a week.  Before getting to work the one morning I decided to go to a local drive-thru where they have a few (vegan) bagel choices I sometimes go for when I'm short on time.  I decided to go thru their drive-thru.  I usually have them toast it but no butter or cheese.  I opt for a slice of tomato instead.  They are VERY accommodating!  ANYWAYS...I get up to pay and the girl told me my 'bill' was taken care of my the person in front of me.  I know this concept is nothing new but it's never happened to me.  That day my emotions couldn't handle everything and I was overwhelmed by the  kindness of a stranger I sort of FROZE - thanked the girl - drove away - and proceeded to BAWL my eyes out.  This simple act - with everything I had going on - I just couldn't BELIEVE it.  I was so thankful.  It's was so much that someone PAID for my breakfast that day but moreso that I had an angel of sorts that made me feel like someone out there understood I was having an emotional few weeks and I was at 'wits end'.  Regardless I was so taken back by it.  Less than a week later I decided to also Pay If Forward and go back to the same drive thru and do the same thing for someone behind me.  It felt good.  I'm going to continue to do that at least once a month in that same place.  I love doing nice things and try and do them often but it makes you really want to do more, too, when you aren't the only one who seems to care if you know what I mean.

Furkids/Family Medical Updates & Timeline

If you read my post yesterday you will see that Paco is not doing well.  He was diagnosed with IMHA.  We are very worried.  He's currently at the vet hospital getting aggressive steroids and fluids.  I've been doing a lot of reading and research on the disease and it's NOT good.  Even if he pulls thru - it will be a long and tricky recovery.  It's so frustrating because other than the rash on his stomach he was NOT showing any other symptoms of the disease.  Perhaps that is a positive thing - meaning we caught it early - and he will do better than the majority of other cases I have been reading about.  Right now it's a waiting game and I almost can't handle that.

Last night I went thru the last 8 months in my head and put it all together...I can't believe (the following) all happened in the last 8 months with all 5 of our furkids...Suzie had two fatty tumors removed - her stitches popped and it set her back for a few weeks.  We lost our precious Gabby to Liver Cancer and that was totally unexpected.  Charlie had a wound that would not heal on his tail and he had to have his tail amputated.  Riley - just last week - had to have a large portion of skin removed from his neck and has a double ear infection that we are still treating.  6 days later - this has happened with Paco...I took him in for what I thought was a rash and it ended up being IMHA.  All this in 8 months.

In addition...my  husband has been having stomach issues for about a year and a half.  Yesterday (while everything was going on with Paco) he was out of town for more tests and procedures and it was confirmed a 2nd time - but by a specialist this time - that he does, in fact, have Crohn's Disease.

Yesterday completely sucked.  BUT...it's NOT a home without Fur-Kids.  And at least my husband now knows that it IS Crohn's Disease.  It's something he will have for the rest of his life but it's manageable.  Now if we can just get some more answers on what to do next for him.

Foods Lately and Check-Ins

I know I haven't been posting a slew of stuff lately but I have been around and have been busy and do have a LOT to share with you! 

I'm waiting on a few things to fall into place before I post about a few other things.  Mostly good.

As for some other things that have been happening - my brother in law had part of his bowel removed but he's recovering nicely.  My husband has been having stomach issues, too, and they are 90% sure it's Crohn's.  We are just waiting for another test to come back.  His mother's Kidney Readings were high and she had went to a specialist today and they don't seem to be overly concerned about it but going to retest in 5 months. 

My foods have been very simple foods, raw foods, mono meals, and some comfort meals tied in, mostly for the last several weeks.  In the first photo you will see I did a Mason Jar Meal.  It turned out wonderful.  From top...marinated corn, peas and carrots, then seasoned chickpeas, and plain Quinoa on bottom.

One of the snacks I have been enjoying are kicked up Cashews which I have blogged about a few times before.  They are just as good as previous attempts.

Something I've been tinkering with and LOVING since I received it in my RawFoodWorld Shipment has been this Pistachio Pesto - OMG - it's marvelous!  I hope to do a full review on that soon but here's a little teaser of my first attempt with it...I simply added it to elbow macaroni.  I wanted to try it pretty plain-jane first to really taste the flavor - but this is a product I will re-order that is for sure - I absolutely LOVE it!

Another thing I have been enjoying from my shipment has been my new Bamboo Plate.  I plan on order one more of this size as well as 2 smaller ones.

 As you can see on the Bamboo Plate I have some peppy Guacamole that I threw together.  I used my Wildtree Gauc Blend in addition to a teaspoon of the Pistachio Pesto - I mentioned above.  For an extra kick...a bit of Sriracha Sauce!

As you can see here I have some gorgeous Cherry Tomatoes.  They are actually from my Tumbling Tom Tomato Plant which was in the form of a Hanging Basket.  I think I have gotten roughly 80 to 100 tomatoes from it so far and they are SO AMAZING!

Last week I couldn't resist purchasing these 4 quarts of Snap Peas with edible pods from our local produce stand which has recently changed hands.  I'm LOVING all of the new offerings and the friendly service.  Of course it helps that I know almost everyone in the large family that works there!

Yes!  You see that right!  4 quarts for $6.99 and they were GREAT!  I had large batches for snacks and mono meals PLUS I shared some with my parents as well as a friend AND brought the rest into work and about 4 of us gnawed on them for a few days!  While I was there I purchased some sweet cherries as well as some black berries which were top notch, too!

And FINALLY to round out this post - a funny photo of me eating this Oat Based Superfood Cereal.  I really liked it and reviewed it for the The Raw Food World NEWS Website and once it's up I will link to it so you can see the full review!

I've also reviewed a Kale Chip they offer so I will keep you posted about that as well!

So...what have you been up to lately!?