The Divine Grind

It's one of the biggest questions out there when it comes to health: Should I love or hate salt? The classification of "salt" is vast, and it encompasses a range of products that in some cases bare little resemblance, chemically, to one another. So it's important to get it straight: What is salt? Is all salt bad? Are some better than others? And should you avoid them altogether to be healthy? A self-proclaimed "salt lover," I have done my research. Some salt is plain old sodium-chloride, which actually has no nutritional value, and some salt actually contains minerals that are necessary for life. Do you know which kind you're eating and whether it's the "good kind"? For those who don't, let me see if I can help you save some time, confusion and unnecessary restriction on something that, in its greatest and truest form, is actually good for you! There are myriad websites and blogs dedicated to sharing the facts on salts: the chemistry, the origins, the uses, etc. But I am going to tell you what I use and love because it brings the flavors out of foods and it's healthy!

It's Soup Season!

My crock pot getting to work on squash soup!

Hello everyone. I know, I am late again on posting. Finding it harder than ever to sit down at my computer for any length of time. Oh but I so enjoy it when I do. One of the things I have noticed about being a working mom is that not only is blogging a challenge, but finding time to plan and make nice meals for my family is harder than ever. It's hard enough as a full-time mom, but throw a long workday in there, and forget it. I know whether you are a parent or not, that many of you probably struggle with finding time to make truly healthy meals. And that is why I want to talk about that wonderful contraption, the Crock Pot. Awww, the Crock Pot. While my understanding is that a crock pot can even bake bread and cake and even cook spaghetti, what I use it for mostly are soups and stews because they are complete meals and even easier to make in a Crock Pot. For those of you who struggle with finding time to eat healthfully in the evenings, I think that the crock pot may be exactly the solution you need to avoid greasy nightly take-out and canned soup or cold cereal dinners. It certainly is how Aaron and I avoid it, and in doing so, how we make some of the yummiest meals we have all year! One of my favorite things about this cooking method is that it's so much less work than the step-by-step stove-top recipes. Aside from browning some meat or making a roux to thicken stew, you pretty much chop and add the ingredients (in 1-2 stages), turn the crock pot on, and leave it! Aaron and I often prep the ingredients at night and then in the morning toss them in before we leave for work. By that evening we have a delicious meal waiting for us! I'm telling you, even with us both working now this 'ol gal has ensured that we continue to eat healthfully. So grab a pen and paper, get your allrecipes and foodnetwork.com fingers ready, and let me share some of my favorite ideas so that you can keep you and your family healthy and well-fed this fall and winter.

What Would a Crunchy Chic Gal NEVER Do?

The Hands On Children's Museum in Olympia.
My new place of business, employer of many talented
working mothers, and Noëlle's new favorite place!

Okay everyone, I am more than a week overdue for a blog post. My sincere apologies! It really bums me out when I miss a post. There is a lot going on to make blogging more challenging than ever. About 3 weeks ago, I accepted the Development Manager position with the Hands On Children's Museum in Olympia, WA. Very excited to be a part of such a fantastic museum!! And it's a huge opportunity for me and my family. But it's a big adjustment from being home everyday as Noëlle's primary caregiver to rushing home from a full workday to spend the evening with her, the same evening during which I need to do my laundry, cook dinner, and prepare daycare meals. Many of you probably know the drill :) That said--guilty mom alert!--I am really enjoying the work, and I love my team! I am actually happy to be back. But it comes with its adjustment period. Where we live currently is about an hour from the Museum in Downtown Olympia. I am in the office four days a week; two days every week I travel with Noëlle, when she goes to daycare in Olympia, and 2 days I commute without her, when she is home with one-on-one care. I leave by 7:45 a.m. and I am rarely home before 7 p.m. The evenings are a mad rush to cook, eat all altogether, clean, get Noëlle ready for bed, read books, put her down, and then have a little time for ourselves (sometimes the "little time for ourselves" is what suffers - I actually fell asleep mid-conversation on Wed night.) Although being a stay-at-home mom is a lot of work with its own challenges, I have more respect than ever for all you working hands-on moms! One of my favorite parts of being a health/wellness and style blogger is taking time to research each topic and share informational videos, website and other links. Well, with a lack of available research time, in my first post as a working mom I going to share a list of things that a "Crunchy Chic Gal (and Mother) Would Never Do." I could give you this list in my sleep, which means research time is next to none. Ahh, that's a relief for my crossed eyes and tired typing fingers ;) So take a few minutes, review, consider whether you do some of these things and why, and see how your list compares to mine!

When "Organic" is a MUST

Afternoon readers! Let's start today's post with a quiz. Name which item was shown to contain 40 different pesticides, 30% of which are neurotoxins (they poison the nervous systems of humans and other animals), 30% of which are associated with birth defects, 33% of which are known or suspected to cause cancer, 33% of which are known or suspected endocrine disruptors (they mess with your hormones), 40% of which have been associated with reproductive problems, 65% of which can cause kidney or liver damage, and 95% of which are toxic to birds, bees, and/or aquatic life. Is it:

A. Gasoline
B. Cotton t-shirt
C. Hot glue
D. Non-organic strawberry

The answer is, shockingly, D: non-organic strawberry. Because of this, you will never find them in my house. "100% Organic," "free-range," and "humanely-raised" are perhaps the most prevalent labels in my pantry and fridge. Vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, dairy, breads, pastas, sauces, sweets, condiments even. You name it, it's organic, from mine or my neighbor's garden, or it's from small local farms that don't use chemical pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, or antibiotics. In the minds of some, my organic food standard makes me a "snob." So be it then - I am a snob and proud to be. But truthfully, I don't buy organic because it's trendy or because it conveys status; I buy it because it's healthier for my family, for the animals raised, and for the environment. On occasion I'll make an exception. If the co-op is out of organic mustard, for instance, and I just have to have a homemade ham sandwich, I may stop in to Safeway and get French's. But there are certain things I will never substitute because the amount of chemicals in them is way too high, or the living conditions of animals are way too poor. Which ones, you ask? Read on to learn more and find out which non-organic foods I avoid at all costs! As well as the low down on why I "Go O!"