Stevia, Honey, Agave Nectar and more

Prompted by a question emailed from a reader, here’s a few words on sweeteners:

*Stevia-from the Stevia plant, this sweetener is an extract and much sweeter than sugar. Because it’s a powder, it easily dissolves making it the perfect sweetener for you tea drinkers. Personally, I have to admit there is an after taste that reminds me of artificial sweetener and therefore, it’s not my favorite. I’ve recently learned that the purer the Stevia extract, the less the after taste so I may just have to give it another shot. However, this zero calorie natural sweetener is rising in fame. While it’s a bit on the pricey side, a little goes along way. Try it, you just may like it.

*Evaporated Cane Juice-Unlike its conventional counterpart, white sugar, EVCJ is unbleached and golden in color. The juice is extracted from the sugar cane and once the moisture has been evaporated, we’re left with sweet golden crystals. Using evaporated cane juice for baking is a…piece of cake, as you use the same amount listed in the recipe for white sugar. Though its availability is becoming main stream, it will cost you more than white sugar but significantly less than my next two choices.
NOTE: Evaporated Cane Juice is still sugar and should be consumed in moderation.

*Honey-As I kid I never liked the taste of honey but that’s all changed now. Not to mention there are a variety of flavors. The honey takes on the flavor of the flowers that the bees got the nectar from. Pretty cool, isn’t it? From experimenting, I found Wild Flower Honey very strong in flavor, Orange Blossom has a hint of orange and reminds me of something delicious for breakfast~biscuits and honey perhaps. Clover Honey is my overall favorite. Its mild flavor makes it perfect for baking but still has enough “yum” to add to my toast or plain yogurt.

When baking with honey, start by using ½ the amount called for in sugar. For example, if the recipe calls for 1C sugar, use 1/2C honey instead. Substitute up to 1C sugar with honey. If using any more than that, you may have to lessen your liquid a bit.

While raw honey is not recommended for children under two, there are benefits for us bigger kids. It has a lower glycemic index than sugar and is sweeter than sugar so you don’t have to use as much. All be it a small amount, honey also contains vitamins.

The honey bee shortage has led to a recent spike in pricing. Keep in mind the benefits of honey and I think you’ll agree, it’s still worth it.

*Agave Nectar (“ah-GAH-vay”)-From the succulent Agave plant this nectar is made from the sap in the pina. It’s then filtered and heated at a low temperature (below 118°F). This sweet liquid boasts an even lower glycemic index than honey and is gaining popularity among those with blood sugar issues (consult a health care professional for medical advice). This is my new personal favorite. I’ll admit, it ain’t cheap but being that it’s a natural sweetener which claims anti-inflammatory and immune boosting qualities, I can’t resist. It flavors my no cook chocolate pudding fabulously and even takes the bite out of Jen's 4,3,2,1 green juice when the apples aren’t sweet enough to do the trick. Agave nectar pours faster than honey so be careful, it doesn’t take much. I use Agave nectar in smoothies and other raw recipes. For baking, I stick with honey and/or evaporated cane juice because it makes the most sense for us economically.

A few sweet words from me to you.

Free Groceries at Harris Teeter

My sister was paying for her groceries at Harris Teeter when the cashier said "YOU WON!". "I did?", my sister replied wondering what that meant exactly. She was speechless when told all she had to do was take the coupon and her receipt up to customer service for a full refund. Still in shock, my sister wanted to blurt out, "but I forgot some things!". All $33.24 was given back to her and if you live near a Harris Teeter, you have until June 30th for a chance to win. Good luck.

Organic Food Coupons

After watching the movie trailer for Food, Inc. you're probably ready to dig your own garden. Good for you! Until those seeds turn into something you can actually chew, you may find you still have to hit the store for a few provisions. In which case, some organic food coupons may come in handy. Check out these links:
Mambo Sprouts
Coleman Natural
Stonyfield
Organic Valley
Horizon
Seventh Generation
Cascadian Farms
Kashi
Remember every dollar we spend on items grown sustainably, consciously, and organically is a vote saying "WE WANT BETTER". Make your money heard-we don't have much these days so spend it wisely.

Pink Goes Green in Raleigh

In Raleigh, I joined my sister for The Race for The Cure. After our victorious 3 mile walk, we made it over to the Meredith campus grounds to check out the booths. Lara Bars, Cascadian Farm, and Whole Foods ~ my organic friends were there to cheer us on.

After a few yummy snacks, something else caught my eye. There were recycling bins EVERYWHERE. Each bin proudly wearing a sign announcing that Pink had gone Green! YEAH!


The freebies are gone but you can still get coupons!

Food Inc., the movie

Wanna know where your food comes from? I don't mean the freezer or the fridge or even which grocery store, I mean WHERE IT COMES FROM? The answer to that question can be "yes" and then again maybe "no".

We love our leather from Italy, our watches from Switzerland, fine china from England, and French milled soap. However, do we give much thought to what we're actually putting inside our bodies. Like it or not, more and more it's seems like a pretty good idea to have a "made in..." label on our food.

If you're really interested, check out the documentary, Food Inc. But be warned, you may want to plant a garden the next day.

Free National Park Entrance

Last week I sent out info on free events nationwide. However, if museums and movie theatres aren’t your thing, how about enjoying the great outdoors? Thanks to the U.S. National Park Service, parks across America are waiving their entrance fees on three weekends this summer. That means we can hike a mountain, ooh and ah over a waterfall or picnic among the forest without worrying about the cost. Just remember the old saying: take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints.

Free Shampoo

When going organic, personal products have the greatest price difference than their conventional counterparts. Because of the added expense, they are often disregarded and somehow we convince ourselves they're not as important as the food we eat. Before you blow them off completely, consider this: Some medications, including hormone replacements are administered through creams that are rubbed on the wrist. Why? Because it takes about 30 seconds for something on your skin to reach your blood stream and that’s faster than taking it orally and waiting for it to be digested. Hmmm, something to think about.

Price still gotcha down? Here’s a chance to try some shampoo or conditioner FREE.

E·sen·cia by Samy has a rebate out now for the full value of one of their 95% natural products. The rebate forms are green tags hanging on their shampoo, conditioners, and styling products at Kroger, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. Yesterday at Walgreens, I found these products “buy one get the second 50% off”. The shampoo and conditioners are normally $7.99 each-ouch, that’s a bit steep. However, at 50% off the second product, I got both for $11.98 and today mailed off my rebate form for $7.99. That will bring my total for the set to $3.99 making them less than 2 bucks a piece. Now that’s cheaper than the junk stuff. At these prices, you have no excuse not to try some Mandarin Citrus (yum) or White Lotus. Offer good for the rest of the year while supplies last.

Museums on Us

The Museums On Us program sponsored by Bank of America is quite a hit as zoos and museums were filled this past weekend with excited patrons looking to save some money. However, we learned a few more details on how this program works.

Notes from our experience on June 6: We hit Zoo Atlanta yesterday. It was great. However, please keep in mind EACH Bank of America customer must have a picture id that matches the name on the card. In other words, taking our daughters' bank books didn’t work since they have no picture id. We were able to use our BOGO free coupon for them though and so the four of us got into the zoo for $15. SWEET! But I am gonna try to get a picture ATM card for each of their savings accounts in order to get them in free at the other museums. I don't think this was totally clear on Bank of America's website as there were ALOT of parents with ALOT of Bank of America papers trying to work the entire family in for free. No picture id that matches the name on the account-who you want to get in free, no getting in free. Seems this is the set up through the bank at all the museums. So be prepared and then have FUN!!

FREE EVENTS

“Staycations” are all the rage! While saving money is the trend, being bored in the house all summer with your kids is not! From Atlanta to Kansas City, Seattle or Chicago, here are some nationwide FREEBIES to keep you, your kids and your budget smilin’.

Free movies at Regal Cinemas or
$1 movies at AMC

Summer Reading
Borders is giving kids 12 and under a coupon for 50% off select items after they read eight books. Get the form here.

If 50% off is good, FREE is even better. That’s what Barnes and Noble has been doing for years. After reading 8 books and turning in the reading log, kids receive a free book. They can choose from a select group of age appropriate paperbacks. Get more details or print the reading log in English or Spanish.

And here comes the biggie for all you Bank Of America customers. That ATM card may not be good for getting much cash out of the box, but it can get you into 100 museums nationwide for FREE. Yes my friend, for FREE! From the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the Metropolitan in NYC, and the Miami Children’s Museum, all you have to do is flash any Bank of America card on the first full weekend of the month and you’re in! Here at home we’re hittin’ the zoo, Botanical Gardens, and Fernbank. While the offer is good for the cardholder only, I’ll be using my buy one get one free coupons at the zoo for my kids and each child has their own bank account so we might try that as well…Never hurts to ask. Ok it’s the first full weekend of the month. Find out what’s in your area!

6.7.09 Note from experience: We hit Zoo Atlanta yesterday. It was great. However, please keep in mind EACH Bank of America customer must have a picture id that matches the name on the card. In other words, taking our daughters' bank books didn’t work since they have no picture id. We were able to use our BOGO free coupon for them though and so the four of us got into the zoo for $15. SWEET! But I am gonna try to get a picture ATM card for each of their savings accounts in order to get them in free at the other museums. I don't think this was totally clear on Bank of America's website as there were ALOT of parents with ALOT of Bank of America papers trying to work the entire family in for free. No picture id that matches the name on the account-who you want to get in free, no getting in free. Seems this is the set up through the bank at all the museums. So be prepared and then have FUN!!