REAL FOOD Friday #53 and Shea Butter GIVEAWAY

Welcome to another REAL FOOD FRIDAY!

This week we have another GIVEAWAY!

The Baraka supply company has generously donated 2 kg of Shea Butter for us to give away. That comes out to 4 lbs!!! So, we have decided to divide up the Shea into 1 lb giveaways. This company is helping the people of Ghana. 

Joyce from It’s Your Life had the pleasure of doing some freelance work for this amazing company. She says that the women from Ghana create this butter from scratch. Through the use of old and new techniques this Shea is the best she has seen. Knowing that this product profits the village of Ghana and is 100% pure has impressed her

The word Baraka means thank you in Wali, a Ghanaian language. From the company’s mission statement, Baraka Supplies was originally the idea of husband and wife team, Wayne Dunn and Gifty Serbeh-Dunn (one Canadian/Irish, one Ghanaian/Canadian). At its heart are people and partners who share a passion for helping local women generate income to develop their own communities. 

As with all truly natural products, traditional methods are always the best! Our Baraka Shea Butter is completely organic, untainted by modern chemicals, and wild-crafted in the traditional way by the Wali women from northern Ghana.

No processing, no refining with added chemicals and no industrialized production methods! Baraka's product is quite simply as nature intends - fabulous, natural butter with just the faintest sweet aroma from the fires used in its preparation.

The Shea Butter Giveaway is open to all US Residents.  Giveaway is LIVE 8/28/2014 and Ends 9/4/2014 at Midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


On to the PARTY!  We're your hosts
Lydia @ Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen 
Marla @ Organic4 Greenlivings 
me...Mary @ Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen 
Heather @ Cook It Up Paleo 
Joyce @ It's Your Life 

<a href="http://maryshealthymeals.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/greenmary_smith/REALFood1_zpsb7242283.jpg"/></a>  
If you're interested in co-hosting let us know! 

You can email Mary at mari_backtonature@yahoo.com 

I know "Real" food may not seem like as much fun as the sugary, chemically, DIY recipes out there on the internet.  This is why REAL Food Friday is so unique.  This is the place to share your unprocessed, gmo-free, locally grown and/or fair trade posts.

We are trying to make a difference 1 recipe at a time!

Here's a great reference from Food Myths:

If your post includes items like *margarine, *granulated sugar, *food dye, packaged baking mixed with ingredients that you cannot pronounce (betty crocker, duncan hines, pillsbury) then it WILL be deleted.

Link up your Real Food posts!  
The party runs from Thursday at 7pm EST through Monday at Noon.

Please follow your hosts and consider adding the Real Food Friday button.

Meatless Monday Eggplant Stir fry

Joining me for Meatless Monday is Lydia @ Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen 

and Christie @ A Kitchen Hoor's Adventure

I still have eggplants coming from the garden even though it's been HOT!  This is one of the easiest eggplant recipes I make!

Eggplant Stir fry

Ingredients:

1 small Eggplant
organic Broccoli slaw, 1 bag
organic soy sauce OR Apple Cider Vinegar
olive oil
garlic
1 egg

Directions:

Chop eggplant into smallish cubes.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large frying pan or wok on high.  Add in eggplant, broccoli slaw and garlic and cook approx 5 minutes. 

Make a small "whole" in the veggies (like egg in an eye) and add your egg.  Scramble a bit in the center until cooked.  Add soy sauce (or ACV) and mix thoroughly.  Serve hot!
*Optional: top with Parmesan cheese*

This was a really simple and easy meal to make.  It can be made with just about any veggies from the garden (or fridge).


Are you ready to PARTY?
This party is LIVE for an entire month!!!  Each week you'll have another chance to add your meatless creations to the party.

An InLinkz Link-up

Learn More about GMOs! Educate Yourself!

Below is a copy of our recent mailing for Mary's Heirloom Seeds.  

This is a very important topic so please don't just skim.  

Read and understand.  Ask questions!

	What are GMOs? Mary's Heirloom Seeds  -   Newsletter We've had so many questions  about GMOs vs. Heirlooms. Here ya go!
	What's the big deal about GMOs? I have always felt that Education is the first step towards a healthier existence. As I have stated on our fb page, It is my understanding that GMOs are created to withstand millions of pounds of toxic, cancer-causing pesticides which kill insects and weeds while leaving the GMO crop.  Recently, it has been revealed that pesticide resistant "super-weeds" are cropping up all over the place.  Mother nature always wins! First, there is no long term testing on what GMOs will do to the human body or the environment. Next, pesticides kill bees and other beneficial bugs that the earth needs to continue to produce for the billions of inhabitants. Also, if GMOs where such an amazing invention...Why are there still millions of hungry people in this world? My short answer...Money! What some people do not realize is that Monsanto, one of the largest producers of chemicals and GMOs also created Agent Orange, DDT and Asparatame. Want to know where some of these Monsanto Executives now work? Here's one of my articles, The Dark Side of Food and Food Production Another important article is What is an Heirloom Seed? On our website I have the following info: What is a GMO? Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are created using gene-splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, GE) In 60 other countries around the world there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe. In the U.S. on the other hand, the FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale. If you will do the research you will see that GMO veggies don't produce viable seeds and they digest differently than heirloom veggies. For more information, check out The Non-GMO Project I highly recommend checking out GMO Free Florida on fb. Trish Sheldon is an amazing women that I have come to know (you can tell her Mary sent you) and the page has a lot of FACTS. I specify "facts" because there is a lot of misinformation out there. As a blogger I am aware that Monsanto actually hires people to post comments on both facebook and anti-GMO blogs. Even I have been "trolled" by these people. Here's another one of my articles The Politics of Food YOU can help by sharing this newsletter and sharing our facebook page! Below are a few links that I have found for real, factual information. http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/gmo-myths-and-truths/   http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/gmos-and-your-family/   http://gmoawareness.org/gmo-facts/ Speak up!  Educate!  For your children, your friends and family...Speak up for people you don't even know.  Be aware, be active and do your part to ensure food safety for generations to come! As always, If you have additional questions please feel free to ask. Unless I am at the Farmer's Market I usually reply in 2-3 hours. -Mary Stay Connected

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REAL FOOD Friday #52 #realfoodchallenge

Hello and Welcome to REAL Food Friday!
I'd like to thank all of the conscious bloggers who followed the guidelines and 
shared REAL FOOD recipes and organic gardening and posts. Thank you for sharing!

Did you see my #realfoodchallenge article?

JOIN ME!

Would you like to join one of our link-ups? We have openings for 
Meatless Monday, Tuesdays with a Twist and REAL Food Friday!
Send me an email to mari_backtonature@yahoo.com

On to the PARTY!  We're your hosts
Lydia @ Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen 
Marla @ Organic4 Greenlivings 
me...Mary @ Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen 
Heather @ Cook It Up Paleo 
Joyce @ It's Your Life 

<a href="http://maryshealthymeals.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/greenmary_smith/REALFood1_zpsb7242283.jpg"/></a>  
If you're interested in co-hosting let us know! 

You can email Mary at mari_backtonature@yahoo.com

In case you missed "What is Real Food" here's a recap...

I know "Real" food may not seem like as much fun as the sugary, chemically, DIY recipes out there on the internet.  This is why REAL Food Friday is so unique.  This is the place to share your unprocessed, gmo-free, locally grown and/or fair trade posts.

We are trying to make a difference 1 recipe at a time!


If your post includes items like *margarine, *granulated sugar, *food dye, packaged baking mixed with ingredients that you cannot pronounce (betty crocker, duncan hines, pillsbury) then it WILL be deleted.


Here's a great reference from Food Myths:

Link up your Real Food posts!  Processed and "junk food" posts will be deleted.
The party runs from Thursday at 7pm EST through Monday at Noon.

Please follow your hosts and consider adding the Real Food Friday button.

Fight Illness. Fight GMOs #realfoodchallenge

Many of you have seen the crazy videos people have been sharing around the web for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  We like it...and then again we hate it!

We love that all of these videos are increasing awareness for ALS.
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.

We hate that THOUSANDS OF GALLONS of water have been wasted.  In a time that California and other states are seeing record droughts WHY waste water? At a time where more than 345 million people in this world do not have access to clean drinking water and every 21 seconds a child dies from a water-related illness (source) WHY WASTE WATER?

Today we have a NEW CHALLENGE...A REAL FOOD CHALLENGE

We challenge YOU to spend at least 1 day (or a week or even a year) preparing Real Food meals.
REAL FOOD means un-processed, NON-GMO, chemical and pesticide free.  I prefer locally grown and humanely raised as well. More about Real Food Friday

FIRST: Prepare your meal using real food ingredients.
NEXT: Post a picture on your social media page and tag Mary's Heirloom Seeds on fb and include #realfoodchallenge
LASTLY: Tag your friends to invite them to join the challenge

It's easy!  #realfoodchallenge

If you REALLY want to make a difference...Check out Our
GMO-Free Education fundraiser

What is a GMO? 

GMOs "genetically modified organisms," are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.  -from  Non-GMO Project

What are the potential Side Effects of GMOs? 

It is important to understand the process of creating a Genetically Mutated Organism.   Example:  Corn - There are two main varieties of GE corn. One has a Gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis inserted to produce the Bt toxin, which poisons Lepidoteran (moths and butterflies) pests.[2] There are also several events which are resistant to various herbicide. Present in high fructose corn syrup and glucose/fructose which is prevalent in a wide variety of foods in America. source

GMOs are created so that when they are DRENCHED in Poison (pesticides) the crop lives but the bugs and weeds die. 

A new study shows that low doses of Bt biopesticide CryA1b as well as the glyphosate herbicide, Roundup, kill human kidney cells. source

GMOs are not safe. They have been linked to thousands of toxic and allergenic reactions, thousands of sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ and system studied in lab animals. source 

Zucchini Carrot Patties

These are a nice "tweak" from my regular zucchini cakes and just in time for Meatless Monday!  I had a bunch of carrots left over so I figured I'd try a little something different.  This is another item that does well in the freezer so I make a bunch at once (I doubled the recipe) and freeze them for later.

Zucchini Carrot Patties

Ingredients:

1 cup organic, unbleached flour

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 
2 eggs, beaten 
1/2 cup organic milk
OR 1/2 cup organic greek yogurt
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrots
½ small onion, chopped
dash of pepper
dash of nutmeg
dash of paprika 
Olive oil

Directions:

Let your shredded zucchini sit for about 10 minutes then squeeze out excess moisture.

Combine flour, milk (or yogurt), eggs, pepper, nutmeg and paprika in a mixing bowl.  Blend well.  Add cheese, zucchini, carrot and onion to mixture and mix thoroughly.

Turn on your pan or skillet on high.  Add olive oil.

Spoon heaping tablespoons of zucchini mixture into skillet.  Cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Place browned patties on a plate or paper towel.  Serve hot with marinara sauce or ketsup.

Joining me for Meatless Monday is Lydia @ Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen 

and Christie @ A Kitchen Hoor's Adventure

This party is LIVE for an entire month!!!  Each week you'll have another chance to add your meatless creations to the party.

An InLinkz Link-up

REAL FOOD Friday #51

Hello and Welcome to REAL Food Friday!
I'd like to thank all of the conscious bloggers who followed the guidelines and 
shared REAL FOOD recipes and organic gardening and posts. Thank you for sharing!

A few of my own Real Food Recipes include:

Homemade Flatbread (naan)

Thin Crust Garden Veggie Pesto Pizza

Real Food Yogurt Pancakes

Would you like to join one of our link-ups? We have openings for 
Meatless Monday, Tuesdays with a Twist and REAL Food Friday!
Send me an email to mari_backtonature@yahoo.com

On to the PARTY!  We're your hosts
Lydia @ Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen 
Marla @ Organic4 Greenlivings 
me...Mary @ Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen 
Heather @ Cook It Up Paleo 
Joyce @ It's Your Life 

<a href="http://maryshealthymeals.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/greenmary_smith/REALFood1_zpsb7242283.jpg"/></a>  
If you're interested in co-hosting let us know! 

You can email Mary at mari_backtonature@yahoo.com

In case you missed "What is Real Food" here's a recap...

I know "Real" food may not seem like as much fun as the sugary, chemically, DIY recipes out there on the internet.  This is why REAL Food Friday is so unique.  This is the place to share your unprocessed, gmo-free, locally grown and/or fair trade posts.

We are trying to make a difference 1 recipe at a time!

FEATURES:

Purple Ninja Smoothie Bowl from Strength and Sunshine

Homemade Farmer's Cheese from Ten at the Table

Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini from A New York Foodie

Overnight Apple Pie Oatmeal from Gluten-Free A-Z

Turnip & Kale Green Quiche from Raia's Recipes

If your post includes items like *margarine, *granulated sugar, *food dye, packaged baking mixed with ingredients that you cannot pronounce (betty crocker, duncan hines, pillsbury) then it WILL be deleted.


Here's a great reference from Food Myths:

Link up your Real Food posts!  Processed and "junk food" posts will be deleted.
The party runs from Thursday at 7pm EST through Monday at Noon.

Please follow your hosts and consider adding the Real Food Friday button.

3-Sister's Method of Growing and More!

HAPPY THURSDAY!  STAY TUNED FOR REAL FOOD FRIDAY!

Mary's Heirloom Seeds I'm so excited for Fall Planting!  September is right around the corner! We've decided to host another Seed Starting Made Simple Workshop next week! Thursday, August 21 @ 6pm 2104 Tyler Street Hollywood, FL Early reservation is recommended. As summer winds down, Kids are starting back in school, Please enjoy a little break from the craziness and enjoy a little gardening info! Growing with the 3 Sister's Method This is similar to companion planting.  It is a garden practice used by Native Americans when growing Corn, Squash and Beans. From Wikipedia:  "The three crops benefit from each other. The maize provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide the nitrogen to the soil that the other plants utilize, and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight, helping prevent establishment of weeds. The squash leaves also act as a "living mulch", creating a microclimate to retain moisture in the soil, and the prickly hairs of the vine deter pests. Maize lacks the amino acids lysine and tryptophan, which the human body needs to make proteins and niacin, but beans contain both and therefore maize and beans together provide a balanced diet."    The 3 Sister's Method is a great way to grow more in a smaller space using companion planting instead of harmful chemicals for pest control.  Below are a few links for growing each of these amazing varieties.  In the Garden Spotlight:  Sweet Corn  In the Garden Spotlight:  Beans  In the Garden Spotlight: Squash  Workshop details -Choosing seed varieties -What to plant in September -Caring for seedlings -Sustainable growing for   South Florida Thursday, Sept 5th @ 6pm 2104 Tyler Street Hollywood, FL 33020 (954) 654-3501 This is a FREE WORKSHOP! Please rsvp in advance (call or email) Seeds and Organic Supplies will be available for purchase. New Heirloom Variety    Love-Lies Bleeding Amaranth 90 days. Tall, 3'- 5' plants are covered with very long rope-like flowers that are a deep, brilliant red color. One of the most striking plants for any garden and so easy to grow. Amaranth is one of our favorite crops! A good seed producer, too. This is a very old heirloom, a pre-1700 variety, that was very popular. Leaves are tasty as cooked greens.