Sweepstakes of the Week!

Congratulations to Melanie! She won the Derma E Pycnogenol Moisturizing Creme! Check out this week's sweepstakes!!!

Enter to win Derma E Pycnogenol Moisturizing Creme!

Pycnogenol is a super antioxidant that is 50 times more powerful than Vitamin E. So, it's not suprising Derma E's Pycnogenol Moisturizing Creme is one of our top selling moisturizers! It is combined with skin vitamins and herbs to help protect against free radical damage, increase skin's strength and help reduce inflammation! It seems to work for almost all skin types. Ready to try it yourself? Leave your name and email address in our comments section below our blog post!

This Week's Sweepstakes Winner!

Congratulations to this week's winner, Amanda C.! Amanda won a Nature's Plus Ultra Energy Shake Gift Basket!!! Check back soon for our next giveaway!

Aromatherapy!

Getting Started!

So you realize aromatherapy has a myriad of benefits. You are anxious to start blending. But when you stare at all the bottles of essential oil, you start to panic. Where do you begin? While every essential oil has unique properties that are beneficial, there are certain oils that everyone needs.  We are listing our top 5 oils and one essential oil blend that we think
every household should have in their arsenal.

Buy One Get One Free Stacy's Pita Chips!

Our apologies.  Apparently this is not a legit coupon.  Sigh.   We will keep our eyes peeled for one that IS real!

Hurry over here and print off this great coupon for Buy One Get One Free from Stacy's Pita Chips.  They come in several flavors and are one of our favorites with hummus!  Yummmy!

Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce

1 pkg Mori-Nu firm silken tofu or extra-firm silken tofu

2 cups soy milk

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 c. vegan parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. In a food processor or blender, place all of the ingredients, except the soy parmesan cheese, and blend for 2 minutes to form a smooth puree.
2. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and cook over low heat while stirring constantly until warmed through
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the soy parmesan cheese.
4. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed.

Food Rules: Repairing the Relationship Between People and Food

Michael Pollan's latest book is out and as a first time reader of his work, I must say, I am pretty impressed by what he had to say. For those of you unfamiliar with Michael Pollan, he is a journalist (currently associated with New York Times Magazine) and best selling author of several books (the most popular are The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food).

Food Rules is the title of his latest book. It's a quick read (less than 150 pages, and most of those have pictures), is presented in plain English (what a nice change for an informative book!) and is broken into three sections that help organize all 64 of his tips. In the forward of the book, he explains that the purpose of these tips is to repair the relationship that has greatly deteriorated-- particularly in Western cultures-- between people and the food they eat. So, below I have listed a few of my favorite tips from each section (the explanation is my understanding of what Pollan wrote, not his commentary). I wish I could say that I have enough will power to adhere to all of his recommendations, but hey, little steps, right?

Organic Valley Coupons

We love that Organic Valley is made up of smaller, family farms.  We love that they are truly committed to their mission "to support rural communities by protecting the health of the family farm—working toward both economic and environmental sustainability."

We also love that they provide coupons to assist us in going organic on a budget!  Click on the link here to print out these high-value coupons!

$1 off half gallon/gallon of milk

$1/1 pack of eggs

$1/1 cheese
$1/1 butter
$1/1 Whipping Cream
$1/1 Cottage Cheese or Sour Cream
$1/1 Cream Cheese

Gluten Free Tuesday!

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup White Rice Flour

1 cup brown rice flour

¼ cup potato starch flour
¼ cup of tapioca flour
1 tsp. Bob's Red Mill xanthan gum
1 tbsp. Gluten Free Baking Powder
1 tbsp. of egg replacer
½ cup of canola oil
2/3 cup honey or brown sugar
1 ½ c. mashed ripe bananas
Directions:
Pre-heat oven 350º Grease standard loaf pan. Blend bananas with sugar and oil, stir in dry ingredients. Blend well until all ingredients are moist. Transfer batter into pan and bake for 40 min. Cool on rack before slicing.

These are a few of my favorite things

It's not whiskers on kittens or warm woolen mittens. Oh no....mine are food!

And since I work in a health FOOD store I can find myself more than tempted by the items surrounding me on a daily basis. The Queen Bee Honey Truffles, the new bulk candy lining the front counters in their fancy glass jars....and how can i forget the cheese. Especially the Wiebe raw cheese. Need I say more?!

Well, i've devised a list of my favorite "non-guilty pleasures" as a service to our customers trying to avoid the chocolate and cheese...like me!

1. Chobani Greek Yogurt-around 140 calories a serving and 14 grams of protein. It goes perfectly with...
2. Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal-perfect granola substitute with so much less fat you'll get to eat another serving!
3. St. Dalfour "Gourmet on the Go"-My favorite is the Wild Alaskan Salmon. High in fiber and good omega fatty acids. It's filling and satisfying.
4. Fiber Gourmet "Mac Umm Cheese"-Macaroni and cheese that contains 18g of fiber per serving. And yes, you read that right. And no, i can't stop at one serving. Suprisingly, that's okay! 5. White Mountain "Vegetarian Tamales"-They are actually vegan. High in fiber, low in fat. I douse them in very large quantities of...
6. Salpico Salsa-low in calories and we have about 6 varieties available. Salsa is your friend! I use it on everything. Chicken, rice, vegetables.....
7. Oasis Zero Fat "Lentil" and "Hummus"-True it's not loaded up with all the olive oil but it does however have tons of taste, fiber and is quite satisfying. I put it on a wrap loaded with spinach and tomatoes and whatever other veggies I can fit inside.
8. Ezekial Bread-Sprouted grain bread that comes in a variety of flavors. I love the Genesis sesame flavor paired up with...
9. Barney Almond Butter-It's a new product and I absolutely can't get enough. Unlike most almond butter that is gritty, it has the texture of peanut butter. Smooth and creamy goodness.
10. Hansen's Lo-cal Acai Blueberry and Pom. Blackberry juices-Unlike the store brands they don't contain aspartame or high fructose corn syrup. They do contain stevia and only have 40 calories per 8 ounce serving.
11. Honest Tea-"Mango Peach Kombucha"- The best tasting kombucha that i've tried so far. It has less of a apple cider vinegar bite, including the Synergy grape flavor which is usually a crowd pleaser. If you've never tried Kombucha it is great for almost anything. Alkalinity, weight loss, detoxification and even cancer. It's fermented and has a natural carbonation. A great alternative to soda and low in calories!
12. China Mist "Blackberry Jasmine Tea with Lemonade"- Just enough sweetness for that kick in the afternoon I need (to back away from those bulk candy jars).

And there you have it. My list of goodies that i've found to be tried and true. I hope it will help some of you watching your weight or trying to cut down!

Vegan News!

As the "resident vegan" here at Food For Thought, I try to keep current on trends in vegetarian and vegan foods. Recently there has been a lot to keep up on! Gardein vegan frozen foods have been mentioned on Oprah, Ellen, and many other tv shows. Alicia Silverstone has had huge success with her book, The Kind Diet. The "Skinny Bitch" book spawned several sequels, including the cook book "Skinny Bitch In The Kitch". Ellen Degeneres and many other celebrities have started proclaiming how great they feel about going vegan.

I recently became a "born again vegan", after falling off the wagon about 5 years ago. I've had an easy time with not eating meat, and haven't in 15 years. But, I'd be lying if I said I didn't crave cheese pizza every now and then! Since discovering Vegan Gourmet cheeses from Follow Your Heart, though, the substitution is much more enjoyable! I've never been dissapointed with Follow Your Heart products! Food For Thought also has a wide array of non-dairy cheeses, sour cream, cream cheese, grated parmesan cheese, soy and coconut milk yogurts, and my new favorite: coconut milk coffee creamer (yum!!).

If you are a recently converted or a life long vegan, Food For Thought has tons of options for you! We also have a great selection of vegan cookbooks & Veg News Magazine.

Here is a favorite recipe of mine from the Vegan Yum Yum blog.

-Jessica (Your Resident Vegan)

$1/1 Muir Glen Printable

Go here for a new link for $1/1 Muir Glen Product.  Score a sweet deal on select soups that are on sale for $2.29.  Final cost $1.29.    They are yummy!

Free Hyland Restful Leg Sample

Researchers estimate as many as 12 million Americans suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome.  It is a neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when at rest in an effort to relieve these feelings. RLS sensations are often described by people as burning, creeping, tugging, or like insects crawling inside the legs.

If you are looking for relief, go here to request a free sample of Hyland Restful Leg homeopathy supplement.   It helps calm agitated legs, without side effects!

Manic Monday Meal!

The weekend is over and it's back to reality! Each Monday we will post a five ingredient or less recipe to help you eat healthy, simply!
Here's this week recipe:

Speedy Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 can (12 oz.) Shelton's Chicken

1-14 oz. can chicken broth

1 jar mild salsa
1-15oz. can red beans
1-15 oz can whole kernel corn
Directions:
In large saucepan combine chicken, broth, salsa, corn and beans.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Coupon of the Week!

Don't forget to check out this week's Food for Thought coupon link!  Save an extra $5 off your next purchase of $30 or more!

Food for Thought Sweepstakes: Energize!

Amanda C. won this week's sweepstakes! Check back for our next giveaway!

Has the time change left you feeling a bit off? Register to win this week's prize, Nature's Plus Ultra Energy Shake! This whole food shake contains 25 grams of protein, is low glycemic, gluten-free and assists with optimal metabolism and digestion! Also included in this week's drawing: a reusable bag, shaker, t-shirt and coupon. To enter the drawing, leave your name and email in our comments section below at our blog!