Happy Valentines Day
Author: mkokopelli
Organic Brownies
There is nothing better than homemade brownies. This is by far my favorite recipe and the best brownies I’ve ever had. They are rich, chewy, buttery, and melt in your mouth devine! Hope you and your family enjoys as much as mine. Be sure to use Organic Valley butter because it makes a huge difference in taste!
10 TBS. Organic Valley Butter
1 1/4 organic cane sugar
3/4 cup organic fair trade cocoa
2 TBS organic vanilla
2 TBS water
2 large cage-free organic eggs (keep in fridge until time to use)
1/3 cup organic stone wheat flour
2 TBS organic coconut flour (optional)
1 cup organic walnuts
Heat to 325F and place rack in bottom 1/3 of the oven for top crispness. Place foil over 8X8 pan (or use foil heart pan like pictured) and grease with butter.
In a medium saucepan, heat 10 TBS of butter on medium heat. The butter will begin to foam and then bits of brown will rise to the top- when it stops foaming take off heat. Immediately add sugar, cocoa, vanilla, water. Wait 5 minutes and then add 1 egg at a time. Stir until silky smooth and add flour. After mixed, add walnuts.
*See how it looks different than regular brownie mix. You want it thick and shiny- not runny.
Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick is clean.
*See how it looks different than regular brownie mix. You want it thick and shiny- not runny.Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick is clean.
This is a special recipe post for Healthy Child Healthy World.
YoKids Greek
Stonyfield just launched the first kids greek yogurt- YoKids Greek! Last month I announced my partnership with Stonyfield as a Yo-Getter and we were sent samples of the yummy new line. I think this video says it all:
According to Stonyfield, YoKids Greek is:
- Deliciously mild, thick & creamy taste kids LOVE
- No mouth-puckering tang
- Packed with nutrition parents want
- Certified Organic, Kosher & Gluten Free
- 50% more protein than leading kids yogurt
- Excellent source of calcium – more than any other kids yogurt
- Made with lowfat (1%) organic milk
- Made without yucky stuff parents don’t want
- No fillers, gelatin, artificial colors or high fructose corn syrup
- Made without the use of GMO’s, toxic pesticides, antibiotics or hormones
Package: 3.75oz 4pk
Flavors: Strawberry & Raspberry
Suggested price: $2.89
Availability: Super Target, Meijer, Hannaford, Whole Foods (select regions), plus more to come…
We both really enjoyed the taste. It isn’t as tangy as regular Greek Yogurt- which E isn’t a huge fan of. I mixed the regular Oikos Greek chocolate yogurt with the YoKids Greek to make our delicious ice pops last week. They were soooo delicious! You can even freeze the multipacks and put them in your child’s lunch box. They should be thawed by lunch time!
Speaking of multipack cups, did you know that all of the YoKids multipacks are made out of plants? The YoKids site says, “Plant your seeds in yogurt cup and do as the Lorax says. ‘Give it clean water. Give it fresh air.’ Soon enough you’ll have a plant in a cup made from plants!” How cool is that? We will so be trying this!!
Stonyfield has teamed up with the new Dr. Suess’ The Lorax movie and has some fun games, activities, and learning tools on their website. Be sure to stop by and play for a chance to win a personal screening of Dr. Suess’s The Lorax and a organic garden for your child’s school! And stop by the YoKids Facebook page to win one of four grand prizes ranging from a year’s worth of free YoKids yogurt to $2,000 in organic groceries.
Green Grandma’s Vinegar Fridays Giveaway
In 2010, Hana Haatainen Caye (an amazing green grandma blogger of 2) began Vinegar Fridays on her blog, The Green Grandma. Vinegar Fridays is a fabulous weekly feature with vinegar tips, recipes, ideas, and more. Hana ended Vinegar Fridays last year and her readers begged her to bring it back- so she decided to write a book that included her wonderful vinegar wisdom. That is how Vinegar Fridays was born! No worries if you missed the original blog posts- Vinegar Fridays because the weekly feature is back 🙂
I remember when I first began using vinegar as a cleaner, it smelled so horrible and I had no idea how I was going to be able to make the switch- or convince other family members. I diluted it, added lemon juice, essential oils… nothing could mask the odor. But now, 2 years later, I could spill a whole gallon and wouldn’t be able to notice. Vinegar is cheap, easy to mix, completely safe, and you can buy it just about anywhere. I was very excited to read Vinegar Fridays because I love learning new ways to use vinegar- and I wasn’t disappointed! The Green Grandma’s tips are amazingly effective and useful for every day things. I had quite a few ah-ha moments when I can’t believe I didn’t think to use vinegar before.
I love how Green Grandma incorporated information about mainstream cleaning products and their harmful chemicals throughout the book. There is even an amazing chapter about the “Whys of Vinegar” that explains ingredients like ammonia, bleach, formaldehyde, and glycols and why they are problematic.
The Green Grandma also included other useful health tips and facts throughout Vinegar Fridays. The most mind blowing to me was about a research study that was done on hot tubs (that were supposed to be clean) and 95% of the water samples tested positive for fecal bacteria. Gross! Luckily vinegar is a disinfectant and can kill 99% of bacteria. But I don’t suspect many hotels use vinegar, so I will be avoiding from now on!!
Vinegar Fridays is divided into 19 chapters with tips including: vinegar cleaners, disinfectants, odor eaters, beauty tips, health tips, fat burning tips, hair uses, summertime fixes, kidstuff, pet uses, outdoor solutions, laundry care, and how to get rid of bugs. Yes- vinegar can even help burn fat!
Green Grandma uses distilled vinegar and apple cider vinegar in the book. There are many other different kinds of vinegar, but these are my favorite two as well. I have always rinsed out my stainless steel cups after soaking them in apple cider vinegar, but I learned it will evaporate so no need!
The 72 page book is a easy read with tons of useful information that will save you a lot of money on nasty chemical products. Hana is funny throughout the book (love her ants poem!) and it’s so much more than just how to use vinegar! You can purchase Vinegar Fridays online at Lulu for $15- but it’s on sale right now for $11.25!! I highly recommend and this would be an amazing gift!
Giveaway: Enter to win a copy of Vinegar Fridays! Be sure to click Read More to be taken to the Rafflecopter entry form!
/*{literal}{/literal}*/
a Rafflecopter giveaway
<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
* I was sent a copy of Vinegar Friday to review for free. This in no way alters my opinion. Thank you Green Grandma for the amazing book, ideas, and inspiration!
This Moment
{this moment}
A Friday ritual inspired by SouleMama. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.
ManPans Sale
Take 14% off all new bakeware items:
9″ Pie Pan
9″ Pie Pans 2-Pack
9″ Round Cake Pan
Loaf Pan Small
Loaf Pan Large
Sheet Pan
Square Cake Pan
Square Cake Pans 2-Pack
Cookie Sheet Pan
As with all ManPans products, their bakeware is:
Made in the USA
Non-toxic and stick resistant surface
Durable and metal utensil safe
Green, Eco-friendly Manufacturing
Guaranteed: 30-day money back and limited lifetime warranty
Made in the USA
Non-toxic and stick resistant surface
Durable and metal utensil safe
Green, Eco-friendly Manufacturing
Guaranteed: 30-day money back and limited lifetime warranty
Now through February 14th, log onto ManPans.com and enter code: bakeit at checkout to receive your 14% discount.
ECOS Paint Part 2
When we moved into our house 4 years ago I found this amazing mural. It didn’t fit the wall, so we painted to fill in and complete the picture on the ceiling and edges. It was my dream nursery for E.
E was in that room for a few months and then ended back in my room because she refused to sleep alone. I guess it was overstimulating? But, after 5 years, it was time for her to be on her own at night.
I decided to paint the guest room and turn it into her room before her 5th b-day. During the painting process, I put her bed in my room to transition the move- thanks to advice from Shari Criso. The weekend before E’s birthday, she slept alone in her newly painted room and has been there almost a month now!
A year ago I was able to tour ECOS Paints in SC. It is run by an amazing family, who have now become great friends of ours. During the tour, I had the intentions of painting some rooms at E’s grandparents house. But we ended up back in Charlotte before that happened and the house was still on the market. So, we’ve had several gallons of paint sitting for over a year now. I figured the paint would have separated and I’d have to stir/shake like crazy, but I opened the can to find it perfect!
A year ago I was able to tour ECOS Paints in SC. It is run by an amazing family, who have now become great friends of ours. During the tour, I had the intentions of painting some rooms at E’s grandparents house. But we ended up back in Charlotte before that happened and the house was still on the market. So, we’ve had several gallons of paint sitting for over a year now. I figured the paint would have separated and I’d have to stir/shake like crazy, but I opened the can to find it perfect! 
The paint above- Powder Blue, hasn’t even been stirred! Since ECOS Paint is a chemical free paint, I decided it would be ok for E to help out in painting. She had a blast being a part of the transition!
- water, natural plus manufactured binders (all water-based, all non-toxic)
- pigments (yellow ochre, red ochre, various – all non toxic)
- mineral fillers – limestone, clays (non-toxic)
- thickeners & builders – wood cellulose & resinous (all non-toxic)
- white pigment – titanium dioxide (food grade – non-toxic)
- levellers (all non-toxic)
- waxes & texture powders (all non-toxic)
These are true eco-friendly, non-toxic paints! After we were done painting there was no smell what-so-ever! The color was beautiful and easily went on. And I felt safe allowing E to sleep in the room the same night it was painted.
When I was touring the ECOS Paints factory, I learned all about low VOC paint and was totally shocked! If you purchase the expensive “No VOC” paint and then add color, 25% VOC just got added back into the paint. On top of that, the government allows the use of certain chemicals (which are actually VOC’s but do not cause smog) to be called “exempt compounds” and they are not to be applied as VOC’s on the label. So in reality, the No VOC paint you spend $20 extra on really isn’t much safer than the other stuff at your local hardware strore.
The government basically does not care about toxicity or safety of paint. They only rate VOC’s due to their reaction to nitrous oxides and ultra violet light to form low level ozone, or smog. The government allows 250 grams of VOCS per liter of regular paint. That’s almost half a pound! Green Seal GS-11 paints can have 150 grams per liter (besides flat paint which is 50 grams). And No VOC can have 5 grams per liter. This is only the VOC’s that aren’t exempt. Who knows what the true levels are once you factor those in!
The American Lung Associate says that VOS’s can produce a number of health problems like eye and skin irritations, lung and breathing problems, headaches, nausea, muscle weakness, liver and kidney damage. It is recommended that you do not paint while pregnant and that it can cause a miscarriage or deformities.
While we painted E’s room, we decided to update the Nemo bathroom as well. We used the color Rhinestone to give it a calming feel. The gallon was exactly like the Powder Blue and didn’t even need to be stirred! I am extremely impressed! I will be back with pics of another bathroom we are doing. We still have 1 more can of ECOS Paints that I can’t wait to use!
You can read more about my ECOS Paints tour and see pictures in my first blog post here. Be sure to follow ECOS Paints on Facebook to stay up to date with promotions. They have some exciting events happening soon!
Thank you ECOS Paints for everything that you’ve done! XO
Pacha’s Pajamas Book & CD GIVEAWAY
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”- Nelson Mandela
Pacha’s Pajamas- A Story Written by Nature by Aaron Ableman, is about a little girl named Pacha who has big dreams. She used to love being outside with nature but began choosing playing indoors and watching TV over going out to play. One day Pacha’s parents give her magical pajamas and she has an amazing dream about trees, mushrooms, animals, and a variety of other things from nature coming together to put on a nature concert- Pacha Jamma. The nature concert was to bring awareness about the environment and that it’s never to late to dream about making changes and working together to bring unity to Mother Earth.
I was sent Pacha’s Pajamas and EP to review and I am enthralled by them both. Aaron Ableman wrote the book to bring music and storytelling together to share the important message for children. E is esp in love with the 6 track disc- including two excerpts from the Musical Story and four songs from Pacha Jamma. The CD features Rapper/Actor Mos Def, Poet/Rapper Talib Kweli, and a group of talented kids. E has been listening to the cd in her playroom singing, dancing, and jumping around. I think she is the perfect age for the book and EP- though older children will enjoy as well.
The book, Pacha’s Pajamas, engages young ones and sends positive message to make a difference in the world. To me, it’s important to teach our children to not litter, to recycle, to reuse, to not be wasteful, and to treat our planet with respect. Pacha’s Pajamas is a fun unique way to introduce concepts like pollution, our environment, and how children can make a difference through the youth movement for Nature’s rights. The musical approach is different than the eco kid books I’ve reviewed in the past and I love that angle.
The book is 31 pages with small graphics, printed with soy ink. Younger children might not have the attention span for the story- but 5 seems the right age to introduce. E loved listening to the story and asked questions throughout. I love the fun facts after the story that share information about all of the characters in the book- which really came in handy!
My favorite line of the book is by a spider, “Life is like one of my webs- it becomes stronger when all the parts are connected.”
You can download the ebook for free as well as some of the songs on the Pacha’s Pajamas website. The book EP set is only $12.99 and I highly recommend! You can also play games, learn about the characters, and how you can help the Nature movement.
Giveaway: Enter to win your own copy of Pacha’s Pajamas and EP (Click Read More to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!)
/*{literal}{/literal}*/
a Rafflecopter giveaway
<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
Frosting Without the Dyes
I was told to share my icing recipe that I used for E’s cupcakes for her party. She asked for pink icing and I’m highly against Red Dye-40, so I got crafty in the kitchen.
Organic Pink Icing
Cut up organic strawberries and raspberries. I used about a cup. Add 1/4 cup of water, 1 tbs of lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of cane sugar. Simmer for about 30-45 min. You don’t want it to have a thick consistency like jam, but close to it. I then jared and stored in the fridge for 2 days.
2 cups organic powdered sugar
1 stick organic butter at room temp (1/2 cup)
Blend together the butter and powdered sugar at a high speed until thick and fluffy- usually about 3 minutes. Add coloring to desired color and taste. The more you add, the more it tastes like the berries. 🙂 You can do this with other fruits for different colors.
(Note: the frosting consistency is thick like normal buttercream frosting. I am just not that good at using a icing bag.)
Mat Kearney Live
Friday night I got to go to a Mat Kearney concert at Amos’ Southend in Charlotte. I first learned about Mat Kearney when I did a review of his third album, Young Love. He has such a happy vibe, I was excited to get to see him live.
Mat’s newest album, Young Love, was inspired by his new wife. The hit song “Hey Mama” is about meeting her at a Anthropologie store in TN while she was working and then falling in love. “The album really began with ‘Hey Mama’. After clapping into my laptop and programming this beat, I was dancing around the room actually freestyling words. This wasn’t me sitting around with some friends and an acoustic guitar. It was this visceral writing experience. I tried to find a way to write stories to these beats,” said Mat.
This same style was totally brought to the show. Mat and his bandmates were crowd pleasing, intimate, energetic, on key, and totally in the moment. I was really impressed at how well Mat won the crowd over. He was very interactive by talking to the audience and actually jumping down to sing in the crowd. Mat threw in quite a few ” I love you too’s” to all of the fans shouting out during the show. He even did a little personalized freestyle song about Charlotte which was pretty awesome.
My favorite part of the show was watching Mat play his piano and guitar while singing at the same time. It seriously blew my mind at how talented he is! If Mat Kearney is playing near you, be sure to check them out. It’s really a pleasant happy show.
Jan. 19th Lincoln Theater Raleigh, NC
20th Amos’ Southend Charlotte, NC
21st The Handlebar Greenville, SC
23rd Track 29 Chattanooga, TN
25th Floyds Music Store Tallahassee, FL
26th The Ritz Ybor Tampa, FL
27th The Beacham Theatre Orlando, FL
28th Center Stage Atlanta, GA
30th Soul Kitchen Mobile, AL
31st House of Blues New Orleans, LA
Feb. 1st House of Blues Houston, TX
3rd Majestic Theatre Dallas, TX
4th Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City, OK
7th Beaumont Club Kansas City, MO
9th Black Sheep Colorado Springs, CO
10th Ogden Theater Denver, CO
11th Belly Up Aspen, CO
13th In the Venue Salt Lake City, UT
15th Knitting Factory Spokane, WA
16th Showbox @ The Market Seattle, WA
17th Roseland Portland, OR
18th McDonald Theatre Eugene, OR
20th Knitting Factory Reno, NV
22nd Warfield San Francisco, CA
23rd Music Box Los Angeles, CA
24th Access Aliante Las Vegas, NV
25th House of Blues San Diego, CA
Mkokopelli.com 