Tag: Organic

Clean Wine: My Favorites on Thrive Market

Published on by ChristineLeave a comment

I recently posted about my Thrive Market autoship items, but sharing about my favorites and not mentioning their wine would be a miss. I LOVE their wine. I was getting the point where a glass of wine would give me a headache, sometimes lasting until the next day. Not with Thrive Market’s clean wines.

For a wine to be considered for the program, it has to abide by a certain set of standards:

  • Biodynamic, organic, or verified sustainable farming practices
  • Developed with minimal intervention
  • Sourced from small and mid-size producers
  • Minimal to no irrigation whenever possible (this lowers the mold content!)
  • No added sugar
  • Low sulfites whenever possible
  • No flash pasteurization
  • No oak chips, or flavorings
  • No use of dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC)

I started out by trying a Bundle of the Month half case – mine came with 3 reds, 2 whites and a rose. This gave me a good sampling to see what I liked. Now, you can choose to purchase just a bottle.

The selection of wines changes frequently, but these are my current personal favorites:

Red

Rich, fruity & flavorful, not acidic. Perfect before, with or after dinner.

White

This is my FAVORITE. Super delicious and versatile.

Rose

So light and delicate, this would be perfect by the pool.

Sparkling

Bubbly & fruity, but not too sweet.

P.S. If you love champagne, you must this stopper. It saves your wine so you don’t have to drink the whole bottle at once. Keeps it perfectly bubbly.

Get 40% off your first order from Thrive Market using this link!

To see some of my other Thrive Market favorites: Thrive Market: My Favorite Deals + Thrive Market: Favorite Toddler Snacks

Advertisement

Layered Chicken Enchilada Bake

Published on by Christine5 Comments

It’s Cinco de Mayo! Here’s a dinner idea that is so easy & quick to prepare. I call this a layered bake because I don’t roll the enchiladas to save time. It’s the perfect weeknight meal.

I promise this will never be a blog where you have to scroll forever to get to the recipe. So annoying, right!? But, a quick note on this recipe- it is garlic-free. Since I did food sensitivity testing and realized I was reacting to garlic, I have been avoiding it (and feeling SO much better!!). Try avoiding garlic in anything pre-made… it’s impossible! I found and now love the Fody brand sauces- their taco, enchilada, BBQ, teriyaki sauces & salsas are low-fodmap, which means they are free of onions and garlic.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb organic, free-range chicken breasts or thighs (you could use a rotisserie chicken to make this faster)
  • 12 organic corn tortillas (I love Food For Life brand for their simple, clean ingredients)
  • Fody Green Enchilada Sauce
  • Organic Pastures Raw Cheddar Cheese (I shred around 1/2 of this block) or Organic Valley Raw Cheddar (I shred the full block), which amount to about the same as a standard bag of shredded cheese.
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Avocado (optional, sliced for topping)

Preparation:

  1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then cook in an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Sometimes, I’ll put some salsa in with the chicken for extra flavor. Once it is cooked, shred the meat.
  2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  3. In an 11×13 glass pan, layer 6 corn tortillas along the bottom of the pan.
  4. Then, layer with half of shredded chicken, half of the bottle of enchilada sauce, then with half of the cheese.
  5. Repeat by layering tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese again.
  6. Bake 10-15 minutes, or at least until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
  7. Top with sliced avocado and serve with a salad for a super green meal.

Enjoy!

Mashed Turnips & Parsnips

Published on by Christine1 Comment

IMG_6707

Today I’m sharing an easy recipe that’s perfect as a Thanksgiving side!

Craving mashed potatoes but trying to stay low-carb? I’ve got a seriously great alternative for you… mashed parsnips and turnips.  If you are like me and can’t stomach the typical replacement, cauliflower (cruciferous veggies don’t agree with me), this is another option to try.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound organic parsnips
  • 1 pound organic turnips
  • 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • pinch of garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons grass-fed butter
  • 3 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream

Preparation:

  1. Peel the parsnips and turnips and roughly chop into 1-2 inch pieces (for faster boiling & easy blending).
  2. Put in a pot of water and bring to a boil.
  3. Boil for around 15 minutes or until tender (stab with a fork).
  4. Pour into a colander to drain the water and then put the veggies in a large food processor.
  5. Add the other ingredients (butter should melt quickly with the hot veggies) and blend until smooth, stopping to stir for better blending as needed.

I was shocked at how well this matches the texture of mashed potatoes. Since they are root vegetables, it has a very similar mild, starchy flavor to satisfy those cravings; it is just slightly sweeter. I hope you enjoy this super easy recipe!

Thrive Market: Favorite Toddler Snacks

Published on by Christine3 Comments

If you know me, you know I LOVE Thrive Market. I’ve been a member for a few years now and the savings are real.  I am passionate about buying all organic groceries for my family and I’ve shared lots of tips about how to do so on a budget; Thrive Market is one of the ways I do it.  See some of my favorite deals here.

I shared some of my favorite toddler snacks on Instagram a while ago and many of you were interested in more, so I thought I would share what I buy specifically at Thrive Market because it is cheaper than at the grocery store:

856069005155-1_2_851769007010-1

Applesauce PouchPear Pea Spinach Pouch

 

 

 

 

Simple Mills: Cheddar Almond Flour Crackers – a healthy alternative to goldfish

Siete: Lime Grain-Free Tortilla Chips – she loves to dip these in guacamole; besides being grain-free, I love that these are fried in avocado oil instead of canola oil (read why you should avoid canola/vegetable oil here)

GoGo Squeez: Applesauce Pouches – perfect for the diaper bag

nurturme: Organic Power Blends Pear + Pea + Spinach Pouches – for the days when she doesn’t eat her veggies or needs some digestive help

The New Primal: Turkey Sticks – for a protein boost

Larabar: Apple Pie Bars – I love that it’s a simple mix of fruits and nuts sweetened only by dates. All the flavors are great (especially these, carrot cake, blueberry muffin & cashew cookie).

Gimme: Organic Roasted Seaweed – my toddler calls these “chips” and they are a salty snack that’s a great source of vitamins and minerals

852675006241-1Larabar851093004068_412

Interested in trying Thrive Market? Get 25% off your first order by using this link to shop!

Easy Homemade Marinara

Published on by Christine1 Comment

Homemade marinara has always intimidated me. While it’s so easy to buy pre-made sauce at the store, if you look at the ingredients list, the jars are often full of sugar and preservatives.  When we took a cooking class in Italy a few years ago, I discovered that making my own sauce is not nearly as difficult or time-consuming as I thought it would be.

This is not the recipe we learned how to make in Tuscany, but a variation I created one day while trying to use up some extra veggies I had in the fridge.  This version gives the opportunity to add more flavor and some sweetness by using vegetables in the sauce.  Since it all ends up pureed, this is an easy way to serve your unsuspecting kids more veggies.  I love that it makes an easy, all-in-one-dish meal.

Ingredients:

  • two 16-oz cans of organic tomato sauce
  • 1 organic zucchini
  • 1 organic red bell pepper (seeds & core removed)
  • 2-3 organic carrots (peeled)
  • 1/2 yellow onion (peeled)
  • 6 cloves of garlic (peeled)
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons sea salt
  • 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
  • 5-6 leaves of fresh basil

Preparation:

  1. Roughly chop the veggies, onion and garlic.
  2. Add the veggies to a deep pot with the olive oil and cook over medium-low temperature until soft.  This usually takes around 15 minutes; the smaller your veggie pieces, the faster they will soften.
  3. Add the tomato sauce.
  4. Use an immersion blender to puree the veggies into the sauce.
  5. Add the salt and crushed red pepper to taste and let simmer on low until you are ready to serve.
  6. When you remove from heat, add some chopped fresh basil.
  7. Serve over pasta or spaghetti squash with fresh mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.

To add some protein, make it a ragu / bolognese by adding cooked Italian sausage to the sauce.  I also love to add in even more veggies at this point by mixing in some chopped kale or spinach that I have sauteed with shallots.