The Azure Almanac

We've MOVED!!!

2011-05-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

SURPRISE!!! WE have a new site created just for YOU!

Come join us over at our new blog: www.azurestandardblog.com Where you'll find all these blog entries plus much, much more! Recipes, menu's, featured articles, sales, product spotlights and much more.

OH!!! And you don't want to miss our current giveaway with Carrie Vitt author of Deliciously Organic!

We look forward to seeing you over at the new blog,
Mrs. Joseph Wood (On behalf of the entire Wood family)

1…2…3 YUM!

2011-05-02T06:39:00.000-07:00

This morning we had a wonderful fruit salad with little bits of mint from our garden. It was so delicious I just had to share!
You will need:
1 Pineapple (#QP078)
1 bag Blueberries (#FG316)
2 Apples (#QP053)
10 fresh mint leaves(#GP250)
Directions:
(1) Cut your fruit into nice bite size pieces and mix together (2) wash your mint leafs and mix with fruit, (3) dish yourself up a bowl and Enjoy!
This salad has unlimited possibilities. Add some nuts (#NU085), organic raisins (#DF064) or maybe even some organic pears (#GY445)?
Until our next chat…
Beth Joy

Beth Joy is the second oldest daughter of Joe and Jeanette Wood. She serves her family cheerfully in the home business and on the farm. She enjoys the garden, preparing herbal remedies for the family and caring for our animals naturally.
Life Verse: Proverbs 3:26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being caught.

Three things I’ve learned to prevent the Reality/Bliss Collision

2011-04-28T08:20:00.001-07:00

I love doing things home made, from scratch, simple, environmentally friendly, and God honoring. Yet, there are times, (more often than I'd like to admit) when my dream life and my reality collide. In fact, in our home we have a phrase said often, “It’s another reality meets bliss moment.” You know those moments don’t you? It’s when you’re adoring an infant and realize they’re not smiling at your silly faces they’re about to get sick… only problem is you realize it one millisecond too late. Or what about when you stay up all night making home made soap to surprise the family only to have it fail… yet again. To make matters worse, before you can warn the family, someone thought you had made brownies and takes a bite of the lethal product and goes screaming and gagging through the house to the bathroom. Of course there are the reality/bliss collisions half way through the year when you realize your dream garden is actually worse than a nightmare. Despite all the money and time you’ve invested you won’t have much more than a bowl of greens to offer the family. Then there are the moments when you’re sure you can do something but then have the realization that you’re not as fit as you once were. Again, the realization never seems to come before you find yourself in a painful position you can’t get out of. Oh, the list of my ‘reality meets bliss moments’ are abundant.

Here are three things I have learned over the years to prevent these train wreck moments:

1. Prudent Preparation is critical- To have healthy food on hand is something I have to prepare for it’s not just going to happen at the last minute. I need to have my yogurt made, my bread starter growing, cheese making, kefir grains living, and my garden plotted, tilled, and soil tested. For our family we’ve found a schedule to be very effective. Monday is cheese making day (actually includes all kinds of dairy products), Tuesday, bread baking, Wednesday, is weeding the garden day, Thursday, we deep clean the house, Friday, we organize the barn and so on. I can’t think of one time that I have ever done something on a whim and found it to be successful. I must be wise to consider details, time, financial resources, and my skills.

2. Know (and accept) my limitations- I can’t do everything that everyone else is doing. I can only do what God has for me at this very specific time of my life. In fact I find there are times I can make homemade bread without skipping a beat and other times it gets put on the back burner. If I have limited resources our menu must adjust. I can’t try to buy the ‘goodies’ that we don’t’ have the resources for. I need to carefully evaluate what the budget is and then buy healthy food within the means of those blessings. I don’t buy into the concept that healthy food isn’t affordable. I believe it is very reasonable and practical even in a large family like our own. It’s just that adjustments might be needed. If I have time limitations, like this year. I might find that buying my starts from Sarah’s Starts is a much more practical idea than starting all our own seeds (even though we’ve started our own for years). When I ignore my limitations I often find the reality meets bliss trains heading full steam ahead for the train wreck of a lifetime!

3. Back up plans are essential- I don’t typically buy store bought cereal for my family however, when reality moments have prevented me from having home made granola on hand I have back up plan. One back up plan, pulled out only in morning emergencies, is a variety of the organic cereals that Azure offers. When I accidently ‘murder’ my kefir grains I provide them with Nancy’s Kefir (which they all LOVE). If I had a baby in cloth diapers and found the experience to not be what I had wanted or what I have time/energy for my back up plan would be non chlorine, hypoallergenic diapers. If I found that my schedule didn’t allow any time for my home made laundry cleaner I would reach in the cabinet and pull out some environmentally friendly detergent and use it without guilt! When I have moments that keep me from having home made bread I pull out a loaf of Ezekiel bread or maybe a loaf of Rudi’s 14 grain bread. Is it my first choice? No,it’s my back up plan that keeps my family from slipping into the pit of the SAD (Standard American Diet) all over again.

Reality meets bliss moments are sure to happen. I just need to make sure I don’t find myself going the wrong direction when all the debris settle.

Until our next chat…

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Three things I’ve learned to prevent the Reality/Bliss Collision

2011-04-28T07:06:00.001-07:00

I love doing things home made, from scratch, simple, environmentally friendly, and God honoring. Yet, there are times, (more often than I'd like to admit) when my dream life and my reality collide. In fact, in our home we have a phrase said often, “It’s another reality meets bliss moment.” You know those moments don’t you? It’s when you’re adoring an infant and realize their not smiling at your silly faces their about to get sick… only problem is you realize it one millisecond too late. Or what about when you stay up all night making home made soap to surprise the family only to have it fail… yet again. To make matters worse, before you can warn the family, someone thought you had made brownies and takes a bite of the lethal product and goes screaming and gagging through the house to the bathroom. Of course there are the reality/bliss collisions half way through the year when you realize your dream garden is actually worse than a nightmare. Despite all the money and time you’ve invested you won’t have much more than a bowl of greens to offer the family. Then there are the moments when you’re sure you can do something but then have the realization that you’re not as fit as you once were. Again, the realization never seems to come before you find yourself in a painful position you can’t get out of. Oh, the list of my ‘reality meets bliss moments’ are abundant.

Here are three things I have learned over the years to prevent these train wreck moments:

3. Back up plans are essential- I don’t typically buy store bought cereal for my family however, when reality moments have prevented me from having home made granola on hand I have back up plan. One back up plan, pulled out only in morning emergencies, is a variety of the organic cereals that Azure offers. When I accidently ‘murder’ my kefir grains I provide them with Nancy’s Kefir (which they all LOVE). If I had a baby in cloth diapers and found the experience to not be what I had wanted or what I have time/energy for my back up plan would be non chlorine, hypoallergenic diapers. If I found that my schedule didn’t allow any time for my home made laundry cleaner I would reach in the cabinet and pull out some environmentally friendly detergent and use it without guilt! When I have moments that keep me from having home made bread I pull out a loaf of Ezekiel bread or maybe a loaf of Rudi’s 14 grain bread. Is it my first choice, no. It’s my back up plan that keeps my family from slipping into the pit of the SAD (Standard American Diet) all over again.

Reality meets bliss moments are sure to happen. I just need to make sure I don’t find myself going the wrong direction when all the debris settle.

Until our next chat…

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Weeds With A Purpose: Dandelions

2011-04-27T04:09:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

During this time of year, we have a abundance of those “annoying little dandelions!” But have you ever considered that maybe they have a purpose? A very very yummy and healthy purpose? Well I am delighted to tell you, that they DO!

Dandelions are beautiful in salads, they are a wonderful source of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and calcium, and they make delicious jam!

When I first heard that people use dandelions for jam, I thought it would taste bitter and I was quite hesitant. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how sweet this jam is! After I tasted this delicious jam I knew I had to share it with you all.

You will need:

1 quart of dandelions (with stems and green parts removed)

2 quarts of water

Juice and zest of 1 lemon (#QP058)

4 cups of organic cane sugar (#SW139)

1/2 cup of Pectin (#BP060)

Mix 2 quarts of water with 1 quart of rinsed dandelions.

Let boil for about 3 minutes on your stove for about three minutes.

Strain the remaining ‘tea’.

Pour the remaining tea back into the pan and add lemon juice and cane sugar.

Bring to a boil and add pectin. Let boil for about 3 more minutes.

Sterilize your jars by putting them in VERY hot water for 5 minutes. (Warning: Be careful when taking the jars out of the water).

Carefully pour the jam into the jars (note: it will not be as thick as jam at this stage).

Place lids on jars and set upside down on a dry towel until it is sealed(it won’t pop down when you press on the jar if it is properly sealed).

Simply open a jar when it is cooled and ENJOY! Once opened this should last up to a few weeks in the fridge.

Until our next chat,

Beth Joy

Beth Joy is the second oldest daughter of Joe and Jeanette Wood. She serves her family cheerfully in the home business and on the farm. She enjoys the garden, preparing herbal remedies for the family and caring for our animals naturally.
Life Verse: Proverbs 3:26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being caught

Have you ever wondered…About the sun?

2011-04-26T16:07:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered why the sun lightens our hair, yet darkens our skin? Along with that thought, have you ever wondered how to take care of your hair and skin to make sure they are both getting the treatment they need?

Here are some helpful tips AND products . . .

For your hair:

If you’re going to be outside for a long period of time rinse your hair and comb conditioner through, but don’t wash it out. This will become a deep conditioning treatment for your hair, and help protect it from sun damage. Coconut Conditioner, Organic (Code: 1459)

Spritz your hair with sunscreen. Mix 1 teaspoon of Sunscreen Lotion SPF 25 (Code: 1363) with 1/2 cup water in a spray bottle. Keep the spray bottle with you and spray your hair every couple hours while in the sun. This also works as a conditioner for your hair.

For your skin:

Through recent studies doctor’s have found that our skin does need the Vitamin D3 (code: 3020) from the sun and that we should not put too much sunscreen on, rather allow our skin to soak up the natural vitamins the sun has to offer and with that the main one being, Vitamin D (code: 3020)

Now, back to the question that started this post…

Why does the sun make your hair go lighter but your skin go darker?

Sunlight has the property to bleach wood, decompose plastic and lighten your hair because sunlight breaks down the molecular layers that absorbs the light and heat. The skin darkens because the natural tanning that occurs is a safety measure to keep the skin from doing the same, breaking down. People who live in more sunny areas get darker skin than those who live in less sunny environments due to clouds, etc. People who live in hotter climates get more curly hair and a more open nose as a byproduct to reduce heat.

Until our next discovery-

Bekah Lynn

Bekah Lynn is the daughter of Joseph and Jeanette Wood. She is the oldest daughter in the family, assisting daily in the family business and helping in the home management.

Life verse: Psalm 46:10”Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Some Spring Notes

2011-04-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

I am writing this note the week in advance so that we’ll be able to take April 15th to April 25th off for our Spring Vacation. I know others may not be on ‘vacation’ so these reminders may prove helpful. The Annual Spring Vacation announcement is listed on the Azure home page. In fact, if you take a look Azure always posts their announcements on the bottom right hand side of the home page. Keep a frequent eye on those links so you can stay informed about changes that might be happening. I have copied the announcement for your reference here:

“March 31, 2011

Please note that our warehouse will be closed for our annual spring vacation Friday, April 15th through Monday, April 25th.

UPS orders placed after 4 pm on Thursday, April 14th will not be processed until Monday, April 25th, and will be shipped out as soon as possible upon our return.

Will Call Dufur orders will need to be placed no later than 4 pm Thursday, April 14th and will be available for pick up Monday, April 18th.

Will Call Moro orders will need to have their orders placed no later than 4pm on Thursday, April 14th for pick up Friday, April 15th.

Our call center will be open during this time, but will have minimal staff.
There are no early cutoffs. Please check your Schedule of Deliveries for details.”

The March/April sales at Azure have almost come to and end. There were some wonderful products offered at amazing prices. I especially took this opportunity to stock up on some Oregon Spice products. I know others really enjoyed several of the Biokleen products that were on sale. Then there were the breads offered through Rudi’s that I used to stock the freezer up for those busy mornings! Oh, yes! And the Stahlbush Island fruits and veggies that were a great addition to the freezer as well! Watching the sales at Azure Standard can save us an incredible amount of money but also save us much time. Looking through the FREE sales flyer is really worth our time and effort. You can add a free flyer to your cart by simply clicking the link I have listed above and then “add to cart”. I would strongly encourage you to subscribe to their publications. Not only do they send you the sales flyers and catalog but you’ll also get the information book and the recipe book that contains several family treasures.

Make sure you take time to look at the variety of plants available through Sarah’s Starts. If you put off ordering your plants I’m afraid they’ll be gone, so take time to go through the site and get the plants you need for the season. She has a sale going on right now for a FREE start of lettuce when you order 12 or more 4” pots and/or herbs pots or 6-packs or flowers. Remember, Sarah’s starts are not only organic, but heirloom so you can save seeds for next year!

DO NOT FORGET:

The M-1 order cut off is April 26th so make sure you have your order completed so you don’t miss your Azure delivery.

The M-2 order cut off is May 10th If you are on the M-2 route and still want to take advantage of these March/April sales simply complete and SUBMIT your order before April 30th. Once you submit it you will not be able to resume that order or make any changes to it. You can always start a new order and submit two orders for the month if you need to add on some last minute items.If you have any questions about this please let me know BEFORE April 30th and I would be more than happy to help you.

Have a wonderful Spring Vacation.

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Raspberry Almond Muffins

2011-04-14T10:36:00.001-07:00

We recently stumbled upon a book by Carrie Vitt. Today I would like to share with you one of the recipes from Carrie’s book, Deliciously Organic.

~Raspberry Almond Muffins~

You will need:

2 mixing bowls – electric hand mixer – measuring cups & spoons.

Ingredients:

3 cups of WW pastry flour #FL051 1 tbsp. of coconut oil #OL096

1 tbsp. baking powder #BP005 3/4 cups of Sucanat #SW061

1/2 tsp. baking soda #BP008 2 large eggs #DPO86

1/2 tsp. of sea salt #BP112 1 tsp. vanilla extract #BP019

8 tbsp. of butter, softened #DP051 1 tsp. almond extract #BP192

1 1/2 cups butter milk #DP012 1 1/2 cups of raspberries #FG050

Bake at 375.

(Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt in a bowl and then set aside)

(In different bowl, cream butter, coconut oil, and Sucanat for 2 minutes on medium high speed with your hand mixer)

(Add eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract and blend)

(Add half of your flour mixture, blend together, add milk, blend together again, and add the rest of the flour mixture)

(GENTLY fold in the frozen raspberries. Then fill muffin pans half way full with the batter. TIP: For darker colored muffins use hand mixer to mix in the raspberries)

Bake at 375. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.

Cool for 5 minutes and ENJOY!

Until our next chat,

Beth Joy

Back to the fire...

2011-04-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

Our family has lived off the grid for many years of our marriage. We've cooked over fire, lived without refrigeration, washed our clothes in a creek, used outhouses, lived in a tent while we built a cabin, and all the other lifestyle tasks that come from living in such a setting. Since we moved to KS we've enjoyed the simple farm life we love with the ease of modern conveniences. I don't think any of us think of it as "better" it's just different.

Within the last few months all of my kitchen appliances have 'died'.

First it was a mouse that ate the wires to the dishwasher. That's fine we'll just wash dishes by hand.
After that I noticed the garbage disposal was leaking. I was delighted to find one at a yard sale. Joe went to all the trouble to hook it up for me only to discover it leaked also! We decided a bucket underneath it would work just fine for now.
Then we had the refrigerator start to leak. Again, no biggie! We'll just disconnect the ice maker and water function.
After that it was the stove which we replaced with a look alike from craigslist. It wasn't in the house 24 hours when someone cracked the glass top when a spice jar fell from the cabinet above.
Then we had the microwave that decided to just go asleep and never wake up. No problem, I didn't use it for much except heating water from time to time.
The coffee pot also decided to 'die' on me. Maybe that was for my own good I thought.
Then a few days ago one of the children tripped and in an attempt to catch themselves slammed their hand right through the top of the glass stove top.. AGAIN! He was okay, just a couple of cuts on two fingers but nothing serious. (Thank the Lord!)

So, that makes it official ALL of my kitchen appliances have 'died'! I could be upset, grumble, and complain or I could just embrace it with a smile and bring back some memories of 'yesterday' for my family. I choose to do the later.

Last night we cooked some pasture raised chicken from Azure (Item number: MP003) over the fire pit in the back yard. We had two fires going and the children had a fun competition on who could cook up the best tasting dish. Mashed potatoes were also made over the fire using Organic Russet Potatoes (Item number: QP140) This morning we made a breakfast dish that was inspired by a like minded friend Wardeh, also an Azure Standard customer. You can visit her at: GNOWFGLINS

Let me share with you the ingredients and then the 'how to' pictures. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
5 lb bag of organic russet potatoes, sliced (QP140)
1 yellow onion, chopped (QP018)
1 package of sweet peppers (QP306)
1/2 cup of Salsa (CO043)
Real Salt to taste (BP064)
Organic Pepper to taste (HS435)
1 dozen Farm Fresh eggs (DP087)
2 cups of Raw Organic Cheese (CH095)
1/4 cup of Coconut Oil (OL095)

Prepare your fire safely and wait for it to 'settle' (no longer just getting started, not roaring, but burning consistently). This fire is still not quite ready. We waited for it to 'settle' but forgot to take a picture of that.

In a cast iron pan put your coconut oil and sliced potatoes together and cook till tender. Then add your onions, sweet peppers and cook for a few minutes.

In a bowl crack your eggs and beat together, add in your salsa, salt, pepper, and finally the cheese

Pour egg mixture over your veggies in the cast iron pan and let cook covered for about 15-20 minutes (it will depend on your fire) cook until egg is done. Tip: I use a round pizza stone to cover my cast iron pan. This way I don't need to pull out my dutch oven. Also note, that if you're fire is too hot you'll burn the bottom before you ever cook the top of the dish. So make sure your fire is not dying or just been stocked with hot burning wood.

The finished product:

Cooking over fire really isn't that difficult, especially when we do it with a smile! It can be a lot of fun and create some fun family memories. You may want to try it even if all your appliances are still working. Now, just for the record, I did suggest to my husband that now might be a good time for that kitchen remodel we've been talking about. :-)

Until our next chat,
Mrs. Joseph Wood

Have you ever wondered: How to clean water stains off your shower door?

2011-04-12T04:03:00.000-07:00

This is a famous question- “I’ve been scrubbing for hours! How do I get those pesky water stains off and not have to use something deadly?”

I have been asking this very question for years. I have tried using “deadly” smelling cleaners and cleaners that promise a squeaky clean shower for weeks, just to have them fail. A few years ago, I excepted the fact that I would either have to put in hours of elbow grease, or put on my gas mask and clean. Until one day a dear family friend shared a wonderful tip with me that I would like to share with you!

Supplies you will need:
Mild elbow grease
Fabric Softeners (NF576)
Hot water
Clean dry towel

How To:
Step One: Spray door down with hot water
Step Two: Take 1-2 fabric softeners, fold in half and make small circles until you lather up a foam. *It will not be a BUBBLE foam, but you should see a white soapy look starting.
Step Three: Repeat until you can no longer feel any water stains while rubbing the fabric softener over the door.
Step Four: Rinse with cold water and dry QUICKLY!!
Step Five: Stand back and admire your wonderful work!

Until our next discovery-

Bekah Lynn

Bekah Lynn is the daughter of Joseph and Jeanette Wood. She is the oldest daughter in the family, assisting daily in the family business and helping in the home management.

Life verse: Psalm 46:10”Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

The Journey...

2011-04-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Each family has their own journey to health. Some of us are forced to make radical changes aburuptly while others, like myself, have taken baby steps through the transformation process. I've learned that I had to deliberately alter my way of thinking when it came to creating a healthy home for my family. I also have leanred that it wasn't the few huge changes that I've seen the most benefit from rather, it's been the collection of small daily choices that brought about the most benefit for me personally. I've done a great deal of learning along the way. I've had countless discusions with others that allowed me to glean from their experience and knowledge. I've enjoyed the hours of research and books I've read. Some of my favorites are: Nouishing Traditions, Milk The Untold Story, Real Food What to eat and why, as well as my newest favorite...Health for Godly Generations!

Today, I am honored to share an article that Merissa Alink wrote on how she's making the switch to natural and organic products. Merissa has been ordering with Azure Standard for the last three years on the J4 route. I encourage you to take a visit to Little House Living and read some of the simple and effective ways she's making progress for health!

Do you have a tip to share about how you're making the journey to heathier eating? I would love to hear!

Until our next chat...

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Product Spotlight: Tank Tops

2011-04-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Spring is here at last! But these tops are going fast... so get them while you can!

I just love the warm weather, bright green grasses and beautiful prairie flowers. Another thing I really enjoy is changing my wardrobe. Now that the cold weather is gone, it’s time to put away the sweaters, wool socks and jackets so we can bring out the bright colored shirts and flowing skirts! Normally I shop for my clothes locally so I was very surprised to see that Azure carries tank tops too! I’m excited to add these comfortable, organic tops to my wardrobe.

Azure Standard is carrying Maggie's Organics Tank Tops. These tank tops are made of 100% organic cotton and made in Nicaragua by a worker owned co-op. They come is two of my favorite colors, blue or green, and are available in three different sizes (small, large, extra large).

I know I am excited about adding these to my next order! Do you have any products that your family enjoys? Feel free to share with us at www.facebook.com/azurestandard

Until our next chat,

Beth Joy

Wordless Wednesday: Ants on a log

2011-04-06T04:31:00.000-07:00

You will need:

Item # QP063                                        Item # NB058

Item # SC012                                             Item # DF064
Step One-

Step Two-

Step Three-

Step Four-

Enjoy!

Until our next chat,
Beth Joy

Life Verse: Proverbs 3:26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being caught

Have you ever wondered: The yield for wheat berries to cups of flour?

2011-04-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

This is a very popular question! Throughout books and websites I have found that no one has the same answer! However, when grinding my own wheat I find that I, on average, get 1 1/2C of flour for every 1C of wheat berries.
Here is a step by step walk through on grinding your own wheat-

Start with making sure your grinder is clean and ready to go. Check and make sure there are no wheat berries down inside.

Turn on your grinder and let sit for 30seconds this will make sure all the dust is blown out and ready for the next task.

Pour in 1C of Hard White Wheat Berries (Code: GR112)

Let run through until you can no longer hear anymore wheat berries shaking around.

Pour back into measuring cup and you should have, 1 1/2C of freshly ground flour.

Until our next discovery-

Bekah Lynn

Bekah Lynn is the daughter of Joseph and Jeanette Wood. She is the oldest daughter in the family, assisting daily in the family business and helping in the home management.
Life verse: Psalm 46:10”Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Product Spotlight- Organic Instant Mashed Potatoes

2011-04-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

When Joe and I first met I was domestically challenged. In fact, that’s an understatement. If I told you how poorly I made meals or how little I knew about home making you would laugh and think I was a stand up comedian. Truth be known, I didn’t even know that you made mashed potatoes out of real potatoes. I thought if you wanted them mashed you had to buy them in a box on isle 6 of the grocery store. And then…..

THEN I married my Joe who despised instant mashed potatoes and kindly requested that I never buy another box again! He showed me how to make REAL mashed potatoes and after many lumpy attempts and much patience I got pretty good at making the REAL stuff. I believe it’s been well over 20 years since we have tasted instant mashed potatoes. When I was first asked to try these I told the story of my younger years and my Joe’s request for only the REAL stuff! I was assured that these were the best organic instant mashed potatoes available and I should give them a try.

So I agreed.

We followed the directions to mix 1- 1 1/2 cups of heated milk, water, OR stock (we used raw milk) to 1 cup of potatoes and whisked slowly. Allowing it to sit for a moment we added some Real Salt along with organic pepper with organic butter making this an instant success!

How’d Joe like them you ask? Well, to my surprise and even to his surprise, he discovered that these organic instant mashed potatoes were delicious! When I asked him if he would like me to make them again he replied, “Yes. I would enjoy these again!”

Knowing their organic makes my heart feel a since of relief. I can have fast, healthy choices for my family, what a joy to know. Thank you Azure!!

Until our next chat,
Mrs. Joseph Wood

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Wholesome Sweeteners

2011-04-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Friends!
My boys, Matthew and Sammy, (both non readers) J picked the winning name this morning. It’s always fun to watch those boys, they are so animated that the entire family smiles as we wait for the winner to be drawn and then announced to the house by an older sibling standing nearby.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Carrie from, Our Blessed Chaos who found the giveaway through Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers for winning this box of sweet treats! Please email me your mailing information and I will get this out to you right away!

Thank you to everyone that participated and for sharing with others! We look forward to getting to know each of you more. We’ll be posting some other fun giveaways on the blog soon so stay tuned for more information!

Until our next chat....

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Frugal Friday- Spring is here at Azure Standard

2011-04-01T18:58:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wished you could walk out your front door and enjoy fresh produce? Well, Azure Standard is helping everyone be able to do just that with wonderful starts from “Sarah’s Starts” Available as of today, you don’t want to miss opportunity to get some great plants at great prices! Azure standard has made getting your garden off to a great start easy and inexpensive. Even if you’re new at the gardening adventure now is your great chance to become more plant savvy! Azure has many ORGANIC gardening items on sale this month! They are not limited to the following, but here are some especially great deals I'd like to highlight for y'all :

Seeds:
Organic Double Standard Sweet Corn Seed (GP299) approximately. 260 seeds

Copenhagen Market Cabbage (GP412) approximately 50 seeds

Herbs:

Chives (GP159) 4" pot

Garlic Chives (GP432) 4" pot

Anise, Hyssop, Organic (GP109)

Veggies:

Cherokee Purple Tomato, Organic (GP172)

Big Beef Tomato Organic (GP145)

Bell Pepper Variety (GP178)

I would also encourage you to take a look at the book section. One of our family favorite books is, Organic Gardening (BK140)

Until our next chat,

Miranda

Miranda is the soon to be “daughter-in- love” of Joseph and Jeanette Wood. Miranda helps in the family business, gives younger children reading lessons, helps maintain the beehives, and whatever else might be happening in the home or on the farm.

Life Verse: 1 Peter 3:15 But to sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Product Spotlight: Beth's Herbal Tea

2011-03-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

Tea is a one of our many favorite beverages! When I first started making my own teas, I was excited to learn that Azure Standard carried everything I needed. Azure carries many wonderful herbs that aid our family in many ways.

Here is just one of our favorite recipes during the flu season.

Beth's Herbal Tea:

1 tablespoon of Ground Cinnamon (item # HS592)

1 tablespoon of Echinacea (item # HS687)

1/2 teaspoon of Lavender flowers (item # HS092)

1 teaspoon of Peppermint leaves (item # HS177)

Mix all the herbs together and fill your tea ball (item # HA014) Heat water and allow your tea ball to rest in your hot water for approximately 3 minutes. Longer or shorter to meet your personal preference. If you want to make a large amount we've found that using a coffee pot to make our herb teas works out nicely. We simply put a coffee filter in like usual (item # NF647) place herbs in filter where you would normally place your coffee. Pour your water in the machine and brew as usual. This has been very helpful when several of us would like a quick hot cup of tea at the same time. Pour yourself a cup of tea, sweeten with your favorite honey (mine is Berry/Wildflower honey #SW009) and ENJOY!

Until our next visit,

Beth Joy

Kitchen Table Conversations- Garlic Gold

2011-03-30T03:21:00.000-07:00

The favorable rush for Garlic Gold is not exaggerated. This high quality yet affordable product has been quite a hit in my home! I was honored to speak with Brian Chossek last week about his company and his product! Come on in, sit down and join us at the kitchen table for some healthy conversation!

Until our next chat,

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Have you ever wondered: how to tell if an egg is good?

2011-03-29T06:26:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered if the egg you are about to eat is fresh?

I know I have! Here are some useful tips to help you determine if that yummy egg really is yummy!

Step 1) Get a bowl, or glass jar and fill it half way to the top with water, make sure the water is about two times colder than the egg.

Step 2) Place the egg in the water-

Does it fall to the bottom and lay on its side, yes? Excellent! This is just the way we want our eggs... nice and fresh!

Does it fall to the bottom and ‘bob’ around a little bit, yes? That means this egg is about a week old. Still okay to eat.

Does it fall to the bottom and balance on the smallest tip, yes? That means this egg is about three weeks old-I personally do not want my eggs any older than this!

Does it come straight to the top of the bowl or glass jar, yes? Then this egg definitely needs to be thrown out.

This is a good egg!

This egg is older than three weeks!

Until our next discovery-

Bekah Lynn

Bekah Lynn is the daughter of Joseph and Jeanette Wood. She is the oldest daughter in the family, assisting daily in the family business and helping in the home management.

Life verse: Psalm 46:10”Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Giveaways don’t get any sweeter than this….

2011-03-28T12:16:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends!

I’m excited to offer someone a HUGE wholesome sweeteners giveaway this week! I’ve made it simple to win so make sure you join the fun and pass along the details to others!

First let’s talk about Wholesome Sweeteners offered at Azure Standard!

Celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, Wholesome Sweeteners is based out of Sugar Land, Texas. Wholesome Sweeteners has been committed to pioneering the certification process for the Fair Trade Certified sugar and Honey; “today they are category leaders in Fair Trade Certified, organic and natural sugars, syrups, nectars and honeys produces from nature’s best resources.” (taken from Wholesome Sweeteners ‘about us’ page.)

There is a huge selection of Wholesome Sweeteners items to choose from at Azure Standard. Where do we start? Powdered Sugar, Light Brown Sugar, Dark Brown Sugar, multiple flavored Organic Blue Agave from Vanilla to Maple, Cinnamon to Strawberry, the possibilities are endless! They are also offering a new (to me) product called, Zero, “an organic sweetener produced from Organic Cane Juice which is fermented and crystallized to created the first Organic Erythritol” (Statement from Wholesome Sweeteners). There are so many more options available. I encourage you to do a Wholesome Sweeteners search at Azure Standard and see all the possibilities…all offered organically!

SO.. without any more delay let’s talk about the details of this sweet giveaway!

WHAT YOU WILL WIN:

One each of the following:

Organic Sucanat

Organic Dark Brown Sugar

Organic Zero

Raw Cane Sugar

Organic Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar

Organic Molasses

Organic Light Corn Syrup

Organic Raw Blue Agave

Organic Blue Agave Strawberry Flavored

Organic Blue Agave Cinnamon Flavored

HOW TO WIN: Each entry must include all of the following to be a valid entry. A winner will be chosen by pulling your name out of a hat by my two youngest children on Saturday April 2nd 2011. All entries must be received prior to 12:00am Saturday, April 2nd 2011. The winner of this sweet bundle will only need to leave a comment here on the blog INCLUDING ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

Your name with email address
A link to their Facebook page or personal blog where they have shared about the giveaway.
Tell me what your favorite Wholesome Sweetener is, and why. OR if you’ve never tried any of the Wholesome Sweeteners for yourself, what product do you want to try and why.

PLEASE NOTE: One comment per person for a valid entry!

Do you want to have more entries in this contest? Okay…. then let’s do it! For every entry comment that lists YOUR name, blog, or Facebook page within the comment not only will they be entered into the contests but you’ll get an extra entry as well! There is NO LIMIT to how many people can list YOUR page in their comment HERE on the Azure Almanac blog. I encourage you to have some fun and start sharing with your friends!

The winner will be posted on Saturday and must respond to me with a mailing address by Monday, April 4th or a new winner will be picked.

DON’T FORGET TO “LIKE” us on Facebook!!

www.facebook.com/azurestandard

Until our next chat…

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Radiation… realization!

2011-03-22T16:59:00.001-07:00

I’m sitting at my desk with the fresh breeze blowing through my windows. The house is quiet as the boys are out in the woods having their latest adventures, while my daughters are quietly reading in a chair behind me. I’m thankful for the peaceful life we are blessed to enjoy. The green pastures, the animals that freely graze, the chickens that roam, and the herbs from last year that are beginning to burst through the soil we’ve carefully tended. As I sit here, I ponder that at any moment disaster can strike; without warning, without delay life can change abruptly. My heart goes out to all the families that have been impacted by the disaster in Japan.

When life events such as these take place I begin to evaluate the information bombarding us through the media and carefully consider what I know that could be helpful, resources I trust for good information, and what my response should be. I am thankful for the resource that I have in Azure Standard. Azure offers some of the best products from the best companies available. One such company and product is Redmond Clay (HB214). Since the tragedy in Japan I have been asked several times about my thoughts on radiation protection and detoxing suggestions. Today, I came across these publications (Protection from Radiation Exposure by Perry A and Redmond Clay: A High Affinity Sorbent of Aflatoxin B and Cholera Toxin by Dr. Kim L. O’Neill and Joshua D. Stubblefield )that I found most insightful. I encourage you to take some time to read them for yourself. Some of the highlights that I appreciated were:

“Right now, everyone on earth is bathed in a soup of radioactive energy. There has never before been a time when it was more important to cleanse our bodies of ever present radiation.”

Keep in mind this article was written BEFORE the incident in Japan. Radioactive energy and the necessity of detoxing was important to us BEFORE the accident, is absolutely important to us now, and will continue to be a matter of importance.

“No matter what we do, no matter how health conscious we’ve become, no matter
what precautions are taken, our bodies are radiated daily. It is crucially important to counter, to remove this radiation and the resultant damage from our bodies on a daily basis. There is nothing better for this purpose than using a quality living clay on a daily basis.”

I appreciated the article giving very simple, practical steps for dealing with radioactive emergencies. Directions on how much clay is needed and how often, is clearly written out in the article. This isn’t some ’magical’ cure. This is simply good science! As explained by the author,

“radioactive material is of a positive charged ion. Calcium Bentonite Clay is a negative charged ion. Simply put, Calcium Bentonite Clay adsorbs and absorbs, capturing positive charged ions and you wash them off or pass them through your body. Unlike other clays, only Smectites (Bentonites) can absorb and adsorb. It is characterized by its expandable properties.”

I encourage you to consider the importance of taking Redmond Clay as part of your normal diet and know how to use it in cases of emergencies. I believe this is something all of us should consider as we sit, wherever it might be, in the peace that we know and call home. We never know what tomorrow might bring and therefore, we must be diligent about becoming informed and exercised in good healthy choices now.

“Radiation is a real health problem. Calcium Bentonite Clay is the real solution.”

Frugal Friday- Fast… and healthy!

2011-03-18T02:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just need something quick and easy but healthy too! I typically make things from scratch and enjoy doing so however, busy farm life can cause for some long days and that’s when some of the frozen entrees at Azure are a HUGE blessing!

This month and next Azure is offering several frozen entrees on sale! Here are some of my favorite finds!

Vegetable Lasagna (FG052) 15% off! This is made by Amy’s one of my favorites that Azure carries. You can taste the quality! No meat, fish, poultry or eggs used in this dish.. actually in any of Amy’s products.

Vegetable Pot Pie (FG040) 15% off! This is a dish that Joe loves to take on the road with him. Not phony in flavor! All natural and organic ingredients are used making this pot pie taste home made!

And don’t forget dessert!!

Amy E’s Bakery Almond Toffee (SC032) is 15% off right now and looks absolutely delicious… I do think this will have to find it’s way in my cart and cabinets without the children discovering it!

Until our next chat…

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Good Mornings Made Great!

2011-03-17T12:03:00.001-07:00

Good Morning Friends! Farm activity demands healthy strong bodies with sharp minds to accomplish all the tasks set before us. I know for our family a good morning breakfast meal can make for the start of a great day! Here is our family favorite, Good Morning Omelet served with Toast and Apple Juice

Good Morning Omelet:

Farm Fresh Eggs (DP024)

Garlic Gold Oil (OL025) This item is currently on sale for 15% off!

Sweet Pepper Mix (QP306)

Real Salt (BP064)

Pepper (HS604) On sale right now for 12% off!

Raw Cheddar (CH096)

To make these omelets simply crack your eggs (for our family we need at least 18eggs) Don’t forget to save your shells to recycle in your compost pile or garden beds. Oil your skillet with a Tbs or so of the Garlic Gold Oil. Allow your eggs to begin cooking then add 1-2 Tbs of shredded cheese, a 1Tbs of peppers, salt and pepper to taste and fold in half. Finish cooking to your desired consistency then serve with shredded cheese on top. Feel free to add any other goodies to this that you desire, olives, mushrooms, broccoli, oh… the possibilities are unlimited!

While this is cooking put some toast in the toaster and spread your organic butter over the top. I prefer just butter on my toast but other members of our household love to smother it in some delicious preserve such as the Bing Cherry Marmalade that is on sale this month for 15% off!!

This is a quick breakfast for our family yet so filling and delicious too! It’s a great good morning meal to start off the day! ENJOY!

Until our next chat…

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Healthy Hospitality

2011-03-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

What does the word, ‘hospitality’ mean to you? I know for our family it means a time of service to someone that we may not know or someone that is a long time friend. It is a time to open our home to a stranger or a friend. It is an opportunity to offer them rest and a healthy meal for their journey. This next week we will have the honor of serving three different families that are driving through our part of the country. Each family is unique and quite a treasure. No special allergies or food requests were made so I’ll be looking to Azure for some healthy meals that are worthy of the guests that will be sitting around our kitchen table!

Here’s a few of my menu ideas so far. Do you have another idea you’d like to suggest? I would love to hear from you!

Breakfast ideas:

Strawberry Smoothies made with Natural Strawberries (FG448), Rice Milk (DA126), and a combination of some herbs that we like to start the day with. We’ll serve these with some farm fresh eggs mixed with Azure’s sweet pepper mix ( QP306- I LOVE this mix by the way!) and some Garlic Gold Oil (OL025) I might even add a spelt english muffin (FG276) with some organic butter (DP051)
Buttermilk Pancakes (BM041) along with some Breakfast sausage Chicken and Apple (MT097) and apple juice (JS394)

Lunch ideas:

Sprout Sandwich- I will be serving this on some home made whole wheat bread with sprouts that we have grown from our Azure sprout mix (SE039) I’ll give people the option of having fresh chopped garlic (QP085), avocado (QP082) or sundried tomatoes (GY238) on their sandwich. Served with some baby carrots (QP065) and buttermilk dressing (CO021) on the side.
Homemade pizza to include an assortment of goodies we have on hand. Perhaps some organic raw cheese (CH096), olives (GY190), mushrooms GY572) and whatever else I might desire at the moment of baking.

Dinner ideas:

Chicken Alfredo made with Azure’s Alfredo Sauce (QS084)
Sprouted Enchiladas that I shared a few days back: http://azurestandard.blogspot.com/2011/03/beef-enchiladas-with-sprouted-tortillas.html

Desserts:

We have some carrot cakes that we’ve made up and froze for guests. We also have some pear crisps that we can chose from.

I don’t like to send my guests away empty handed and since they each have children I will be giving them a bag of organic lollipops (SC651) to take on the road.

Well, that’s what I have so far. It might change as it comes together but for the most part I believe this menu will serve it’s purpose well!

Until our next chat..

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Have You Ever Wondered? “Rolled Oats”

2011-03-13T18:13:00.001-07:00

“Have you wondered” is a place where you can ask those questions not often found in kitchen references and somehow didn’t get passed to the next generation. Such as, how much flour does a cup of wheat berries make? or how do you roll oat groats? When do you know an egg is bad? and a 100 other questions that seem to come up from time to time as we work in the kitchen. I have asked many of these questions myself, over the years, so I’m excited to share. I don’t’ claim to always have the answer but I will do my best to find it!

Today I wanted to share a little bit about Rolled Oats:

Oat Groats are the original state of oats before they are rolled. (I know for myself I didn’t realize this until many years later in our marriage.) I like to keep whole foods in my home and ‘open’ (grind or roll) them when I go to use them thus keeping the highest amount of nutrition available. We grind our oat groats into a flour and use for cookies and other goodies. I know others eat oat groats whole as a hot cereal. However, the most common method of using our oat groats is rolling them for granola and making our own breakfast cereals.

If you have a stand mixer such as Kitchen Aid or Bosch see if they offer you a roller attachment. You’ll need that attachment if you plan to roll your own oats. I personally have a DLX mixer and use it daily! Below you’ll see pictures of the children putting the roller attachment onto the machine and rolling the oats.

OH! and just in case you’ve always wondered how many cups of rolled oats 1 cup of oat groats would make we’ve got that answer for you too!

My mixer with roller attachment not connected

The machine set up with the measuring cup underneath.

1 cup of Oat Groats

Makes 2 cups of Rolled Oats in less than two minutes!

There you have it…. just in case you’ve ever wondered!

Until our next chat,

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Kitchen Conversations- Pure Alaska Salmon Company

2011-03-12T05:32:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends! This last week I had the privilege of interviewing Shirley Zuanich the owner of Pure Alaska Salmon Company. Azure offers both the Redhead Sockeye Salmon and the Pink Salmon from Pure Alaska. If you would like to view those products for yourself simply go HERE I have also posted recipes from Shirley on our resource page. Simply click on the ‘resource’ tab at the top of this page and you’ll find two PDF recipes available free for your use.

Until our next chat,

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Frugal Friday- Specials you don’t want to miss!

2011-03-11T18:37:00.001-08:00

I love the Azure specials! If you don’t’ already get their FREE sale flyer you can have it added to your cart by adding item number: CT005 There are just so many wonderful products on sale right now. Including Oregon Spice products, an assortment of the Biokleen products, not to mention Amy E’s Bakery items! Here are two other items that I thought were worthy of our attention this week.

Kombucha Wonder Drink on sale at 15% off! Pear flavor is one of my Joe’s favorites!

Inside this drink is an ingredient most consumers have never heard of before. It's called kombucha. Brewed into a beverage, kombucha has a legendary reputation for promoting wellness. Millions of believers in hundreds of countries drink kombucha every day for its unique flavor, and more importantly, for health benefits that have been reported for centuries. It hasn't been easy to get kombucha here in America. That's where we come in. Because kombucha is the main ingredient in a new drink we call Kombucha Wonder Drink.

If you were birthed in an Asian hut you probably know all about kombucha. The Far East is where kombucha was first discovered five thousand years ago, before being spread all over the world. People who tried it began to feel the difference. Today, scientists in major nations believe kombucha can both prevent and cure myriad of ailments, so numerous that we can't list them all here. Suffice to say, one can expect at least a natural lift from Kombucha Wonder Drink.

Feel good already? Here's something else. Kombucha Wonder Drink is a low-sugar, low caffeinated beverage, made with organic and natural ingredients. It's fermented - instead of concocted like other bottle drinks - so it's subtle, naturally effervescent and not to sweet. In other words, it won't tweak you out. Kombucha Wonder Drink is blended with organic teas and fruit essences, and currently comes in three flavors. Suddenly there's an interesting alternative to juice, tea, cider, coffee, wine, beer, and even water. Kombucha can be enjoyed in the morning, evening, with meals, by itself, chilled or over ice. It's a refreshing alternative to alcohol with a taste geared toward the adult palate. Kombucha Wonder Drink is meant to be savored, not slugged.

Note: This product can not be shipped via UPS or USPS during the winter months due to freezing temperatures. Due to the low sugar content the the product bottles can freeze and break.

Ingredients: Kombucha, organic oolong tea, organic cane sugar, natural pear flavoring, organic raw ginger juice.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 8.5 ozs (252 ml)

Servings per Container: about 1.5

Nutrient Amount % DV

Calories 60 0%

Arnica 30X is a wonderful pain relief formula that you don’t want to be without! A natural pain relief for bruising, swelling, aches, pains and joint and muscle soreness. I keep one of these in each of our first aid kits. ON SALE NOW! 15% off!

Happy National Blueberry Popover Day!

2011-03-10T17:48:00.001-08:00

Remember a while back I asked on the Facebook page if you had a day that you would like to celebrate a certain food? Maybe you’d like to pick your loved ones birthday and celebrate their favorite dish for the day. Perhaps, it’s a family meal, a traditional dish, or maybe even a ‘just because’ recipe! Whatever the case, I would love to have you join me as we fill up our Azure Almanac Calendar with foods to celebrate. Not just any food mind you, we want to celebrate natural, nutritious, and delicious food! If you click on the ‘Calendar’ tab at the top of the page you can see any holidays that might be taken….. You have a lot to choose from so go ahead and submit as many as you like! We love hearing from you and enjoy making this blog for all of us!

Well, enough chit chat for now. Let’s get to the food!

1 Cup Raw Farm Milk

2 Tbs Organic Salted Butter (DP050) melted

1/2 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract (BP019)

1/4 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt (BP112)

1/4 cup Organic Rapadura (SW074) separated

1 cup sifted Whole wheat flour (FL066)

2 large farm Eggs (DP024)

1/4 tsp Cinnamon (HS593)

1 cup frozen Blueberries (FG316)

In a large bowl mix first four ingredients together along with 3 TBS of the Rapadura. Set the rest of your Rapadura aside for use later. Then add 1 cup of flour a little at a time along with your eggs and mix until it is combined. Do not over mix! Set aside and let sit for 5 minutes. In another bowl mix the remaining Rapadura with your cinnamon and set aside.

Adjust your rack in the oven and put it into middle position. Preheat oven to 450

Grease your muffin pan with coconut oil (OL116) Place approximately 1 Tbs of blueberries into the bottom of each muffin tin. Then add 2Tbs of dough on top of the berries. Sprinkle with the tops with your cinnamon/rapadura mixture.

Bake in oven for 10 min. at 450 degrees. Reduce to 350 and bake until each popover is nice and firm and golden brown in color. It should take another ten minutes or so.

Take out and serve hot with some organic vanilla ice cream (FD047)… simply amazing!!

You can’t tell from the photo how nice and ‘puffy’ they were! Try them for yourself… I’m sure they’ll be a hit in your home too! Don’t forget the ice cream….

This recipe makes 12 muffins.

Peanut Butter Granola

2011-03-09T20:30:00.001-08:00

Healthy snacks are such an important part of our menu planning. I have learned that I must have healthy foods available when hunger comes calling!
This is a quick granola recipe you can make that will satisfy all those hungry tummies in your home! I hope you enjoy as much as we do!
Ingredients:
2 Tbs organic butter (DP050)
1/3 cup Peanut Butter (NB067)
1/3 cup Honey (SW009)
1/2 tsp Vanilla (BP018)
1/4 tsp Salt (BP072)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (HS592)
3 Cups of Rolled Oats (We roll our own oat groats item number: GR107. If you do NOT have an oat roller you will want to buy oats already rolled item number:CE201)
1 apple (QP222)
1/2 cup Raisins optional (DF064)
Melt butter and peanut butter in a pan on the stove top. Melt and bring to a rumble not quite a boil. Add honey, vanilla, salt and cinnamon and allow to come to a boil. stir constantly. Then add oats and finally diced apple. Mix completely then serve up to enjoy! Very yummy indeed!!
Until our next chat…
Mrs. Joseph Wood

Kitchen Table Conversations- Let’s talk Salt!

2011-03-06T18:51:00.001-08:00

Kitchen Table Conversations is a place that I can share with you as one friend from another. I’m not a doctor and I don’t claim to be offering medical advice. Only my thoughts, personal experience, and research. So with that said, grab your favorite cup of tea and join me for some Kitchen Table Conversation!

“If a dish is good it’s better with salt”, or so I tell my family. My husband has often reminded me that “salt is bad for you” or so that’s what we hear. We have been using sea salt from Azure for many years now and yet, we keep hearing that salt needs to be limited. Really?

I’ve been reading a book by Dr. David Brownstein called, Salt your way to health that is clearly written, easy to read and full of information. I strongly encourage you to read this reference for yourself.

According to Dr. Brownstein, The type of salt we add to our diets is critical! It must be salt that hasn’t been contaminated by pollutants, harvested with heavy machinery, stripped of it’s natural minerals, or washed in harsh chemicals.

Azure carries Celtic Sea Salt (item number: BP112) by Selina Naturally that has been hand harvested from the pristine coastal regions of France. I have tasted this salt and it is indeed delicious!

Azure also offers Real Salt (BP104) that has been hidden deep in the ancient salt deposits near the small town of Redmond, Utah. These deep deposits have protected the salt from harmful air pollutants. Redmond Real Salt products have been a new addition in our home that we are delighted to use in a variety of ways. In fact, I even tried adding it to my cheese. I’m still not sure that I was happy with the course addition (I used the granular salt) so next time I’ll try using their Fine Real Salt (Item number: BP064) shaker.

Both of these salts, Real Salt and Celtic Sea Salt are unrefined. Offering our bodies the much needed minerals they have to offer. In fact, according to Dr. Brownstein unrefined salt contains over 80 minerals and elements- natural elements that the body needs! I am happy to use both of these salts in my home!

Some worry about the expense of unrefined salt. Refined salt is very cheap. I propose that it is so cheap because it cheaply, at best, adds anything worthwhile to your body! Don’t cheat yourself out of using and benefiting from unrefined salt! We are a family of twelve that must live on a budget ourselves. I understand watching costs however, in this case I believe that refined salt is costing our health more than it could ever save me!

I’ve only skimmed the surface in this topic. We haven’t even talked about the health benefits of adding unrefined salt to our diets, the importance of a neutral pH and how unrefined salt needs to be the salt of choice for this process. Oh, yes and what about the dangers of these “low salt’ diets that we have being pushed on us, thyroid disorders, and…. Well, as it is with most Kitchen Table Conversations there just never seems to be enough time to share it all.

Until our next chat…

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Frugal Friday- Pack A Snack Bag!

2011-03-04T11:05:00.001-08:00

Spring is almost here! Typically, that means we’ll be traveling a bit more. We enjoy days at the park with friends, picnics at the zoo, not to mention days of errands that can keep us out longer than we anticipated. It’s vital that I have taken the time to have healthy snacks when we’re on the go or I’ll be faced with making unwanted processed food purchases. When you have days that take you away from home do you pack a healthy snack bag for the car?

I’m delighted to report that with the help of Azure Standard we can pack a healthy snack bag frugally!

Let’s get started filling our bag! First, we’ll want to make sure we bring plenty of water. When my children were younger, I gave each child a spill proof cup that was there responsibility and only used for the car.

Apple Chips (Item number: DF137) I’m always being asked for healthy snack ideas. Apple chips definitely rank at the top of that list! Dried fruit is my favorite for the car since fresh fruit can be too messy. Quite often we purchase fresh apples from Azure’s produce to make our own apple chips. There are times when the busy days of motherhood prevent me from having as much on hand as I would like. That’s when Bare Fruit Apple Chips are a wonderful alternative! 100% organic with no preservatives make this a prized purchase! Apple Chips are a low calorie but high flavor snack to pack in our bag! This month Azure is offering them at a 15% discount! That means we can add these to our bag for only 1.95!

Trail Mix is a favorite in our house! We can also pick up a 1lb bag of Trial Mix Chocolate Sunshine Organic Mix (Item number NU137)This will most certainly last us for more than one trip so let’s divide it up in containers just for our trip. Coming in at only .61 cents a serving!

Arrowroot Maple Cookies (item number IC086) These cookies were especially created with little hands in mind. The only cookie that is organic and meets the nutritional needs of a toddler! A box of cookies is available for only 2.50 cents!

Turkey Jerky (Item number: GY346 ) I might even add a bag of Turkey Jerky to our snack bag. Normally the children will share a bag depending on what treats we’ve put into our snack bag! Only 6.90 for this healthy snack that is made from turkeys that are raised on a natural diet, with no hormones or growth stimulants!

Newman- O’s Mint cream filled cookie, Peanut butter filled cookie, or crème filled cookie. All of these are on sale right for 15% off! A serving size of the peanut butter cream filled cookie is only 1.80!

These are just a few of the things that we have added to our snack bag. Our bag is continually changing based off of our appetite and Azure’s great sales. If you want to see Azure sale items to plan your menu or your family’s snack bag you can download that free of charge by visiting:

www.azurestandard.com/publications

Until our next chat….

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Beef Enchiladas with Sprouted Tortillas

2011-03-03T20:35:00.001-08:00

People often tell me that they are just too busy to make healthy meals. I understand their concern. I remember thinking the same thing when I first started learning about better meals for my family! Azure offers several pre made meals that I love to send with Joe on his deliveries. Then there are the times that I want something fast here at home too! That’s when I turn to a few favorite products that I can quickly put together for a delicious meal that will satisfy my family for hours!

Let me introduce you to my star ingredients:

2 packages Sprouted Wheat Tortilla’s Fajita Size (Item number: FG154) I like using these best because they are thinner than the Ezekiel Sprouted Tortillas (Item number: FG150) Today I used both! Why sprouted? Sprouted tortillas are full of nutrition that the body can easily put to use. Sprouted tortillas also give the dish a delicious flavor.

2 pounds Ground Beef (Item number: MT003) Azure offers beef from livestock that are raised on certified organic range pasture! If you’re not use to buying pasture raised beef you’ll be surprised by all the flavor beef has without the need to add seasoning. Another tip, when cooking don’t cook it too high and too fast.

2 cans Rice and Beans (Item number: GY720) Azure sells Eden Organic products to help us on those busy days when cooking rice and beans from scratch just wasn’t fitting into the schedule. I love having resources that are quick in the kitchen without jeopardizing the nutrition of the dish. I used 1 Tbs per tortilla.

1 tsp Garlic Salt (Item number: BP012) I am a fan of RealSalt! Organic natural garlic salt that contains no MSG! I am very generous when salting my dish. I am confident that serving RealSalt is not only tasty but good for the family!

1/2 tsp Organic Ground Pepper (Item number: HS604) If you’re not use to the spices from Azure you may not know what you’re missing. I especially like to ground my own peppercorns for a rich, fresh flavor! Whole Black Peppercorns (Item number: HS176)

2 cans Crushed Tomatoes (Item number: GY851) is what I use instead of a tomato sauce. Eden Organic several varieties including, Crushed Tomatoes with Sweet Basil (Item Number: GY855) or Crushed Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic (Item number: GY857) Any of these would be a wonderful addition however, for today I used Crushed Tomatoes. You’ll use 1 can to make your tortillas and one can to cover the top of the dish. Adding the sauce and plenty of cheese to each tortilla ensures your dish won’t be dry.

8 ounces Cheddar Cheese, Raw Milk (Item number: CH096) We often make our own cheese but sometimes we just don’t have the time. In those moments I find this an acceptable substitution. In fact, the children enjoy trying the variety of cheese that Azure sells so we can see which one is our favorite and try to “master” it for our home cheese making.

2 cups of Mild Cheddar Cheese (Item number: CH086) You could also use the Mexican Blend Cheese (Item number: CH181) I probably would have used a few bags of this Mexican Blend if I not forgotten to order some! Take a look at Azure’s cheese selection and find the product that you would like most. You don’t have to do it specific to what I do. I change the products I use in my recipes often. Sometimes I surprise myself and find a new favorite!

1 Chopped Onion (Item number: QP018) I think onions make any dish taste better. In fact, if you look at the photo you’ll notice I actually used THREE onions… I don’t know how much of that I ate raw while assembling and I did have left overs. I suppose the average person would find one onion to be plenty!

There are so many variables that you can do to this dish. Add some spinach or maybe even try some Black Olives the possible are abundant.

Thoroughly cook your meat and season with garlic salt and pepper. Heat up your Rice and beans, chop your onion, and shred your cheese. Open up your cans of crushed tomatoes and set before you with your other ingredients for assembling your tortillas. Take one tortilla and put 1 Tbs of meat, 1 Tbs of rice and beans, 1 Tbs of crushed tomatoes, a few onions, a heaping teaspoon of each cheese and fold and place into a 9X13 pan.

Once your pan is full of filled tortillas cover with your other can of crushed tomatoes. Then put the remaining cheese over the top and back at 350 until cheese is melted and browning around the edges.

Serve with a fresh green salad and enjoy!!

Until our next chat….

Mrs. Joseph Wood

The Three Step Smoothie

2011-03-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Hazelnut Milk (Item Number: DA199)
Natural Strawberries (Item Number: FG448)
Natural Raspberries (Item Number: FG449)

Supplies:
Personal Blender (Item Number: HA029) I love this blender!! So simple to use that the children use it for a quick smoothie before they go back out to work on the farm!

Directions:
Place berries in blender, then pour in Hazelnut Milk and blend! It's that simple! In less than ten minues you have a delicious smoothie to refresh you for the day!

Redmond Clay- You’re never to old to play in clay!

2011-03-01T04:56:00.000-08:00

My husband, Joe, has enjoyed picking up products for Azure Standard. He’s met some wonderful people along the way. However, I haven’t heard him excited about a company like he was about Redmond Clay. He was given a tour, some samples and information before he parted with handshakes and smiles. Soon after, he was on the phone with me wanting to make sure that we had this wonderful resource available in our home. He was thrilled when he learned we had been using it for years.

Redmond Clay also known as Bentonite Clay has a negative electrical charge. It attracts the positively charged toxins. We’ve used this for children that came in contact with poison ivy and poison oak, insect bites, and bee stings with great success. The girls have even used it regularly as a facial mud. Not only is Bentonite clay good for external use but internal as well. Aiding to relieve diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, indigestion, acid reflux and many other digestive disorders. You don’t want to miss this free e-booklet with personal stories and testimonies how how Redmond Clay has been used in other households! I have posted the link for this resource and invite you to download their free e-book called, “We Eat Clay (and wear it, too!")”

Not all Bentonite Clay is the same! We have purchased ours from a variety of sources over the years and found that in comparison to the Redmond Clay there was truly a difference! Redmond Clay was ‘cleaner’ looking, light and powdering, and fine in texture. It actually feels good to apply!

Azure Standard offers top quality, natural products such as Redmond Clay (HB214). Please visit their site for information on how you can order this product for your own family. You’ll also notice in the product description some important information about collection, supplement facts, and even find an old time remedy!

ENJOY!

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Have you ever wondered?

2011-02-24T04:11:00.000-08:00

Curiosity may have gotten Curious George in a lot of trouble over the years however, when we’re learning new skills, a new lifestyle, or a new menu curiosity can be of great value. Curiosity is often the first step to change for the better! Haven’t we all been curious how we can do a better job feeding our family or caring for their needs? Curiosity leads to questions, questions lead to research, research leads to education, education leads to learning and learning when applied leads to change for the better!

Have you ever wondered how to tell if an egg has went bad? Or what about how many wheat berries you must grind for 1 cup of flour? I’ve often been asked how to tell if a cantaloupe is fresh, or what temperature cream should be when churning into butter. These are all good questions! Questions you don’t think of unless you’re being proactive in the kitchen! I remember a time that I had no clue flour didn’t come off the plant as a fine powder! Eggs go bad? I didn’t know that was possible; and how to make butter well that wasn’t even in my thought process! I remember when the thought of grinding grain seemed exciting and daunting all at the same time. I listened, read and researched each new “skill” and most often felt overwhelmed. With some time and hands on practice I’ve learned that living a simpler life wasn’t as difficult as I was making it!

Over the next few weeks I will be hosting, “Have you ever Wondered?” post where I answer all the above questions and more! If you have a question that you’ve been curious about, please let me know! I would be delighted to share with you! Don’t forget to join our Facebook page as well. There you’ll find several families that share recipes, favorite products and answer questions from their personal experience. You never know you might even be the one to share the answer to their curious questions too!

Until our next chat…

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Traveling and making healthy food choices along the way…

2011-02-16T09:43:00.001-08:00

The Wood family is delighted to be heading to Virginia!! I am determined that this 900 mile journey will not consist of junk food and drinks nor will there be any stops at the typical fast food restaurants that litter our highways! So, how does a family of 12 travel and remain consistent to eat affordable and healthy meals? Well, as you can guess, it takes some consideration and preparation ahead of time. Yesterday, I asked our Facebook readers to share some healthy food suggestions for travel. I loved the variety of sharing that went on! I will be using several of the ideas presented along with the menu my daughter, Beth-Joy, has created for us. Do you have healthy food suggestions too? We would love to hear from you!

Here’s our menu thus far:

Thursday pm Snack: Popcorn (GR024) cooked on the stovetop in Coconut oil (OL007) and seasoned with Real Salt (BP064)

Friday am meal: Meeting with Friends in KY and eating breakfast with them.

Friday noon meal: Chicken sandwich (this is being made with a pasture raised chicken we have boiling down today and home made whole wheat bread)along with dried apples (DF003)

Friday pm meal: Taco Salad made up in advance served with blue chips (SN156)

Friday snacks: Jerkey (GY345) cheese sticks (CH143) hard boiled eggs (DP145)

Sunday am meal: Home made granola (recipe can be found on our Facebook page.)with yogurt (DP037)

Sunday noon meal: peanut butter (NB040) and jelly (JC065)sandwich with fresh apples (QP023)

Sunday snacks: assorted nuts: Pecans (NU037), walnuts (NU058) as well as offering Sunflower seeds (SE096) with raisins(DF064)

Sounds like yummy travels are ahead for the Wood family!

Until our next chat…

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Congratulations to our Newman’s Own Organic Giveaway Winner

2011-02-14T05:36:00.001-08:00

Thank you to everyone that participated! The winner of our Newman’s Own Organic Chocolate is….

VICKILYNN!

Please make sure you contact me with your mailing address so I can get these goodies mailed out to you today!

To be notified about more giveaways, recipes and information please make sure you “like” our Facebook page, follow us with Network blogger or Google! We look forward to sharing more with you soon!

Until our next chat… enjoy the chocolate!
Mrs. Joseph Wood

In Honor of National Peppermint Patty Day… Giveaway!

2011-02-11T06:35:00.001-08:00

What do you get when you combine peppermint, organic dark chocolate, and Newman’s Own Organics? Nothing short of something completely delicious! Also known as, Newman’s Own Organics Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cups! These treats are available at Azure Standard item number: SC270 for 15% off this month! In fact, Azure Standard offers several of Newman’s Own Organic products. I encourage you to use the search feature of the site to find other products such as Newman’s Own Organics Peanut Butter Cups available in both milk chocolate or dark chocolate, Dark Chocolate Bar 54% Cacoa, Orange Dark Chocolate Bar 54%, Milk Chocolate Bar and more!!

Newman’s Own Organics was established as a division of Newman’s Own in 1993 by Paul Newman and became it’s own separate company in late 2001. Mr. Paul Newman has given 200 million dollars to thousands of charities worldwide since 1982. Their concern for people and the environment continues; each package of Peppermint Cups, as well as their peanut butter cups, carry the Rainforest Alliance Certification. Newman’s Own Organics has made a commitment “to pay a premium above and beyond the current market price for Certified Organic Cocoa Beans that is tied to the Fair Trade market price of Organic Cocoa Beans” (http://www.newmansownorganics.com/food_peanut.html).

To celebrate National Peppermint Patty day I am hosting a giveaway for a collection of Newman’s Own Organics products sold by Azure Standard. This giveaway will include:

1 package of dark chocolate peppermint cups Item number: SC270 ON SALE NOW 15% OFF

1 package of milk chocolate peanut butter cups Item number: SC266

1 orange dark chocolate bar 54% cocoa item number: SC101 ON SALE NOW 15% OFF

Rules to Win:

In order to win this perfectly chocolate prize simply follow these three simple steps!

1. Leave a comment on the below

2. Share this opportunity with your friends through your Facebook, blog, or Twitter account. (you must leave the link of your post in your comment for me to verify your entry)

3. Go to: www.facebook.com/azurestandard and “like” our page!

Each entry MUST be complete with the three above steps in order to be entered into the drawing. A winner will be chosen by random.org on Monday, February 14th and announced here on the blog.

Glorious Ginger

2011-02-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

Ginger has been treasured throughout history dating back as far as 3000 years ago; known as a spice of value. In fact, this herb held so much value to the ancient Romans that one pound of ginger was equal to the price of a whole sheep! When the Roman empire fell ginger almost became lost in history until Europe re-discovered it. Ginger, also known as “horn root” owes Marco Polo his due for bringing ginger back to Europe after a trip to the far east. Ginger is in the same ‘family’ as turmeric and cardamom; native to Southern Asia. Ginger grows easily in tropical settings and is quite popular in the Caribbean Islands. It is often called, ginger root when in actuality it is a rhizome. According to Wordnetweb, “A rhizome is a horizontal plant stem with shots above and roots below serving as a reproductive structure”

While Ginger is popular for it’s vivacious flavor it has been just as popular for it’s medicinal purposes. Throughout history, there has been mention to the powerful health benefits that ginger offers. Just to list a few:

Anticlotting agent

Antifungal

Anti-inflammatory

Anti-viral

Circulatory stimulant

Analgesic

and much more…. To learn more about Ginger you may want to read, Ginger, Common Spice and Wonder Drug item number: BK180 By Paul Schulick. Mr. Schulick lists ginger as the universal medicine with hundreds of scientific references.

We can purchase a variety of quality Ginger products from Azure Standard.

Take a look at a few of my favorite ginger products:

Organic Ginger (QP162)

Organic Ginger Chunks (GY254)

Organic Grapefruit and Wild Ginger Lotion (HB819)

Is It Really Raw?

2011-02-03T03:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, on our Facebook page, someone was asking how we can really know if something is raw. Earlier, I had received an email from someone asking if I could share the definition of ‘organic’. These are important questions! Companies can be the masters of illusion when it comes to providing quality products to the consumer. Just take a look at any store label and you’ll see ingredients you don’t recognize. It appears as if manufactures change the name of items when the public becomes aware of the dangers of a certain ingredient! To top it off you have the regulations defining terms such as ‘spice’, ‘raw’, or ‘organic’. Often times they give allowances in the definition causing the real meaning and purpose of the word to be lost and all at the consumers expense! This is just another reason why I love Azure Standard! I love the dedication to the customer and to creation! David Stelzer the owner states:

“We chose to call our business Azure Standard, to signify by the name what we are attempting to do. Azure is a shade of blue which has been associated with law, justice, and honesty. In raising an azure standard, we want to place an honest standard in the marketing of food. We feel that the correct way to effect a positive change is not to attack the way it is being done, but to begin to do it right.”

Many companies have seen the need to devote themselves to promoting quality products that the consumer can trust! One such company that Azure carries is, Brunkow Cheese of WIsconsin. According to their site, “One taste is all it takes” to realize just how good raw milk cheddar can be. I positively love their Tomato Basil Raw Milk Cheddar spread (item number: CH129). Aged over 100 days, with no added preservatives, artificial colors, extra salt, stabilizers or added sugar! Simply delicious RAW cheese!! The company has a commitment to “no heat involved” in the process of bringing us this tasty treasure! Cold pack cheese means that it “is live, natural cheese with no relation to pasteurized, process cheeses.” Azure offers over 20 different cheese such as raw milk cheddar, raw milk colby, Habanero Pepper Jack, Horseradish cheese spread, Mild and Sharp Cheddar (annatto colored), Montery Jack, Olive Cheddar and more! I encourage you to treat yourself to raw milk cheddar cheese from Brunkow!

I will continue to keep my ears and eyes open for the businesses that we can trust. Where ingredients and processes to production are spoken plainly and truthfully! If you have a favorite company you would like me to learn more about feel free to email me and I’ll do my best to bring you back my research!

Until our next chat,

Mrs. Joseph Wood

It’s National Tatertot Day!!!

2011-02-02T03:53:00.000-08:00

It has been years since my family has had a bag of Tatertots. I don’t know if it was the fact that frozen food is not typically an affordable way to feed a large family or if there was some nutritional wisdom that kept me from buying these for my family. Whatever the case, our Tatertot deprived days came to an end when I learned we can make them simply, affordably, and deliciously!

Let me share how I did it!

First, you’ll want to make sure you take advantage of the natural and organic produce Azure offers. I don’t know anywhere else that provides such high quality natural products as affordably as Azure! This month Azure offers the following for your potato selection:

Organic Russett Potatoes (item number: QP157) @ .81 cent’s a pound. “Russett potatoes, sometimes called starchy potatoes, tend to be long and have a coarse, cork-like skin. They are high in starch, with a dry, mealy texture. But, they turn light and fluffy when cooked.”

Organic Yukon Gold Potatoes (item number: QP158) @ 1.25 a pound. “The Yukon Gold is an all-purpose potato. It is moister than a baking potato and will hold together in boiling water. It is particularly well-suited to roasting, pan frying, and using in soups, stews, and gratins. It can be baked, mashed, and fried, but will not produce the same results as a baking potato.”

Organic Red Potatoes (item number: QP034) @ .94 cents a pound. “Red potatoes are excellent boiling potatoes. They have a thin, smooth, red skin and white flesh. Relatively high in moisture and sugar, but low in starch, they are ideal for soups, casseroles, potato salad, roasting, and barbecuing because of their tendency to hold their shape. You can mash them, but instead of smooth and creamy, the results will tend to be thick and lumpy.”

Once you’ve chosen your potato of choice you’ll want to bake them till soft and then let cool. This is a great project to do the night before so you can minimize your morning duties and get a ‘head start’ on the day!

Once your potatoes are cooked, peal them and place in food processor

Using your pulse feature on the food processor blend your potatoes up Add salt (BP112), pepper (HS263) and garlic powder (HS598) to your families personal tastes.

Using your cookie scoop, form your Tatertots and prepare your stove top pan for frying. I use my cast iron pan on Med/Hi temp. I use enough coconut oil (OL116) to fill the bottom of the pan and wait for it to become very hot. You’ll know when your oil is hot enough when you hear the oil sizzle as you place each Tatertot into the pan.

Fry on each side till golden brown. Approximately three minutes. Then let cool on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath to catch any extra oil drippings.

Enjoy with some organic ketchup (CO064)! The trick to this dish in our home is not letting everyone eat them as they cook. They seem to fly off the tray faster than we can fry them up! This is definitely a recipe you will want to double, or even triple!!

ENJOY!

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Happy National Dark Chocolate Day!!!

2011-02-01T10:40:00.001-08:00

Since today is National Dark Chocolate Day I thought it was only right to celebrate! First, I would like to publicly thank the monks for discovering this treat, Hernando Cortez for adding sugar to this delicious delicacy and for all the others who have went before me with hard work and dedication to bring us what we now know as Dark Chocolate! You have done well!!!

Personally, I prefer my dark chocolate all alone… just me and the chocolate for an intimate moment, a delicious moment, a perfect moment! My children laugh because I have often kept some dark, organic, chocolate on my desk to simply smell. A few weeks ago I decided to finally enjoy them; I savored every bite… it was divine!

Azure Standard offers us a variety of dark chocolate products to satisfy the inward need for such a delightful treat! I would encourage you to visit Azure and do a product search with the words, “dark chocolate” and just see all the magic that appears!

Here are just a few:

Cherries, Tart, Dark Chocolate coated, Organic! Just the title of this product makes me hungry! Item number: SC583

Dark Chocolate…. do I need to say more???? Item number: SC272

Diary Free? Not a problem!! You can still eat your chocolate! Item number: SC545

Bottom line is that if you ever needed a reason to enjoy your dark chocolate today is “officially” that day! So… take a moment to stop, smell the aroma, and taste the rich, real flavor that only dark chocolate can offer!

Until our next chat,

Mrs. Joseph Wood

The National Peanut Butter Winner Is….

2011-01-31T19:49:00.001-08:00

Last week, January 24th, was National Peanut Butter day. I asked for submissions of everyone’s favorite peanut butter recipe on our Facebook page. If you haven’t yet joined us you can do so by visiting: www.facebook.com/azurestandard The recipes, along with photos will be shared for each of the entries. You can view them on our Facebook page under, “photos” and then, “National Peanut Butter Day”. We look forward to seeing you over there and getting to know you more!

Azure offers a variety of peanut butters for your family. My favorite is, MaraNatha’s Chunky salted peanut butter or Creamy salted natural peanut butter by Natural Value. Peanut butter has been used in stews and sauces for centuries. However, peanut butter as we know it today did not become popular until the late 1800’s. Dr. George Washington Carver is recognized for his research and development for over 300 uses for peanuts. According to Peanut Butter Lovers, peanut butter became popular at the Universal Exposition of 1904 in St. Louis when C.H. Summer first introduced his peanut butter to the world. Providing 8-9 grams of protein for every two tablespoons means that peanut butter is a great source of protein! If you’re not use to buying natural peanut butter you’ll want to know a few simple things:

Peanut butter needs to be refrigerated after you open it.
Natural peanut butter does separate. Simply stir and you’re ready to enjoy your favorite peanut butter recipe!
You can store peanut butter for six months unopened and then another six months in the refrigerator.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their favorite peanut butter recipe. We have selected five entries to be tested in our kitchen. The children have picked the winner out of the following recipes.

Our first entry was: “Grab a tablespoon. Unscrew P-nut Butter lid. Dip spoon into P-nut butter. Eat. Repeat with new spoon :-)” This was a hit for sure!!

Our second entry selected was: “Take a slice of bread, put in toaster. Once it's toasted spread peanut butter on it.” Could eating peanut butter get any better than spread on a slice of Sprouted Bread?

The third entry submitted was a peanut butter no bake protein ball! I loved this idea and have decided to add this to my list of healthy snacks! If you would like the recipe make sure you check the Healthy Snack photo album on our Facebook Page

Our fourth recipe to try out in the kitchen was the Peanut Butter Bars. My 13 year old said that if organic always tasted this good no one would eat any other way!

And the final recipe submitted and taste tested was the Thai Peanut Noodles. This was the first time for our family to taste Thai food. I used all my products from Azure Standard except for the Thai Chili sauce simply because they don’t carry that product. I liked knowing that this could be made with natural, non GMO products.

And the winner was…..

PEANUT BUTTER BARS submitted by Julie B.from South Dakota!!!! CONGRATULATIONS Julie!!!! We will also be hosting your recipe with photos on the blog’s index page titled, “Peanut Butter Bars” Thank you again to everyone who participated!!!

Until next time,

Mrs. Joseph Wood

A Leg of Lamb has never tasted so good!

2011-01-27T13:31:00.001-08:00

Our family richly enjoys lamb! In fact, we raise our own here on the farm however, when we need extra we turn to Azure Standard where we know and trust the quality! Today, I made up one of our favorite recipes. I took pictures so I could share it with you too! If you have a favorite lamb recipe I would love to hear!

Mrs. Joseph Wood

1 boneless leg of lamb (MT040) Thaw and remove the netting from the leg (save this. We’ll need it later) of lamb.Then open up the leg and place in your 9X13 pan

generously apply salt (BP066), pepper (HS604), rosemary (HS192)

Chop one apple (QP222)

Chop one onion (QP018)

1 cup of Basmati Rice (GR073) We have also used wild rice (GR089) or brown Basmati Rice (GR038)

Pour about have your rice over the leg and then stuff as much of the apple and onion as you can. Then roll the leg so that it looks like this:

After you have rolled this up place your netting back over the now stuffed leg of lamb.

Once you have placed the netting back on the leg of lamb put all remaining apples, onions and rice (that you could not fit into the leg of lamb) around it in the pan. Add some more salt, pepper and rosemary and then add 1-2 cups more of rice, another apple and another onion as well as 1-2 cups of water. It should fill your pan up about half way. Cover with foil and cook for two hours. Then open up and stir your rice mixture and add another 1-2 cups of water. Cover and put back in the oven for 2 more hours.

While baking the aroma fills the home causing everyone’s anticipation to grow! After four hours of baking covered at 350 degrees you will have a delicious, melt in your mouth meal! ENJOY!

Sprouts

2011-01-26T16:32:00.001-08:00

Enjoying sprouts is a year around experience at my house! We love our sprouts!My favorite is to take the Sprout Mix that Azure Standard offers and mix it with lentils. However, we have done a variety of combinations over the years. Once sprouted we place on some whole wheat bread, with fresh chopped garlic, add a dash of sea salt. There you have a simple, sensational, sprout sandwich!

Start with your sprout mixture. You’ll want approximately 1/4 of a cup for a half gallon glass jar. You don’t want to add too many seeds!

Place your sprouts into a 1/2 gallon jar. Using your metal ring lid insert your sprouting screen that you can easily find at Azure by using the hyperlinks I have listed here in this post.

Cover the seeds with water then drain. Set the jar in your warm window sill.

In about five to seven days your seeds will fully develop into delicious sprouts! This photo was taken at day three or four.

Enjoy!

Mrs. Joseph Wood

Rice Milk Strawberry Banana Smoothie… oh…. sooo good!

2011-01-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

I can’t think of any other mid afternoon treat that my family enjoys more than a good smoothie! Today, I had Beth-Joy journey into the kitchen to use the rice milk and strawberries I had in the freezer. What came out of the kitchen was a delicious combination of bananas, strawberries and rice milk! If you’re new to “rice milk” let me give you a proper introduction!

Rice Milk Item number: DA124 Rice milk a delicious addition to your healthy diet. Rice Milk is an all natural, non-dairy beverage. While it may be lactose free, cholesterol free, and gluten free it is NOT free of flavor! Rice Milk provides you with as much calcium and vitamin D as milk. Rice milk is processed from brown rice making it a large source of carbs yet is low in fat. Keep in mind that rice milk is not meant to replace infant formula. For our smoothies today we used the plain rice milk however, Azure Standard also carries a vanilla flavor as well (Item number: DA126). For this recipe you could even use the Almond Milk if you like. Item number: DA090 We find that rice milk gives the smoothie a nice light flavor and leaves us feeling refreshed!

Now, that you’ve been properly introduced to Rice Milk let’s get busy making a delicious smoothie!

You’ll need 3 cups of Rice Milk

2 cups of frozen Strawberries

1 Banana chopped

Blend until smooth! If you would like to have a sweeter flavor feel free to add: 1/8 cup of raw honey (I love Azure’s Orange Blossom Honey item number: SW115) It’s that easy! There are countless other options. Blueberries (item number: FG012) and Banana is another hit over here in our home.

Pondering, Plotting, Planning, Dreaming!

2011-01-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

As I sit in the warmth of the house, I look out upon the snow covered fields and raised beds. I enjoy the season we're in at the moment however, my heart dreams of Spring! Spring and Fall are positively my favorite seasons of the year. Yet, I utilize each season so I can enjoy my favorite seasons most! In winter I must be busy pondering, plotting, planning and even do some dreaming so that my Spring will be full of purposeful and well planned out activity. I ponder the dirt and wonder how much better it will be this year than last. I consider, did I add enough kelp and other organic matter? I wonder how the berries will do having struggled for the last couple of years, I plot how many more raised beds I can add this year, I begin to plan how much of each plant I will need, and then I start to dream.. dream of seeds and my 2011 harvest that will surely follow with the Lord's blessing.

This happens to me every January... I ponder, I plot, I plan.... I dream! Do you find yourself busy in January so you'll be ready for Spring? I would love to hear what seeds you'll be adding to your garden next year. I enjoy the heirloom seeds and especially the "old" varieties that most have forgotten about. Here are a few we'll be adding to our order this month!

Item Number: GP318 For only 1.80 you can have these sweet beefsteak tomato seeds originally from Germany. Pale green with a hint of yellow in color they are delightful to look at as well as eat in salads and even fried. Individual tomatoes often weigh up to a pound or more! Make sure you start the seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost. If you would like to learn the frost dates for your area of the country you might find this site helpful: Dave's Garden you simply enter your zip code and up comes a very helpful and informative chart!

Black Valentine Bush Beans don't those just sound captivating? I have never grown this variety and am eagerly awaiting with anticipation of what the harvest will taste like! They are known for creating a bountiful harvest of jet black seeds in string-less, slender pods! Item number: GP331

So, tell me what's your plotting, planning and pondering leading you to dream of..... I would love to hear!

Coconut Oil Item number: OL116

2011-01-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

So, why do you like coconut oil? For our family coconut oil was an answer to ulcers that I had been battling for over a year. Surgeries, IV medications, and still the ulcers persisted. I am thankful for the call I received from a friend who shared the amazing properties of Coconut oil with me. Since our family has consumed coconut oil as a regular part of our diet, I have not had a single issue with ulcers. Our family has been healthier as a whole. Whenever we have “caught” something we felt stronger than in times past and noticed sickness not to linger as it once did. I personally like to use the expeller pressed variety so that I can add it to whatever dishes I like without any strong coconut flavor.

I love Coconut oil for what it does and doesn’t do for our family!

What Coconut oil DOES do:

· Coconut oil offers antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal properties. It is also known to improve Thyroid function.

· Coconut oil supports the immune system.

· Helps reduce the risk of cancer, protects against skin cancer

· Functions as a protective antioxidant

What Coconut DOES NOT do:

· Coconut oil does NOT increase blood cholesterol level

· Coconut oil does NOT make you gain weight

· Coconut oil does NOT promote platelet stickiness or blood clot formation

· Coconut oil does NOT cause heart disease

I strongly recommend that you read the book, The Coconut Oil Miracle, (item number: BK371) written by Dr. Bruce Fife. In this book he shared why coconut oil is the “Healthiest Oil on Earth”. Excerpt from the back of the book reads, “If there was an oil you could use for your daily cooking needs that helped protect you from heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative conditions, improved your digestion, strengthened your immune system, and helped you lose excess weight, would you be interested? This is what coconut oil can do for you!”

Thank you for allowing me to share my personal reasons why I have chosen coconut oil as the main oil in our home. As you can see, coconut oil has earned its place as a staple in my home for good reason! If you have a recipe that includes coconut oil I would love to have you post it here so I can try it. Or if you would like to share why you use coconut oil, please do. I always love to hear from you!

Apples (Wordless Wednesday)

2011-01-19T07:15:00.000-08:00

Apples, Braeburn, Organic

Price: $18.00

Code: QP220

Size: 20 lbs

Weight 21.0 lb.

Beef Stew

2011-01-17T16:55:00.001-08:00

Step One:
Cut 5lbs of beef (organic pasture raised) into Lg 1/4inch chunks and place on cookie tray. Generously season with:
Celtic Sea Salt (Code: BP112)
Organic Pepper (Code: HS604)
and Garlic Powder (Code: HS074)
Bake at 350 for 15min

Step Two:
Now place into stew pot with 2TBL organic beef broth (Code: QS016), 1 bulb of garlic (Code: QP324)& cook over medium heat for 20min then add 4cups water and turn on low.

Step Three:
Chop the following:
6 Lg potatoes (Code: QP034)
1 stock celery (Code: QP063)
1 yellow onion (Code: QP018)
Put 1/4cup coconut oil in Lg skillet. Add all chopped veggies & cook till tender. Then add to stalk pot along with 4cubs beef broth (Code: QS016). Cook on high till boiling then turn down to low & cook till thick. Aprox 4hrs.

After 4hrs your stew should look like this and taste amazing!

ENJOY!

Welcome to our new blog!

2011-01-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our new blog for Azure Standard. We will begin posting regular posts soon! In the meantime please make sure to cast your vote for the blog name. The "winner" will be chosen on Monday, January 16, 2011. You won't want to miss following us! If you have a family oriented blog that you think would be of interest to me, let me know. I am always looking to return the favor and follow you too!

Thank you for visiting and come back often!

Mrs. Joseph Wood