Why Fermented Foods?

Fermented Foods...isn't that like wine and stuff?  I didn't know what the hype was about all this fermented stuff until I started eating more nourishingly.  I didn't even know that yogurt was a fermented food!

Basically, fermented foods improve digestion, restore beneficial bacteria in the gut, increase vitamin content, and improve flavor.  Yogurt has a tangy taste because it's been fermented.  Cheese is fermented.  Sourdough bread -- which I've always had a hankering for -- is fermented. 

There are beverages that are fizzy & carbonated...and fermented...that are healthy for you!  Have you ever tried kombucha or water kefir soda?  I have tried the former but not the latter, which is why I'm entering Wellness Mama's Cultures for Health Water Kefir Giveaway.  Since eating more nourishingly, we have given up our sodas & pops from a frequent basis to a very infrequent basis, but we still love the taste of something that sizzles and would hop on the chance to make our own sodas.

If you're interesting in learning how to make a soda for your family that will be tasty and helpful for your digestive system, jet on over to Wellness Mama's blog to learn how you can enter!  There are several ways you can increase your chances of winning and thus improving the quality of your food.

Enjoy!

The Spice is Right Contest Winner Runner-UP = ME!

Merry Christmas to me!

Last I posted, I had entered myself into the Mambo Sprouts The Spice is Right Giveaway.  I regularly checked back at the website to see if they had drawn the winners, and then in early December I received an email from the Mambo Sprouts marketing team indicating that I was a runner-up and would be receiving a 10-item sampler set.  SWEET!  Who doesn't love free stuff, and who doesn't love GOOD free stuff?  I sure do.  I happily received my package prior to leaving for the holidays and was so jazzed.  Here's what was in my stash:

from L to R:
peppermint flavor, vanilla bean, almond extract, cardamom seed,
lemon peel, cinnamon, ground cloves,  nutmeg, and ginger (not pictured: vanilla extract)

I even received a set of coupons, which I'll be sure to take advantage of.  The paper in the picture might look a bit disheveled--I believe an item or two tarnished the final package I received, but the coupons are still definitely useable!

This nourishing newbie also received an ice cream maker from Santa, so the vanilla bean came in just the (St.) 'nick of time.  Can't wait to share more nourishing tips with you all in 2011.

Happy New Year!

CSN $65 gift-card giveaway!

One easy way to help nourish your home, whether you're a novice or an old-pro, is to make sure you have the right baking & cooking materials!  It can be really hard sometimes to weed out the good from the bad, but CSN Stores are offering a major giveaway on The Healthy Home Economist's blog!

The Healthy Home Economist writes:
"CSN Stores contacted me about doing a $65 Gift Certificate Giveaway to be used on any of their 200+ website network.   One of the websites, Corelle, particularly struck me as this is obviously high quality cookware that any Mom who spends a lot of time preparing nutrient dense meals for her family and friends would love to use in her kitchen."


I'm all about giveaways and I enter them frequently!   Who wouldn't want extra cook or bakeware for their kitchen?  I can see a saute pan or perhaps an extra baking sheet I could use!


So go to the The Healthy Home Economist's blog to enter for your chance to win!  There are several ways you can enter: subscribe to her blog/RSS feed; follow on Twitter; Facbook; YouTube; Google Friend Connect; tweet about the giveaway, post about the giveaway on Facebook or your blog!


Go, and do it today!  The giveaway ends Saturday, September 18 at midnight!