Review: Quaker Lower Sugar Instant Oatmeal

...about artificial sweeteners. Diet foods will have a jaunty “With Splenda!” label, but this cereal apparently isn’t being marketed that way. The only indication that you’re dealing with a fake sugar product is in the list of ingredients, which I hadn’t checked. And that was a mistake, I know. When treading the dangerous waters of industrial foodstuffs, you really do have to bring your magnifying glass–and a chemical reference–and read the ingredien...

Read…

New Health Food Trends at the Natural Products Food Expo West

...y have some sort of wheat allergy. However, someone tell me why we have to label products like tomato sauce and raw chicken as being “gluten free?” Most new gluten free products, everything from pasta to crackers to power bars, use quinoa. The Natural Products Expo’s own trade publication noted that the exponential growth of quinoa consumption in the U.S. has created a situation in which the indigenous people of Peru can no longer afford their own...

Read…

Non-GMO Versions of Grape Nuts and Cheerios Less Nutritious Than GMO Versions

...h a “non-GMO” label. In the case of Cheerios and Grape Nuts, the “non-GMO” label is either a marketing gimmick or an attempt to start a voluntary labeling program to head off voter mandated efforts. Here’s where you can help. I need to kick my Grape Nuts crack habit and find a healthier breakfast alternative. Any suggestions? Note from Mrs. Homegrown: This post took me by surprise. Erik has eaten Gravel Nuts–I mean, Grape Nuts–for breakfast since...

Read…

Saturday Tweets: Cooking in Clay, Cuteness and Pickles

Why food tastes better when cooked in clay: https://t.co/8BqNmrbFZZ — Root Simple (@rootsimple) July 22, 2017 How parking lots are ruining Los Angeles https://t.co/NzhmC0pxYK via @CurbedLA — Root Simple (@rootsimple) July 22, 2017 Double Rustic Barn Doors (From Framing Lumber) https://t.co/Sof6tD8uvH — Root Simple (@rootsimple) July 20, 2017 Small Batch Bread and Butter Pickles https://t.co/JekNG6H15g — Root Simple (@rootsimple) July 22, 2017 Wha...

Read…

Kitchen Alchemy

...s. Ysanne Spevack moved to our neighborhood recently and has a really nice cooking website and blog at www.organicfoodee.com. That pumpkin bread she blogged about recently looks mighty tasty and we can’t wait to try her buckwheat recipes recently featured in the Los Angeles Times. She has written a number of books, specializing in cooking with organic ingredients. We also got a visit from farmer and agriculturalist Shannon Hayes of New York’s Sap...

Read…