Am I Eating GMO's? PART 2

In PART 1 of, Am I eating GMOS's?, I talked mostly about what the letters GMO stand for. To recap it stands for genetically modified organisms. I also talked about what genetic modification is and the argument for its purpose. For a recap or if you didn't read PART 1 here is the link Am I eating GMO's? PART .

I have had a week to ponder on what my next post would be about. There is so much information that I'm having a hart time gathering my thoughts and organizing them to present it in simple terms. It almost feels like a report for school.

When I was in college, we had to present a persuasive speech. I love to talk but not necessarily in front of huge groups. BUT I do enjoy talking about things I'm passionate about. So I wrote about genetically modified foods. Most people had never heard of GM foods or any of the information I presented. I was thankful for the opportunity to use a simple class project to educate my college class on GM foods. There was however a young man in the class who happened to be a farmer, and was very familiar with GM foods. He wrote a speech opposing mine, which made for an interesting debate. After I poured my heart out about the dangers of GM foods I felt like I had reached some. Then the young man got up and talked about how GM foods will stop world hunger. Thankfully in my speech I addressed that argument. Nonetheless, everyone walked away with good information and the sides of both.

With that said, I decided to talk mainly about the dangers of genetically modified foods for today. Specifically the side effects in animals and humans. The list of dangers of GM foods is exhaustive, but this is a great beginning to understand. If we know the side effects, and the actual evidence against it we will be more educated to make decision for ourselves about it.

The first side affect of GM foods that I began reading about was tumors, specifically tumors in mice fed a diet of genetically modified corn. The scientists fed the rats genetically modified corn for a long term period. They found that even when exposed to the smallest amount of GM corn they

developed mammary tumors, severe liver damage and kidney damage in as little as four months for males and seven months for female rats. This was so disturbing for me because my first thought was, am I eating GMO and how long will it take to affect me.

The best part about the research I read was it was conducted by independent scientists. This is highly recommended because independent scientists have no bias towards the results.  Any company that is willing to use outside independent scientists to test or research their product is highly reputable in my eyes.

I would like to add that after this study came out there was a lot of controversy. Immediately the company that makes GM corn, Monsanto, was ready to sue. Monsanto discounted the research of course. The scientists that work for Monsanto have determined that GM foods are safe, but like I said these scientists work for and are paid for by the company. To me of course a red flag goes up.

After this research I began wondering what does this mean, and what can I do about it? I started to think about food differently and wondered if some of my health problems were because of gmo's. Or even just my diet. That opened a ton of doors for me and my health isn't exactly where I'd like it but its better because of the knowledge I've gained about our food and GM foods.

Personally, anytime I ate wheat I felt bloated, and sick. I stopped eating wheat for awhile until I found a brand that said GMO-Free, I tried it and the symptoms were less, but still there. Eventually I went to organic only and immediantley I noticed a huge difference. Not all organic food is equal BUT organic food is not allowed to contain GM food at all.

I'll leave you with that for now.  I hope I was able to clearly present this research and will continue to work on that. Not sure what the next post will be about but hopefully it will be up in a week or so. Have a great week!

Here are some articles from the study.
Natural News GMO Study
CBS News GMO Study

~Honestmotherhood

“Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now.” (Often paraphrased as): “If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.” ~Thomas Jefferson, 1781

Am I Eating GMO's? PART ONE

Are you eating GMO's? I'm not talking about Grandpa's Organic Oreo's. I'm talking about the food that makes up more then half of Americas supermarkets. This is food that has been genetically altered. Its DNA has literally been tapped into and changed by man. The reasoning for producing GMO's is hid behind statements like "We will be able to provide more food to stop world hunger", yea okay. Do you notice that most lies come as if they are so good and helpful for us? We have to become comfortable with an idea to accept a lie and to do that we need to be programmed to think its helping, doing good, or its comforting. Here is an example from history, Agent orange or herbicide orange was used in the Vietnam War to destroy an enemies food crops. How evil is that?? Seriously. Okay back to to my topic. The same chemicals used in agent orange are now used to spray our genetically modified crops. But the EPA(environmental protection agency) says its fine to use. So do we trust the same government that used these chemicals to hurt people because they say its safe now?? NO!  I'm paraphrasing so much because I could say more but I hope your understanding the basics. This is the first part of, I'm not sure how many posts, so stay tuned in!

 So what is a GMO? A GMO is a genetically modified organism. We are particularly talking about GM foods, which means genetically modified foods. Wikipedia says this "Genetic modification involves the mutation, insertion, or deleton of genes....physically inserting the extra DNA into the nucleus of the intended host with a very small syringe" and "Genetically modified foods (or GM foods) are foods produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering.

In simpler terms, a scientist takes a gene from an apple and inserts this gene into a salmons DNA. Why do they do this? Companies like the GMA, Grocery Manufacturers Association says this is safe and it will help yield larger crops. Do you see how comforting that is? Always investigate comfort...LOL They say that GM foods are helping and will help, yet the evidence is opposite. America is sicker then ever, we now have super bugs, and we are having massive crop problems. The comforting words of "It's safe" have basically keep us from fighting this long enough, but now we are speaking up. 

So are you eating genetically modified food? Most likely you are, and so am I. WHY? Because its not required to be labeled and right now there's a huge battle and petition going on in numerous states for it to be labeled. And guess who is fighting it? GMA, Grocery Manufacturers Association. Read more here Dr. Mercola, Grocery Manufacturers Association 

If you eat soy, cotton, canola, corn, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, alfalfa, and squash(zucchini and yellow) you are most likely eating GM Foods. Are you asking why didn't I know this?? I did too. Many of these items appear as added ingredients in a large amount of the foods we eat. Now is a great time to investigate what you just read. Go to your pantry and read the ingredient list. Sometimes we can't tell if these ingredients are in a product because there are more then one name for them. 


I will be posting part 2 soon! Stay posted. If you have any questions or topics you'd like covered please share and let me know! I will do my best. Check out my blog for good recipes and non-gmo foods. I have pictures that show food products with the label non-gmo. 

Here's a great link for more info Non-GMO Project

Also follow me on instagram Honest Motherhood Instagram

Facebook page Honest Motherhood Facebook

Pinterest page Honest Motherhood Pinterest

Cauliflower Pizza Crust {Gluten Free}

I finally received my food processor! YAY! AND I used it for making cauliflower crust. BAD NEWS, Seth dropped it the next day and it broke :( The "I don't think its fixable, glue-able broke". I'm glad I used it to make one thing at least. The worst part is this was a gift and it cost someone else money.

Good news, you don't NEED a food processor, you can use a cheese grater too, even though its a bit more work. 

On a better note, the cauliflower crust tasted better then I thought. It held up together better then I thought and everybody really liked it. My husband joked and said that I can make recipes out of anything. He was shocked when I told him the crust was made of cauliflower. He said I could make a meal out of weeds from outside. Lol.

The process was a bit longer, but the result was worth it.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
1 head of cauliflower {Buy a medium/small for one crust OR large for 2 crusts}
2 eggs
1cup cheese
2 TSP Oregano
2 TSP Basil
2 TSP Salt

1. First you will need to cut the cauliflower up into pieces. You can either add cauliflower to a food processor or if you do not have a food processor you can use a cheese grater.

2. Use a dish towel and place all of the cauliflower inside it. Then pull four sides of dish towel together so the cauliflower is locked inside, squeeze all the water out. Get out as much as possible. Husbands can help with this step or a strong older son. lol

3. Next, add cauliflower to a mixing bowl, add eggs, seasonings, and cheese. Mix well.

4. Shape into a ball.

5. Gently press out the ball into a crust, I pushed up the edges so when I put the sauce in it would stay inside crust when cooking.

6. Then preheat oven to 350 and bake crust until golden, about 5-7 minutes. Not long.

7. Pull out crust and top with ingredients, cook until cheese is melted. 5-7 minutes @ 350

Enjoy!

PB&J Oatmeal {Gluten Free}

My kids already really like PB&J sandwiches, and I really like peanut butter or some kind of nut butter, so I decided to see what I could come up with. The jelly is a great sweetener for oatmeal without adding tons of sugar. I used my homemade jam with chia seeds. The peanut butter gives a BLAST of protein and the yogurt makes it creamy goodness.

My kids always seem to be hungry like right after breakfast, so I really try to give them something filling that will hold them off until a small mid morning snack, or lunch time. When the boys eat TOO much before lunch then lunch doesn't get eaten. And at our house we really strive to have everybody eat whats on their plate before they can have a snack, dessert, or even a next meal. So if my child is full and doesn't eat lunch, I don't force him but I will save his plate until he says he is hungry again. If he refuses the next time he is hungry, I know that he probably just didn't like what I made, BUT he will have to eat it this time. Even though food grows on trees, its still not cheap!

My children are not very picky eaters but they are used to what mom makes, just like any child. I do try to make foods healthy and kid friendly. That is why I thought PB&J oatmeal would be a great filling breakfast, and something they would continue to ask for. Oatmeal is not necessarily one of our favorite breakfast foods, and so that's why being creative and coming up with better ways to eat it is a goal.

Breakfast always seems like a challenge to me, I'm trying to use little to no cereal BUT cereal is convenient when we don't have time to cook. AND its definitely better than fast food OR a bakery.  Eggs are wonderful almost everyday! BUT not everyday..lol :( Oatmeal is a nice once a week thing. Pancakes always come with syrup SO that is a treat and I rarely make that. It should actually be more of a dessert. Same with cinnamon rolls and other carby breakfasts. Rice cakes with nut butter or jelly on top are good for a fast breakfast too. We don't eat to much breakfast sausage, because its expensive for quality organic meat.

Also when choosing a PEANUT BUTTER its best to ALWAYS buy ORGANIC, peanuts are HEAVILY sprayed with pesticides and CHEMICALS more then other nuts. So if you have to go conventional its BEST to buy ALMOND BUTTER or make your own almond butter at home. Also try SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER and CASHEW BUTTER.

Please post some of your breakfast favorites!

PB&J Oatmeal 
Oats {Gluten Free}
Peanut/Nut Butter
Jelly/Jam {Make homemade Jam Here}
Yogurt {rBST Free}
Honey to taste

*I decided not to put amounts because everybody's family size is different. Make enough oatmeal for your family, and let everybody add desired amount of toppings, OR when your oatmeal is done, place about 2TBSP of peanut/nut butter, Jelly, and yogurt PER 1 cup of oatmeal made.

1. Make desired amount of oatmeal.
2. Either place cooked oatmeal in separate bowls and let everyone add toppings, OR add 2tbsp of each topping per 1 cup of oatmeal.

Frozen Elsa Cape {tutorial w/ pictures}

I bought the movie Frozen this last week because we all enjoyed it so much. I was kind of upset at myself though, because I rented it from family video the week prior, and ended up keeping it overdue. I paid almost $20 in late fees. No bueno :( I should have just bought it right away since it would have cost the same amount!

You live and you learn :) My sister in law saw a pin on pinterest for making an Elsa cape rom the movie Frozen, for my niece, and asked if I could make it.  I said yes, of course! This project was actually really simple, and easy to make. I looked at a bunch of tutorials to find ideas and then went to work. I think this tutorial is one of the best. It turned out great and I'm so excited for my niece!

I found my fabric at JoAnns Fabric Store, and it was really on sale. I always look at the sale stuff before I pay full price because fabric can get costly.

1. To start fold your fabric in half. I folded the widest part of the fabric, so it would make a longer train for the cape, but it would be smaller around the neck.

2. I started by sewing the top part of the cape where the neck would go. I used my iron to press the fold I made for a hem. I folded it twice because this fabric is very thin and you need a good amount for the string to really hold it nicely.

3. I then pinned my hem, and got to sewing the hem. I made sure to sew over the ends of the hem twice, just to make sure it would hold nicely.

4. Now, I took thread and a needle and went about 2 inches from my hem. I just weaved in and out of the fabric and when it was though to the end, I just pushed the fabric down the string to make frillies :)

5. Next I carefully held my frillies as I guided them through my sewing machine to make the neck piece of the cape.

6. I took my pins and pinned a piece of ribbon on my sewing line over the frillies that I did. I left about half a foot (6 inches) of ribbon hanging off each side of the cape, so my niece would have a way to keep it tied on.

7. After that, I hemmed the bottom of the garment the same way I hemmed the top. I made a double fold, used my iron to press it, pinned it and sewed it.

8. Then just like above I pinned a piece of ribbon along my hem line and sewed that on, but without leaving any hanging off. I just pinned it underneath and sewed it on so the end were secure. And I made sure to double stitch the ends.

9. Lastly, I used my sharpie paint marker and made the snowflakes! They are so pretty!

Sorry if my sewing lingo is bad, I don't really know many terms and am just learning myself! I hope I explained it enough to understand and if not hopefully the pictures fill in the gaps. Have fun making your Elsa cape!

While I was sewing, my little guys were outside enjoying the beautiful weather and getting muddy! At first his face was so serious because I told him he was to messy to walk in the house, then I said smile! It was really cute. We also had beautiful walk to the park and got to play. It was a nice day.

Roasted Veggies Mexican Casserole

This is such a great one dish meal. All of my family really enjoyed it and it will be going in my recipe book that I'm working on. Its fairly easy, and inexpensive to make. You don't have to use meat but I choose to put in chicken because my husband is serious meat man. To him no meal is ever complete without meat BUT to me I could be a vegetarian some days.

My kids eat almost everything I make, sometimes they say it takes a little different but if they are hungry enough they will eat it. Also, in our house we have a rule that if you don't finish your meal you have to eat it before you eat anything else. Food is TOO expensive to be picky and waste.

Last week at the butter I buy was $2 more! Now that is some serious inflation. Food prices are rising everyday, so its important to me to find healthy recipes that I can afford.

Roasted Veggies Mexican Casserole
1 can corn OR one bad frozen corn
4 sweet peppers
1 onion
1 can black beans, rinsed, and pureed or smashed up
1lb shredded chicken or ground beef, cooked {optional}
2 cups cheese
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
corn tortillas to layer, I  used about 6
2 cups enchilada sauce
salt
avocado and sour cream to top it

1. Place some oil in your pan and let it warm up.
2. Chop up your sweet peppers and onion,open bag or can of corn, put into pan with warmed up oil.
3. After about 10 minutes add cumin and chilli powder, mix up.
4. When veggies are roasted, slighly browned turn off pan, keep veggies in pan until ready to put casserole together.
5. Preheat oven to 350. Either use blender and puree black beans or smash them up if you don't have a blender.
6. Cut tortilla's in half, pour a little enchilada sauce on bottom of baking dish, then cover the bottom with the cut in half tortillas {I cut in half because I think you can cover more of the pan}
7. Pour and spread out black beans on top of tortillas in baking dish.
8. Layer half the chicken, veggies, cheese and enchilda sauce.
9. Then, layer the tortillas, other half of chicken, veggies, cheese and enchilada sauce.
10. Place in oven for about 15-20 minutes, really just until cheese is melted and everything is warmed.
11. ENJOY a warm homemade meal with your family.

We always strive to sit together at least once a day and share a meal. I remember reading about how important it is for families to sit down and eat together. I can tell you that when we sit down together it really has a calming effect on our day, helps us to all be in the same place at the same time, doing the same thing, and enjoy each others company :) Are some meal times kinda crazy, YEP! But by the time everybody has their plates filled with food, everything calms down and peace sets in, at least for a little bit ;)

!Kombucha! {Helpful Video Link Tutorial}

Kombucha is a raw, fermented tea, but don't run away from it yet! It is filled with good gut bacteria called probiotics. Its known and said to have many health benefits even beyond your precious tummy.

I really liked this article for What is Kombucha, if you have more questions. the article goes into more detail about its origins.

Fermented foods used to be a part of our ancestors diet, but in these days we have such accessibility and refrigeration that fermented foods have been put on the back burner. I believe its part of the reason our GUTS are so torn up! With our American diets killing us, we need to check back into history and see what our ancestors did. 

When you make kombucha you will need a culture called a scoby.

What is a SCOBY?  
SCOBY stands for symbiotic culture of friendly bacteria and yeast and thats just what it is.

Where can I get a SCOBY?
1.You can buy a starter culture from Cultures for Health. 2. You can ask a friend that brews kombucha if they have a SCOBY, since a new SCOBY is made everytime you make a new batch of kombucha.
3. Or you can start your own using a bottle of store bought raw, unflavored, original kombucha. { I found mine at woodmans}

I really like this videa by holistic habits and used it to make both my own SCOBY and my kombucha. She does a great job explaining exactly what to do and how to make kombucha and also how to make the SCOBY.

Its easy to make kombucha regularly after you have your SCOBY, so try it out and see what goodness you can come up with! You can make flavored juices with it, sodas, popsicles, and I'm sure more then what I know. I hope this little article helped. These are all the questions I had when I first learned about kombucha.

Have Fun!