Is this healthy for me?

My three-year old has been asking if his meals are healthy for him.  A good question we should all ask -- every day.  And, for me, it adds a degree of accountability.

We were out the other day and I asked if he wanted a hamburger and fries for dinner.  He response, "No.  That isn't healthy for me."

Are you or members of your family asking this question out loud (or at least silently)?  If not, should you/they?

Sally's Natural Cereals -- Marshmallow Mini's

Every once in a while I get taken when I try to buy responsibly produced health foods for our family.  Sadly, I may have had that experience again today.

I was walking through Costco and noticed a new cereal (new to Costco) made by Sally's Natural Cereals.  With my wife and two kids in tow I didn't have a lot of time to read the box, but what stood out were the phrases, "no high fructose corn syrup", "no fake colors, flavors, or preservatives", and "every bite supports renewable wind energy".  Sounded good, so I threw it in the cart.  And besides, I was helping Sally grow her business.  Kudos to her for getting noticed by Costco, right?

Then I got home and actually spent more time learning about this new find.  Here is what I discovered:

1.  Sally's Natural Cereals (implying more than one) is not sold on Amazon.com or anywhere online for that matter.  Odd.
2.  Sally's Natural Cereals has no actual business address, just a PO Box number.
3.  Sally's Natural Cereals has no web site.  Nobody has blogged about her (or her cereals) and there are no news articles pertaining to her company.
4.  The bottom of the box doesn't say it was MADE by Sally, but only that it was distributed by her.  (All of a sudden the little story about Sally's busy household on the top of the box is beginning to look just like that -- a story.  I'm becoming more convinced that "Sally" doesn't really exist).

Now I'm nearly convinced that a major corporation is using "Sally's" (or rather hiding behind) to replicate the success of "Annie's" line of products.  Could this be true?

The challenge:  Sally.  If you really exist (and I really hope you do), let us into your world a bit.

UPDATE:  11/30/2011 -- Costco now carries this fulltime.  And, while walking my grocery store isle yesterday I noticed another brand (http://momsbestnaturals.com/) with the exact same cereal enclosed.  It seems they are marketing this under a variety of brand names.

Spartan Brand "Take The Challenge" Peaches

I love a good challenge -- especially when I get a good deal.

You may not have Spartan brand products in your area.  They occasionally run a challenge where you buy the brand-name item and then receive a similar Spartan brand product free.  Their hope is that you will enjoy the Spartan brand product enough to make the switch on future purchases.

Usually the challenge focuses on junk stuff that I wouldn't purchase regardless of brand, but this week included sliced peaches in a plastic container -- specifically Dole vs. Spartan.  Here are my findings:

The Dole brand ($2.99 -- less the $.75 coupon I had):

Pros:  Packed in 100% fruit juice (White grape and lemon juice from concentrate -- not peach juice as one might think), the peaches themselves were perfect in texture and burst with fruit juice when chewed, packages in recyclable #5 plastic (I prefer glass).
Cons:  Product on China (not that I don't like China, but it defeats the eating local movement and adds to carbon emissions having to send food around the world for a product that is readily available in the United States.

The Spartan brand ($2.79 -- I received it for free):

Pros: Product of the USA (though it doesn't say from where specifically or how they were grown).

Cons:  The peaches are packed in sugar water instead of fruit juice (should make you think twice when you see your kids drinking the "juice" that remains in their bowl); the plastic jar has no recycling information on it, adding to a permanent landfill near your hometown; the peaches are very firm (almost crunchy" and don't have that burst of extra fruit flavor when eaten.

Verdict:

For $.20 I will choose the Dole brand.  My son did drink the liquid in the bottom of his bowl without prompting (what kid wouldn't) and he did so with the sugar water from the Spartan brand.  That alone made me think that I wouldn't choose the Spartan brand again.  The last thing any of us needs is more refined sugar.  And, perhaps even bigger, I just cannot believe that Spartan would sell a product in a container that cannot be recycled.  The taste was close, but I preferred the texture and "burst" of the Dole fruit.  Winner:  Dole.

Try for yourself this week at a Family Fare near you and let me know what you think.

Waffle Ice Cream Cones

Does this need to be just a summer treat?  A few times each summer, we like to stop at a favorite vacation ice cream shop and get a waffle cone filled with our favorite flavors.

I had never thought about making my own waffle cones until flipping through the pages of "Cooking for Isaiah" and was so excited to learn how easy making waffle cones is AND that I can make them gluten-free for my wife!  Perfect!

I purchased a Chef's Best waffle iron and made my first batch for Valentine's Day (added pink sprinkles).  The cones were a hit with everyone.

The batter for the gluten free cones made them a bit thicker than we would prefer and next time I will add a bit more almond milk.  And, the waffle iron holds 3 TBS. of batter, but the author of Cooking for Isaiah suggests 2 Tbs. cones.  I made the 3 Tbs., but will make the smaller 2 Tbs. next time as they are quite large.

This is an amazingly simply treat o make and I would highly recommend this investment for a fun family and friends dessert.  Each cone takes about two minutes to make -- maybe less.

S'mores Pancakes

The plates were licked clean with this one!  I had to stop our son from eating for fear he might explode.  :)

From the "Cooking for Isaiah" gluten-free and dairy-free cookbook on page 25.  This is almost too much like a dessert, but very good for the occasional breakfast.

If you're not cooking gluten and dairy free, just whip up your favorite batch of pancake mix and throw in 1/2 cup of mini-chocolate chips before throwing them on the griddle.

The idea of whipping some "Fluff" (find in the dessert or marshmallow isle of your favorite grocery store) with hot water was great and worked well as a pancake topping.  Use 1 cup of Fluff and 2 Tbs. of boiling water and stir until smooth. While I wouldn't classify Fluff as a health food, the ingredient list is minimal and understandable which is a significant difference from it's bigger brand counterpart.

Have Fun!