Milk of Choice: Almond milk!

Almond Milk

So, I'm not knocking cows milk, but for someone who wants an alternative, almond milk is the way to go. There are a whole bunch of different types of milk on the market now including cow, goat, soy, hemp, rice, hazelnut, coconut ect...

But Almond milk, in my opinion, is the best alternative to cow's milk.

Why?

Almond milk is creamy without the fat, low in calories if you get the unsweetened kinds, has mild flavor that can be added to anything, has natural protein, and most almond milk comes without lots of additives and preservatives.

Soy milk is typically unfermented in the USA and therefore toxic.

Rice milk is a little to watery and doesn't have to not many health benefits.

Goat milk is fatty.

Hemp milk has a funny flavor to me.

Hazelnut milk is not produced widely enough so it's hard to find and expensive.

Coconut milk has a strong coconut flavor, which can be great in some cases and not so great in others.

So Almond Milk is my Natural choice for any milk substitutes even in cooking and baking.

You can buy Almond milk at almost any grocery store. I recommend getting the half gallon carton in the refrigerated section and not in the isle because the non-refrigerated kind sometimes has added soy lecithin but most almond milk is coming out with a much better alternative, cotton seed lecithin, which actually has many health benefits.

Just remember to read your ingredients label and be aware of what you are eating!

Is Your Beef Safe and Good For You?

Did you know that most ground meat in stores or restaurants are cleaned with ammonia?

Yup, that chemical that makes cat pee smell funny is in a lot (80-90% in america) of your ground beef.

YUCK! 

And the really bad part is that the FDA states that companies don't have to label if it's been treated with ammonia or not because it's considered part of the process and not part of the food.

The only way to eliminate this problem is getting the meat and having a butcher grind it in front of you or get a meat grinder.

More info on ammonia in your beef.

I also know of a few places in Seattle where they state they grind their meat in house like The Palace Kitchen, Rock bottom Grill, and Blue Moon Burgers. In Fact Blue Moon Burgers has grass fed beef as well.

Why go grass fed with your beef?

If you eat grass fed beef, you are actually getting leaner and more nutrient rich meat. Plus you aren't getting the antibiotic and hormone pumped up beef that you normally would.

More info on grass fed beef here.

So avoid the chemicals and get grass fed and ammonia free beef!

Easy Homemade Mayo Recipe

Easy Home Made Mayo

You might be wondering why make your own mayo? It's simple, homemade mayo tastes so much better and you can make it without soy oil!

 Practically every mayo on the market uses soy oil, even the ones that say olive oil on it.

 So Here's my recipe and I use this with a magic bullet but you can use a food processor or any whipping device.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 EGG
• 1 1/2 TBSP WHITE VINEGAR OR LEMON JUICE
• 1 TSP SALT
• 1/2 TSP MUSTARD POWDER OPTIONAL
• 1/2 TSP PAPRIKA OPTIONAL
• 3/4 CUP LIGHT OLIVE OIL

DIRECTIONS

• Put the egg, vinegar, salt, mustard, and paprika in the magic bullet and mix with the whipping blade till fully mixed.
• Add 1/4 cup oil and mix thoroughly. repeat. Then on the last 1/4 cup you should see the thickness start and whip in the last bit of oil till it's a nice mayo consistency.
• Store in a closed container in the fridge.

You can keep this mayo in the fridge for about two weeks or until it starts to smell funny. Remember you are using raw egg so be cautious with how long you keep it in the fridge. Or You can use powdered egg for the same amount as one large egg and not worry about it spoiling.

Enjoy

Are You Eating Real Sea Salt?

Real Sea Salt

 Are you eating it?

Why Does It Matter?

Did you know that most "sea salt" you get in the store isn't really real sea salt? Most salt comes from the sea at one point or another but If it's all white, it's been stripped of it's natural minerals and may or may not have had iodine added back in.

Real Sea Salt naturally has dozens of trace minerals including iodine already.

Your salt should contain at least 50 trace minerals in it and look speckled brown, pink, and white. I have found such salts at local market stores, pcc (co'ops), and whole foods. The brand I found was Redmond RealSalt.

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

This salt is considered to have a full spectrum of 84 trace minerals in it and best for your health and salt intake. The only reason why I looked into this salt was because one of my favorite chocolate bars (Theo's salted almond milk chocolate) contained it. When I researched, I found this site. You can buy Pink Himalayan Sea Salt at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and (Pcc) co'ops as well.

Why should you start using Real Sea Salt?

Why only eat the one added mineral when you could have 50 or more minerals and better taste?

Most real salt contains calcium, potassium, sulphur, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, iodine, manganese, copper, zinc and more! 

All of those minerals are pretty crucial for good health, so start getting some of them easily with real sea salt!

Restaurants In Seattle to Trust

So we all have those times where you just want to go out. In my world, I worry if the food I'm getting is coming from a frozen box that's been sitting in the freezer for months, or if it's local, fresh, and organic.

Yes I'm gonna have to pay a little extra to know what's in my food at a restaurant,

but it's worth it.

Eating at a restaurant should be a splurge anyway!

Here are just a few restaurants in Seattle that pride themselves with being as local, fresh, organic, and made from scratch as possible. The price ranges from $(less than 10), $$(10-30), and $$$(30-40) a plate.

New American Cuisine

Ravish

2956 Eastlake Ave, Seattle, WA

eastlake

american

$$

Blue Moon Burgers - Fremont

703 North 34th Street, Seattle, WA

fremont

burgers

$

Stumbling Goat 

6722 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, WA

greenwood

american

$$

Eva Restaurant & Wine Bar 

2227 North 56th Street, Seattle, WA

wallingford

New american

$$$

The Palace Kitchen

2030 5th Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
downtown

american

$$

Art of the Table

1054 N. 39th Street, Seattle, WA

wallingford

american

$$$

Portage Bay Cafe & Catering

4130 Roosevelt Way Northeast, Seattle, WA

university

american

$

Local 360

2234 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA

downtown

american

$$

Stepping Stone

5903 24th Avenue Northwest, Seattle, WA

ballard

american

$$

Tilth 

1411 North 45th Street, Seattle, WASeattle, WA 98103

wallingford 

new american

$$$

Dahlia Lounge

2001 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA

Downtown

New american

$$$

Julia's on Broadway 

300 Broadway East, Seattle, WA

Capitol Hill

American

$$

Sea Food

Flying Fish 

300 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA

downtown

New american seafood

$$$

Six Seven

2211 Alaskan Way, Bell Street Pier, Seattle, WA

downtown

seafood

$$$

Etta's Seafood

2020 Western Avenue, Seattle, WA

Downtown

Seafood

$$$

Vegetarian Cuisine

Cafe Flora

2901 East Madison Street, Seattle, WA

downtown 

vegitarian

$$$

Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe

4757 12th Avenue Northeast, Seattle, WA

universty

vegetarian

$$

Carmelita

7314 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, Washington

greenwood

vegitarian

$$

Sutra

1605 North 45th Street, Seattle, WA

wallingford

vegitarian

$$$

Poppy

622 Broadway East, Seattle, WA

Capitol Hill

Vegetarian

$$$

Thrive | Eat. Drink. Live. 

1026 NE 65th Street, #A-102, Seattle, WA

Revenna

Vegitarian

$$

French Cuisine

Chez Shea

94 Pike St # 34, Seattle, WA

downtown

french

$$$

Rover's Restaurant

2808 East Madison Street, Seattle, WA

Madison Park

French

$$$

Italian Cuisine

Cafe Juanita

9702 Northeast 120th Place, Kirkland, WA

kirkland

italian

$$$

Cafe Piccolo

9400 Roosevelt Way Northeast, Seattle, WA

Maple leaf

Italian

$$

Bizzarro Italian Cafe

1307 N 46th Street, Seattle, WA

wallingford

italian

$$

Barolo Ristorante

1940 Westlake Avenue, Seattle, WA

downtown

Italian

$$$

Indian Cuisine

Chutneys Bistro

1815 North 45th Street, Seattle, WA

wallingford

indian

$$

Asian Cuisine

Wild Ginger Asian Restaurant

1401 3rd Avenue, Seattle, WA

downtown

$$$

Spanish and Mexican Cuisine

Mona's

6421 Latona Avenue Northeast, Seattle, WA

greenlake

spanish

$$

Agua Verde Cafe & Paddle Club

1303 Northeast Boat Street, Seattle, WA

university

mexican

$$

Pizza and Sandwiches

Serious Pie 

316 Virginia Street, Seattle, WA

Downtown

Pizza

$$

Alibi Room

85 Pike St # 410, Seattle, WA

downtown

pizza

$$

organic to go 

1221 Madison Street, Seattle, WA

downtown

sandwiches and pizza

$$

HOMEGROWN sustainable sandwichshop

1531 Melrose Avenue, Seattle, WA

FREMONT

sandwiches

$$

Zaw Artisan Bake at Home Pizza 

5458 Leary Avenue Northwest, Seattle, WA

ballard, queen anne, wallingford, capitol hill

pizza

$$

Bakeries and Sweets

The Essential Baking Company

1600 E Madison St, Seattle, Washington

fremont

bakery

$$

Boulangerie Nantaise 

2507 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA

downtown

bakery

$$

Tall Grass Bakery

5907 24th Avenue Northwest, Seattle, WA

ballard

bakery

$

Mighty O Donuts

2110 N 55th St, Seattle, WA

wallingford

vegan organic doughnuts

$

Cupcake Royale 

1111 East Pike Street, Seattle, WA

capitol hill, ballard

sweets

$

Trophy Cupcakes and Party 

2612 NE Village Lane, Seattle, WA

university, wallingford, bellevue

sweets

$

Le Panier 

1902 Pike Place, Seattle, WA

downtown

bakery

$

Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream

1622 North 45th Street, Seattle, WA

wallingford, capitol hill

icecream

$

If you know of a restaurant in or around Seattle that uses local, fresh, organic and made from scratch food and you don't see it on this list, LEAVE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT RESTAURANT PLEASE! I would love to compile as many restaurants to trust as possible.