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What is Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)?
Origins MSG is nothing new, in fact, the Japanese professor Ikeda discovered the amino acid Glutamate in the early 20th century while eating soup. He began studying kelp, which was in the soup’s broth to figure out why the broth was so tasty and appealing. He soon realized that kelp, along with many other foods, contains naturally occurring glutamate (L-glutamic acid), and, by combining it with sodium, MSG was created. In 1909, Professor Ikeda filed a patent to produce MSG commercially, and thus began it’s shady journey to popularity in our food supply chain to this day. What is it? MSG is odorless and tasteless alone, but when added to…
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Keep it Simple | Part 4 – How to Grocery Shop on a Budget
Ahh shopping, some would call it “retail therapy”, but… does that still apply when you’re shopping for groceries? Likely not. I’ll admit, at one point I actually enjoyed grocery shopping. It was mostly during my couponing days, when I’d spend hours (or days) prior scouring the web for deals, mapping out my plan of attack, clipping and meticulously organizing coupons in my binder and finally going out and stuffing my car to the ceiling. It was exhausting, but also thrilling. I felt a sense of accomplishment and pride. Now, some 10+ years later, and things have changed a bit. For one, coupons aren’t as prolific as they once were. In…
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Keep it Simple | Part 3 – How to Meal Prep on a Budget
Keep it Simple | Part 3 – How to Meal Prep on a Budget Meal Prepping has kind of created a life of it’s own these past few years, hasn’t it? Especially with all the Meal Prep Services out there now, Meal Prepping is a trendy kinda thing. Most people, when they think of Meal Prepping, imagine a neatly organized fridge, with stacks of identical containers containing a week’s worth of meals. Or, perhaps you imagine a full stand up freezer, jam packed with 30 days+ of dinners & 400 individually wrapped Breakfast Burritos. Sure, those are all amazing ways to prep food ahead – saving time, money & brain…
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Pantry Staples to Stock Up On
Regardless of who you are, what your family’s current diet looks like or what your budget is, you could definitely benefit from stocking up on pantry staples and other food items in bulk. Stocking up is a great way to ensure that you never run out of things your family uses on a regular basis, save money by buying in bulk and catching deals and also giving you the peace of mind that you’d be ready for anything – even a global pandemic or other emergency situation. If you’re looking to stock your home for disaster scenarios there are plenty of companies out there that will be a One-And-Done type…
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Keep it Simple | Part 2 – How to Meal Plan on a Budget
Keep it Simple | Part 2 – How to Meal Plan on a Budget Feeding our families good food – whatever that looks like for your specific family/needs is important to us, we are the Gatekeepers of our homes. Understandably, we want to do the best for our family. But when there’s too much month at the end of our money, something’s gotta give. We already know it’s possible to eat healthy and maintain a budget, so let’s dig in and discover some simple, time tested, tips for planning out your meals that eventually almost takes no time at all, once you get into the swing of things. For busy…
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Keep it Simple | Part 1 – Is it Possible to Eat Healthy on a Budget?
Alright so, maybe you’ve decided enough is enough. It’s time to take healthy eating seriously, but where to start? With skyrocketing food prices and huge demands on your time as a busy mom – where do you begin that won’t lead you down numerous – and endless – rabbit holes? Is it actually possible to eat healthy on a budget? Don’t worry, I gotchu. See, I was there, off and on, for a good decade of our lives. I wanted us to eat better, and tried quite a few “fad” diets out there, but nothing felt right and nothing really stuck. It felt like things had to be one way…
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Overcoming Unhealthy Mentalities
Paradigm Change Over the past few years, I’ve come to the conclusion (slowly) that when it comes to my diet choices I change my mind like my 7 year old daughter changes outfits. I can be swayed as easily as a boat in a hurricane from a simple Netflix documentary, a convincing Pinterest graphic or the latest diet fad synopsis from a friend. All of this, in an effort to seek health, has left me feeling anything but healthy. This quest has filled my mind with opposing thoughts threatening sure disaster “if I eat…” or “if I don’t do…” – it’s madness I tell you, madness! I certainly fit the…
