CrockPots

I may still be the traditional slow cooker, meaning I love cooking for hours using my trusty enameled cast iron dutch ovens and pans... but lately I've been curious about modern slow cookers aka crockpots...

Rival 6.5-Quart Crock-Pot® with eLume™ Touchscreen

This Rival slow cooker is user-friendly with its new eLume™ Touchscreen user interface, where all you need to do is touch for operation. The stainless steel exterior is attractive and durable with its 6.5-quart capacity for large dishes. Program your slow cooker using the interface for 30 minutes or program it before you leave in the morning for up to 20 hours of slow cooking. Your meal will be waiting for you when you come home. When it is finished cooking, it automatically sets to warm for up to six hours after cooking. Its removable oval stoneware and lid are dishwasher safe and its polished metal handles with silicone wrap make for easy gripping when serving. Includes a recipe book with over 80 recipes to choose from.

From Bed Bath & Beyond

Hmm... I'm trying to save... but the itch is there.

Buy Organic, Buy Non-Organic

Came across these two related articles on foods we should buy organic and foods that we do not have to buy organic.

Here's a summary:

Buy Organic

• Meat - Organic meat however is not yet readily available in our markets. Or is it? Please comment if you know. I saw organic pork sold in Fresh! Supermarkets but they are sooooo expensive.
• Milk - "Pesticides and other man-made chemicals have been found in human breast milk, so it should come as no surprise that they have been found in dairy products, too. While any residues detected have been rare, and of low concentration, milk is of special concern because it is a staple of a child's diets."
• Coffee - Go a step or two further, and look for the Fair Trade Certified label to ensure that your purchase supports farmers who are paid fairly and treated well. And look for shade-grown varieties for the trifecta: Then you know the coffee is being grown under the canopy of the rainforest, leaving those ancient trees intact, along with the wildlife -- particularly songbirds -- that call them home.
• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet bell peppers - Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides.
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Kale
• Grapes
  
• Leafy Greens - This one is easy. They are available in Salcedo Market every Saturday!
• Carrots
• Pears
• Potatoes

Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic

• Onions
• Avocado
• Sweet corn
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas
• Kiwi Fruit
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Papaya
• Watermelon
• Broccolli - Look for tightly bunched flower buds on the broccoli stalks that are immature. In other words, try not to buy them if their little yellow flowers have opened. Color-wise, the broccoli should be deep green and the stalks should be firm and not rubbery. Before use, wash in a cool water bath and change the water a couple of times in the process. Store in the refrigerator crisper.
• Sweet Potatoes

Ok if Organic, Ok too if Not Organic: Tomatoes - previously should be organic but recent studies showed them to be cleaner than most. If you aren't growing your own, look for fresh in-season tomatoes at local farmers markets and farm stands. Look for glossy, firm skin -- and don't hesitate to try a delicious heirloom variety that might not look like a typical tomato!

Full Articles HERE and HERE.


Source: TheDailyGreen.Com