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Earth Day and Going Green

Kari Ani — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:16:18 +0000

Since 1970, Earth Day has been observed every April 22 to help bring awareness to the struggle to help save the environment. While Earth Day was originally only observed in the United States, it is now celebrated in more than 175 countries across the globe. This means that every year, millions of people around the world unite in their efforts to curb their energy use, fuel consumption and take many other actions to positively impact the earth.

In a time where terms like “climate change,” “energy crisis,” and “ozone depletion” have become common use in everyday language, it is more important than ever that we all do what we can to contribute to the restoration of the planet. There are some simple things you can do in your daily life to help in the efforts, like recycling, using public transportation or walking rather than driving, or picking up any trash you see in public areas.

There are also ways you can contribute on a more global scale. Earth Day Network, the group that organizes global Earth Day events and causes every year, has put together a new campaign for this year’s celebration with projects focusing on many different areas. Here are a few of the many elements of the 2011 Earth Day campaign:

Women and Green Economy (WAGE) focuses on using the leadership of women to help stimulate a global green economy. WAGE was created because women make up over half of the world’s population and studies have shown that women also make 85 percent of all consumer choices. Therefore, as more women are constantly rising to positions of power worldwide, they have the ability to lead the way to a sustainable green economy.

Arts for the Earth is an educational program that strives to teach environmental education through museums and other arts communities. It will also encourage schools to create Earth Day programs.

The Canopy Project aims to plant millions of trees worldwide where they are greatly needed, such as in Haiti, Germany, and urban areas of the United States.

Green Schools, as the name suggests, intends to turn schools “green” by finding ways to make them run on less energy and at lower costs.

At Truly Organic Baking, we support all efforts to make our world a more livable place. To learn more about these and many other programs, or other ways that you can contribute time or money to the many great Earth Day causes, visit Earth Day Network’s website at www.earthday.org.

Honoring Earth Hour

Kari Ani — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:26:13 +0000

Truly Organic Baking is proud to support Earth Hour 2011, a global effort to bring awareness to energy conservation and global climate change. Since its inception in Sydney, Australia in 2007, Earth Hour has quickly grown into the largest single celebration of climate action in the world.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) organizes this annual event and encourages participants across the globe to “leave the lights off” for this hour of celebration. Such action leads to awareness of how we are using our planet’s resources, and so we are encouraged to power-down for this period of time on March 26th.

In this day and age of widespread energy consumption, individuals are challenged to find suitable ways to occupy their time while the lights are off for this time of celebration. Such challenges are sure to make an even greater impression on all of us who are accustomed to electronic entertainment, energy-consuming travel and, of course, electric lights.

Use your imagination to devise an appropriate way to celebrate this Earth Hour. A candlelight dinner, games at the table, or time spent outdoors in the evening make for good ways to raise our own awareness of the energy we consume, often without even noticing we are consuming it!

Saving energy and living green are admirable ways of participating in our global society without taking energy and other resources for granted. As important and fun as the global celebration of Earth Hour 2011 might be for us, the benefits of regularly using less energy puts us each in closer community with our neighbors near and far.

Let us reflect this year on the amount of energy we consume and on the quality of life we can ensure for ourselves, and for future generations, by paying mind to just how much we take from the planet and how much we can give back.

See national landmarks in over one hundred countries pledge support for conservation of the planet’s resources by switching off electricity on March 26 at 8:30 p.m., and let it inspire you to make energy-conscious choices so that every hour is Earth Hour.

Organic and Gluten-Free Soda Bread for St. Patrick’s Day, Any Day!

Kari Ani — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:27:09 +0000

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, everyone seems to be a wee bit Irish! While many are going green with dyed beers or corned beef and cabbage, celebrations of this seasonal holiday often leave gluten-free and organic gourmands out in the cold. Rather than sitting this St. Patty’s Day out, why not celebrate with an organic or gluten-free twist on a traditional treat?

Everything good doesn’t have to be off the table for folks with organic or gluten-free diets. In honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland, we would like to share two great soda bread recipes with you, one of which is gluten-free and the other organic.

Traditionally associated with St. Patrick’s Day and counted as a must-have of the Irish eating experience, the Irish came to identify soda bread as their own out of financial necessity. Bread leavened from soda ash was inexpensive and easy to make, and as poverty ravaged the countryside, soda bread became a staple in the Irish diet. Today, many enjoy soda bread as a traditional food.

Now that you know a bit about the origins of Irish soda bread, it is time to try this notoriously simple bread on your own. Because we do not package a soda bread mix, we’ve found two great recipes designed to meet the dietary needs of those who are organic and/or gluten free. These recipes will let you try your hand at creating that traditional treat the organic, gluten-free way!

The organic soda bread recipe comes from OrganicToBe.org and makes one 8 to 10 inch freeform loaf of bread. It’s referred to as a “wheaten” soda bread, and is easy to put together with a few simple ingredients. You can find the recipe here.

For those with gluten sensitivity, try this wheat and gluten-free version of soda bread from the Gluten-Free Goddess blog by Karina Allrich. Her recipe features millet and sorghum flours held together by a few other exotic ingredients. Read the gluten-free recipe in its entirety, assemble your ingredients and enjoy baking bread for your St. Patrick’s Day festivities!

Finally, we’d like to hear about your experiences with these organic and gluten-free recipes. Tell us what you think by sending us a message, or posting to our Facebook Wall!

Straight From the Truly Organic Baking Contact Form

Kari Ani — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:23:26 +0000

Truly Organic Baking customer Barbara M. found our products at a Safeway, then sent us this amazing message:

Thank you Kari for creating such an amazing group of truly healthy baking products!!!

We’ve just made the Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix with Pecan, dried raisins and cranberries. OMG, its the best Gluten Free product I’ve ever tasted after trying a multitude of products for myself and health conscious friends of my holistic ministry practice. Almost all gluten free products on the market tend to rely on Potato flour as a base which is bland, heavy and starchy, making gluten free, taste free. Now our experience with Truly Organic Baking…Wow!! Your gluten free products have a terrific combination of complex flavors and textures-real winners! You really stand out from the gluten free crowd, utilizing organic buckwheat flour, a high, flavorful source of protein and gluten free fiber, paired with organic brown rice flour, another nutritional powerhouse food. This combination makes your products real win! ners in both taste and nutrition. Bravo!! Truly amazing! Everyone wanted seconds!

Thank you again for creating magnificent organic gluten free products.

B.D.M. Holistic Health Practitioner and Detox Guide

Thank you Barbara for these extremely wonderful and thoughtful words! =)

Kari Ani Shiozawa

Founder & CEO

Truly Organic Baking, LLC

All-New Bakers Basics Gluten-Free Line of Organic Mixes

Kari Ani — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:01:46 +0000

Eating organic on a gluten-free diet is now easier than ever! To bring the wonderful taste of your favorite foods back to the table, Truly Organic Baking has added an all-new gluten-free selection of goodies to our Bakers Basics line of products. These organic options are made with organic ingredients that everyone can enjoy!

In addition to the organic products already offered in our Bakers Basics line, we’ve added four new gluten-free selections to bring even more fresh organic baked goods to you and your family. Our Gluten-Free Bakers Basics come in four different varieties. Choose from new Gluten-Free Banana Bread Mix, Brownie Mix, Spice Muffin Mix, or Pancake and Waffle Mix for a wholesome and satisfying baking experience the whole family will love.

A classic favorite, Bakers Basics Gluten-Free Banana Bread Mix lets you have your banana bread and eat it too! Great for breakfast, an afternoon snack or dessert, our Bakers Basics Organic Gluten-Free mix is sure to be a hit.

For the chocolate lover, we’ve made it easy to enjoy chocolate brownies without the guilt. Hot and fresh from the oven, they make an excellent snack on their own, or topped with vanilla ice cream! Of course, not everyone is as loco for coco as we are, and we’ve remembered these very important customers as we dreamed up our sumptuous Spice Muffin Mix. Ideal for serving as a tea snack or for an on-the-go option, this muffin mix is sure to become a pantry staple.

Last but not least, to make breakfast a breeze, we’ve crafted our own Gluten-Free Pancake and Waffle Mix. Whip up a batch of these Saturday morning favorites served with fresh fruit and real maple syrup, and watch them disappear like magic. No one will even know they’re gluten-free!

At Truly Organic Baking, we know a healthy organic diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Just because you follow a gluten-free diet doesn’t mean your food has to taste plain. Try one of our mixes, and remember how good organic and gluten-free can really be!

Would you like to learn more? To view our entire lineup of Bakers Basics products, visit www.trulyorganicbaking.com/shop/.

Baking With Gluten-Free Products

Kari Ani — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:40:04 +0000

Are you looking for a way to expand your gluten-free eating options? Until recently, most people were largely in the dark about gluten-free foods, but due to the rise of food-related allergies, more people are looking toward gluten-free options to regain control of their health.

Just because you’re living gluten-free doesn’t mean you have to give up on your favorite foods altogether. To someone trying to abstain from wheat, eating can become a major stress factor. However, all hope is not lost. Like all special dietary situations, the key to sticking with it is substitution, not sacrifice. While gluten-free baking can seem intimidating at first, with a few adjustments and a little help, it can be as easy as pie.

The most important part of successful gluten-free baking is to keep it simple. If you’re just beginning, it’s OK to start off with prepared items. At Truly Organic Baking, we carry a variety of tasty pre-packaged gluten-free mixes to steer you in the right direction. Store-bought baking and pancake mixes can be a serious stress-reducer for those new to the gluten-free lifestyle, and may lead the novice baker toward creating their own mixes from scratch.

Sometimes ingredients are processed in factories that also process other allergy-causing foods. Because of this, gluten-free foods can have dairy, soy, beans, sugar, or nuts. If you choose to purchase pre-made mixes, carefully read the label to check for potentially problematic ingredients. If you have dietary issues with lactose, soy, legumes, casein or nuts, make sure that these products are not present, or could be present, in your gluten-free foods.

Once you’re comfortable with preparing pre-packaged gluten-free foods, you can begin to explore making your own mixes. Your best bet is to find gluten-free cookbooks and recipes and try each one out with different flours. There are a surprising number of options out there, including rice, buckwheat, quinoa, coconut, and almond flours. Each of these has their own special characteristics, and learning about them will help you determine which will work best for you.

As with all forms of baking, practice makes perfect. When exploring gluten-free baking, remember to go easy on yourself. Because the ingredients have different properties than their wheat-created cousins, it can take some time to find the ones that work best for you.

For a wide range of gluten-free and organic baking products, visit our online store at www.TrulyOrganicBaking.com!

Truly Organic Baking Declared a U.S.A. Taste Champion

Kari Ani — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:36:32 +0000

We have some amazing news to share with you: Truly Organic Baking was declared a U.S.A. Taste Champion by the American Masters of Taste!

Northern California, February 15, 2011 – Truly Organic Baking, was selected as the winning product line in the “Banana bread mix, Banana bread mix, gluten free, Brownie mix, gluten free, Pizza dough mix, Scone mix, and Spice muffin mix, gluten free” categories for retail. Their “Bakers Basics Banana Bread Original, Banana Bread- Gluten Free, Scone Mix, Brownie Mix- Gluten Free, and Spice Muffin Mix- Gluten Free” were all judged Superior.”

“We commend the culinary commitment of the staff of Truly Organic Baking for the excellence and innovation of their product line. We applaud them,” commented Jesse Sartain (Master of Taste).

Thank you for making our Truly Organic Baking products a part of your healthy lifestyle choice!

Choose ORGANIC for the sake of the planet.

Truly Organic Baking Award Of Excellence.doc (525 kb)

Organic Whole Grains in Your Daily Diet

Kari Ani — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:18:15 +0000

These days, it seems like most people are looking for ways to improve their diets. Alarming numbers of Americans have become susceptible to illnesses like high blood pressure, chronic obesity, and diabetes due to poor food choices. Even President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are concerned with the nation’s eating habits and patterns. In response to this, they have both encouraged healthier eating habits for everyone.

For years, the U.S Department of Agriculture has been emphasizing the importance of whole grains as part of a healthy diet, but many people do not know what makes a grain whole. Unlike their refined counterparts, whole grain products contain the grain in its entirety. By consuming whole grain foods, we are able to take advantage of the natural benefits whole grains offer.

Whole grains are high in fiber, as well as a number of B vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, and folate. They are also a good source of minerals like iron, magnesium, and selenium, all of which are an important part of overall health and give us the chance to maximize the nutritional benefits of meals.

By adding the organic factor into whole grains, we increase our nutritional intake while simultaneously decreasing our exposure to chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers. Additionally, like other organic foods, organic whole grains are never genetically modified.

By choosing organic whole grains instead of refined grains for your healthy diet, you decrease your risk for a variety of chronic illnesses. When consumed regularly, the nutritional content of whole grains helps you to maintain a healthy weight, while lowering your risk of heart disease and high cholesterol.

It’s really not too difficult to incorporate the recommended three servings of whole grains into your daily diet. Try preparing meals with ingredients like brown or wild rice, oatmeal, and bulgur. Even some of your favorite foods and snacks (like popcorn and oatmeal) are naturally whole grains and can help you meet your goals. Alternately, look for packaged foods with “whole grain” written on the label, or listed near the top of the ingredients list.

If you would like to learn more ways to incorporate organic and whole grains into your diet, check out the USDA’s nutrition site at http://www.mypyramid.gov. Of course, you can always stop in and see what’s fresh and healthy at Truly Organic Baking. We love our organic whole grains and would love to share them with you!

What the New Nutrition Bill Means for Kids

Kari Ani — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:29:16 +0000

When you consider the fact that kids spend more time at school than at home, it’s hard to deny that school plays a major role in the lives of young people in America. Ideas and values are shaped in the classroom just as much as they are at home. With this in mind, it’s important to consider the role school lunches play in the development of a child’s eating habits.

Often, schools struggle to create healthy meals on meager budgets while trying to make sure everyone is fed. With the downturn in the economy, free- and reduced-price lunches are on the rise. Despite the fact that school lunches and snacks may be the only meals some kids get, many schools are finding it difficult to provide affordable healthy options.

In line with the White House initiative to battle childhood obesity, President Obama has signed a new nutrition bill into law. The administration understands the importance of a healthy diet for children, and hopes to change the way kids see food. Both the president and First Lady Michelle Obama have made battling childhood obesity a priority since being brought into office, and this bill increases funding for school nutrition by $4.5 billion nationwide.

How is this bill going to impact our nation’s children? First, it increases federal reimbursement for free school lunches by 6¢ per meal, giving struggling school districts assistance in providing the neediest kids with what may very well be their only guaranteed meal of the day. The bill will also allow for the expansion of the free lunch program and help to provide an additional 20 million after-school meals to hungry kids.

Not only will this bill address the epidemic of childhood obesity, but it will also focus on other issues. Former military officials have admitted that weight problems are the leading medical reason recruits are rejected from military service, something Mrs. Obama credits as a threat to national security. Additionally, hungry kids have a hard time paying attention in school, leading to lower grades and a more difficult time keeping up with the pace of class.

Hopefully, this new bill will relieve some of the financial burden of meal planning, allowing for more healthy meal choices for all students, regardless of family income. Healthy food for children at their schools will give kids the opportunity to grow and learn, which is what school is all about.

Choose ORGANIC for the sake of the planet! Visit www.trulyorganicbaking.com to learn more about making healthy choices and choosing organic.

The Importance of Organic and Nutritious Food for Young People

Kari Ani — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:37:16 +0000

As adults, many of us have come to know and love organic foods. Eating well means fewer trips to the doctor, extra energy, and the satisfaction of knowing that we’re taking good care of our bodies.

With kids, on the other hand, mealtimes can be a battle. It’s already difficult to get little ones to make educated food choices, and adding organic foods to the mix can seem like a daunting task.

While it may take a little coaxing, adding organic foods to your child’s diet is well worth the effort. Just as we want to maintain strong and healthy bodies, youngsters need every ounce of energy they can get. What they don’t need, however, are the number of additives found in many conventional foods.

Developing minds and bodies are more likely to suffer the impact of damage caused by such chemicals as pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides. In fact, if anyone should benefit from organic food to ensure the best possible development and growth, it’s children.

As a parent, it’s important to teach your kids the value of healthy eating at home. It pays off in the long run, as children who love natural and organic foods are less inclined to reach for sugary-sweet junk food when they can have natural treats like organic fruit leathers, smoothies, and granola.

To help this process along, try to incorporate a variety of healthy organic ingredients into your meals. Make it fun for kids to experience new foods by inviting them to help prepare meals, speaking with them about the benefits of each item and how they help their bodies become strong and healthy. For example, “Did you know carrots help us see better in the dark?” is always an effective favorite.

While you eat together, share stories and ideas. Time spent around the table brings you closer while giving your kids a head start with tasty and nutrient-rich organic food. As kids gain more experience with an assortment of healthy foods, you’ll find there are some they prefer even more over their preservative-packed counterparts.

Encourage your children to eat these foods and model your commitment to well-being by setting a positive example at the dinner table. Setting the building blocks of healthy living now will make them more likely to choose the best options for themselves later on in life.

For all-natural organic, kosher and vegan baking items that are sure to be instant hits with the whole family, check out our selection of Truly Organic Baking products. You can even shop online at www.trulyorganicbaking.com/shop/.