A while back, I stumbled onto a little known fact. The PLU codes on produce at your supermarket actually mean things (besides what kind of fruit or veggie it is)! For example, organic produce has a 5-digit PLU code beginning with the number 9. Conventionally raised produce has a 4-digit PLU code, and (wonder of wonders!) genetically modified produce has a 5-digit PLU code beginning with the number 8.

When getting fresh vegetables from local farmers, PLU codes don’t seem all that important. After all, I can just ask the farmer about his growing practices and where he gets his seed from. So, I tucked away this handy bit of knowledge about supermarket produce, thinking I might use it some day.

Then this week, I read an eye-opening article by Jeffrey Smith (the founder of the Institute for Responsible Technology). He says PLU codes don’t reveal the GMO origins of produce. Why? Because they’re optional.

Click here to continue.

Now that I’ve rambled about how a good broth can help us adjust our palette away from the Standard American Diet towards Real Food, as well as given a bit of the culinary history of broth and it’s nutritional benefit, I figured it was time to talk about how to make beef broth.

Making broth is surprisingly simple. If you search online, you’ll find a great many recipes out there for how to make beef broth. What you need to know is this: broth can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be, depending on your goals.
Click here to continue.

If you didn’t win last week’s giveaway for the Stackable Sprout Garden, I’ve got some good news for you. Julie at Cultures for Health is offering 15% off all sprouting supplies for the next week!

So, if you’re interested in starting some sprouts to help bring a little Spring into the depth of your Winter, now’s your chance. In my family, we love adding raw sprouts to our salads. My favorites are broccoli, radish, and mustard. I also love sprouting lentils before adding them to soups or stews, and my favorite sprout for stir fry meals are mung beans (the Chinese have sprouted mung beans for thousands of years.) Sprouts are a cheap vegetable, easily grown all year indoors and with limited space, and surprisingly nutritious.

So, now for the winner:

Click here to continue.

Time flies. There are just 4 more days to take the plunge and sign up for Wardeh’s new eCourse in the Fundamentals of Traditional Food Preparation methods. Enrollment closes on February 22nd, and class begins on the 23rd.

Today Wardeh published a new page of Frequently Asked Questions (and their answers, duh!) that may help you make a decision if you’ve been sitting on the fence about whether or not to sign up.

Click here to continue.

My kids think sprouting is fun. When I first started sprouting, I was sprouting wheat berries in order to dry them and grind them into a flour that I could use to make bread. I eventually gave up making the bread, mostly out of laziness. If properly preparing grains was so much work, was it really worth all the effort? Maybe yes, maybe no. If it were up to me, I probably wouldn’t bother with grains at all. But, I have kids. They still like their sandwiches. So, I do buy a couple of loaves of sprouted grain bread from the grocery store per month.

Then I started exploring all the other kinds of sprouts: sprouts for gardening, sprouts for salads, sprouts for stir fries. They’re a cheap vegetable, easily grown all year indoors and with limited space, and surprisingly nutritious.

Today, I’m pleased to announce a giveaway from one of my sponsors, Julie at Cultures for Health. Julie has graciously decided to give one of my lucky readers a 3-Tray Stackable Sprout Garden!

Click here to continue.