Since this is my first food post I just want to give a little information about why I try to cook the way I do. If you read my first blog "Here I am" you know that my mother in law, Nancy, has totally gotten off all medication just by changing the way she eats!!! She eats all Organic and Local (Food grown at farms close to your home) food.

What is Organic food mean? Definition from Wikipedia-
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.^[1]

I'm gunna get a little controversial but this is MY blog so I'm gunna say it! The food and drug administration want to tell us that pesticides, etc. in food not labeled "organic" aren't proven to do anything to anybody. But when you have positive results sitting in front of you, like my mother in law, you cant ignore it!

So if the fruits and vegetables that you are eating aren't organic, then most likely you and your children are consuming different pesticides and/or chemicals! So its easy right? Just eat Organic!!! Unless you have lots of money, it's not that easy, buying Organic is EXPENSIVE!!!! So I will help you out with a list of foods that normally contain more pesticides than others (dirty dozen) and food that is safer to buy nonorganic (clean 15).
this is copied from: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

As you can notice in the "Dirty Dozen" they are fruits and veggies that you eat the whole thing, even the skin! Also they are very hard to grow without bugs touching them and to be perfect store quality!!! So how can you consume them without also consuming the chemicals used in their growing process? Even after being washed, pesticides are still found!

Hopefully these lists help you in making better choices for you and your family! =) Also, now that we have Trader Joes in Kansas City, your organic produce can be more cost effective!