Your Health: BPA

By: Rena

You have likely seen 'BPA Free' stickers popping up on hard plastic bottles all over the place! Just what is this BPA? Why is it so dangerous?

What Is BPA?

Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, along with other applications.

Known to be estrogenic since the mid 1930s, concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products were regularly reported in the news media in 2008 after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, prompting some retailers to remove products containing it from their shelves. A 2010 report from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised further concerns regarding exposure of fetuses, infants and young children. In September 2010, Canada became the first country to declare BPA as a toxic substance.In the European Union and Canada, BPA use is banned in baby bottles.^(Wikipedia)

Is BPA Toxic?

This is a subject of much debate. Since the FDA completed its original analysis in August, additional data on the potential health effects of BPA have emerged, linking high levels of BPA exposure to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes and even a decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy in cancer patients. The compound is also linked to developmental and brain effects in infants; BPA is known to mimic the hormone estrogen in the body, which can cause changes in developing fetuses and infants. "There is enough evidence today for the FDA to take the precaution and to certainly get BPA out of infant products," says Urvashi Rangan, senior scientist and policy analyst at Consumers Union. "Even more, consumers should not be ingesting this substance while the science is being figured out."(Time Magazine)

A 2008 draft report by the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) concluded that “there is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures,” and that there is “some concern for bisphenol A exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females.”

Dr Oz suggest the BPA may be making us fat.

BPA has been linked to many health problems.

BPA is also known to have a negative effect on the environment.

In general, studies have shown that BPA can affect growth, reproduction and development in aquatic organisms. Among freshwater organisms, fish appear to be the most sensitive species. Evidence of endocrine-related effects in fish, aquatic invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles has been reported at environmentally relevant exposure levels lower than those required for acute toxicity. There is a widespread variation in reported values for endocrine-related effects, but many fall in the range of 1μg/L to 1 mg/L.^(Wikipedia)

^{In Conclusion, The jury may still be officially 'out' on BPA, but it is something we should all be mindful of.}

Where do we find BPA?

BPA is hiding everywhere. It is in water bottles, milk jugs, ling of cans of baby formula, lining of many cans and many other places. Heat causes BPA to leach at up to 50% more quickly. This means, do NOT heat or reheat your foods in plastic containers. Do NOT leave water bottles in the sun. When in doubt do not reuse plastics or cans.

One easy way to identify BPA is by the recycle code on the bottom of most plastics.

In general, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 are very unlikely to contain BPA. Some, but not all, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA.

Thrive & BPA

You can feel safe feeding your family foods from Thrive and Shelf Reliance. All Thrive cans and pouches are BPA FREE!! Our specially lined cans are durable, safe, and add to Thrive foods long shelf life. Best of all, with Thrive foods, you don't have to worry about dangerous, toxic substances such as BPA leaching into your families food.

Many baby food containers contain BPA. With Thrive foods you can quickly make healthy baby food in minutes! Just rehydrate your chosen foods and puree! No need to boil or steam! You can then freeze your homemade baby food eliminating your baby's exposure to BPA.

Vacationing with Thrive Food

One reason I love Thrive foods is that it makes it easy to eat healthy on the go. As you can tell from the lack of activity on my blog, I've been out of town all summer. I love vacationing and visiting with family, but my pet peeve is that we never seem to eat healthy and wind up getting sick as a result. We've actually done pretty well though, and that is partially thanks to our Thrive foods. Here is a quick list of how they can be used on the road:

• Pack snack bags with your kids' favorite FD fruits and veggies rather than sugary gummy fruit snacks or crackers for a healthy treat in the car.





• Assemble bags of ingredients for your favorite freeze dried meals and quickly have a healthy meal on the go. This is especially helpful if you are camping, but you can also heat up water in your hotel room coffee pot and enjoy the meal there too! (Stone soup would be a great coffe pot meal!)





• Buy some healthy cereal to bring on your adventure as well as a baggie of instant milk and your favorite freeze dried fruits or yogurt bites. Then when it's time for breakfast you can quickly mix up your milk, pour it over a bowl of cereal, and top it off with the freeze dried fruit or yogurt for a tasty and healthy breakfast that you and your kids will love.





• If you are going on a hike, add some freeze dried fruit or yogurt bites to your trail mix for extra nutrition and energy without the added sugar.





• As a reward for your kids' good behavior on long airplane or car rides, bring along some freeze dried ice cream. They could enjoy their snack in the plane or the car without making a big mess and still enjoy the delicious ice cream experience kids love. (Feel free to treat yourself too!)





• Flying with kids is always a bit nerve racking. You could make it an adventure though by pretending to be astronauts and then giving them some space food (aka freeze dried food) in flight just like the astronauts eat.





• If you have a baby traveling with you, leave the bulky baby food at home and instead rehydrate some FD fruits/veggies and mash it for baby. Babies also love to snack on yogurt bites and you get more of them for your money through Shelf Reliance than if you buy the little bags of them in the baby aisle.
  

I'm sure there are many more ways to use Thrive foods on the go. Please share if you have any good ideas that I didn't think about!

Repurposing Your Empty Cans

By Rena

  Looking for something to do with all those #10 and Pantry Size cans!  Here are a few ideas.

Kaboose.com has a great recipe for

Coffee Can Ice Cream

photo from http://affectionfordetail.blogspot.com

From rd.com
from Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things


Separate hamburgers Before you put those hamburger patties in the freezer, stack them with a coffee-can lid between each and put them in a plastic bag. Now, when the patties are frozen you’ll be able to easily peel off as many as you need.


Hold kitchen scraps Line a coffee can with a small plastic bag and keep it near the sink to hold kitchen scraps and peelings. Instead of walking back and forth to the garbage can, you’ll make one trip to dump all the scraps at the same time.


Make a bank To make a bank for the kids or a collection can for a favorite charity, use a utility knife to cut a 1/8-inch (3-millimeter) slit in the center of the plastic lid of a coffee can. Tape decorative paper or adhesive plastic to the sides of the kids’ bank; for a collection can, use the sides of the can to highlight the charity you are helping.


Keep the laundry room neat Have an empty coffee can nearby as you’re going through the kids’ pockets before putting up a load of wash. Use it to deposit gum and candy wrappers, paper scraps, and other assorted items that kids like to stuff into their pockets. Keep another can handy for coins and bills.


Make a dehumidifier If your basement is too damp, try this easy-to-make dehumidifier. Fill an empty coffee can with salt and leave it in a corner where it will be undisturbed. Replace the salt at monthly intervals or as needed.


Keep carpets dry Place plastic coffee-can lids under houseplants as saucers. They will protect carpets or wood floors and catch any excess water.


Keep toilet paper dry when camping Bring a few empty coffee cans with you on your next camping trip. Use them to keep toilet paper dry in rainy weather or when you’re carrying supplies in a canoe or boat.


Gauge rainfall or sprinkler coverage Find out if your garden is getting enough water from the rain. Next time it starts to rain, place empty coffee cans in several places around the garden. When the rain stops, measure the depth of the water in the cans. If they measure at least an inch, there’s no need for additional watering. This is also a good way to test if your sprinkler is getting sufficient water to the areas it is supposed to cover.


Make a spot lawn seeder When it’s time to reseed bare spots on your lawn, don’t use a regular spreader. It wastes seed by throwing it everywhere. For precision seeding, fashion a spot seeder from an empty coffee can and a pair of plastic lids. Drill small holes in the bottom of the can, just big enough to let grass seeds pass through. Put one lid over the bottom of the can, fill the can with seeds, and cap it with the other lid. When you’re ready to spread the seeds, take off the bottom lid. When you’re finished, replace it to seal in any unused seed for safe storage.


Eliminate workshop clutter You want small items like screws, nuts, and nails to be handy, but you don’t want them to take up workbench space. Here’s a way to get the small stuff up out of the way. Drill a hole near the top of empty coffee cans so you can hang them on nails in your workshop wall. Label the cans with masking tape so you will know what’s inside.


Soak a paintbrush An empty coffee can is perfect for briefly soaking a paintbrush in thinner before continuing a job the next day. Cut an X into the lid and insert the brush handles so the bristles clear the bottom of the can by about 1/2 inch (12 millimeters). If the can has no lid, attach a stick to the brush handle with a rubber band to keep the bristles off the bottom of the can.


Catch paint drips Turn the plastic lids from old coffee cans into drip catchers under paint cans and under furniture legs when you’re painting. Protect cupboard shelves by putting them under jars of cooking oil and syrup too.

Gift Wrap
Cover the outside of a coffee can with wrapping paper or a bright coat of spray paint. Then, drop your gift inside; pop the lid on; and you're done. It's a great option for both edible and non-edible gifts.

A Toad House
Tired of finding bugs munching on your plants? Toads are great pest control. Invite one to your yard by creating a toad house out of an old coffee can. 

Lanterns
Collect a bunch of coffee cans, and use them to make lanterns for your backyard. They're great for parties, but sturdy enough to hold up to daily use.

 E-How.com has several great ideas!  These ideas use the plastic coffee cans, but could be done with the #10.

Pencil Holder  Look at this from SpottedCanary.com.  I have a ton of scrapbook stuff I could use for this!  

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These are actually paint cans, but could be easily adapted for the #10 cans!  Use different scrapbook papers to make a can for your dog treats, or use some festive paper and use it as a gift can!  The possibilities are endless!

Stone Soup

My son attends Joy School and one day they all worked together to make "Stone Soup".  He came home raving about it and begging me to make it for dinner that night.  So, I called the teacher to get the recipe only to find I only had one of the ingredients (potatoes).  I was about to break the bad news to my son when I realized I actually did have all of the ingredients in my food storage, so I quickly threw it together and it was a big hit!  Here is the recipe I used, although I admit I didn't exactly measure the ingredients.  This is one of those things that you can easily throw together according to your own tastes without getting it wrong. 


STONE SOUP

Stone (optional ;)
4-5 Cups water
3-4 tsp beef bouillon
1/2 cup FD corn
1/2 cup FD peas
1/2 cup FD green beans
1/4 cup FD celery
1/4 cup FD onion
1 potato, diced (or potato dices)
1/3 cup carrot dices
1 1/2 cups FD ground beef
1 cup instant rice

1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Clean the stone and place it in your pot (optional of course).  Add water and bouillon and bring to a boil.  Add all other ingredients and simmer about 10 minutes or until all ingredients are heated and rehydrated.  Enjoy with cheese sprinkled on top.

In thinking about how much my son loved this book and accompanying meal, I realized that this could be a great food storage meal in an emergency.  Keep the book Stone Soup with your food storage and in an emergency you can read the book together and then have kids help assemble their own stone soup and have a great time eating their creation.  It would be a great diversion from whatever crisis is at hand and also help get the kids to eat their veggies!

What is TVP?

Many people are curious about what TVP is. TVP stands for texturized vegetable protein. It is an alternative to meat that provides excellent protein, is economical, and is easy to store and use. TVP provides the protein of meat without the fat or the mess that cooking and browning can create. The most popular TVP product is TVP Tacos. In fact many popular fast food chains use this in their recipes as a meat extender. You can make a quick meal, such as tacos, using TVP in 15 minutes for much less than the cost of ground beef and with more nutrition. In our family we also love to use TVP Ham or TVP Bacon on salads and baked potatoes to add flavor and crunch without adding calories. TVP does not last as long as freeze dried meat, but I like to have it in my home store because it costs less and if the needs arises for me to live off of my food storage I will be able to extend the freeze dried meat I do have or use it on it's own and feel confident that my family is getting good nutrition. TVP is also very convenient for camping as it weighs very little and can be quickly rehydrated or added to dishes.

TVP is made from soy flour where the soy oil has been extracted. It is cooked under pressure and then extruded and dried. Not only is TVP high in protein, but its also high in fiber and low in fat. This makes TVP ideal for food storage and also for every day use. Because TVP is not made from meat, it does not have the contamination risk that many meats have with bacteria such as E. Coli and Salmonella. Because it is soy based, it is perfect for those on a vegetarian diet.

To reconstitute TVP, pour ¾ cup boiling water over 1 cup TVP and let stand for 5-10 minutes. It can also be added dry to dishes with adequate liquid such as soups or spaghetti sauce. The texture of TVP can be adjusted by the amount of liquid added, so you can experiment to find out just how you like it. 1 oz of TVP is equivalent to approximately 3 oz of meat. After rehydration, TVP should be treated like meat and must be refrigerated and eaten within a few days.

(TVP facts taken from shelfreliance.com)

Here is a great TVP Taco recipe from Tawny:

5 Minute Taco Night

You Will Need:

*Thrive Taco TVP *Lettuce *Salsa

*Thrive onions *Tomatoes *Corn chips

*Thrive Peppers *Cheese *Tortillas

Directions:

1.Reconstitute enough TVP for your family’s needs. Remember the TVP almost doubles when reconstituted. For example, if you need 1 cup of TVP, reconstitute half a cup. I reconstitute my TVP by covering it in HOT water and letting it sit. I drain off any excess water. 2. Reconstitute onions and peppers to meet you family’s needs. Again, cover with water, let sit, and drain excess water.

3. While your other ingredients are reconstituting, warm your tortillas in the over. I warm mine at 300F for 5 min.

4. Again while other ingredients are reconstituting, chop lettuce and tomatoes.

5. I keep grated cheese in my fridge, but if you don’t, now is a great time to grate that cheese. You could also reconstitute some yummy Thrive freeze dried cheese.

6. Open your chips and salsa.

7. Serve

I serve this ‘buffet style’ and let everyone make his or her own plate. Some make Taco Salad with a salsa dressing, some have tacos, some have nachos, and some have a combination of them all! It is a real crowd pleaser!

This is also GREAT served with Beans! Yummy!!

Who doesn’t love a crowd pleaser that is healthy and can be prepared in less time than it takes to order at a fast food restaurant?

Pizza Dough

by Jamie

My family has become spoiled! I make home made pizza once a week. I know your probably thinking pizza isn't very healthy. I have made a healthier pizza that my fam LOVES! I make a whole wheat crust and add veggies for the toppings. I got this recipe from my fave blog www.everydayfoodstorage.net. Here is a video showing how to make the dough. Krystal is making bread sticks but also talks about how to make the dough into pizza. One thing I do different from Krystal is I don't put butter on my cookie sheet (cut calories) I spray mine with pam instead. I also don`t let my dough rise. I just put it in the oven right away.

2 in 1 Pizza Dough & Bread Sticks

2 1/2 C. Medium Hot Water
5 tsp. SAF Instant Yeast*
2 Tbsp. THRIVE Sugar
Let the yeast rise.


Add

3 Tbsp. Oil
1 tsp. THRIVE Salt
6 C. THRIVE Flour (I do 100% whole wheat but you can use any variation of white or wheat flour)

Note: This recipe will make 2 cookie sheets of pizza or 1 pizza and 1 bread stick. Or you can 1/2 the recipe and just have 1 bread stick or pizza. Any of the THRIVE ingredients can be exchanged for other brands.

Toppings:

Cheese, olives, THRIVE mushrooms, THRIVE mixed peppers, THRIVE sausage (FD or TVP), THRIVE ground beef, THRIVE ham & FD pineapple (Hawaiian pizza). The sky is the limit as far as toppings go. Several THRIVE ingredients will go perfect for toppings.

Put dough directly onto a pam sprayed cookie sheet or pizza pan. Spread with your fingers. No need to flour your counter or dirty your rolling pin!


Before I start making my dough I take a SMALL bowl and add a few Tbs of oil and several crushed/minced garlic cloves and mix it together. When I take my pizza dough out of the oven to top it I brush on the oil mixture. Bake 400 deg for about 7-10 minutes (for pizza) 10-12 minutes for bread sticks or until desired browning is accomplished for bread sticks. Baking the dough prior to topping it for the pizza keeps the dough from being soggy.

For pizza take out of oven and top with your fave toppings. I top ours with cheese, mushrooms, olives, chopped peppers and sometimes broccoli. Then put it back in the oven just to melt the cheese.

For bread sticks top them how ever you like. We brush some butter or oil and garlic (like for the pizza) then add some cheese. Cut into strips and enjoy!

by ShelfReliance Mom

This baby is the Kitchen Mill Wheat Grinder. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I use it once a month and grind up a bunch of wheat at once, then freeze the wheat in freezer bags to keep those healthy oils fresh. For anyone who loves fresh, healthy, straight from the source food, this is a dream. You simply pour wheat in at the top, flip the switch to how fine you want the flour and let it work its magic. There are a lot of grinders out there that you have to clean a certain way because of the natural oils in wheat corrode the parts, but not so with this one. If you are new to the idea of wheat flour, you might be surprised to know that white flour comes from the same grain, it is just wheat flour stripped of all of the healthy nutrients so it is a cheaper alternative for companies for use in their products. To learn more about the differences between white and wheat flour you can visit this site.

I will be doing some video clips for YouTube over the next few days for recipes that I use because I have this awesome tool. I love that I was able to earn it for half price, and you can too-just ask how! If you are someone who has tons of wheat for food storage without a clue of how to use them, stay tuned and I will help you learn how. We'll start with this recipe for today!

Below is my favorite 100% Whole Wheat Bread recipe that I make in my bread machine a couple times each week. This is perfect for all of you out there who feel like you don't know how to make bread or don't think you have the time, but would love bread with out all of the yucky preservatives. This came from my Breadman Recipe Manual.

100% Whole Wheat Bread 1 Lb Loaf

1 Egg, room temperature plus enough water to equal 3/4 c

2 T Oil

2 TSugar

1 t Salt

2 1/4 c Whole Wheat Flour

1 T Vital Wheat Gluten

1 1/2 t Active Dry Yeast

or 1 t Bread Machine/Quick Rise Yeast

100% Whole Wheat Bread 1.5 Lb Loaf

1 Egg, room temperature plus enough water to equal 1 c

3 T Oil

3 T Sugar

1 1/2 t Salt

3 Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 T Vital Wheat Gluten

2 t Active Dry Yeast

or 1 1/4 Bread Machine/Quick Rise Yeast

100% Whole Wheat Bread 2 Lb Loaf

1 Egg, room temperature plus enough water to equal 1 1/3 c

1/4 c Oil

1/4 c Sugar

2 t Salt

4 c Whole Wheat Flour

2 T Vital Wheat Gluten

1 1/2 t Active Dry Yeast

or Bread Machine/Quick Rise Yeast

Note: I do the 2 lb loaf and I also add 1 t of dough enhancer. Many people say that wheat bread turns out dense for them. Gluten and dough enhancer are the magic that make your bread fluffy and moist. To learn more about why these are important you can go to this independent site.

Not ready to make the plunge for an electric wheat grinder or are you looking for one that you can use in case there was an emergency and you had 0 electricity....here's an alternative, the Grain Mill Wheat Grinder. Please note that anyone who has used a manual wheat grinder can attest to the fact that they are a lot more work.