Sam Baker > Recent Status Updates

Vegetable oil is often a blend of unidentified ingredients and can include canola, corn, and cottonseed oils, crops that are largely genetically modified.

The electric pressure cookers fairly new to the kitchen appliance scene can substantially reduce the amount of time required to cook a pot of beans.

PHYTIC ACID is considered an “anti-nutrient” that can block nutrient absorption and can sometimes upset stomachs…Soaking dried beans for eight hours or overnight is a good idea when making most bean recipes. It can cut cooking time, plus soaking beans helps eliminate some of the phytic acid

Look for organic sugar, because products labeled as organic cannot be sprayed with glyphosate.

It’s easy enough to replicate [brown sugar] by mixing one tablespoon of molasses into one cup of white granulated sugar until it’s evenly distributed.

The average American consumes almost 57 pounds of sugar a year!

Corn is the most commonly grown crop in the United States and is also one of the most genetically modified in the market, with an estimated 92 percent of corn crops being altered to resist pests or tolerate herbicide spray…Currently Roundup Ready soy, corn, canola, alfalfa, cotton, sugar beets, and sorghum are in production. In 2018, 94 percent of all soybeans and cotton planted was genetically modified.

GRAS - Generally Recognized As Safe (FDA)

This DIY lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint, and we are all at different points on the path…This is a process; every little step you take will help you build on another and another, until some of the packaged goods you currently use are just a distant memory.

The practice of deciding what sounds good for dinner, then dashing off to shop for ingredients is another ingrained habit many of us have. By assessing what's available and figuring out what to make with what's on hand , we can utilize ingredients that are nearing the end of their shelf life. This kind of creative cooking can help eliminate food waste and make your grocery budget go further.

Marketing teams behind these convenience products use sneaky phrases like "healthy," “natural,” and "no artificial colors" to ease our conscience, enticing busy consumers to add those items to the shop ping cart without a second thought.

While living in the era of giant superstores, convenience stores, mini-marts, and fast-food drive-throughs, it's hard to imagine what life would be like without them. And yet, when I go to the store today, I gaze in wonder at the lack of real food options. Aisle after aisle of edible items for sale and only a small percentage pass muster as unprocessed, wholesome food. Isn't that crazy?