11 Favorite Food & Beverage Items from ShiftCon

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If you follow me on instagram, you probably know I attended ShiftCon a few weeks ago because I flooded my instagram with pics from the 3 days I was there learning, connecting and eating! This year we had about 12 bloggers from San Diego make the trip to ShiftCon which was awesome to have more than double the presence we had from last year!



The green and organic movement is in full force and I'm so glad to be apart of it. It was from my baby sign language classes that I became connected to some moms who educated me about organic food and why it is so important (especially for our littlest ones) and I am doing my part to pay it forward and share it here on my blog and in my programs.

In case you don't know what ShiftCon is, here's a short video that sums it up pretty well....

This year I saw many of my favorite brands that I've known and used for years and sampled some new to me items that will become staples in our home for sure.

1. Annie's Homegrown

Before the conference I reached out to Annie's to share the discovery that I had made that there were many products of theirs on the store shelf that no longer had the USDA organic label. Not only did Annie's promptly reply right away, they shared that they have always had some products that are organic and some products that are made with some organic ingredients. This allows them to provide various price points for all consumers and still create a better product. My kids are fans of their bunny crackers and mac & cheese. My personal favorite item (but it's hard to choose) is probably their Organic Peace Pasta & Parmesan macaroni & cheese and it's available at Thrive Market.

Look at all the varieties of mac & cheese I came home with!

2. Stonyfield 

When I was a new mom a friend of mine recommended to buy only the Yo Baby yogurt products for Amberly. So I did. I fell in love with this brand. They've been so kind in supporting some of the events I put on for moms and babies too. But I love them even more after meeting them in person. They are a super creative yogurt brand that is on a mission to educate about organic foods. My kids request this brand specifically when I go to the store.




3. Love Child Organics

I talked with Leah, the co-founder of this child centered brand at great length while at the Expo and I'm glad I did because I learned something valuable. Not all organic food is 100% organic. To meet the USDA organic seal guidelines a product has to be 95% organic. Well, Love Child is 100% organic and they are unwavering in their values. I was sent home with some sample pouches which are designed for kids primarily between 6 months and 6 years old and got the 2 thumbs up at home.

Love Child Organics has me falling in love with their no synthetic ingredients promise.

4. Bitsy's Brainfood

A brand that wants to make eating healthy fun for kids? Absolutely! And they're not trying to trick kids into it either. The goal is to educate kids about eating healthy. And from my experience, this approach really works. Amberly spouts off stuff all the time and it's things I've taught her over the past few years that we've been on this green health journey. So I have proof it is sinking in! I loved the activity ideas that they showcased in their suite at ShiftCon and even won a Target giftcard when I completed my passport and spun the prize wheel. I will be borrowing some ideas from their hospitality suite when I help organize classroom parties for my son's 1st grade class.

Bitsy's Brainfood makes learning to eat healthy fun! Eat, Play. Learn.

5. Leaf & Love Organics

A lemonade box with zero sugar and only 5 calories, sweetened with organic stevia. I know parents are torn between giving their kids juice because of the sugar content and I was pleased to find that a couple of moms paired up and created something to conquer that problem. I sampled their delicious lemonade twice, cuz I have a thing for lemonade and so do my kids! My understanding is they plan to expand to more than lemonade and I look forward to seeing what they have on the horizon.

Follow Leaf and Love to support the work of these awesome moms!

6. Nature's Path Organic

Last year I fell in love with their Love Crunch and started buying their Envirokids Crispy Rice Bars for the kids as special snacks when we're on the road. My kids love them and ask for them whenever they see them on the store shelves. My favorite item currently is their Pumpkin Flax Granola. It's especially good to top off a healthy parfait snack. I just saw that they have  Pumpkin 'n Spice Granola Bars which I can't believe I haven't tried yet! Don't worry, I'll fix that straight away with my next Thrive Market order!

Nature's Path Organic is perfect for on the go healthy snacking.

7. Made in Nature

One of our snack breaks was sponsored by Made in Nature and I discovered a new favorite snack... Figgy Pops! I'm really head over heals for these things and think I made it a point to go by and sample them 5 or 6 times. The Figgy Pops are their latest development but their other popular products are the varied flavors of toasted coconut chips. I have yet to try all the flavors to pick a favorite but I'll have to remedy that really soon!

When you try the Made in Nature Figgy Pops, tell me you don't feel the same way.

8. Chosen Foods

Last year they sent these delightful surprise boxes to our homes post conference and I immediately fell in love with their avocado oil. This year they had a booth and I got to meet the people behind the twitter account!  They've just come out with a delicious new avocado oil mayo and I'm hooked. When I get their newsletter email it reminds me to check out their vast archive of healthy recipes. I'm just starting to experiment with Quinoa so this one is on my breakfast bucket list. I'm really hoping their product line will be available via Thrive Market soon since that's where I will be buying a lot of my pantry items now.

If you have yet to try Chosen Foods, it is a MUST!

9.  Nutiva

They did it again with their amazing popcorn snack.... lured me over to their table. We are already big fans of their coconut oil and all the amazing health benefits that accompany it. Since their coconut oil is not found on the shelves of my local Costco anymore I am glad I can find it via Thrive Market and still get a great price! We used their organic shelled hempseed in our smoothies all the time. One of my favorite smoothies of all time has a secret ingredient - coconut oil! Nutiva is another brand that has amazing recipes highlighted on their website for inspiration, I get so hungry just looking at it.

Nutiva has a Real Food Manifesto to help us all lead healthier lives.

10. Dave's Killer Bread

At the conference check in table we got to select a loaf of bread.... which seemed a little bit odd to me, I'll be honest. But, I went with it. I grabbed the variety that looked familiar from Costco and didn't have a chance to try it until I got home. We were out of cereal one morning and I crossed my fingers that Dave's Killer Bread in the toaster would disguise the "healthy" taste my kids have complained about with other breads. Well, the kids were eating their toast before I was and told me it was the best bread ever and that we have to buy it again. It turns out that they are not just about making killer bread. They're about giving people second chances. That's a whole lot of goodness to take in and I think we'll be "lifers" to support their cause and because it's just that good.

Organic and made with a cause - Dave's Killer Bread totally rocks!

11. Fork in the Road

Another one of our snacks was provided by Fork in the Road. I got to sample 3 different types of sausage and boy were they good! So of course I went back for more. Their products have no antibiotics or added hormones which is really important to me when feeding my kids. They have this cool tool on their website that allows you to trace your food back to the community of farmers who raised it. Talk about transparency and accountability in our food system! I'm looking forward to trying their breakfast sausage next.

Fork in the Road practices sustainable farming and supports family farms.

Here are a few of my key take aways from this year's conference:

We all have a voice and we can share little nuggets of information with our neighbor, with our facebook community, with our co-workers and our blogging friends and make a difference in cleaning up the food system. But perhaps our biggest voice comes directly from the purchases we make each and every day. Every time we put down the big brand and instead select the NON-GMO and organic products we are promoting health by shifting profits in the right direction. I still have a long way to go, but celebrate each of the changes our family has made so far. I may not be the greenest, but at this conference it doesn't matter, all shades of green are welcome and embraced.

I am excited to continue on our green journey or what I might be calling our SHIFT journey as it is really about making one small change or shift at a time.

Most Accommodating and Beautiful Stay at Marriott Manhattan Beach

As I was looking forward to ShiftCon in Manhattan Beach, I really had not given much thought to the wonderful accommodations that we would have by staying onsite at the Marriott. And I was impressed every step of the way with our weekend stay.

First, from booking our reservation, I have to say that it was easy breezy. Especially given that I decided to stay an extra night and needed to call back and change our reservation. Because I used to work in customer service I especially appreciate when I have a seamless call for service that is both friendly and efficient.

My roommate for the weekend was my good friend, Nichole from So Cal Savvy Mom.  It was at the very first ShiftCon that we really connected and bonded over wine. We lucked out with near front row parking and as we walked in to the hotel for check in we couldn't help but admire the welcoming view that made us feel like we were on a mini vacation.

This is right near the pool and the palm trees paired with sounds of water falling create that total relaxation experience that anyone desires when they head out of town. We made a pact right there that we would be sure to come outside and kick our feet up to enjoy the view at least a little bit during the conference. I wish I had brought my swim suit though because these cabanas were calling my name!

Photo courtesy of Marriott Manhattan Beach 

At the check in counter we were greeted with a smile and someone with a great sense of hospitality. ShiftCon was not the only private event going on that weekend and we were advised we would be switching rooms from two double beds to a King bed for our third night. I was kind of bothered by this because I've never had to switch rooms during a hotel stay before and shared my concern at check in. It takes finesse to explain to someone that there is a little bit of a hiccup in their arranged stay, but even with finesse sometimes it is necessary to offer a perk to make up for said hiccup. I was very grateful for being offered a room overlooking the golf course and free wi-fi to make up for the inconvenience of having to switch rooms. To be honest I don't know what those upgrades cost, but it comes down to making your customer smile and feeling well taken care of, which we did.

Our room had little touches of comfort from room service menu easily spotted on the pillow, a coffee maker in case we needed help waking up, shower essentials and something I think all hotels should do in this day and age, a "care for our planet" message hanging next to the towels that helps us all conserve water. When we are on vacation or on a business trip we ought to continue to care about our water use and how our actions affect the planet and our community at large. Kudos to the Marriott for being green and delivering this message!

After some mingling at one of the evening receptions we wanted to channel our inner wolves and headed outside to enjoy the beautiful moon underneath the enchanting lights. So Cal Savvy Mom got a much better photo than I did and I think it was her photo posting to the twitter wall in the reception that drew some of our new found friends out to enjoy the evening sky with us. It was lovely to chat with fellow bloggers on the same green journey, share some tips and just get to know one another in a casual, yet remarkable setting.

Photo courtesy of So Cal Savvy Mom

Then one of the Marriott rock stars came over to light our fire pit and that's when it got really cozy! Talk about comforts of home... this reminded me of hanging out with friends around our own backyard fire pit clinking glasses and bonding. This touch of ambiance is what I think set the mood for a weekend of growing new friendships, one of the goals of ShiftCon.

Upon turning in for the night I realized I had inadvertently left my booth brush and toothpaste on my dresser at home and the gift shop had closed. Lucky for me, the Marriott staff aims to please and came to the rescue. 

The next morning the marine layer resting on the golf course provided for this beautiful view. I used to live just next door to a golf course and this reminded me of their mesmerizing influence. I gave thanks for the opportunity to be here and learn more about this food movement and the role I play in sharing that information with new moms.

I had encouraged a group of San Diego Mom Bloggers that were represented at the conference to gather for lunch. The restaurant on-site was not officially open and the hostess advised me that our group could order from the same menu at the bar upstairs. Because we had a group that planned to lunch together, she was happy to make arrangements for us. We chose to eat outdoors because of the beautiful backdrop and several umbrellas were moved to make sure we wouldn't melt in the sun. As I mentioned before there's just incredible serenity that begs for you to delight in the sounds of the water and views of the palm trees.

There were so many items on the menu that sounded good and ultimately I went with the Grilled Apple and Feta Salad w/ Chicken. I was thrilled to see the plate show up with plenty because I was starving.... in fact it was probably enough to feed two people. When I make it back I would order this again!

Photo courtesy of Marriott Manhattan Beach

The lobby and bar area are equally welcoming. The decor reminds me something I'd see while touring brand new model homes. Being in an upscale environment gives you a boost in confidence. Maybe that's what pushed me to take the leap and become a red head during our stay.

And this might seem odd to mention, but I told Nichole that the carpet on our floor made me happy. It may be the yellow, or the fun pattern, I'm not sure. This is what I mean about the attention to detail at the Manhattan Beach Marriott Hotel. They've just got you smiling and you may not even know why.

When it was time to switch rooms on Saturday they made it as easy as possible on us and gave us the option to have our bags moved while we attended our conference sessions, or we could have a bell hop assist us with the transfer. And the view from our new room made the room change worthwhile. 

I heard the beach was not too far from the hotel and while we didn't partake in this, I love that this Bike and a Bite at the Beach is offered to guests as a way to explore the nearby restaurants and enjoy the sand between your toes. It would be something on my bucket list for a future stay. I wonder if they have kid bikes too? I could just imagine all five of us pedaling along with the ocean breeze and relishing in the joy of short getaway.

I also have to say that the setup for the conference was ideal because none of the workshop sessions seemed too far away and the hospitality suites were altogether and the open space for the Expo was very inviting. Everything was easy to find. Our conference registration desk was spacious and again easily accessible. Clearly this place knows how to set things up for a conference and has a staff that is well trained in making things run smoothly so everyone enjoys their time at the hotel. 

I tell ya, I'm looking forward to a future time that I can have an excuse to escape to enjoy these sights and sounds again, a little slice of paradise in Southern California that is Manhattan Beach Marriott.

Psst! You can PIN THIS to your TRAVEL board!

Mango Berry Boost Smoothie

This summer I'm determined to make the Vitamix our best friend! We've owned our Vitamix for over 3 years and we've used it less than 100 times. Well, now I'm ready to quit Jamba Juice. Recently I quit Starbucks, so this is another way to take charge of what we're consuming.

Since we've been paying a lot more attention to the measurements of what we're putting into our smoothies, the kids have been really pleased with the end result. In the past I sort of just did a hodge-podge of whatever was available in the fridge and well, let's just say not everything comes together for a flavorful blend.

We are big fans of mangoes. But it can be kind of costly to use the fruit in a smoothie, or at least enough of it to get the flavor. So instead I opted for the mango nectar that I found at Costco. I have a feeling that this is going to be a new favorite smoothie base because all 3 kids asked for more after they downed their liquid treat.

Mango Berry Boost Smoothie

1 cup mango nectar (juice)
1 cup plain organic yogurt - I used Stonyfeld 
2 heaping cups frozen mixed berries
1 banana
1 very ripe pear
3 TBSP organic hemp seed - I used Nutiva

Add all the ingredients to the blender. By the way, it matters which order you add in your ingredients....

Amberly helped put everything into the Vitamix

I love seeing all the colors just before we hit the switch to blend!

Blend on high for about a minute until you get this beautiful purple berry color. I added another tablespoon of the hemp seed for a boost of protein and added a strawberry for garnish. Of course I ate the garnish! 

I learned more about Nutiva and Stonyfield products while attending ShiftCon last year. ShiftCon is a social media conference for organic and sustainable bloggers. We had organic food and drink the entire weekend! I met so many amazing like minded people and got to take home the most useful swag (not to mention abundance of swag!) than any other conference or fair I've attended. This year it will be Sept 24th-26th in Los Angeles. I'll be there again this year and would love to see you! Our family has switched to buying 50% organic and we are still making healthy changes. It is pretty awesome to be part of the SHIFT that is happening.

Here's a short video from last year's event.

Grab your ticket before the conference is sold out!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Your purchase price is the same, regardless. I only share products and services I believe to be of value.

Stonyfield Made me a Winner at ShiftCon!

Upon checking in at ShiftCon, Elizabeth and I, my carpool buddy and roommate, went into the Expo hall.... we had so much to talk about both on the drive to and from the conference and every night after a full day of conferencing. I hold her responsible for my lack of sleep, and equally responsible for my heightened awareness to subjects that are not on my radar. You can check out her blog here.

The first brand we came upon was Stonyfield, and they were ready to feed us! Eating this Greek and Chia yogurt hit the spot after the nearly 3 hour drive from San Diego. I love that they had biodegradable spoons for us to use rather than  typical plastic spoons most other conferences would have.... it's all about the shift, baby!

Melanie and Kristina got us excited about participating in the conference conversation on twitter by using the hashtags #ShiftCon and #ShiftHappens.

I was so glad to spend a few minutes talking to Melanie and Kristina because they were warm, funny and wanted to know about us and our blogs. Why I don't have a picture with them, I do not know!

They gave me my very own "Multiple Organisms Make Me Happy" t shirts which I love and wear proudly.... all while having had a few double takes!

On the morning that The Food Babe gave a keynote at ShiftCon, I was among several winners drawn at breakfast for tweeting during the conference and sharing the amazing things we were learning from both break out sessions and brands and each other. I just knew I would win something too. I was reminded of a feeling when I won a yearbook in middle school. Good luck is not even what I would call it, rather a good energy vibe around what is happening, a shift if you will, in commitment  Now, when I was the first winner announced, that kinda blew me away, and when the prize was from Stonyfield, that made it even more awesome! I really didn't hear what I had won, just that it was Stonyfield and that was enough for me to be excited. People might have thought I was a bit crazy cuz I jumped up and hollered with a big WOO-HOO! It is so much fun to win something that you really want and will use rather than something you may not be familiar with or would never use... so I was thrilled!

Here's what I won:

A couple years ago one of my friends put me in touch with Stonyfield to sponsor our snacks at an event I was hosting and they were wonderful to work with, sending enough for every baby and toddler and parent to enjoy, plus sending a couple of great prize packs for our opportunity drawing. Ever since then I've been hooked on the Stonyfield brand. I love their mission statement which I found on their Facebook page:

At Stonyfield, we obsess over everything we put into our delicious organic yogurt, milk, frozen yogurt and smoothies, and everything we keep out. By saying no to toxic persistent pesticides, artificial hormones, antibiotics and GMOs, we say yes to healthy food, healthy people and a healthy planet.

This just happens to be my new favorite!

After hearing Gary Hirschberg give a talk on the first night of ShiftCon I was even more sold. What this brand stands for in their care for people generations to come is inspiring. I made sure to get a quick photo op with him because I see him as a true leader in our fight for real food who was a crusader before there was a crusade. When people walk the walk like Gary has done for so many years and educate others by giving talks and listening to moms share their stories, that will stay with you forever. Just a little thank you to Gary for what he is doing.

Early registration is going on now for ShiftCon 2015. I look forward to seeing you there! I have a feeling Stonyfield will be back as a sponsor and who knows, maybe I'll win another one of their awesome prizes.

Organic Lime & Cilantro Chili

When we were at the school's Monster Mash on Friday, I was catching up with one of our neighbors who has been suffering from some chronic back pain recently. She shared how it has resulted in making more "boxed" meals or processed foods which she said was not ideal, but she has been limited.  I was so excited about the freezer slow cooker meals I'd made on Sunday and discovered her family loves chili. It just so happens that I prepared two of these since I was pretty confident that my family would like it. Instead I'm taking one over to her family tomorrow. I've had my own difficulties with lower back pain and know it can wreck havoc on your intentions to cook healthy meals. Just another reason why freezer slow cooker meals totally rock, you get to help a neighbor in a simple, yet meaningful way!

This meal was inspired by New Leaf Wellness and I just loved the fresh sounding name of her chili recipe. I don't think I've ever bought cilantro before, or added lime to anything that wasn't a beverage... so you have a clue to my culinary skills, right now, next to nil. But, I've been following Cook Smarts  and learning a few things over the last several months which was part of my motivation for doing this meal planning!

I followed the recipe pretty closely and felt that even though there were a lot of ingredients, it was really easy to make. It totally helps that my husband browned the ground beef for me. Whenever possible, I used organic items. I had purchased organic black beans the day I went shopping for all my ingredients, but didn't consider that I'd need to soak and sort them... but I'm excited to use them next time! I even purchased organic cumin. The grocery store didn't have organic chili powder. We switched to organic ground beef a couple years ago and just once or twice when we've run out and didn't want to face the Costco crowds, we've run to the closest grocery store and bought regular ground beef. Even my husband commented on the regular ground beef just tasting "off" when we did that... and he was not too keen on my making the decision to slowly switch us to organic in the first place. So, when I heard at ShiftCon that there was recent news on scientific proof that organic food tastes better, I was not surprised. That got me to thinking about my spices.... many in my pantry are well over the 6-12 month shelf life anyway so as I try out new recipes over the next few months I am committing to buying new organic spices to replace the old!

I made some adaptations to New Leaf Wellness Slow Cooker Beef,, Lime & Cilantro Chili and think you will want to take a look at her website to find some other tasty inspirations to try.

Ingredients:

1.33 lbs. organic ground beef (we buy those 3 packs at Costco so that is the weight of 1 pkg)

1 14 oz can tomato sauce

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed

1/2 cup diced red onion

Juice and zest of one lime

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp organic ground cumin

Toppings:

Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

Fresh chopped cilantro (don't pass on this!)

Sour Cream

Red onion (I forgot my intention to use what I had reserved from freezer meal prep day!)

Next time I'll likely use twice as much tomato sauce or diced tomatoes since my kids like a chili that is bit more soup-like.

As I was assembling everything I loved the scent of the lime zest combined with the cumin and chili powder, the traditional chili smells,. I knew it was going to be good! This was one of the first meals I assembled and I was so proud to have 2 hearty, flavorful meals to put into my freezer. 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Label your bag before you get started.

2. Brown the ground beef and drain. Allow to sit and cool a few minutes before bagging.

3. Add cooked meat and additional 8 ingredients to freeze ziplog bag. Seal the bag, getting out as much air as possible. Give the bag a good shake and mix ingredients by using hands on outside of the bag to massage ingredients around. I spend a minute or two doing this until everything is evenly distributed and the meat can marinate in the sauce/spices.

4. Lie flat to freeze.

5. Defrost by pulling item out of freezer the night before and putting in the fridge, or leave on counter one hour, or run under warm water for a minute or two. It does not need to be defrosted completely, just enough to open bag and dump ingredients easily into the slow cooker.

6. Grease the inside of your slow cooker. This time I used Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil which comes in the form of a spray - making it oh-so-easy! I will tell you more about Chosen Foods in an upcoming post.

7. Cook on low 8 hours. Give a final stir and serve!

HOT TIP: Whenever you find a freezer meal your family loves, make two or three or even four the next time so you really cut down your time spent on each meal. It will help with the grocery shopping too since you just need to buy more of the same ingredients. I've read that most families have just about 20 meals in their rotation, and since these meals can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months, making 4 at a time is maximizing your time and energy and possibly money if you happen upon some incredible discounts.

When we got home from Amberly's softball game, the house smelled of a great fall meal and everyone was hungry! What was so awesome is that I only had to come in and....

1. Prepare the toppings:

2. Prepare some cornbread muffins. We are hooked on Marie Calendars and I just try to ignore the fact that almost ALL corn products in packages are GMO... so if you have a brand you love that is organic and can give me a hot tip, I'll gladly give it a try.

3. And dinner was served!

Recipe rating: 1 to 5 Stars

Joann - 4 stars, I think with the extra tomatoes next time it will be the right consistency for me. I just loved the lime and cilantro flavors playing a medley in my mouth... which was only better when I crumbled my cornbread muffin and ate it altogether.

Cory - 2 stars. He's not hip to "new" flavors of old stand by meals as much as I am. He ate it though and didn't spoil the kids' ratings by saving his comments for last.

Amberly - 5 stars. She loves sour cream so I wondered if this biased her rating. Nope, she tried the chili on it's own, then I asked her to try a bit with just some cilantro and she agreed that the cilantro really adds to the whole flavor of this dish.

Kyle - 2 stars. He didn't eat his taco meat for our taco salad dinner last night either and ground beef seems to be his nemesis. He did point out that he loved the black beans though and ate some of the chili.

Owen - 5 stars. He wanted to give it a 10 star rating! I did not put cilantro on his this time, but plan to leave some on the table for his choosing next time. When presenting a 5yo with something new, best to think of the presentation of the meal so there is a better chance of their embracing it.... in this case it was a total win!

Since my husband either has class or softball two nights a week, this can certainly be added into our rotation of meals and it may just end up on the nights he's not home for dinner.

I can't wait to take the other freezer bag over to my neighbor tomorrow and hear how they like it. I'm curious if you have used your freezer meal stash to help out a friend either with a baby on the way or recovering from an injury. Do you think you'll double up on your meal prepping with this in mind? There's so many ways we can be neighborly even in the rush of this modern day life-style. This alone may be the thing that keeps me motivated to stay on track with my new found love of slow cooker freezer meals.