Tropical Traditions Barley: Review & Giveaway

Yum.

Barley is one of Monkey's new favorite foods.  I can get him to eat just about anything if I serve it with barley.  I love it that we are able to serve organic whole grain barley to our boys.  

With our recent change in diet, barley is a fantastic addition to our dry goods.  We really enjoy experimenting with it and will need to buy more as soon as our current supply runs low.  We trust Tropical Traditions to bring us healthy products that will help our family to improve ur quaqlity of life and health.  

BUY IT: Tropical Traditions organic hulled barley is currently on sale!  A 5 pound bag is $8.15 and a 10 pound bag is only 15.49!  What a great bargain for organic whole grains.

WIN IT: One of my readers will win a bag of barley for their own use!  Fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter.

Vegan Stir Fried Barley

Stir Fried Barley

Ingredients

Barley

Brussels Sprouts

Green Peppers

Carrots

Celery

Onion

Spinach

Broccoli

Other leftover vegetables as desired

Garlic

Ginger

Olive Oil

Soy Sauce

Instructions

Cook barley, in sauce pan, until soft.

Remove from burner and drain excess water.

While barley is cooking, chop vegetables into separate bowl.

When barley has been removed from the sauce pan, toss garlic, ginger, and olive oil into the bottom of the pan.  

Heat until starting to bubble.

Toss vegetables into the oil mixture on medium-high.

Stir about 5 minutes, until vegetables reach desired tenderness.

Add in barley.

Add soy sauce to desired taste.

Continue to stir until hot - 5-7 minutes.

Serve hot.

Tropical Traditions Omega 3 Greens: Review & Giveaway

Hoorah for Tropical Traditions.  They've done it again - convinced me that they have yet another great product.  I think Tropical Traditions is an outstanding company with an excellent line of products for the family.  This month we have been trying the Antioxidant Omaga 3 Greens.  This is a dietary supplement meant to support nutrition, digestion, circulation & immunity.  - This has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

I like to use this type of powder to help aid in digestion for myself.  I had read some other reviews about the Omega 3 Greens and was looking forward to trying it.  I even was nice enough to share it with my family.  

Tropical Traditions offers 2 flavors: Mint & Berry.  The greens are not grainy like so many similar products.  They dissolve completely and easily in water.  They can also be mixed with other liquids (like a smoothie) to change the flavor.  I tried the Berry flavored Greens and prefer it in a fruit/veggie smoothie myself.  - My boys and Mr. Crum like it in water just fine.

My Thoughts

I love the benefits of Omega 3 Greens.  I think the texture in the Tropical Traditions greens is perfect, smooth and mixable!  

I am not a big fan of the berry flavored mix by itself.  As I stated earlier, I like it better mixed in a shake.  I'm not sure why I chose berry flavor - I guess I forget how I feel about berry flavored products!  As I said, my boys and husband like the flavor as is.

I would recommend this product to people who like mint or berry flavoring.  I think that when we have it again, I will choose mint flavor.  

You can buy it now for $38.99 on the Tropical Traditions website (this is a sale price).

Giveaway

Tropical Traditions has offered to send one of my readers their choice of Antioxidant Omega 3 Greens flavors!  Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

Tropical Traditions Dish Liquid: Review and Giveaway

*This is a coconut based product*


Bubbles

I know, I know.  It's silly, bubbles are NOT a sign that my dishes (or anything else) are getting clean.  But the truth is, when I was dishes, I like to see bubbles.  I BELIEVE my dishes are getting cleaner when I see the "evidence" of bubbles that stick around for a little while.

Green

I like products that are green.  Not so much the color green, but free from added strange chemicals that may or may not harm my family as they are exposed to them over days, weeks, years, etc.  I like the color green too.  Mostly, I like learning ways to help keep our beautiful world healthy as my children (and hopefully someday grandchildren) are growing up.  I also want my kids to live with the expectation that they will do what they can to protect their world and continue to make it a safer place.

Smells

I don't like products that stink.  Who does?  I'm very particular about the smells that I bring into my house.  I don't tend to be big on flowery smells - but I'm not entirely opposed to them either.  I do like sweet smells, and natural smells.  I'm a very sensory person - the way things smell is definitely important to me.

Function

Why bring a product into my home that has no function, or does not function well?  The truth is - we do plenty of that.. silly kid's meal trinkets, stickers, flyers... I'm working on getting rid of those things that have no function or don't function well.  These things make clutter in my house and life and I don't like it.  Products that work well are important to me, there is no reason to spend my money on things that are going to last for short amounts of time, or not work in the way I expect!

DISH LIQUID

Right, that's what I told you in my title that I was going to post about.  Dish liquid.  What do "Bubbles, Green, Smells, and Function" have to do with dish washing liquid?  

Tropical Traditions (trusted retailer of so many amazing green household products) has a fantastic dish liquid that meets all of these categories.  Now.. it says on the bottle that it's "low sudsing".  I find that although it is low sudsing, the bubbles last for the entire time I am washing dishes.

I've also discovered that it works better on my dishes than some of the high priced, name brand dish soaps that you can find on your grocery shelves.  I add just a teaspoon of soap to my water as I run it and have enough bubbles to wash a whole meal's worth of dishes.  

The smell is light, much like many of my children's bubbles (I don't think I'd use these to make bubbles for my children though - I like them too much for my dishes.. my children can use the grocery store stuff).

Information from the Tropical Traditions Website:

Household Traditions Dish Liquid is free of:

• Fragrances
• Dyes
• Petroleum Solvents
• Respiratory and Skin irritants

Household Traditions Dish Liquid is an effective and concentrated dish soap developed by and for people with allergies, asthma and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.* Household Traditions Dish Liquid is a coconut-based product—it contains nature’s versatile, renewable harvest. With coconut’s natural moisturizing qualities, washing dishes is even soothing to your hands. Household Traditions Dish Liquid is safe for you but tough on dirty, greasy dishes. It breaks down safely and rapidly making it safer for the environment. It is also low sudsing, making it ideal for camping or other outdoor uses. Household Traditions Dish Liquid is free of fragrances, phosphates, petroleum solvents, chlorine, dyes and other common triggers for respiratory or skin irritations.

Ingredients: Deionized water, coconut and sugar-based cleansing and sudsing agents, plant-based surfactants, emulsifiers.

Tropical Traditions Dish Liquid is top of the line.  It is also on SALE right now!  Check out their current prices!

This stuff lasts a long time and is well worth the cost of buying it right away.

Tropical Traditions has offered to send one of my readers a bottle of dish liquid to try for themselves!

Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner: Review & Giveaway

BOY PARTY

POST 10

Boys are messy.  Have you noticed?  I sure have.  I love my messy boys, but NOT my messy house.

It is important to me to keep my boys safe while making my messy house a little more "mommy friendly.  I try to avoid harsh chemicals that could potentially harm my young children.  Oh and also - if you didn't know it - I'm pregnant, so I need to avoid a lot of those things anyway.  

Tropical Traditions offers a fantastic line of food products, health and beauty products, and EVEN home cleaning products.  I completely trust Tropical Traditions to produce safe cleaners for my family.  Recently I have had the opportunity to try their All Purpose Cleaner.  It claims to be safe for household appliances, windows, bathrooms, washing clothes, and EVEN dishes.  

TEST 1

The Microwave

I would show you before and after pictures of my microwave, but I would be completely embarrassed.  Let me put it this way: my microwave sits on a low shelf, so I don't see inside very often.  When I opened it up and looked around inside I was horrified to think that I had been cooking food for my boys in it!  I thought it would be an amazing first test for Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner.  After I pulled out and sprayed the glass tray, it wiped clean easily.  Next, I sprayed the inside of the microwave and let the cleaner sit for a couple of minutes (seriously, this was gross).  I came back to it and wiped it down really well.  The cleaner easily removed most of the mess.  

My biggest problem - figuring out whether to use a wet or dry rag while cleaning the  microwave.  The instructions on the bottle don't tell me.  I chose a wet rag, I think I should have gone with dry.

TEST 2

Dishes

I was already in the kitchen, and the bottle says it's safe to use on dishes.  I figured, why not give it a try.  I filled up my sink with hot water and some All Purpose Cleaner and washed a sink full of dishes.  My dishes did get clean and looked nice.  I just wish it would put them away next time as well.

My biggest problem - I couldn't get the cleaner to make suds in my water.  I like suds when I'm washing dishes, it makes me feel good about my soap.

TEST 3

The Bathroom

Again, I have 2 boys.  Monkey is 3 and potty trained.  He has figured out that some boys can potty standing up.  He hasn't figured out how that works, so when he tried, he generally stands on TOP of the toilet and lets loose.  This does not have pretty results.  Our toilet regularly needs cleaned - so does the floor - and the wall...  You get the picture.

My boys also have hands.  They like to put their hands in the dirt.  I am so glad that my boys like to be outside and get dirty - we spend almost every morning playing outside in the yard right now and they love it.  Unfortunately, dirt comes off on white walls, doors, cabinets, the sink, and the bath tub.  I actually found a ring in my tub for the first time this week - YUCK!

I sent daddy to the store with the boys for a little while and took some time to clean the bathroom.  I pulled out the Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner and went to town.  The bathtub ring was gone within moments, the walls and cabinets wiped clean with no problem.  The sink was a little bit harder because there's a tough spot in it that needed to soak in the cleaner a bit longer.  The toilet was simple to clean.

My biggest problem - The bathroom sink needed some extra time for the deep groove around the stopper.  Not a big deal, just took longer for that part than I expected.

TEST 4

The Mirror

While I was in the bathroom I thought I would try glass, I had not attempted to clean any glass yet and thought this seemed like a logical next step with the cleaner.  I sprayed down the mirror and wiped it.  The result?  I could see myself and there wasn't nastiness all over me!  I looked much better (although tired and pregnant).

My biggest problem - I used a rag to wipe the mirror off.  I should have grabbed a newspaper.  The rag left a few fuzzies on the mirror.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I really like Tropical Traditions All Purpose Cleaner.  I trust it around my boys (it's even sitting on the dining room table right now, within their reach).  I will use it again and again.  I am impressed by the true versatility of this cleaner.  My next challenge?  Laundry stains - I want to see what this stuff can do to some of Monkey's shirts.

Tropical Traditions Powdered Laundry Detergent: Review & Giveaway

If you've been around a while, you know that I love natural products for my family.  I frequently make my own laundry soaps so I know that they are safe for my family.

Over the last couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to test Tropical Traditions Powdered Laundry Detergent.  I tend to be skeptical about stain removal & odors - neither was a problem with the Tropical Traditions Detergent.

Not only do I love the gentle way it cleans my clothes, I love how long it seems to last.  1 container lasts about 40 washes (80 with a front loading washer)!  The 5lb container will last me for nearly 2 months!

Natural, non-toxic detergent for $30 seems like a great deal - but it gets better!  Right now it is on sale for $16.99!  Almost half price.

I absolutely recommend trying Tropical Traditions Powdered Laundry Detergent with your family!

Try before you buy - you have a chance to win Powdered Laundry Detergent from Tropical Traditions right here!

WIN IT:

This contest is open to residents of the US only.  It will close on Friday, July 29.  Please read below for ways to enter.  I have received a product free for trial and review.

HOW TO ENTER:

You may use ANY or ALL of the following methods to enter.  Leave a comment for each entry you complete.  Please leave your email address in each comment.

MANDATORY: Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions newsletter.

1) Check out the Tropical Traditions website.  Tell me another product you are interested in.

2) "Like" Tropical Traditions on Facebook.

3) Follow Crum's This N That via Google Friend Connect (upper right hand column of the page).

4) Subscribe to Crum's This N That email newsfeed (upper right corner for the page).

Tropical Traditions Coconut Flour Review & Coconut Oil Giveaway

Comment #33 wins!

Congratulations Mrs. Smitty!

You may recall that we have some food intolerance problems at my house.  Crackers is allergic to eggs and peanuts, Monkey has trouble with gluten, and I have trouble with milk!  This makes our menu a pleasure to concoct each week as we work around everyone's difficulties.  Honestly, I do enjoy coming up with creative solutions to our various needs, and I love trying new food products to help with that!

Recently, my dear cousin Erika sent me information about Tropical Traditions.  At first I did not recognize it as anything more than a great source for healthy, organic food products, but as you search their site, you can find so much more.  Tropical Traditions sells everything from Coconut flour to pet products!  Seriously, you've just got to look at their site to grasp all that they have to offer that will improve the lives and health of your family.

Here is a quote directly from their site about how they select products:
We have a strong commitment to family farming and organic standards. We stand firmly against genetically modified foods (No GMOs). But the organic label is not enough for us. We research and find out where the products are produced, and how they are produced. We find that some organic standards too loose for our trust, so we look beyond what is claimed on a label. We find out as much as possible about those who provide the products. And if a certain quality of product does not exist, we will work with others to produce that product and offer it to our consumers.

I have had the opportunity to sample and review Tropical Traditions Coconut Flour.  It is gluten free, high in fiber, and high in protein.  Did I mention that it smells fantastic, AND it tastes good?  My first attempt at cooking with coconut flour was an interesting venture.  I thought that surely I could just replace my regular flour with coconut flour in a recipe to make something delicious.  Monkey and I decided to make egg-free chocolate chip cookies with the coconut flour.  I would offer to share my recipe, but I promise - you don't want it.  They didn't taste bad, but had a weird texture.  After I figured out I had done something wrong, I decided to do a little reading about coconut flour... read first, bake later!

While I was reading about why my cookies were so weird, I discovered that you can use coconut flour as a fiber additive in foods, or even as a fiber drink.  It doesn't take much to make a tasty, thick fiber drink.  Tropical Traditions offers a whole page filled with coconut flour recipes.   I can't wait to try some more of their recipes.  I know my family will love them (they loved the cookies even though I thought that they had an odd texture).  For more coconut recipes, check out the coconut recipe blog.

You can get a copy of Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil Book for free.  Here's how:  When you make an order on the Tropical Traditions website, choose "referred by a friend" and enter the ID number 7349089.  The book will automatically be added to your order.  (I get nothing for your orders other than a smile and the knowledge that you got a free book).  If you have any difficulty placing your first order, use this link to contact customer service. 

WIN IT

  One of my readers will win a quart of coconut oil!  This contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only.  Winner will be selected using random.org at noon EST on Saturday, April 9. 

 Mandatory Entry

Susbscribe to the Tropical Traditions Newsletter.

Additional Entries

1) Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter

2) Follow me on Twitter or "like" Crum's This N That on Facebook

3) Follow this blog via GFC or Networked blogs

4) Subscribe to my email newsfeed (upper right corner of my blog)

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.