Walking by the cheese counter of my local grocery store, I always wondered about all the fancy (and somewhat expensive) butters they sell. It seemed excessive to spend more than a few dollars on something as simple and basic as butter. So, I never stopped, and certainly never bought any fancy butter.

But curiosity got the best of me, as it is wont to do. After discovering that my buy-whatever-is-cheapest strategy was backfiring with foul tasting butter, I bought a tub of Kate’s Homemade Butter. It’s salted with sea salt and made in Maine. The family-owned business buys cream from local dairies and transforms it into butter milk and butter, all with short ingredient and totally recognizable ingredient lists (Yay!).

Honestly, I think, on some level, I wanted this to taste like other butters. That would mean that I wouldn’t be wrong about price mattering more than brand. But I was so wrong.

Kate’s Homemade Butter (which is actually homemade in a real-time, old-fashioned churn) really does taste different and, yes, better. The flavors are delicate, but rich. It’s slightly sweet—not tooth-ache sweet, but roll around the tongue sweet—and creamy (who knew that butter could really, truly be creamy?). It’s got enough sea salt to bring out the nuanced flavors of the cream, but not so much that it’s overpowering. I didn’t realize that butter could taste like this.

So, yea, I fell in love with Kate’s Homemade Butter. Now, if my local supermarket could carry the Kate’s Homemade Butter Milk too, I would be a happy woman.

Is butter just butter, or do you have a favorite?

But remember, homemade is always best.

• Old El Paso Chipotle Taco Seasoning – I gravitate towards anything with chipotle. I would be lying if I didn’t say it’s at least due in part to how much fun it is to say. It has a really nice kick to it. I worried for a second that it might be too much of a kick for Will . . . uh, no. He gobbled two tacos up and made yummy noises all the time . . . Considering that a jar of chipotle chili powder is almost $8 at the local grocery store (ordering from Penzey’s is so much cheaper!), this is a great alternative when you are looking for that chipotle zing. Shawn liked this one too . . .
• Old El Paso Fresh Mexican Style Smooth Rojo Salsa – We don’t do mild here. It’s always medium and this is a nice, smooth (but textured) salsa that goes really well on tacos. Will ended up eating the remainder of this salsa that was on his plate with a spoon. It was that good.
• Trader Joe’s Korma Curry Simmer Sauce – Korma is an Indian dish. A few years back, some coworkers of mine ordered it in a restaurant and I was intrigued. It wasn’t something I had heard of but it hit my radar and I really wanted to try it. Just before Paige was born I found this simmer sauce at Trader Joe’s and bought it. Then it sat on the shelf . . . We shouldn’t have waited this long. It has a nice and authentic seeming kick to it. Will? He couldn’t get enough. Plus, it was ultra-easy. Just cook the chicken in a pan, add the sauce and heat through.

I’ve discovered the perfect workout video for me. And I can do the whole thing without thinking about it . . . that’s a great sign.

Anyway, the video arrived and I couldn’t help but think the woman on the cover looked awfully like an Asian Jane Fonda circa 1985. But, who am I to judge? The 80s are back, after all. Leggings, Bermuda shorts, Sweet Valley High books, and all . . .Will grabbed it off the counter yesterday — I hadn’t gotten to it yet. He wanted to watch it – especially after I told him it was a dance video. I obliged. Can’t turndown a chance to combine work and play with the kids.

Well, we did the whole video. No clock checking or water breaks. And Will was so cute – trying to master the dance moves too. As for being a workout, I could definitely feel different muscles being stretched and moved during the dances, which is a good thing. This is something I could easily do everyday – maybe even more than once a day.

My favorite dance (and Will’s too) was the Latin Groove.

We haven’t yet checked out the movement breakdown, but that’s a feature for another day. Seriously, this is a really fun workout.

And I am so not the type of girl to buy mixes of anything. But there is a pancake mix I have fallen in love with. It’s a just add water mix (eek, I know – there must be a lot of artificial stuff in there . . . I haven’t looked) — Hungry Jack Extra Light and Fluffy. Seriously, the pancakes do come out perfect every time. They aren’t too sweet, too thick, or anything . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

With a demanding schedule between work, spending time with my family (and my son in particular) and writing, it can be hard to make the time for exercise. But recently, my husband finally got on board and he has been motivating me and pushing me to work out a lot more. I haven’t seen the benefits on the scale yet, but I can feel the small tinges in my muscles and the tightness that signals the completion of a good workout. I’m not there yet, but it does seem that I am on my way to finally being rid of the bulge.
Something else my husband has pushed me to do lately is drink a protein shake for breakfast everyday. I know what you are thinking – protein shakes are funky, chalky tasting, too thick drinks that are just gross.

Until recently I would have whole heartedly agreed with you. But this particular protein powder, Syntha-6, isn’t chalky (check out some reviews here). I drink one scoop, mixed with 8 oz of water, 5 strawberries and about a half of a mango . . . and it tastes good. It’s also very filling, so that has become my sole breakfast.

Now I am not suggesting that you run right out and buy this brand. I don’t care if you do or not. But have an open mind, there are a lot more options out there for protein supplement powders than the old chalky standard.

Here’s a rundown of different types of protein:

Whey Protein
This is a derivative of milk. It is also the most commonly found type of protein supplement. Benefits include that it contains amino acids, it promotes muscle regeneration and that it “boosts immunity.”

Soy Protein
Soy protein is a vegetable protein ideal for vegetarians and vegans looking for a supplement. It is derived from soy flour and can lower cholesterol. It may also reduce the risk of heart disease, a claim approved by the FDA in 1999.

Egg Protein
You know those scenes in movies and television shows were these pumped up guys would drink raw eggs before workouts? Well, it’s because eggs are a great source of natural protein. But the high cholesterol is an issue, so there is egg protein supplements that offer the nutrition without the bad side effect.

A good primer can be found here.

It’s incredibly hard to find good resources about this on the internet that aren’t put up by companies or muscular men with size complexes. Regardless, a protein supplement is sometimes important when you are working out because it helps your muscles. It’s also a filling meal replacement that has nutritional value.

I was at Trader Joe’s not too long ago and decided to pick up their Brownie Truffle Baking Mix. I know. Boxed. I don’t do boxed, right?

Well generally no, since boxed mixes tend to have more ingrediants than I am comfortable feeding my family. Nonetheless, I decided to have an exception since I had heard many a customer rave about them (and rant when they were out of the mix). And with a glance at the ingrediants I saw that it didn’t have any of the ingrediants I really avoid – partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup, for instance. So, despite being boxed, they did meet my standards.

Oh. My. God. Am I ever glad I gave them a chance. These brownies were moist and sweet, but not so sweet they leave your mouth aching. Yummmm. I cut them into small squares which was perfect for occational snacking – easy to grab and go.

So do I recommend this mix? Oh yea! The major brands really pale in comparison . . . maybe pale isn’t a strong enough word. No, they dwarf, faint, wake up, pale, and pass out again in comparison.

Just my two cents.

But while I was pregnant I began learning more and more about organic produce and why pesticides are bad. I was surprised to learn about how supermarket produce can have so much pesticide on it, and that certain fruits and vegetables absorb pesticides. It’s a little scary, actually, and it’s really impacted how I look at supermarket fruits and vegetables.

If I could, I’d have a completely organic kitchen from meat to fruit to veggies…even milk and eggs. But let’s face it: that is an expensive endeavor and, while it is worth it, I just can’t afford it.

What I can afford is fruit and veggie wash to get the icky stuff — like pesticides — off of my food. I found one that I like at Trader Joe’s a month ago. It’s called Environne (www.vegiwash.com) and is about $4 for the bottle of concentrated fruit and vegetable cleaner.

For easy access, I mix up a lot of the Environee with water in a spray bottle and just keep it next to the sink. Then, when I need to clean pesticides off of our fruits and vegetables, I just spray-spray a bit and rinse the fruits and vegetables off. Easy as pie.

So, if you can’t afford to go completely organic, you don’t have to accept pesticide covered fruit and vegetables. Simply use a fruit and vegetable wash to rinse away the pesticides and keep your family eating well.