Urban Harvest Farmers Market Houston

Have you ever been to a farmer's market?  I have always wanted to go, experience it, and see what it is all about.  Growing up in the city or suburbs, you do not have a farm in your backyard.

Have you ever heard of The Urban Harvest Farmers Markets?  It is a place where the garden comes to the city.  Growers offer locally produced vegetables, fruits, farm products, dairy products, prepared foods, cut flowers and plants. 

With the recent weather in Houston, local farmers have suffered.  Crops were completely wiped.  My blogger friend Pilar from En Mi Cocina Hoy volunteers at Urban Harvest and she put the call out.  We need to support our local farmers and help our community get back on track.  As our family continues to find healthier things to put on our table, a visit to the Urban Harvest Farmers Market was perfect for our us.  

We sprinkled the love on several booths:

Bee Wilde - Bee & Honey Farm - Montgomery, Texas

She had me at allergy relief (1 tablespoon/per day).  Whenever I have a sour throat, my mom always gave us a teaspoon of honey with a little lemon.  A home remedy that has been passed down.  I have no complaints from our daughter, who asks for honey every night.  People have used honey forever.  I have recently started substituting honey for processed sugar and artificial sweeteners.  I add it to my oatmeal, tea, and biscuits.  

Pure - Raw - Unfiltered - Wilde  - Check out www.beewilde.com for honey recipes.

Lightsey Farms - Mexia, Texas

Since 1918, locally grown fruits and vegetables that are picked at the peak of ripeness with locations in Austin, Houston, Temple, and Waco.  Coming soon to Dallas.

What’s in Season-
Peaches, Persimmons, Pears

For their locations, go to www.lightseyfarms.com.

Space City Farms - Houston, Texas

A nutrient-dense produce without harmful chemicals like pesticides and herbicides.   A unique way of growing produce using 90% less water and 90% less land than conventional growing, while providing delicious natural foods.

What your own seedlings?  Go to www.spacecityfarms.com.

Garden Dreams Houston - Houston, Texas

Have you seen the movie Paddington Bear?  He eats marmalade all day long.  Have you ever tried marmalade?  I have not.  Well, you can sample anything you want here.  What is available?  It is locally grown, chemical free, handmade jams, jellies, marmalades, salsas, and pickles.  We love pickles.  

Wanna try this award winning jam?  Go to www.gardendreamshouston.com.

Hatterman Eggs - Weimar, Texas

These are farm-fresh, cage free, ungraded-yard eggs with omega 3 from flax.  My husband is one of those that is iffy about things that he is not familiar with.  I made breakfast on Sunday.  Blueberry pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs, yum.  My entire family ate it all up.  Everyone gave these eggs two-thumbs up.  Now to try the green eggs.

Yes, green?  

These are just a few of the spots we stop and purchased from.  We will continue to support because who doesn't want chemical-free, pesticide-free, local, organic; fruits, vegetables, and so much more.

Urban Harvest Farmers Market is open on Saturdays-

Eastside Farmers Market

8am - 12pm, 

Year round, rain or shine

3000 Richmond

Houston, Texas 77098

See you there! 

good2grow Juicy Water

***Disclosure-Samples were received for review.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

Growing up I did not drink water.  I hated the way it tasted, yes water does not have a taste.  Exactly, nothing.  No flavor.  But I'm suppose to drink it.  The only way my mom could get us to drink water was to flavor it with drink mix, you know kool-aid.  But we have evolved.

good2grow has juice and veggie blends.  Now they have juicy water.  Check out the nutrition label:

Instead of our kids grabbing sodas, we can give them water that pack a small punch.  Sodas are sugary drinks.  New good2grow Juicy Waters are coming in grape and fruit punch.  They are all natural, no sugar added, non-gmo waters.  Your kids can top them with favorite.

My daughter already likes good2grow products.  The apple juice is her favorite.  She collects the toppers.  And now she is a fan of the juicy water too.

***CLOSED***KeVita Review and Giveaway

KeVita® Sparkling Probiotic Drink is certified organic, non-dairy, non-GMO, gluten free and vegan.

DID YOU KNOW?

80 % of your immune system lives in your gut. Healthy gut = Healthy Immune System.

My thoughts-I am all for anytime that will not make my allegies react in some sort of way.  I am always looking for healthy drinks and food I can intake that will actually help my digestive system.  I hit my 30s and I have had all sorts of problems.  But I am trying to help my body by trying new, different items out there.  So I went to Whole Foods and found a drink called Mojita, mmmm sounds good huh?  It has lime, mint, and coconut.

All of the ingredients I like.   A non-alcoholic drink with the ingredients I like.  It was good.  I gave some to my mom to try as well and she liked it too.  

Wanna give it a try?  I have a giveaway....

How to enter:

1)  Tell me which drink you would like to try? (1 entry)

2)  Facebook Share. (1 entry/per share)

3)  Tweet.  (1 entry/per tweet/per day)

Wanna try @KeVitaDrinks?  @independentmami #giveaway ends 3/4 #cleanse #organic #probiotic http://tinyurl.com/bbfymn8

This giveaway ends 3/4/13 at 8 am.  3 winners will be randomly selected.  The winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize.  Please leave an email in comment.  Good Luck.

***Samples provided for review.  These are my honest opinions.

Sprout Toddler Food Review

Lil Bit turned one and now she thinks she is a big girl.  She loves to eat.  Nutrition is always a factor for me but so is taste.  My daughter is very picky about flavor.  If it doesn't taste good, she will spit it out.

Sprout Organic Toddler Meals-Vegetable & Barley Stew with Chicken

My thoughts-I warmed it up following the directions in the easy microwavable container.  I tasted it and it tasted good.  Next tester was Lil Bit, she ate it up.  She really liked it and was ready for the next spoonful as soon as she swallowed.

Sprout has age appropriate for all offering veggies and variety for all feeding stages.  They even have recipes at www.sproutbabyfood.com.  They are all carefully grown organic ingredients.  Never any artificial flavors or colors, added sugar, and additives or preservatives.  Made in a peanut-free facility.


***Disclosure-Sample product received to review.  Any and all opinions expressed are my own, honest opinions.  Sprout foods has been Lil Bit tested and Independentmami approved.

SeabuckWonders Products

The first and the only full line of products made with 100% USDA Certified Organic Himalayan Sea Buckthorn.

- Sea Buckthorn expert for over 15 years
- Highest concentration of Omega-7
- Pure Sea Buckthorn Oil available in 500mg

SeabuckWonders products are made of Tibetan sea buckthorn oils from the Tibetan Plateau where high altitude, strong ultraviolet radiation, severe cold, scorching heat, dry and barren soil, etc, have equipped sea buckthorn with extraordinary bio-defense mechanism with so much life-giving nutrients and health factors. The local green environment makes our sea buckthorn oils amazingly pure. Its essential amino acids and Vitamin E content are higher than other varieties. Supercritical fluid extraction process in one of the most advanced facilities makes our sea buckthorn oils best in quality, and its organic certified status ensures customer confidence.


Did You Know

• Sea buckthorn berry provides 10 times more vitamin C than oranges.
• It is the 3rd highest source of Vitamin E in the plant world.
• Sea buckthorn oil was used to heal burn victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
• Russia uses the oil on the skin of the cosmonauts to help heal radiation burns that occur upon re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere.
• China used Sea buckthorn juice as its national drink during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

My thoughts-I like all the benefits.  It is organic.  It is a "superfruit".  I am actually not allergic to it.  And many like Dr Oz, are praising the benefits of this product.  It also is the natural treatment of acne, healthy digestion, as well as weight loss.  I am willing to try it all to lose weight.  So if these pills can help me lose weight and keep me healthy, they are worth giving them a try. 

***Disclosure-No compensation was received.  Samples provided to review.  All opinions are my own, honest opinions.

Highest Omega-7 Content	Omega-7 (Palmetoleic Acid) is the single most important nutrient that makes sea buckthorn truly unique. SeabuckWonders offers the highest Omega-7 content in the industry with a concentration of 30%-35%. Our competitors don't even come close!
Sea Buckthorn Purity	SeabuckWonders offers 100% pure, all natural Himalayan sea buckthorn oils. Many competitors dull down their formulas with less expensive and less beneficial ingredients to bring down their costs or worse yet, offer a lower-grade sea buckthorn powder as a substitute for the real benefits of sea buckthorn oil.
Certified USDA Organic	With the most recognized and trusted organic certification available, SeabuckWonders outshines the competition with its full line of products made with USDA organic Himalayan sea buckthorn.
Certified Kosher	Not only are we USDA organic, we're also certified Kosher and are a welcome addition to anyone's health regimen, regardless of religion or ethnic practices.
Convenient Options	SeabuckWonders comes in many forms, including oil extract dropper bottles, soft-gels for versatility, and skin care products.
Best Value	Ounce for ounce, SeabuckWonders offers the most sea buckthorn bang for your buck.
Sea Buckthorn Experts	When you deal with SeabuckWonders, you deal with sea buckthorn experts. We are the original sea buckthorn company who brought this marvelous super fruit to the US market almost 17 years ago!

Highest Omega-7 Content	Omega-7 (Palmetoleic Acid) is the single most important nutrient that makes sea buckthorn truly unique. SeabuckWonders offers the highest Omega-7 content in the industry with a concentration of 30%-35%. Our competitors don't even come close!
Sea Buckthorn Purity	SeabuckWonders offers 100% pure, all natural Himalayan sea buckthorn oils. Many competitors dull down their formulas with less expensive and less beneficial ingredients to bring down their costs or worse yet, offer a lower-grade sea buckthorn powder as a substitute for the real benefits of sea buckthorn oil.
Certified USDA Organic	With the most recognized and trusted organic certification available, SeabuckWonders outshines the competition with its full line of products made with USDA organic Himalayan sea buckthorn.
Certified Kosher	Not only are we USDA organic, we're also certified Kosher and are a welcome addition to anyone's health regimen, regardless of religion or ethnic practices.
Convenient Options	SeabuckWonders comes in many forms, including oil extract dropper bottles, soft-gels for versatility, and skin care products.
Best Value	Ounce for ounce, SeabuckWonders offers the most sea buckthorn bang for your buck.
Sea Buckthorn Experts	When you deal with SeabuckWonders, you deal with sea buckthorn experts. We are the original sea buckthorn company who brought this marvelous super fruit to the US market almost 17 years ago!

Ruggles Green Review

Ruggles Green is The Greenest Restaurant in Texas and the 3rd Greenest Restaurant in the United States.  Ruggles Green is the 3rd most reviewed restaurants in the city out of over 13,000 restaurants in the Houston Area.

I got to learn from "THE GREEN GUY", Federico Marques, what makes them Green and why their food tastes soooo good.

Here is what we sampled:

Homemade Organic Chickpea Hummus~

Served with green manzanilla olives, sun dried tomatoes and wood-fired flat

bread – (can be made Gluten-free )

Hi-Protein Hempanadas~


Delicate empanadas made with high-protein hemp flour, wheat flour, raisins, cilantro, blended cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and all natural beef; served with roasted garlic cilantro sauce and peach chipotle sauce

Fresh Vegetable Pizza~

Roasted tomatoes, eggplant,zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, garlic, mozzarella, fontina and feta cheeses and pesto sauce; topped with baby arugula and balsamic vinegar

Dale's Pizza~

All-natural bacon, all-natural ham, crème fraiche, basil, fresh thyme, roasted garlic, fontina


and mozzarella cheese; topped with sea salt and cracked black pepper

Ruggles Green Margherita Pizza~
Fresh roma tomatoes, organic tomato sauce, roasted garlic, thyme, oregano, basil, fresh

mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, and fontina cheeses; topped with extra virgin olive oil

High Protein Hemp Brownie

Our famous chocolate, high-protein hemp brownie served warm with chocolate trellis,


chocolate sauce and vanilla bean ice cream (can be made Gluten-free)

My thoughts-I like that all their food is natural.  It is free from dyes, chemicals, etc...  They have a color coding system on the menu; blue is gluten free,  yellow is dairy free, green is vegetarian, and red is kids live well.  And I like that most items can be made Gluten-free.  All you have to do is ask.  (I recently went to a restaurant which I will not say the name, but it took 3 hours for them to find something I could eat because of my allergies.)  And the food tastes really good.  It is really flavorful.  But what I really like the most is that there are 2 coming soon near me, one is Sugarland opening Aug 27 and one in the Heights in November.

The Sugarland location will be the greenest in the world.  From the water, to the lights, it will all be green, green, green, that's Ruggles Green!!

***Disclosure-No compensation was received.  I was invited to attend this event.  I received a swag bag with samples.  These are my honest opinions. 

O Organics for Toddler Mom Party

Yeah, I was selected to host an O Organics Mom Party. Check out the goodies my guest will be receiving...

O Organics for Toddler-Organic Banana Puffs

-They are for children beginning to self feed.

-It is made with Organic Whole Grains.

-No artificial flavoring or colors.

-It is USDA certified Organic.

The party was a big success. All the kiddos loved the puffs. And the parents loved that their kids loved them too. The containers are easy for the toddlers to carry around themselves. But watch out, they will spill. The parents tried the O Organic Popcorn, and received their coupons too.

***Disclosure-No compensation was received. All product samples were received for use of this party.

Pregnant Belly Salve Review and Giveaway ***CLOSED***

Motherlove just celebrated their 20th anniversary. They have been making natural, safe and effective products (without toxins!) for women since before any other company thought it was necessary. When you visit your favorite store today and see all the less toxic products for pregnancy, thank Motherlove for their vision and commitment to nurturing life! To give you an idea of the history and legacy of this company, Motherlove has been in business over twice as long as any other truly-safe brand. Their products are all rated 0 on Skin Deep for toxicity (zero is the lowest possible rating).

Let me introduce you to one of their products:

Scar-healing shea butter is added to the same certified organic herbs and oil base as Motherlove's pregnant belly oil to create this creamy salve that keeps skin soft and elastic. This salve effectively prevents stretch marks and relieves the itch of stretching skin. Wonderful for regular moisturizing in the mornings, evenings or anytime! Motherlove’s pregnant belly salve has a zero rating (zero toxins) on EWG’s skin deep database.


Pregnant Belly Salve $17.95 size: 4 oz.

(apricot oil, beeswax*, shea butter*, marshmallow root*, rosehips*, lavender*, chamomile*, calendula*, lavender essential oil*)
*Certified Organic Ingredients

Rub onto growing belly, breasts, hips, and thighs to minimize stretch marks and ease itching.

My thoughts-I like that this product is organic. I, as a good mother, am looking to take care of myself and my baby from the inside out, and outside in. I am 3 months and growing. I want to take care of my skin and body for the changes it is taking. The salve is really easy to use. It is not too thick, like other products. I know it is safe because of the all natural ingredients used. I really like the smell.

Thanks to Motherlove, I have 1 bottle of Pregnant Belly Salve to giveaway to one of my readers.

MANDATORY-
1) Be a follower. (1 entry)

Extra entries-
1) Like facebook.com/MotherloveHerbal, thank them for this giveaway on their wall. (1 entry)
2) Follow @motherloveherb. (1 entry)
3) Follow @independentmami and tweet. (1 entry/per tweet, unlimited-must leave link in comment)

#Pregnant - #win 1 jar of #motherloveherb Pregnant Belly Salve @independentmami ends 7/11 http://tinyurl.com/6zgpmax


4) Share this giveaway on Facebook, blog, linky, etc... (1 entry/per share/per day-must leave link of where they shared in comment)

This giveaway ends 7/11 at 8 am. 1 winner will be randomly selected to win 1 jar of the Pregnant Belly Salve. Please leave your email in the comment. US only. Good Luck. The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize.

On a special note about the company-(Over 10% of after-tax profits go to Motherlove's foundation)

In 2005, as part of its 15th year anniversary celebration, Motherlove Herbal Company created the Nurturing Life Foundation, a non-profit private foundation.

The Nurturing Life Foundation has a twofold mission:

To promote breastfeeding and support mothers-in-need.

To create opportunities for children nationwide.

The Nurturing Life Foundation is wholly funded by Motherlove Herbal Company. Thanks to the growing support of our many customers, we are now able to support others as we donate a percentage of sales to organizations that truly help nurture life.


***Disclosure-No compensation was received. I received 1 jar of the Pregnant Belly Salve to review. These are my honest opinions. This product has been Independentmami tested and Independentmami approved.