Week of Christmas Giveaway's - Green Pasture's Fermented Cod Liver Oil

What a privilege to host such amazing giveaway's!  I stand by each product that I have reviewed so far and this next review and giveaway is no exception!

Before I proceed, I was given this product to review for free.  Green Pastures is not compensating me and has nothing to do with my review.  Also, please be aware that I am not a health professional.  Before adding any new food to your diet, please consult a medical professional.

In October, I wrote a post on natural methods to prevent the flu.  One of my suggestions was taking Fermented Cod Liver Oil in order to raise our Vitamin D levels when we aren't soaking in UV rays from the sun.  Cod Liver Oil is gaining in popularity and was a normal part of our diets prior to the 1950's.  However, along with the popularity and advocates such as Dr. Oz there is also controversy.

Not only is Cod Liver Oil a great source of Vitamin A and Vitamin D but also of omega 3 fatty acids important for brain function and cardiovascular health.


So what's the controversy? In a nutshell, this is it.  Some cod liver oils are very high in vitamin A in relation to vitamin D, and vitamin A in high doses is toxic.  Because both vitamin A and D are fat soluble rather than water soluble, we do not excrete the excess vitamin A and D that we consume, and hence the toxicity danger.

According to the research of Weston A Price, vitamin A is NOT toxic except in the case of vitamin D deficiency.  In nature, foods that contain vitamin D also contain vitamin A, because they work synergistically. According to the Weston A Price Foundation, what we need to learn is that the body can use natural food sources of vitamin A and D, as they are packaged in appropriate ratios.

The problem is that most Cod liver Oil on the market, the vitamins are removed when cleaned and processed and synthetically put back in in outrageous ratios and definitely not in the natural ratios that it had to begin with.

Cod liver oil has been turned into a supplement instead of a real food that it originally was.

Outrageous ratios of 100:1 are seen on the market today.  Ratios should be in the area of 10:1.

That's why the key is to not give up on cod liver oil and all of the health benefits it has, but to be picky and only choose cod liver oil with naturally occurring vitamin A and D, and make sure the ratio is 10:1 or less.

In the link below the Weston A Price Foundation sites the best sources of cod liver oil and Green Pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil is one of the best suppliers in the United States.

Cod Liver Oil Basics and Recommendations  

Green Pasture's Blue Ice Brand of Fermented Cod Liver Oil is a naturally produced, unheated, fermented high-vitamin cod liver oil that is made using a filtering process that retains the natural vitamins.  And because it is fermented naturally it also has lactic acid which is known to help absorb enzymes and aid in digestion.

The Fruit Attack Gel

So after learning much of this research from my local Weston Price Foundation group and having learned from my mother that she was given cod liver oil growing up, I knew I wanted to incorporate this whole food into my families diet.

Green Pasture's Blue Ice makes an entire line of different flavors in liquids, gels, and capsules.  I've been using Green Pastures for a few months now and was excited to review a couple of other flavors.  I have now tried the fruit attack gel, the chocolate cream gel, and the Mediterranean liquid.  When we see these flavors we get pretty excited, however, I need to stress that this is cod liver oil. No matter what flavor or texture is incorporated into the product, it's still fermented cod liver oil!  It's going to taste fishy!  For myself, I'm not a fan of the gel's, however, I really enjoy the Mediterranean liquid.  The key is to create a habit and the more you take it the better it taste!  Seriously, it's kind of like your first taste of beer or wine, did you honestly like the flavor of your first beer or wine?  I definitely think it's an acquired taste.  However, unlike beer, you'll be reaping the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin a and d!

How do you get your kids to take this?  My kids are 1 and 3 and I definitely need to hide the bottle from my 3 year old, but unbeknownst to him he happily drinks his juice every morning with the Fermented CLO.  Below is a short video on how I sneak in Fermented CLO into fresh squeezed orange juice.

If you watched the video, I'm sure you noticed I was almost caught by Nehemiah sneaking in the cod liver oil.  LOL!!  Hey, it works!

So of course, the fun part!

Green Pasture's has agreed to send any flavor of the Blue Ice brand of Fermented Cod Liver Oil to TWO of my readers!!  That's right, TWO people will get a botttle of Fermented CLO which retails from $30 - $44 a bottle!

How to Enter..

For your first entry, please visit the Green Pasture's website and comment on which flavor of fermented cod liver oil you would like to try. That counts as one entry, for more chances, read on...

Extra Entries...

Leave a separate comment for each entry: A total of 7 chances!

1. Become a fan of A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa on Facebook
2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. (You can copy and paste) @dianabauman Spain in Iowa's Week of Christmas Giveaway's! Wednesday: Green Pastures Cod Liver Oil! #giveaway
   
3. Subscribe to receive my posts via email.
   
4. Follow me on my blog.
5. Stumble this post using the StumbleUpon icon below
   
6. Blog about the giveaway with a link back to A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa. Leave a comment on this post with the link to the post on your blog. If you don't have a blog, just send me an email at diana at phileodesign dot com.

If you are already following me twitter, facebook and/or blog please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Please Remember, leave a separate comment for each entry, or your extra entries will not count!

Every comment must include an email address - it's ok if you comment with your blog account as long as I can get to your email through your blog!  The giveaway ends December 9th and is open to the Continental US only.  The winner will be chosen by random.org.
Thanks so much for stopping by!

If you missed other Spain in Iowa's week of Christmas giveaway's, make sure you check them out!
Monday: Aunt Else's Ableskiver Organic Mix and Cast Iron Pan!
Tuesday: All Natural Charlie's Soap
Wednesday: Green Pasture's Fermented Cod Liver Oil

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday hosted by Cheeseslave and Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Week of Christmas Giveaway's - All Natural Charlie's Soap

I am so excited about this giveaway!  This has seriously been one of the best products that I started using this year!  Along with making healthy choices in food for my family, I also try to stay away from harsh chemicals in most household cleaners.  For quite some time I had been using many products from the line of greenworks by Clorox.  I really do enjoy this line as they are great in price and use all natural ingredients.  However, it often doesn't clean as "tough" as I'd like it to.  For this reason, this year I had been making most of my household cleaners.  My mother gave me these great books on how to clean almost anything naturally and let me tell you, vinegar, baking soda and olive oil are now my best friends!  When it came to trying to figure out how to avoid paying ungodly prices for clean laundry detergent, I was stumped!  You can mix this, don't use that, don't use borax, yada... yada... yada...  That's when I remembered Charlie's Soap!  You just can't go wrong with something that's been tried, tested and approved!

All I can say is Charlie's Soap ROCKS!

Charlie's Soap makes a line of powder laundry detergent, liquid laundry detergent, and an all purpose cleaner.  They are all natural, environmentally safe, and hypoallergenic.  If you'd like more information about their ingredients please email me, they will not disclose their ingredient list but they do offer some other info.  One ingredient they do not use is sodium laureth sulphate, usually used in shampoo and body wash.

Charlie's Powder Laundry Detergent:

Our 2.64 lbs. bag of laundry powder can do up to 80 full wash loads. Thats just pennies per load! Needs only 1 TABLESPOON per large washload - That's all! This is not an additive. All of the features of Charlie's Soap Laundry Liquid but more concentrated! Hypoallergenic - leaves no residue - perfect for babies and those who have sensitive skin Dissolves completely / biodegradable More convenient and portable than a liquid Front-loader / HE compatible.

Our Laundry Powder is a revolutionary approach to laundry care. It does not cover up stains and odors with scents and brighteners - it really cleans. It is made with a unique blend of biodegradable coconut-based detergents and high-grade, completely soluble, Green River washing soda.

Charlie's Liquid Laundry Detergent

Our laundry liquid is guaranteed to be the best laundry liquid you've ever used!
Safe & effective for all fabrics including: silk, wool, linen, cotton and high-tech microfiber athletic and waterproof gear.
Uses only 1/8 cup per large washload, Contains no dyes, phosphates, UV brighteners or perfumes! Removes entrapped odors from microfiber athletic wear,
Hypoallergenic - Perfect for those who have sensitive skin, Will not fade your colors Non-toxic and completely biodegradable, Front-loader / HE compatible.

Charlie's All Purpose Cleaner

Proven in industry and now available to the public, our All-Purpose Cleaner can be used safely & effectively on a variety of surfaces. Non-toxic and completely biodegradable,Gets under grease and grime, gently releasing them without harsh abrasives. Quickly, easily and safely removes pitch and tar from machinery, tools and hands.

As you can see this is just what I was looking for.  Charlie's Powder Laundry Detergent really does the job and only takes 1 tablespoon!  I never have to worry about wasting too much detergent!  One of the first things you need to do before using Charlie's soap is clean out your washer!  Can you believe it.  Laundry detergents will leave a film of perfumes or brightners to cover up the fact that they really aren't cleaning your clothes.  These additives stick to not only the machine but your clothes.  After a couple washes of Charlie's Soap with some old dishtowels, the washer is ready to really start cleaning! I'm excited to report that we have had no skin irritations, our clothes are clean and no fading!  I recently set up a bulk order purchase for my local Weston Price Foundation Group and we ordered over 8 cases of this detergent.  I myself ordered an additional 4 bags of powder laundry detergent for Christmas Gifts!  I really do love this product!

For all you mama's out there that use cloth diapers, Charlie's Soap is the way to go!

For my week of Christmas Giveaway's, Charlie's Soap has agreed to send one of my readers a combo kit like the one pictured above with a retail value of $52.50!  The combo kit included a bag of powder laundry detergent, a gallon of all purpose cleaner, a hand held spray bottle of all purpose cleaner and a mini pocket charlie!

How to Enter..

For your first entry, please comment on which Charlie's product you would like to try or give as a Christmas gift.  That counts as one entry, for more chances, read on...

Extra Entries...

Leave a separate comment for each entry: A total of 9 chances!

1. Follow Charlie's Soap on Twitter
   
2. Become a Charlie's Soap fan on Facebook
3. Become a fan of A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa on Facebook
4. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. (You can copy and paste) @dianabauman Spain in Iowa's Week of Christmas Giveaway's! Tuesday: Charlie's Soap Combo Kit! #giveaway
   
5. Subscribe to receive my posts via email.
   
6. Follow me on my blog.
7. Stumble this post using the StumbleUpon icon below
   
8. Blog about the giveaway with a link back to A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa. Leave a comment on this post with the link to the post on your blog. If you don't have a blog, just send me an email at diana at phileodesign dot com.

If you are already following me or Charlie's Soap on twitter, facebook and/or blog please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Please Remember, leave a separate comment for each entry, or your extra entries will not count!

Every comment must include an email address - it's ok if you comment with your blog account as long as I can get to your email through your blog!  The giveaway ends December 8th and is open to the Continental US only.  The winner will be chosen by random.org.
Thanks so much for stopping by!

If you missed yesterday's giveaway, make sure you check it out!  Aunt Else's Ableskiver Organic Mix and Cast Iron Pan!

Week of Christmas Giveaway's - Aunt Else's Aebleskiver

Good Morning!  Thank you so much for stopping by and I would love to welcome you to A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa's week of Christmas giveaways!  Over the course of starting this blog I've had the pleasure to meet wonderful artisans and companies devoted to bringing us the best in artisanal, natural, handmade, organic, and nourishing products!

Since it's that time of year for thinking about gifts for loved ones, I'd like to introduce you to some of my favorite products that would make perfect Christmas gifts.  This year for gifts, I'm doing something a little different.  I've decided to buy artisanal products that are created by someone with a passion.  A passion to bring us something organic or an artisan creating something useful in our lives.  Enough with junk that will eventually be thrown out, but something that has someones life written into it!

For Monday's Giveaway, I am so excited to let you all into the world of Aunt Else's Aebleskivers!

I had the priviledge of meeting Chad Gillard and his wonderful wife at the Foodbuzz bloggers festival.  They were making these beautiful round little pastries stuffed with different flavors of jam.  I was a little hesitant when I approached them as I'm not big into introducing sweets to my family.  However, that changed when I found out these were Danish Aebleskivers and they were from Minnesota!  Midwesterners, WOOT, WOOT!!  I was even more blown away to find out the mix for their aebleskivers is all organic and that they were also promoting their own cast iron aebleskiver pan!  All they had to say was cast iron, and I was sold!  Cast iron is my favorite way to cook.  My antique pan honestly lives on top of my stove and I use it everyday!  It's the best way to cook as it promotes even heat and retains moisture!  So of course I was thrilled when Chad offered to send me a starter kit to review!

Like any cast iron pan, it needs to be seasoned.  After giddy with excitement when I received my pan, I gave it a light coat of oil and tossed it into the oven at 400 degrees for an hour.  Easy Peasy!  Later that evening, I gathered with my boys, the hubby included, and made my first batch of aebleskivers.  I am guilty of not reading directions as I botched my first batch, yikes!  I immediately went to youtube and watched the Aunt Else's instructional video.

Thanks Chad!  Much better!

It went so much easier after watching the video and what I found out is that I needed to add more oil into each well.  Once, I did that they turned like a dream.

These aebleskivers are amazing and make a wholesome breakfast or snack.  They can be filled with whatever you'd like, from traditional apples, jam, or like I did, Nutella!!

Next time, I'm going to try my own batter.  I'm thinking buckwheat or soaked spelt flour filled with homemade jam, YUM!  This pan is amazing and will definitely be used!

Here's the fun part!  Chad Gillard from Aunt Else's is giving one of my lucky readers their very own Aunt Else's Aebleskiver starter kit, including their own organic mix and cast iron pan!  This starter kit retails at $52.99!

How to Enter..

For your first entry, please comment on why you would like an Aunt Else's Aebleskiver starter kit or why it would make a great gift.  That counts as one entry, for more chances, read on...

Extra Entries...

Leave a separate comment for each entry: A total of 9 chances!

1. Follow Aunt Else's on Twitter
   
2. Become a Aunt Else's fan on Facebook
3. Become a fan of A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa on Facebook
4. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. (You can copy and paste) @dianabauman Spain in Iowa's Week of Christmas Giveaway's! Monday: @aebleskiver organic aebleskiver mix and cast iron pan! #giveaway
   
5. Subscribe to receive my posts via email.
   
6. Follow me on my blog.
7. Stumble this post using the StumbleUpon icon below
   
8. Blog about the giveaway with a link back to A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa. Leave a comment on this post with the link to the post on your blog. If you don't have a blog, just send me an email at diana at phileodesign dot com.

If you are already following me or Aunt Else's on twitter, facebook and/or blog please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Please Remember, leave a separate comment for each entry, or your extra entries will not count!

Every comment must include an email address - it's ok if you comment with your blog account as long as I can get to your email through your blog!  The giveaway ends December 7th and is open to the Continental US only.  The winner will be chosen by random.org.

In addition to the give-away, Aunt Else's would also like to offer my readers a 10% discount on any purchase if they fan or follow Aunt Else's on Facebook, Twitter or FoodBuzz. You will need to include that you have become a fan or follower and my blog name, A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa" in the Add special instructions to the seller" during the checkout process.

Good luck and a huge thanks to Aunt Else's Aebleskiver!  Make sure to stop by tomorrow for Tuesday's Giveaway!