Keeki™ Pure and Simple

Gluten-Free Cosmetics: What’s the big deal?

2010-11-25T09:49:00.000-05:00

It’s true, gluten molecules are too big to be absorbed through the skin. So then why should you worry if your cosmetics contain gluten; especially lip sticks and lip balms. Ever lick your lips?

The reality is, it only takes ingesting a very small amount of gluten to cause a reaction in people who are sensitive to it. And licking your lips with products that contain wheat as a thickener is all it takes.

There are over 200 known health conditions associated with gluten and parents whose children have gluten sensitivities need to be aware of the hidden dangers of cosmetics that contain gluten. Make sure you look for products clearly labeled gluten-free.

Photo by Chris P

Keeki to be on Barnaby & Friends

2010-07-29T13:13:00.000-04:00

Be sure to listen to 95.7 W-Lite's Barnaby & Friends tomorrow morning at 7:45! Natalie and Katy will be on talking about Keeki Pure and Simple! And don't forget to tell your friends to tune in too!

www.wlht.com/

Rapid Growth media: Check out our Write up!

2010-07-29T10:53:00.000-04:00

Keeki ™ Pure and Simple was featured in Rapid Growth Media. Check it out!

Read about us on Rapid Growth!

Rhubarb: A new twist on pink lemonade!

2010-07-19T12:00:00.005-04:00

One drink that's a sure summer favorite is pink lemonade. And with this delicious recipe you can have a fresh approach to this summer classic. Rhubarb lemonade! Really easy and fun to make with the kids, this will quench everyone's thirst all summer long.

What you'll need:
-8 cups of chopped rhubarb
-3 cups of white sugar
-3 tablespoons of grated lemon peel
-1 1/2 cups of lemon juice
-18 cups of water

What you need to do:
First, combine the rhubarb, sugar, and grated lemon peel into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the rhubarb starts to break up and releases its juices. This should take about 10 minutes. Then, remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Second, pour the mixture through a very fine sieve and press out as much liquid as possible. This will create a rhubarb syrup. To serve it, mix the rhubarb syrup with 18 cups of water and pour over ice. Keep refrigerated.

Photo copyright FotoosVanRobin

Do you get enough Vitamin D?

2010-07-12T12:00:00.004-04:00

Vitamin D plays a big role in helping your body absorb calcium, maintaining bone density, and preventing osteoporosis. But that's not all! New research also shows it may help protect against chronic diseases including cancer, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and even autoimmune diseases.

Unfortunately, many adults have low levels of vitamin D in their blood. Vitamin D is hard to put into your diet because it's rarely found in food, and in most cases, when it is found in food, it's added. For example, vitamin D is added to some milk. Most of the vitamin D we absorb is either from multivitamins or is from sun exposure.

Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin because our bodies produce it naturally after our skin is exposed to direct, unprotected sunlight. This means without sun block and not through windows. However, many factors can hinder your body's ability to produce vitamin D; the farther you live from the equator, cloud cover and air pollution all diminish vitamin D production. Other factors such as age and skin color can affect a person's ability to naturally produce vitamin D.

Most people living in the South can get enough vitamin D by exposing the skin on their arms and face in the sun for about 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week. However, if the person's skin is darker or the person is older, they may need to spend more time exposed to the sun.

Reasonable amounts of sun exposure on arms and legs for short amounts of time are not likely to increase the risk of serious skin cancers.

We suggest speaking to your doctor if you have questions about vitamin D, if you're getting enough of it and what you should be doing to help you absorb it.

Photo by rockandbacon.

Try making kale chips with your kiddos!

2010-06-28T12:30:00.003-04:00

Tired of your kids eating junk food this summer? Then try making this super thrifty and way-better-for-you-than-potato-chips snack. Kale chips. They're extra easy to make and super delicious.

Chop up two bunches of washed and de-stemmed kale. Next, lay it on a cookie sheet and spray it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Then broil it two minutes, or until it looks "chip-like." You can also try this with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and seasoning blend.

Keeki™ knows you and your kids are going to love it.

Photo (c) Joyosity

Delicious! Gluten-Free Rhubarb Pie

2010-05-24T11:26:00.000-04:00

Summer has a very distinct flavor. Freshness. During the summer, one of Keeki's favorite things to do is bake fresh pies from the fruits she grows on her farm.

First up! A gluten-free Rhubarb pie. This recipe will make 1 full pie.

What you'll need:

4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 1/3 cups organic sugar
6 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon butter
1 pastry for a 8 inch double crust pie

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

2. Combine sugar and corn starch. Sprinkle 1/4 of it over pastry in pie plate. Heap rhubarb over this mixture. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and corn starch. Then place mixture in gluten-free pie crust. (See below for gluten-free pie crust recipe.)

3. Place pie on lowest rack in oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes.

To make a gluten-free crumb topping:

Ingredients:

½ stick butter
1 cup gluten-free oats
1 cup brown sugar

Mix altogether and sprinkle on top

To make a gluten-free pie crust:
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups all purpose Gluten-free flour
4 tbsp cold water

Cut butter into gluten-free flour until a crumb like texture forms. Add water. Work dough with hands until soft and form into ball. Place dough in 8 inch pie pan and press it into the bottom and sides, use the back of a spoon or fingers. Use fork to prick the bottom of the crust to prevent buckling.

It's tasty served warm or cold.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving Calories: 290
Total Fat: 9.1g
Cholesterol: 4m

Rhubarb Photo (c) ilovemypit

Rhubarb Pie in progress photo (c) ewen and donabel

Rubarb Pie Photo (c) Faveravephotography

Kids can play a big part when they play

2010-05-21T18:07:00.003-04:00

Keeki™ and her friends really like helping out the environment, but they also like having fun. Keeki™ and her friends like to make weekly trips to a local park that's near the farm.

Just like most kids, they love to swing on the swings.

However, Keeki™ and her friends dislike seeing litter when they go to the park. That's why they bring trash bags with them.

Before they start to play, they spend a few minutes picking up the littler they find at the park.

It's a simple thing that all of us can do. The next time you bring your family to the park, bring a couple of trash bags with you. Make a game out of it. See who can pick up the most pieces of trash.

Playtime will be even more fun when you've spent time helping Mother Earth.

Swing set photo: Reebs*
Litter photo: Fauxto_Digit

Another Tip to Make your Bathroom Eco Friendly

2010-05-19T17:28:00.001-04:00

Organizing your bathroom is a chore in and of itself, but there's one thing you can do that makes it a little easier on you and Mother Earth.

Put recycling bins in your bathroom.

You'll be surprised how fast you can fill them up. Shampoo bottles. Toothpaste Boxes. Cardboard toilet paper rolls and tissue boxes. Even empty Floss containers!

Just think of all the little things from your bathroom that could go in your recycling pile.

Keeki™ challenges you to put recycling bins in your bathroom this week. Even tucked away under the sink, this is one simple idea that can have a huge impact on the Earth and help you and your family live a greener lifestyle like Keeki™ and her friends do.

Photo courtesy of Carabou

Delicious! Try Making Asparagus Soup

2010-05-14T08:42:00.007-04:00

One thing Keeki™ loves about about living on a farm... fresh, from-scratch meals. Here's an easy one you can make at home with Mom and Dad!

Once you've tried it, don't forget to let Keeki™ know how it turned out in comments!

Asparagus Soup:

8 Tbs. (1 stick) Butter
3 1/2 - 4 cups chopped onions 8 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Lbs. Asparagus
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh Lemon Zest & juice to taste
Chopped Fresh Thyme to taste

Heat butter in soup pot; add onions, and cook until tender. Add stock; bring to boil. Cut tips off asparagus; reserve. Chop stems and add to pot. Simmer gently until asparagus is very tender, 15-20 mins. Puree in a blender and return to pot. Add tips cook gently 5-10 minutes. Add salt & pepper, lemon zest & lemon juice and fresh thyme. Makes 8-10 servings.

photo credit to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/taste-buzz/

Letting Kids be Kids - Addressing the risks of using popular cosmetics on your kids.

2010-05-06T11:16:00.007-04:00

Imagination comes alive when you live on a farm and nobody knows this better than Keeki™. Keeki™ and her friends have time for make-believe, letting their imaginations run wild. With thoughts of princesses, tiaras and pretty finger nails or battling pirates and swimming with mermaids, what child thinks about the potential danger of toxins often found in popular skin care and cosmetic products? Kids shouldn't have to think about these things. As parents, let’s let kids be kids and accept the responsibility of educating ourselves on what we expose our kids to.

When it comes to skin care, most of us don’t think about the health of our skin until we’re battling pimples or trying to smooth out wrinkles. However, the reality is that skin care is especially important for children.

Our skin is our largest organ. It’s our defense against the elements. Yet, on average, a child’s skin is 30% thinner than an adult’s and can absorb greater amounts of chemicals through the skin. Many chemicals common in skin care products are known to be harmful towards children. The Environmental Working Group published a national survey* regarding a child’s overexposure to chemicals like toluene, which is known to be a probable reproductive or developmental toxin. Parabens are suspected to disrupt hormones and benzyl alcohol is known to be a probable neurotoxin. You wouldn’t let your kids eat these! So why are most parents buying products, like shampoos, that contain harmful substances?

The simplest answer, because there are very few alternatives.

Keeki™ Pure and Simple is different. Our products offer parents a healthy alternative to the harsh chemicals found in most skin care products. In products like our Certified Organic Keeki™ Lip Balm (Orange Creamsicle), we use food-grade ingredients specially designed to keep lips healthy and protected. And the smell alone will make you want to eat it.

One whiff of our Non-Toxic Keeki™ Nail Polish and you’ll know it’s safe. Formaldehyde, toluene and acetone free, it’s odorless and hypoallergenic. It’s specially formulated from natural ingredients to dry to a hard, durable finish. And your girls will love our 10 awesome shades, including a glow in the dark polish—perfect for sleepovers!

Keeki™ also offers a Non-Toxic Keeki™ Nail Polish Remover for when your girls can’t decide on which color goes best with their princess tiara.

*For more information and to read more about the survey, visit the EWG’s Skin Deep website: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/summary.php

Photo Credit: Tammra McCauley