Numerous facts have been spun about the dangers of microwaves. A month ago my black 9 year old Sharp microwave finally conked out. I decided to see how life faired without one of the most used appliances in my home. I miss the 2 minutes and 30 seconds hot beverage warm ups, quick leftover re-heating, and breezy defrosting options when I procrastinate planning for meals.

What replaced my family's microwave? The stove, kettle, and counter top convection oven of course. I am happy to report that being microwave-free is a lot easier than I thought it would be. I thought I'd be all jittery and fall into a dark state of depression from the drawbacks of my microwave addiction. I'm here to tell you that you can give it up too!

The biggest pros are:
1.Healthier way of eating
2.Food tastes so much better
3.I'm forced to not procrastinate with the lack of a quick defrosting option
4.I don't buy microwaveable foods

The biggest con:
1.Convenience of set it and forget it in a flash. You spend several more minutes to prepare and heat anything up. It's totally worth it! Free yourself from the chains of the microwave. They aren't really locked you know. ;-)

Helpful links:
Green Living: The Dangers of Microwaved Food
Health Science: Hidden Hazards of the Microwave
FDA Radiological Program: Microwave Ovens

This is my first post participating in the "Works for Me Wednesdays Carnival" at Rocks in My Dryer. You can find lots of tips from other "Mommy" blogs there

1. Whole Foods
2. Safeway
3. Harris Teeter
4. Trader Joe’s
5. Hannaford
6. Albertsons
7. Food Lion
8. Publix Super Markets
9. Pathmark
10. SuperTarget



Alas, I frequent Fry's because it is closest to my home and is cheaper than Safeway. I am not surprised they are not on the list because their produce and organics department are in dire need of an upgrade.

The Safeway near my home is absolutely ghetto in a sense. It is small, pricey, disorganized, and the cashiers are not very friendly. Just the other day I bought a fruit tart from Safeway's only to find that the berries were moldy when I arrived home! I returned it the next day. The quality of supermarkets is only as good as its managers.

Source: MSNBC America's 10 Healthiest Supermarkets

I was reading this article featured on the Today Show about vitamins being dangerous. Of course people should consult their physician before taking any supplements and receive specialized nutritional recommendation according to your needs, however the information in the article was the first that sparked my concern for the issue.

Many people take vitamins and many parents give their children vitamins so it is crucial for those who take and submit them to be aware of their contents and its affects. At Consumerlab.com you can find out the latest vitamins that failed tests and subscribe to these reports.

Here is a list from Consumerlab.com of 12 multivitamins that failed their tests:

AARP- One Source (Perrigo)
Centrum Pet-Tabs
Dr. Fuhrman Pixie-Vites Pharmanex
Eniva Pregnancy Plus — Dr. Grunebaum
Flintstones -Puritan's Pride
Floradix (Salus-Haus) -Swanson
Healthy Moments- Vitamin Strips The Greatest Vitamin in the World
Kirkland (Costco)- The Vitamin Shoppe
Member's Mark (Sam's)- 21st Century Pet Nutrition
Nature's Bounty- TwinLab (IdeaSphere)
Nature's Plus- Vitamin World
NOW- WEIL
Nutrilite- WinFuel
One A Day (Bayer)- Yummi Bears (Hero Nutritionals)

Eleven multis for people and one for pets failed ConsumerLab.com tests. A number of products were short important vitamins or minerals. A children's vitamin contained too much vitamin A — exceeding tolerable levels. A women's vitamin was contaminated with lead. And three products failed to break apart properly, suggesting that they might go through the body not fully used.

In this Review, you'll get ConsumerLab's test results for thirty-two multivitamin/multimineral supplements and information about seven similar products. We help you choose carefully so you'll understand the potential benefits and risks.

Products include tablets, caplets, capsules, chewables, liquids, strips, gummies, and powders and include those marketed specifically for seniors, women, men, pre-natal use, children, general use and pets.

You must subscribe to get the full test results and ConsumerLab recommendations. In this comprehensive report, you'll discover:

* Which products failed or passed our tests and why.
* Recommended daily amounts of vitamins and minerals for your age, gender, and health status.
* Cautions and potential side effects.

It is not free to subscribe to Consumerlab, but you can view the news reports here: http://www.consumerlab.com/news/index.asp