Why you should avoid store-bought toothpaste + Homemade toothpaste recipe!

We're taking baby steps! I know we can't eliminate every single possible harmful substance from our lives. The world we live in is full of potentially harmful things. The best I can do is make little changes here and there in hopes to at least reduce the harmful substances in my home!

This week I had another science class in my kitchen... throwing things together to see what natural products I can make to replace store-bought products with. Making my own toothpaste has been a desire for quite some time. After a botched attempt at an intricate recipe I gave up and put everything away. I suppose I felt something more involved would be better than something so simple.

Ultimately the recipe I tried likely would not have been a good fit even if I had not botched it. It costs more than simpler toothpaste recipes, had a shelf-life and the overall process of making it was a bit much for me.

You can check it out for yourself if you are interested. It's by Creative Christian Mama :)

After a few months of sulking in failure at my original toothpaste making attempt (and cleaning out the bottles I had put the goop in) I resorted back to ol' faithful - Crest. But you can't put faith in Crest. Or almost any other toothpaste on the supermarket shelves anymore. It's actually quite scary!

Research:



I have done a fair amount of research, looking at what is safe, not safe, what ingredients I already have handy, cost etc... I'll be honest, I'm no good at compiling information. I have been trying to hang on to stuff I read for use in posts so hopefully I have done a well enough job here to convince you that what is in your Crest, Colgate, Aquafresh, and even some of your "natural" toothpastes is no good.

DIY Natural & World Dental did great, to-the-point posts with resources about some of those ickies:
 

- "Triclosan has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor, a skin irritant, and can cause allergic reactions in some cases."

- "...sorbitol has laxative effects that can cause diarrhea if too much is swallowed."

- "Saccharin is only a petroleum based sugar substitute, and other names that mean the same as saccharin include: sucralose, Acesulfame-K, alitame, or tagatose. Cancer and saccharin ingestion have been linked many times in the past." 

HERE is more information on sweeteners, the good (Stevia, for example) and the bad!

- "...the production of SLS (sodium laurel sulfate) results in contamination with a carcinogenic by-product."

-  FD&C blue dyes... "The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends avoiding these artificial dyes in personal care products because of the adverse impact they can have, including hyperactivity in children, allergic reactions, and even cancer (in animal studies)."

- Just like the post says... Flouride is BAD! It's toxic, and prompts a poison warning label on our toothpastes. It even has been linked to thyroid problems. Are you hypothyroid?? I am. And while I can't quite commit to a completely changed diet to help promote thyroid healing, I can definitely avoid flouride as a baby step!

Glycerin is another "hot topic" with toothpastes. From what I gather it's very 50/50 as to whether you should use it or not. I have decided not to use glycerin in my toothpastes although I do have it on hand for other natural products. I found this post that details and sources glycerin use for toothpastes. Make your own choice :)

Is that not enough to make you at least consider an alternative? If so, please continue to the recipe...

Going for it:

I felt confident, gathered the ingredients, and made my own toothpaste!

I take no credit for this recipe. Ultimately it is based upon Family Sponge's post. Truthfully, there are a ton of blogs that use a very similar recipe so I strongly suggest you do your research and pick what variation you feel most comfortable using.

6 TBSP Coconut Oil

6 TBSP Baking Soda

Stevia to taste (optional)

25 drops of essential oils (optional)

(I used Sweet Orange with a few drops of Eucalyptus)

**UPDATE**
I didn't do enough research early on with my essential oils and have recently learned that Eucalyptus can be poisonous if ingested, especially for children. I only used a few drops but I will be experimenting with a new recipe soon in order to replace the mix I made for my daughter which I added pure vanilla extract to as well. In mine and my husband's mixture I added some pure peppermint extract and peppermint oil.

- Recruit your children to help mix all of your ingredients in a bowl then pour in to a glass container. I used a little mason jar I had handy.

- Scoop the paste out on to your toothbrush and brush away! It absolutely makes your teeth feel wonderful.

I currently have a craft stick on top of the jar to use for scooping out the paste. Family Sponge said she sometimes uses her toothbrush. I personally don't want my funky toothbrush mixed around with everybody elses so I'll stick with the stick :p

This jar maayybe cost me $2.

If you have all of these ingredients in a high grade organic form, yay! I don't. I do the best I can without spending more than is truly necessary. The only thing I had to purchase was stevia. I settled on stevia after I had initially wanted xylitol. I thought it was necessary and there were no alternatives but I was wrong. I just couldn't find it in stores locally and didn't feel like waiting to order it online. I had to use a ton of it because I can not stand the salty baking soda taste. I have to make it as sweet as possible in order to make it more marketable to my 5yr old... and my husband.

I really want this to last. I recently started oil pulling and want to hold off on my long over-due dental exam for a couple of months until I brush with the natural toothpaste and get a good oil pulling routine down. I don't know if I'll have a better check-up than I have had in the past but it's worth a shot to try!

Natural Face Cleanser & Make-up Remover

 

 

One of my favorite homemade health & beauty products so far is the natural face cleanser I found at The Prairie Cottage. Shelley shared this simple 4-recipe cleanser that got pretty good reviews from followers.

 

If you're new to natural cleansers this one may sound completely strange to you... olive oil?! It is actually a great cleanser all by itself. You can read up more on it here at TheOilCleansingMethod.com but the basic concept is that you're replacing the bad, hardened oils in your pores with fresh clean oils!

 

On to the very quick process. You'll need:

 

2 teaspoons liquid soap (I used Dr. Bronner's Almond castile soap)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons glycerin (found at GNC or health food stores) 
1/2 cup olive oil   

 

Add the ingredients to a food processor or blender if you have one. I used my Ninja. Mix it until everything is well-blended and creamy. Pour it over in to your pump bottle and there you go!

I doubled my recipe which fit perfectly in a Wolfgang Puck spaghetti sauce jar (pictured above). Most of it is now in the pump but the jar works great for extras and is left under the bathroom sink to refill the pump as needed.
 

 

 

This stuff is an AMAZING moisturizer and make-up remover. I used to use coconut oil as my eye make-up remover (which worked wonderfully btw) then wash with some other random cleanser then follow up with a small amount of coconut oil for my moisturizer. This new cleanser completely eliminates that three-step process and puts it all in to one!

 

I use a couple pumps in the bath, or at the sink. Massage it well all over your face and neck and gently around your eyes especially if you have mascara or eye make-up on. Then gently wash away with a wash cloth and warm/hot water, whatever you can stand. You may need to rinse the cloth then gently wipe away again, but don't be intimidated if your face feels slightly oily. This is ok. You don't want to strip your face dry because then you will over-produce oils to make up for it then you're back at quare one.

 

My husband does not like this. He said he used it a few days and swears it is the reason he broke out worse. Don't tell him I said this but I think he didn't give it a fair shot. I am planning to try a different recipe for him. He's stubborn and probably won't touch this stuff with a 10 foot pole again!

 

 

Try this out for yourself, I think you'll totally love it! Leave me and/or Shelley at The Prairie Cottage your feedback :)

 

~Lisa~

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crescent Wreath: Chicken Coop!

 
I love it when we don't have a lot of groceries in the house. (We really need to go to the store soon...) It forces us to improvise meals. Sometimes it's lame, but occasionally we get a winner! Bryan asked if we could figure something out with the crescent rolls. His idea was a Parmesan chicken style meal. I did a little recipe hunting but didn't have any solid luck so when I got home from work it became a matter of digging things out of the cabinet and taking it from there.

First of all, the chicken was not thawed. I forgot to have him pull it out of the fridge this afternoon. Fail :(

Quick solution: Boil the chicken! WIN!

No joke, this is the first time I have EVER boiled chicken. 

Boiled chicken is fantastic!

While the chicken was boiling I gathered my thoughts and this is what I came up with:

Plus mozzarella cheese... can't forget the cheese!

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (or approximately 1 regular package)

2 cans original Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

1/4 a can Hunt's tomato, basil, garlic & oregano sauce

1/8 C Parmesan and Romano cheese

1/8 C seasoned Italian bread crumbs

2 tbsp Olive oil (I substituted about 1/2 tbsp with my Tastefully Simple Balsamic & Basil dipping oil for added flavor)

About 1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

(Each crescent roll is approximately 200 calories, give or take a few)

I came up with a quick name... Chicken Coop. No idea why but it sounds cute. I realize chicken coops are kind of funky. Embrace the name and give it a shot ;)

~~~~~~

If you have a pizza stone that will cook this beautifully. If not, a cookie sheet will do.

Boil your chicken for approximately 30 minutes. In a small prep bowl mix Parmesan and bread crumbs. 

Preheat your oven to 375 (as directed on the crescent roll packaging)

Once chicken is done place in a large skillet. Use a spatula or your hands, whichever, and break/shred the chicken apart. Once you get it broken in to 1/2 to 1 inch pieces drizzle Olive oil over the chicken and add the Parmesan and bread crumb mixture. Toss to evenly coat with mixture and heat on Medium for about 10 minutes.

While chicken is heating in skillet lay out your crescent rolls in a "wreath" pattern around the pizza stone. You'll probably have some pieces leftover from the last can. Keep those to the side once you have completed one circle to add to the middle once you've finished up making the outside part.

Spread chicken around the wreath evenly on each crescent roll.

Using a small spoon scoop out the tomato sauce and lay it over each bunch of chicken then sprinkle mozzarella over top.




Fold the crescent rolls over the yummy mixture!

Add the remaining crescent rolls (if you had any) to the center and repeat the above steps. Place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.




  When the crescent rolls begin to brown pull the stone out and sprinkle a little cheese on on top. Place back in the and broil on low for about a minute. Keep a close eye on it when you broil or you will very quickly have a burnt dinner!




  Scoop a few pieces on to your plate and enjoy the awesomeness you just made :)

 ~Lisa~

 

Mom's Cheesy Meatloaf

One of the meals you were always sure to find in our house growing up was mom's meatloaf. We loved it! Well, I hear my sister actually hated it but that's her loss ;)

My husband L-O-V-E-S my meatloaf. He will always be sure to let me know if I've gone too long without making it.

I have learned, however, not all meatloaves are created equal! What?? You mean not everybody makes their meatloaf like MY mom did?! Apparently not. And when I share my meatloaf recipe with others they seem to be dumbfounded by its simplicity and the fact it has cheese in it.

I remember as a kid my dad would eat it with ketchup on the side for dipping... to each their own!

I'm not a huge recipe sharing person but this is one I definitely would like to add to my blog. I hope you love it as much as my husband does!

Yields 6 servings.

Ingredients:

2 lb ground beef, preferably with a 20% fat content

2 eggs

3/4C milk

1C oatmeal

2C sharp or mild cheddar cheese.

I think mom always used sharp but I use whichever I have on hand. We once used the little cheese cubes as an added cheesy bonus which was a HUGE hit... worth a shot to toss some of those in if they are on hand ;)

Optional Ingredient:

Mushrooms

Mom always had mushrooms in her meatloaf and I learned to pick them out. We don't like mushrooms so they are a no-go in our house.

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

- Be sure to have everything pulled out and ready so you aren't contaminating the containers your ingredients are stored in. Use prep bowls or measuring cups. Or your husband if he is on hand ;) You may need to add to your mixture and having raw meaty hands will make the process more difficult.

- Mix all ingredients together by hand in a large mixing bowl. You can whisk the eggs before if you wish or just be sure to break them up well once you begin glooping it all together.

- If your meatloaf feels really sticky and dry, add a little more milk. If it seems way too moist (to where it can't hold a form), add more oatmeal. I think it's better if you start out too dry and add milk so it wouldn't hurt to experiment with your 3/4C by not adding it all initially then just taking it from there.

- Grab your glob of meat and form it in to a loaf in a 9x13 glass Pyrex pan.

 - Place in oven and cook approximately 30 minutes. At this point your meatloaf should be browned. It's still not done yet!

- Slide out your oven rack and cut your meatloaf in to individual pieces with a spatula. I do this out of habit and believe it helps to cook the meatloaf evenly through.

Be careful, grease is gathering at the bottom of your pan and may pop when you start messing with the meatloaf in the following step. That's why I suggested a 20% fat content meat to help cut back on the grease.

- Place the meatloaf back in the oven to finish cooking, approximately 10 - 15 minutes longer.

- Once the meatload has cooked completely (since you cut it in to individual pieces it should be easy to check!!) you can add some extra cheese to the top and let it melt for a minute or two longer in the oven.

- Remove meatloaf from the oven.

Serve & Enjoy!

~Lisa~

 

DIY Insect Repellent and Anti-itch Remedy

We have a hard time around here keeping up with insect repellent. I buy some every year and it gets left outside to suffer miserably in the elements. Not to mention my husband complains every time he puts it on, and I hate spraying my daughter with it reminding her to keep her eyes and mouth closed. And we all know how nasty it feels on your skin!


This year I've decided to try something different; homemade insect repellent. One of my favorite natural substances with multi-purpose functionality is coconut oil. I use it as a moisturizer for my skin as well as an eye makeup remover. With a quick Google search you can find dozens of uses for it outside of being an incredibly healthy cooking oil. 


I had heard you could use it as an insect repellent so I went to work and found a recipe to make it myself using what I have on hand.


DIY Insect Repellent


Ingredients:
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (I use Nutiva brand that I purchase on Amazon.com)
Peppermint Oil (You can buy this at GNC or any store that sells essential oils)

The recipe I found says to use about 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, melted, then add 5-6 drops of peppermint oil. I found the container I want to store the oil in and started scooping out tablespoons in to the container. I was able to fit 9 tablespoons in to my little Glad brand plastic cup. 


I then took the oil and transferred it in to a microwave-safe bowl and heated it for 10 seconds to melt the oil down, then poured it back over in to my Glad cup. Since I used about 9 tablespoons I added 17 drops of peppermint oil, then stirred it around to mix it all together. 


Place the lid on your container and store it in a place where kids or pets won't get to it. My dog has eaten an entire jar of coconut oil so I know this will be enticing if left somewhere accessible. It's best if you store it in a cool place where it can harden back to a solid form. it's easier to work with that way in my opinion. 

Apply to exposed skin before venturing outside.


There you have it, homemade safe and natural insect repellent!!


Tips:
~ If you sweat or are swimming you'll need to reapply occasionally. Unlike commercial bug repellents this stuff doesn't stick to your skin (which means it doesn't leave behind a really gross sticky residue and make you feel yucky). It's like a lotion so just as you would reapply sunscreen that's not water proof, reapply this.


~ Coconut oil has a melting point of 76 degrees so as soon as it comes in contact with your skin as a solid, it quickly turns to a liquid. Keep that in mind while traveling or leaving your container outside. It melts fast and can be messy if not stored in a container that will contain leaks. Be careful when opening a container just in case it has melted... I opened the Nutiva bottle on vacation and poured oil all over the bathroom, whoops!


Anti-itch Remedy


Coconut oil has so many benefits, one of them being an anti-itch remedy! If you lather it over a mosquito bite it will not only help subside the annoying itching, it will also reduce the swelling of the bite in about 30 minutes. I have also read that it works great with the itching and burning of those evil fire ant bites! I wish I had known that when I was a kid living down south. Thankfully we don't have fire ants in Kentucky that I know of or have seen. 


~Lisa~

 

Homemade VS Storebought: Dishwasher Detergent

Let me start by sharing the evolution of our kitchen:

Almost exactly 1yr ago my husband and I did a kitchen remodel. When we moved in our kitchen was pretty hideous. I survived with it that way for 2 years and we finally got the chance last year for me to have my "starter home dream kitchen."

Here's a little before and after of the old vs. the new. You can also find many more photos in my posts about the remodel: Home Improvement (before photos & plans) & Home Improvement: Kitchen Finished Result

 In all of this the absolute best thing I could ever have possibly done was get a new dishwasher (I was able to keep my husband :p). In fact, I went nearly $200 over my dishwasher budget for that purdy white dishwasher. The original dishwasher had the plastic peeling from the racks, it was kind of a site for sore eyes with scratches on the front. Its cleaning ability was in the toilet, it was loud... not pleasant at all. Anyway, we are very very very happy with the new one because we actually get clean dishes the first time!! 

(If you are interested, it's the Maytag JetClean Plus)

~~~~~

OK! On to the real point of the post... Our detergent of choice are the Finish Powerball Tabs. It has been that way even with the old dishwasher. We tried many brands and types and this one manges to do the absolute best job for us. We started out using Jetdry in the new dishwasher as well because we have very hard water in our area (but we don't use our water softener.... whhy?!). Now we just use vinegar, about 1/4 cup or whatever we dump in the bottom of the machine. Works great and is way cheaper than Jetdry.

Recently I got the idea to try homemade dishwasher detergent. I was beginning to hear similar rave reviews to those who make their own laundry detergent (which I do). I thought, why not?! Let's do this! So I did.

I got the instructions from a blog post written by Lady With The Red Rocker: DIY Dishwasher Detergent

I doubled the citric acid as instructed for hard water folks, used kosher salt, and the vinegar in every load.

NOT happy with it :(

We used it for about 2 weeks and just when I was beginning to realize I hated it, my husband told me he hated it. The dishes were coming out cloudy and half clean. Took me waaaayy back to the awful old dishwasher days! We knew our wonderful new dishwasher could clean so much better, so we put the homemade stuff away and went back to our Powerball Tabs... ahhh! Success again :) Beautifully clean and spotless dishes!!!

I love that I love my homemade laundry detergent, hate that I can't love the homemade dishwasher detergent. I'd prefer to save money on this but for us it's just a no-go. This is my review and I hope you find it helpful. Give it a try though... you never know if it will work for you, and it's cheap so it won't break the bank, plus it could make an emergency back-up in the event you run out of the good stuff and can't get to the store (or there isn't a sale yet!).

DIY Smoothie Packs!

As usual, Pinterest is awesome! This week I did a  DIY smoothie packs. Here's how I did it!

To make your own, this is what you'll need:

~ Yogurt (I bought a big tub of Kroger brand low-fat plain yogurt, $1.75)

~ Strawberries (out of season at $2.99... but you can buy them frozen if you prefer)

~ Kiwi (A 1lb pack was on sale for $1!)

~ Bananas, I used 2 (amazingly on sale at $.38/lb)

~ Any other fruits you want

~ Ziploc snack baggies

~ Muffin tin or ice cube trays
~ Milk or your favorite juice

Originally I think I used about 2-3 tbsp of yogurt scooped in to the muffin tins. When we tried it for the first time the yogurt was kind of overpowering. Granted we used plain and it can be a little more tart than flavored, but I was trying to go for less sugar. I might grab vanilla next time. If you use plain yogurt I advise to use less. I ended up breaking my frozen yogurt pieces to use smaller portions in the most recent taste test.

Slice up all your berries/fruits and lay them out on a cutting board. Put the muffin tin and cutting board of fruit in to the freezer and let them freeze up for an hour or so. You don't want to put unfrozen fruit in the bags or it'll freeze and stick together.

Pull everything out of the freezer. Start placing fruits in your snack baggies. I didn't make very big portions.

By the time you get all the fruits bagged up your yogurt should be thawed just enough to pop them out of the muffin tin with a fork or spoon. It really does thaw fast on its own so don't do anything to give it help. You can put the yogurt in to the bags with the fruit but for some odd reason I wasted bags and put the yogurt in to their own baggies.

I ended up with 9 bags of fruit! The first time, when I used the whole chunk of yogurt and my husband added way too much milk, we had a pretty good portion size. This time when I used less yogurt and a little bit of OJ (Mmmm pulp! I like to eat my OJ) we got about half a glass which was perfect for me.





I made my daughter the strawberry kiwi baggie and used a little less OJ than I did for mine and she got the cutest little portion for her in a mini Coke glass:

In total the DIY smoothie packs cost me about $7! That would be $.77 per smoothie :D

I see this being a big hit when the weather really warms up and more fruits come in to season!!

~Lisa~

Simple Baked Chicken w/ Veggies

The other night I was at a loss over what to cook for dinner. The fridge is kind of bare right now, haven't gone grocery shopping and we used up a lot of our cheese (bummer, we love cheese). So off the top of my head I made a super easy baked chicken meal! This is no gourmet meal or fancy feast but it was delicious for a last minute dinner.

What you'll need:

~ 1lb Boneless skinless chicken breast halves

~ 1 pkg of frozen stew veggies (Kroger brand, I don't have the packaging anymore but for the stove-top it called for 2 cups of water. I think it only comes in one size bag anyway but just in case...)

~ 1 can chicken broth + 1 can water

~ Olive oil

~ Pepper

~ (I also used Tastefully Simple brand Seasoned Salt but that's optional of course... you can use any seasonings you prefer on your chicken!)

Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Season chicken with pepper and whatever other seasonings you'd like. I didn't really measure out the olive oil but I'm thinking about 2tbsp for 2 pieces of chicken is what I did. Rub the chicken on both sides with the oil. HINT: A good way to do it is just dump a little oil in your hand and start rubbing. If you need more, use more. Place chicken in your oven dish. 

Now let's do the veggies: Pour 1 14oz can of chicken broth + a can of water in to a stock pot. Bring to a boil, follow package directions of veggies (cooks for approx 25 minutes)

Back to the chicken: I opted to cover my with foil because I wanted to make sure it stayed juicy and didn't dry out. Cook for about 15 minutes, remove foil, place back in oven and continue to cook another 10-15 minutes or until done.

Add any other seasonings you'd like or even a little butter.

Serve and enjoy!

**This was a big hit for us which amazed me given it's spontaneity and easiness! The broth adds flavor to the veggies but by halfing with the water it is not too overwhelming. Covering the chicken with foil early on allowed the chicken to "roast" and then uncovering it for the last bit made the outside crisp up just a tiny bit.**

Bananas Foster

(Sorry about photo quality.. all I had was my cell phone camera!)
Last week Bryan found a great, simple recipe for Bananas Foster and I love it so much I want to share!

You will need:

2 bananas

1tbsp of cinnamon

5-6oz of caramel

Vanilla ice cream

Pour the caramel in to a small pot/sauce pan on the stove.

Add the cinnamon and mix it well while heating on med. to med. high. 

Cut your bananas up in to 1/2 in or so slices. 

Once the caramel and cinnamon is mixed well and heated add the bananas to your pan and mix it in. 

Cook until bananas are tender. 

Remove from heat. 

Scoop your ice cream in to a bowl and pour the Bananas Foster over your ice cream and enjoy!!!

Homemade Fruit-Swirled Pancakes!

 (Sorry about photo quality! All I had was my cell phone camera!)

I just linked this post up at my friend's blog for her Warming Up Winter linky party!

I'm not often creative on my own but once in a while I get a little experimental and wow, I actually came up with something awesome! I'm sure it has been done before and for all I know everybody else does it and I'm way behind in the game but just in case you haven't done it here is my idea for fruit-swirled pancakes :)

First, you need a great pancake mix. I don't ever buy store-bought mix anymore. Of course with coupons and sales I could probably get it for super cheap but why when I could make a healthier recipe on my own at home:

Homemade Pancake Mix

4 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour 
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda

This creates a mix that you can store up to 6 months and use when needed. I have done it the above way up until tonight when I made more mix I decided to do 3 cups white flour and 3 cups wheat flour. I don't think it will make a difference but we will see! What I do is label a gallon zip-lock bag and write in permanent marker on the bag the additional ingredients needed to make the mix in to the gooey pancake makin' stuff:

1 cup mix
3/4 cup milk
1 egg

For me, that amount never works. Why is it that the recipe boxes always say they make a gajillion pancakes and they only end up making about 4?! So I just double the recipe for my family and whatever is leftover gets made and then frozen for later :)

So, mix up your pancake mix and pick out your favorite jelly! I experimented with Tastefully Simple brand Rhubarb Strawberry spread. It's the absolute best spread ever and now I'm down to my last drop and can't wait for payday so I can order more! Anyway, if you have a couple of measuring cups that would be great. I used a 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup. Scoop out your pancake mix using the 1/4 cup and pour it over in to the bigger measuring cup. Take about 1/2tbsp-1tbsp (depending on your taste) of the spread and drop it in to the pancake mix which is now in the 3/4 cup (or larger than 1/4 cup).

I take the same fork I mixed the pancake batch together with and lightly swirl the spread in to the mix. Don't swirl it in completely or it will mess with the consistency of the mix and won't really cook right. You just want it swirled a bit throughout.

Pour the mix over on to your griddle/pan and cook as usual! It adds an extra step to the process of pancake making but for me, it's totally worth it. It really makes a great taste and my hubby and toddler absolutely love it so it's a keeper for us!!