My Pantry

Sweeteners:
Organic Whole Cane Sugar or Sucanat (to read more about this sweetener click here)
Raw Honey
Maple Syrup
Molasses
Maple Sugar

Seasonings:
All of my seasonings in my pantry are organic and non-irradiated.
Herb-a-mare -- a fantastic seasoning mix to use on just about any savory dish
Celtic Sea Salt (my favorite is from the Grain and Salt society)

Oils and Butters:
Bariani Organic Olive Oil or Wilderness family naturals olive oil (to read more about olive oil click here)
Centrifuged Organic, Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil (to read more about coconut oil click here)
Raw, unsalted butter
Red Palm Oil
Sesame Oil

For Baking:

Whole wheat pastry flour (I use this primarily for baked goods)
Hard white wheat flour (for baking bread)
Raw cacao powder
Organic vanilla extract
Organic almond extract
Aluminum-free baking powder
Arrowroot Powder

Other Items:

Steel Cut Oats
Organic Brown Rice
Organic brown rice pasta (I prefer Tinkyada or Trader Joes)
Organic Whole wheat pastas (I prefer DeBoles)
Albacore Tuna (I prefer Trader Joes)
Black beans (I prefer Trader Joes)
Ineeka Organic tea
Dark Organic Chocolate

In the Fridge:
Pastured Organic Eggs
Mild, raw, cheddar cheese
Cultured cream cheese
Organic pastured butter
Raw milk and cream (to read more click here)
Mascarpone Cheese
Crème fraiche or a cultured sour cream
Kombucha (here's a recipe to make your own kombucha)
Ohsawa Nama Shoyu organic, fermented soy sauce (the bottle is huge but lasts at least a year in my fridge)
Raw Apple Cider vinegar
Raw sesame oil

* To read about Buying Organic on a Budget click here and here

* To read more about healthy fats click here

* Back-to-school lunch ideas click here

* Healthy Breakfast idas click here

* The importance of unrefined salt click here

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About Me

Any discussion about my love for cooking has to start with my mother. I followed her around the kitchen since before I could see over the countertops and she has lovingly passed on both her love and skill for cooking to me. By the time I was 8 years old, I was cooking entire meals for the family. When I was 12, my Mom took her amazing talent and opened "The Festive Kitchen," a catering company that took catering in Dallas to a whole new level.

“The Festive Kitchen” also opened up a new level of training for me as I worked alongside her and watched her grow a multi-million dollar business from the ground up. I started out waiting tables at age 15, and then began to cook in the kitchens at 16 both for her catering events and for her store in Dallas. I worked for her on the weekends during college and then continued doing research and development for her after that. I’ve been so proud to see her win numerous awards, including The Presidential White House Food Service Medallion for service to President George W. Bush.

About 7 years ago, I developed some health problems that became debilitating. When my doctor suggested adding a forth daily medication to my prescription regimen - which wasn't working anyway - I knew I had to start doing my own research. I figured there had to be another solution beside taking more drugs. A tiny newsletter article about the benefits of organic foods caught my eye and I decided it was worth a shot. I started by switching to organic produce, reducing my pesticide intake, and within two weeks my symptoms were improving. Encouraged, I moved forward and eventually converted my family’s diet entirely to whole, unprocessed, pure organic ingredients. I’m now healthy and no longer take the medications I relied so heavily on in the past.

I was determined to combine my love of cooking, and new found passion for organics to create fabulous, mouthwatering recipes that were every bit as good as the recipes I'd made before. When I moved to Florida a few years ago, I was delighted to find organic co-ops galore. I also found plenty of people who were eager to learn how to cook with organic ingredients. So, at the request of many of my new friends, I agreed to teach organic cooking classes.

My husband asked me for 10 years to write a cookbook. He'd give me this look as friends left our house with huge stacks of recipes I'd printed for them. After waiting for years for inspiration, I began my writing journey. While writing my book, people continually asked me: "Why do you cook the way you cook?", "Do you have any recipes?", and (my favorite) "When can I get my hands on your cookbook?". So, I decided it was time to begin a cooking blog to bridge the gap between my cooking classes and the time when my book comes out (November 15, 2010).

My goal is to demystify organic cooking and make it more accessible to the home cook by providing uncomplicated recipes using only the purest ingredients. I hope you find this blog helpful, and more importantly, the recipes Deliciously Organic.

Carrie Vitt
Photo taken by Luke Korem of Sixth Seal Productions