Watkins Natural Cleaners

Natural Plant-Based Cleaners for the Home From Watkins

Looking for non-toxic Natural Products to clean your home? How about Plan-Based Cleaners that are phosphate free and biodegradeable! All with 100% Money Back Guarantee from the companty that can back it up. Watkins has been providing products for families for 141 years. In all those years they’ve never had a product recall. Not too many companies that can boast of that track record. Year in and year out Watkins strives to bring the Best products available to families.

Why Natural Plant-Based Cleaners are Needed

According to the US National Center for Health Statistics one in three people in North America suffer from bronchitis, asthma, allergies or sinusitis. Many people are now starting to realize that the everyday choices they make affect the health of their families. One of the largest contributors of health problems in our homes are household cleaners. Some of the most common cleaners contain ammonia, chlorine and other chemical ingredients that have been known to cause respiratory irritation. This is why it is important to minimize your family’s exposure to harmful cleaners. It’s as easy as getting Watkins Plant-Based Natural Cleaners for your home. Watkins Natural Cleaning Products feature non-toxic plant-based formulas that are phosphate free & biodegradable. So not only will you be protecting the health of your family now, you will help protect the health of the environment for future generations.

To go directly to Watkins Plant-Based Natural Cleaners for the home go here.

Plant-Based Cleaners Adhere to J.R. Watkins Natural Home Care Freedom Code:
Ammonia Free Animal Ingredient Free Benzene Free Biodegradable Boron Free Butyl/Ethyl Cellosolve Free Bleach Free	Diethylene Ether Free Dye Free Formaldehyde Free Isopropanol Free Kerosene Free Mineral Spirit Free Non-toxic	Paraben Free Petrochemical Free Phosphate Free Phosphoric Acid Free Propylene Glycol Free Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Free Sulfuric Acid Free

To order Watkins online click here.

David Blalock Jr.
Bronze Trailblazer Consultant #386886
E-mail me

“Is a Watkins Home Based Business Right For You?” Click Below to find out

Earth Day 2010

With Earth Day here upon us, I went back and re-read a post I did November 2009. The title: “Green Radar” It was an article speaking of all the things Watkins does to be environmentally green. As I was reading it I couldn’t help but think how Watkins has always been the pioneer in so many aspects of being green. While “Earth Day” is not about celebrating the “Green” impact companies have on the world, I think it is an important part. Because of the things Watkins does to be “Green”, they have given me inspiration to work harder in my business and personal life to understand the impact we all have when we make “Green” decisions (wrote about that here). For one thing, since they now have Plant-Based Natural cleaners; our home is clean and healthy for our family and our Yellow Lab. The old chemical cleaners we used to use wreaked havoc on my wife’s asthma; not so with Watkins Plant-Based Natural cleaners.

I thought I would share some the things we have done in our household in the past year (not just on Earth Day) to be more green.

• We are only buying Energy Efficient Fluorescent lighting
• I have switched from using paper towels to cloth towels
• I use a filtered water pitcher instead of bottled water
• We recycle at our local recycling center
• I use a re-usable water glass and coffee cup at work instead of Styrofoam
• I carry a thermos of coffee to work instead of buying Starbucks (no paper cup)
• I use a digital camera (no film or processing chemicals needed)
• I use rechargeable batteries
• I try to consolidate trips out (ie: pick up groceries on the way home from work instead of extra trip)
• Use NPA certified Watkins Natural Personal Care Products
• Use Watkins Natural Plant-Based Products to clean our home

There may be other things, this is just what I came up with off the top of my head!

To order Watkins online click here.

David Blalock Jr.
Bronze Trailblazer Consultant #386886
E-mail me

“Is a Watkins Home Based Business Right For You?” Click Below to find out

Vegetarian Delight

Your Fortune Online

O.k. Health, wellness & vegetarianism; what does all this have to do with yourfortuneonline.com? Excellent question, I’m glad you asked! Simply put, your fortune isn’t just about money. My day job (as I build my home business online) is working on the cardiac unit at my hospital. One of the things I have learned from working there is that the amount of money you may have will be useless if you don’t have your health to enjoy it. Because of this, I want to share what I’ve learned about health & nutrition along with how to build a home business online. Watkins is the perfect complement for anybody concerned about the health and wealth of their family. Watkins has specialized in offering quality natural products to families for over 141 years. In addition they have the perfect (imho) business opportunity available today. I just wanted to have a short explanation of why I include healthy recipes, wellness information along with steps to earning money in your home business. It is the melding of these aspects that create a more productive society.

My “Vegetarian Journey”

Well it’s been 30 days since my wife and I tried being vegetarian for the month of March. I’m happy to report that it was a roaring success. As a matter of fact, it has gone beyond the “test” stage & we are now full blown vegetarians. It has been a gradual trend that started last April when we changed our eating habits. We cut out red meat, fried foods & foods with high saturated fat. Late October 2009 I joined Watkins. I’ve really enjoyed being able to convert over to the Watkins Natural products that are available. Between eating better and using natural products, vegetarianism was not too much of a leap. The change came about for purely selfish reasons though, I must admit. Heart Disease runs in my family. The past 2 years I’ve been working on the Cardiac floor of the hospital. Seeing the pain and heartache patients and families have to deal with I decided I needed to make a change.

The Vegetarian Un-Meatloaf Recipe is Born

It has really been fun converting my conventional recipes to vegetarian. As a matter of fact, my favorite recipe (meatloaf) just got converted last night. *You can find the recipe here. It turned out awesome. The “Un-meat” I used has 0 fat and 8 g of protein. Way better for the heart than hamburger or turkey. My wife dubbed it the “Un-Meatloaf” lol! A lot of us have tried to make changes to healthier eating in the past. I can still remember trying to eat rice cakes and cottage cheese. Yuck! I wish I knew 20 years ago that it was possible to eat healthy, nutritious food that actually tastes good. It’s because of what I know now, that I didn’t know then; that I want to share healthy eating tips with others. It actually may be a benefit to others to see where I came from. Fried, and fat laden fast foods were a mainstay in my diet for years. Knowing that it is possible to go from McDonald’s Big Mac’s to Vegetarian Un-Meatloaf will show that anyone can make the change.

Speaking of change, check out VeganGal as she chronicles her adventure into Veganism during Lent: “40 Day Old Vegan” It is a daily account of her 40 days of veganism. The page I linked to has a video of her explaining veganism, as well as links explaining what Lent is. She also has several links to other Vegan Resources. Check it out.

Have a “Meat to Beet” vegetarian story you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you, drop me an e-mail.

To order Watkins online click here.

David Blalock Jr.
Bronze Trailblazer Consultant #386886
E-mail me

Pasta

Watkins Pasta Recipe

Here’s a good one I adapted from WatkinsOnline.com recipe section.

Ingredients:

• Cooked Whole Grain Angel Hair Pasta (8 oz.)
• 2 Tbsp of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”
• 1/4 Tsp Watkins Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Watkins Garlic Liquid Spice
• Watkins Sea Salt to taste
• 1/3 cup Vegan grated Parmesan Cheese
• Garnish with Watkins Organic Basil

Cooking Directions:

Toss pasta w/ “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”, salt, pepper & liquid spice. Top with “cheese” and organic basil. ~Enjoy  :)

4 servings

To order Watkins online click here.

David Blalock Jr.
Bronze Trailblazer Consultant #386886
E-mail me

Vegetarian Refried Beans

Fat Free Refried Beans Recipe

This recipe is originally from WatkinsOnline.com. Slightly tweaked by yours truly. 

Ingredients:

• 1-16 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup tomato juice
• 1 Tbsp Watkins Onion Flakes
• 1/4 tsp Watkins Garlic Granules

Directions:

In a medium skillet, combine all ingredients. Simmer on low-medium heat until beans start to break up. Mash with a fork adding additional tomato juice as needed to get desired consistency.

For a Fantabulous Low-fat Quesadilla recipe check this recipe out: Vegetarian Quesadilla.

To order Watkins online click here.

David Blalock
Bronze Trailblazer Consultant #386886
E-mail me

Healthy Vegetables

Vegetarian 101

This is day 7 of my grand experiment of being a vegetarian for the month of March. Why would I want to test the waters of vegetarianism? Working on a Cardiac IMC unit in the hospital I noticed some “Common Denominators” of the patients that come to the floor.

The The “Top 3″ were:

1. Overweight (moderate to severe obesity)
2. Diet (high saturated fat)
3. Exercise (lack of)

Seeing these common connections between people with heart problems (coupled with heart disease in my family) & a few other reasons; in April 2009 my wife and I changed our eating habits. I avoid using the word “Diet” intentionally. I’ve been on “Diets” before. They are typically short term & ineffective. I did some research and chose a “Program” to follow. In our case the “Swank Diet” is the eating regimen we chose to follow. What did we give up? The main changes to our diet were the elimination of fried foods and the reduction of saturated fat. *Side note: Be careful what you make fun of. I used to laugh at people in the grocery store that read product labels; now I’m that person! So how much saturated fat is o.k.? We went with avoiding anything with more than 2.5 grams of saturated fat. The results: after three months we had both lost 30+ pounds (and have kept it off for 11 months & counting). While our reasons for changing our eating habits was not to lose weight, but instead to eat healthier; it’s still kinda nice wearing clothes that 10 years ago wouldn’t fit. I have a low-fat simple recipe site here: Recipe Resource. Most of them are “Swank Friendly”, but they are all tasty, simple to prepare and low-fat.

Healthy food is yucky! This is what I used to believe. You know, to eat healthy it’s all celery sticks & tasteless rice cakes. Boy was I ever wrong. We found a community of people committed to following the “Swank Diet” who generously and selfishly shared their favorite tasty recipes. Now the Swank Diet was designed for a specific medical condition that I wont go into here. And while the medical evidence for it’s benefits aren’t overwhelming, we knew that the healthier lifestyle change was something we wanted to adopt. The health benefits from eating delicious healthy food was our primary goal, and in this we succeeded.

Watkins Natural Products

October 2009 I was introduced to Watkins. I received some samples in the mail and was flabbergasted. I was one of those people that had never really heard about Watkins Vanilla, Watkins Black Pepper & Watkins Cinnamon. OMG!, this stuff was awesome. Seriously, just doing a simple cinnamon taste test between the cinnamon I had in the cupboard vs. Watkins Cinnamon opened my eyes to a world of flavor I had been missing. I had no idea that there could be such a difference in the flavor and quality in spices. Now, 5 months down the road with my involvement in Watkins, I’ve found that all of their products are top notch. They feature natural and green products that are good, and good for you and your family. It was great when I realized that a simple change from chemical laden shampoo, soaps & deodorants to natural Watkins products would be better for me and the environment. With over 350 products, Watkins has something for everyone.

7 Days as a Vegetarian

So how did I end up experimenting with vegetarianism? A little soul searching and a lot of fact finding. Just as before when I went with the Swank Diet, I did some research. I remember years ago hearing about a Dr. Dean Ornish who had a revolutionary way of reversing blockages to the heart WITHOUT surgery. The parallels I saw between his Clinically Proven way to reverse heart disease (eat low-fat vegetarian diet & exercise) and the patients I see coming to the Cardiac unit (unhealthy diet, overweight & no exercise) were an epiphany. “Yeah but”, why does it have to be vegetarian? Why not? #1 it’s proven medically to reverse blockages to the heart. Secondly, have you ever considered why it is you have the eating habits you do? Just because that’s the way you were raised should not be the one thing that stands between you and living a healthier life. “Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner” Ever heard that one, or have you ever got a McDonald’s jingle stuck in your head. Could we as a society be so malleable as to be susceptible to the marketing marvels who promote an unhealthy diet? I was. What vegetarian recipe could compete with McDonalds? Check this out if you love the McRib.

Vegetarian Recipes

After researching more about Dr. Dean Ornish and his “Eat more & lose weight” healthy heart eating regime, I decided to see if I could find any good recipes. Yep, sure enough I did! Here are a few great resources to try. AllRecipes.com then search for vegetarian recipes. Another awesome site for info on vegetarianism and recipes is goveg.com. Start here with Vegetarianism 101. Being a guy, I’m a visual creature. That’s just one of the reasons I love VegTV.com. They have videos showing you how to prepare some wonderful vegetarian and vegan recipes.

In conclusion. I’m not trying to scare or guilt anybody into being a vegetarian. My goal is to supply share our story and offer resources. I’m looking for helping the person who has an open mind & is looking for better health. Thanks for stopping by.

To order Watkins online click here.

David Blalock
Bronze Trailblazer Consultant #386886
E-mail me

Apple, Raisin Stuffed Chicken Breast

Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe

This is one of those cool recipes that is actually two in one. While it is simple (only takes about an hour) the results are marvelous. While the chicken bakes, the sauce and rice are prepared, resulting in a flavor explosion!

Ingredients:

Stuffed Chicken Breast:
6  chicken breast halves (boneless, skinless)
1 cup diced apple
1/2 cup golden raisins (Don’t skimp, get Sun Maid)
1/2 cup/ sliced toasted almonds
1 tbsp Watkins Parsley
Freshly-ground Watkins Sea Salt and Watkins Black Pepper, to taste Watkins Paprika
1 cup plain yogurt (low fat or no fat)
1/2 tbsp Watkins Curry Powder

Curried Rice:
1 tbsp Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 tsp Watkins Curry Powder
1/4 tsp Watkins Purest Ground Cinnamon
2 tsp Watkins Chicken Soup & Gravy
2 cups water (filtered)
1 cup Basmati rice
1 to 1-1/2 cups reserved stuffing (from above)

Cooking Directions:

Stuffed Chicken Breast

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pound chicken breasts with meat mallet to increase size by 1/2. Mix apple, golden raisins, toasted almonds, parsley, salt and pepper. Place a spoonful of stuffing in center of each breast & roll up. (There will be stuffing left over; save 1 to 1-1/2 cups of this for rice.) Place breasts seam side down on baking sheet coated with Watkins Cooking Spray. Sprinkle with Watkins Paprika and bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until chicken tests done. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Stir curry into yogurt; set aside to let flavors develop. Prepare rice.

Curried Rice
Heat oil in heavy, lidded saucepan. Add onion, Watkins Curry powder and Watkins Cinnamon; sauté until tender. Add Watkins soup base & water; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until liquid is absorbed; about 20 minutes. About 5 minutes before rice is done, stir in reserved stuffing.

Place rice on serving platter; top with sstuffed chicken breasts. Spoon or pour yogurt sauce over chicken; sprinkle with Watkins Paprika to add color.

Serves 6.

To order Watkins online click here.

David Blalock
Bronze Trailblazer Consultant #386886
E-mail me

Watkins vs. Walmart

Watkins vs. Walmart

No brainer right? I mean come on, Walmart advertises the lowest prices, who you gonna believe. Is that really the question? Does your family deserve something better than what Walmart serves? And as far as prices go, I think your going to be pleasantly surprised. I know it’s popular to bash Walmart, that is not what this story is about. I chose Walmart as a comparison to Watkins for two reasons.

1. They are well known. If I were to mention “Robert’s Grocery” (just down the street from my house) most will not be familiar with them.
2. Both Watkins and Walmart are considered to be American icons.

Watkins is known for carrying American made natural and green products. To achieve low prices many of  Walmart products are of Chinese origin. Not saying it’s necessarily a bad thing, just trying to impart some knowledge. Walmart first began business in 1962, which in the business world, still being in business is a major feat. Watkins began business in 1868, still sells it’s flagship product “Watkins Pain Relieving Liniment”. Watkins also introduced the first “Money Back Guarantee”, still evidenced by the “Trial Mark” on the back of many of it’s products today. Walmart does not have a member card, it’s sister company Sam’s does. If you become a member of Sam’s, club membership begins at $40.00 and will allow you a discount on products purchased there. Becoming a member of Watkins (known as associates) will net you a discount of 25%-39% (depending on the size of your business) and is only $39.95. In addition, you will be able to retail Watkins products and earn that same 25%-39% profit.

Now for the prices:

Click Image to Enlarge

Watkins vs. Walmart Price Comparison

Surprised? How is that possible? Simple. When was the last time you saw a Walmart commercial on TV? Today probably, I know I saw one earlier. Now ask yourself when the last time you saw a Watkins commercial on TV? Guessing probably never. Why is that? Because Watkins pays it’s associates to market Watkins products by word of mouth and online. It is a business model that has proven to be successful for over 140 years. Watkins allows people to build their own home business part-time while keeping their “day job”. With consistent effort, those that have wanted to have been able to make Watkins their “day job”. What about you?

David Blalock
Watkins Independent Associate #386886
Order Watkins Products
E-mail me

Free samples & catalog upon request.

“Is a Watkins Home Based Business Right For You?” Click Below to find out

Toxic H2O?

Testing the Home Business Waters

As a child I can still remember my mom cautioning me “Don’t drink the water!”. I loved playing outdoors and not want to come in the house for water, what is the logical thing to do? Drink out of the water hose of course. I asked her why I couldn’t drink water from the hose and she told me about pesticides or chemicals that might be on the hose. Things we couldn’t see, but could still be harmful. At that young age, I’ll admit I couldn’t really understand her caution. Now did she mean to never drink water? Of course not, but to make informed choices about where I chose to drink from. Choosing a home business to earn extra money should be made after careful consideration also.

Due to the current economic situation, many people are looking for ways to earn extra money in their own home business. Before testing the waters however, caution should be observed. Unfortunately there are people who make a living off scamming others. It is an unfortunate reality we all have to deal with. It is especially prevalent in the home business opportunity community. Many people desperate to earn extra money for their families tragically fall victim to these scoundrels. If anyone is promising instant riches, beware. That being said, don’t let a few bad apples keep you from drinking the water of a home business opportunity. Be aware and use common sense. Too often the “Newest” opportunity is the one we consider. There is something to be said for watching for new opportunities, just use your head.

While new is fine for some, I chose to go “Old School”. My Watkins home business is building off of a legacy of 141 years in business. With failure rates for businesses at over 50%, makes you think they “might” just now what they’re doing! Watkins products have been used by families to help enhance their health and natural living for over a century. Watkins pioneered the “Money Back Guarantee” along with the Direct Selling business model. For as long as families have trusted Watkins natural products, entrepreneurs have been earning money. Watkins now carries over 350 products. While most people may be familiar with Watkins vanilla, black pepper & cinnamon, that is not all they offer. Besides Watkins natural and organic spices and extracts, they now also have natural body care, natural home remedies and natural plant-based cleaners. While natural and green products are now “in fashion”, Watkins has been in the natural and green business for 141 years.

When it comes to “Green” Watkins puts it’s money where it’s mouth is. Besides having green and natural products, they work daily to reduce waste and make a positive impact on the earth. For example:

• Eliminate waste by utilizing Lean business and manufacturing practices and streamlining operations
• Each of Watkins vendors is encouraged to use renewable energy and to cut waste
• By using lighter weight product packaging, Watkins has saved thousands of pound of plastic from waste
• Watkins uses a gravity fed filling process to fill their bulk dry mixes. This conserves energy that would normally be used to power a conveyor or pneumatic system
• Watkins uses e-communications and encourages customers, Associates and vendors to obtain information online instead of print
• Soy-based ink is used in printed marketing materials
• Biodegradable packing materials are used
• Watkins also adheres to a strict paper, plastic and aluminum recycling program

So as you continue your search for a home based business, please consider the longevity of whatever opportunity you find. If you can find a greener more natural business that has been in business longer than Watkins, give it careful consideration. If not, consider the Watkins opportunity.

David Blalock
Watkins Independent Associate #386886
Order Watkins Products
E-mail me

Free samples & catalog upon request.

“Is a Watkins Home Based Business Right For You?” Click Below to find out

Post Holiday Blues

The “Cure” for the Post Holiday Blues

Many people find this time of year to be stressful. Trying to meet all of your social obligations along with the money that is needed for gifts. If you find yourself wondering what you can do to earn a little extra cash, consider this. Watkins has a wonderful business opportunity available. If you would like to earn just a little cash working part-time, this business opportunity may be for you. While it is true that you can earn a full-time income working with Watkins, you don’t have to.

For those that right now can’t commit the time or energy to work towards a full-time income with a part-time home business, retailing Watkins products is a great way to make some “quick cash”. Typically all that is necessary to start retailing Watkins products is to show the Watkins catalog to friends or family. Watkins now has over 350 products, all of which we use daily in our lives. No inventory or “minimums” is required. Once your customer places an order, you either fax, phone or input it online. WatkinsOnline.com is also a wonderful way for friends or family that don’t live close to you to order. All they need is your associate id# and they are set. Very simple, and very easy.

The categories of Watkins products are:

Watkins Natural Gourmet:
A complete line of natural and organic spices for the discriminating cook. This is where you will find the Watkins signature product: vanilla. In 1895 when Watkins introduced Vanilla Extract made with Madagascar Pure Vanilla, it quickly became one of Watkins most popular products. Watkins world reputation came when in 1928 at the International Exposition in Paris, (France, not Texas) Watkins was awarded the Grand Prize Gold Medal for Highest Quality. This distinction was placed on several of Watkins products: the vanilla, black pepper, cinnamon and other ground spices.

Watkins Natural Personal Care:
Be sure to look for the Natural Products Association seal on many of the Watkins Natural Apothecary products. To earn the NPA seal, products must be formulated with at least 95% natural ingredients from renewable resources. Watkins is proud to be one of the first companies to gain this certification. The diversity of these products is immense. They include: hand and body lotions, body creams and oils, bath salts, hair and body wash, facial care, foot care and more. For full descriptions and a detailed accounting go here.

Watkins Natural-Based Remedies:
In 1868 when Watkins began doing business, the Minnesota prairie didn’t have easy access to doctors. Not that many people could have afforded to use them even if they had been available. This is the reason families have counted on Watkins for over 140 years. Watkins Apothecary has been there to provide quality products that people could rely on to make them feel better. Of course wasn’t the only Apothecary company in the 1860’s, they just happen to be the only one left. From the past to the present, Watkins provides tried and true products with the original money back guarantee. Some of the favorites you may know: Watkins Pain Relieving Liniment, Watkins Methol Camphor Vapor Rub, Watkins Petro-Carbo Salve and of course their full line of Watkins Supplements.

Natural Plant Based Home Care:

For well over a century and a quarter, Watkins has been delivering environmentally, high quality products. With that, Wakins is proud of their plant-based line of cleaning products. These Watkins products adheres to their commitment of helping our families live naturally. Watkins natural cleaners include the most popular cleaning products. These natural products are non-toxic, plant-based formulas that are phosphate-free and biodegradable. And probably the biggest news is what you DON’T get.
Natural Freedom Code-Plant based formulas are:

• Sulfuric Acid Free
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Free
• Propylene Glycol Free
• Phthalate Free
• Phosphoric Acid Free
• Phosphate Free
• Petrochemical Free
• Paraben Free
• Non-Toxic
• Never Tested On Animals
• Mineral Spirit Free
• Kerosene Free
• Isopropanol Free
• Formaldehyde Free
• Dye Free
• Diethylene Ether Free
• Butyl/Ethyl Cellosolve Free
• Boron Free
• Bleach Free
• Biodegradable
• Benzene Free
• Animal Ingredient Free
• Ammonia Free

And like all of Watkins products, the legendary 100% satisfaction guarantee applies!

David Blalock
Watkins Independent Associate #386886
Order Watkins Products
E-mail me

Free samples & catalog upon request.