Foods That Cause Breast Cancer?????

Yep. Complete with research to back it up. Guess what #1 is? Sugar. Great reminder to me as I pass York Peppermint Patties or Reese's PB cups this time of year... I'm determined to learn how to make healthier treats for my family and to be extra firm when asking folks to not offer sugar to my children. Their health is so precious to me!

Read all about it here.

Potato Garbanzo Curry

1 1⁄2 C dry garbanzo beans (chickpeas) 
1 C brown rice, uncooked
4 C water
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
1 tsp. cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. cloves
1⁄2 tsp. allspice
4 C chopped new (red) potatoes 
2 C vegetable broth, click here for vegetable broth powder recipe
1⁄2 C water
1 tsp. sea salt
1⁄2 C organic peanut butter (no rapeseed oil or corn syrup/sugar added) 
2 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste
1⁄4 C molasses

Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans and brown rice together, and then soak them in water overnight and then drain well. Bring 4 C water to a boil, add the garbanzos and rice, then reduce the heat and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes until the water is absorbed.
Sauté the onions in the oil until tender, add the spices and potatoes, and sauté together briefly. Add the vegetable broth, 1⁄2 C water, and salt. Simmer until potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes). 

Add the garbanzos and rice, peanut butter, curry paste, and molasses and heat through. Serve hot. 

Sit back and enjoy all the unique flavors. It's different, but very satisfying!

Thanksgiving

Woooo Hoooo for Thanksgiving! Our family usually does the same thing every year: stress stress stress and then head to my sister's house for grub, gossip and yawning after stuffing ourselves silly. :) No, really, it's a lot of fun, but our family hasn't had a Thanksgiving (that was PLANNED) with just us. At our house. So, much to the chagrin of some of my family members, we opted against the "status quo" and stayed home. We let each of the kids pick a dish that they wanted to make, and it was absolutely delightful! We didn't go overboard, didn't have a "set time" to eat and just enjoyed each other, learned how to set the table properly together, played games and went at  our own pace. 

And I got to do something that I love: COOK! 

Our turkey was the best we've ever had! I will do a separate post on that, along with a new trick we learned on how to peel a whole bunch of garlic in 20 seconds.  No joke!

Here are a few recipes that we LOVED this year:

Okay, isn't this picture beautiful? I love the colors!!!

 

Cranberry Sauce:
2 clementines
12 oz fresh cranberries
1/3 c agave nectar
1 cinnamon stick
With a zester or fine grater, remove 1/2 t zest from the clementines and set aside. Peel the clementines and chop the flesh coarsely, discarding any seeds. Place in a saucepan and add cranberries, agave, cinnamon and 2 T water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, and then lower the heat, simmering. Stir occasionally until cranberries pop open and sauce thickens. (Kids love to listen to the berries pop.) Remove from heat and stir in zest. Discard the cinnamon sticks and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to a week.

Pear Hazelnut Salad
1/2 c hazelnuts
3 c or more of mixed greens
2 pears, cored and cut into thing wedges
1/2 c crumbled blue cheese (optional)-we decided we didn't care for blue cheese!

Preheat oven to 375. Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast until lightly golden, 10-12 minutes. Wrap nuts in clean dish towel and rub together to remove skins. Set aside to cool and then chop. Make salad by combining remaining ingredients and tossing with 2 T olive oil, 1 t Dijon mustard, 1 T white wine vinegar, 1/4 t sea salt and a bit of cracked pepper.


Sourdough Stuffing
1 loaf sourdough hearth bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 T coconut oil
3/4 lb-or less- fresh chicken sausage, removed from the casings
4 Gala apples, cored and diced
4 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 large onion, diced
2 T organic butter
2 1/2 c vegetable broth
1/3 c fresh sage leaves, chopped
3/4 t sea salt
1/2 t ground pepper

Preheat oven to 300. Spread bread cubes on 2 baking sheets and bake until dried but not browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat and add sausage. Break into chunks and cook until browned. Add apples, celery, onion and butter and cook until vegetables are softened. Add to the bread along with remaining ingredients. Heat oven to 350 and bake in a butter dish until lightly browned on top, about 50-60 minutes.
***This is our family's new FAVORITE! YUM!

Sweet Potatoes
***warning: no measurements here...we just put stuff in until it tasted good!
Peel and cut sweet potatoes into chunks. Cover with water and boil until tender.
Combine with organic butter, canned coconut milk (to desired consistency), cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sea salt (a little bit!), maple syrup, agave nectar. Use a hand mixer to whip together. They were so yummy, we couldn't get enough!

 Thanks to my sister who introduced me to Leftover casserole: layer your Thanksgiving leftovers in a casserole dish to eat the next night for dinner. Oh, it is so yum! This one is layers of the following: stuffing, turkey, a bit of gravy, a bit of cranberry sauce, green beans and sweet potatoes. Mmmmmmm!!!! Bake at 350 until bubbly.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cake

Ooooo la la!!! Delicious.
Wanna know how to do it? First of all, make your own pumpkin pie spice to have on hand-it makes your spice cabinet smell really good, if for nothing else. :)

• 8 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Now, here's the rest!

Pumpkin Chocolate Cake
1/4 cup coconut oil, in it's liquid state (just warm it a bit!)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder or raw powdered cacao
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder, aluminum free
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sucanut
2 eggs (or 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple and a little bit more baking powder blended well)
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an (8-inch) square baking pan with coconut oil or cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs (or substitute), pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until well combined then transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake until the cakes pulls away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
And folks, I'm so sorry I've been so lax in taking pictures. Either it's gone super fast, or I am just too busy to think about it. But trust me: I only post things on here that we REALLLLLLYYYYY like!

Thanksgiving Lunch at Kid's School

Today was hectic, but oh man, how it paid off! I'm so grateful for our health! I ought to knock on something, but I feel so blessed that our sickness has been so limited since we changed the way we eat. The kids rarely complain of stomach problems (in fact, usually it's after we eat meat, interestingly enough!), and we just feel good! Now, we aren't perfect in how we eat, but we take it a day at a time and have found joy in the smallest improvements.

So today was the kids Thanksgiving feast at their school. We could either pay $6 a person (or $3 a kid) and get a styrofoam tray of sugared up, chemical laden stuff (I'm not sure that I could actually call it FOOD!)....or bring our own! We brought our own, had so many folks stop and comment on how delicious and colorful our lunches looked, and one little boy sat with us, staring at our food until I offered him some. Needless to say, most of his bought lunch went into the trash.

What did we have, you ask? Salad. Yep, a humongous plate of salad, filled with fun toppings. We also had Black Bean Brownies for dessert.
Here is what we did:

a mix of romaine and spinach topped with any or all of the following:
pomegranate seeds
mandarin oranges
diced apples
raisins
sliced raw almonds
diced orange pepper
diced cucumber
raw shredded coconut

It was a beautiful salad. 2 of the kids opted for no salad dressing, which was fine by me. They loved the juice that the fruit left on the leaves, but everyone else had the following dressing:

1⁄2 C extra virgin olive oil 
 2/3 C orange juice
1⁄4 C agave or raw honey
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1⁄4 tsp. dried oregano
1⁄4 tsp. black pepper
1 T poppy seeds
Blend in power blender until smooth, then stir in the poppy seeds. (This makes a lot, we only used about 1/4 of the dressing!)


Let's talk about pomegranate for just a minute. First of all, watch this! It shows how to cut and de-seed a pomegranate. Super easy!  Why eat pomegranate? This seasonal fruit is rich with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K.  It keeps blood platelets from clumping together and forming unnecessary clots.  It is great for those at risk for heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, prostate cancer, Alzheimer's disease and high blood pressure as follows:
-it raises the good cholesterol while keeping the bad cholesterol from oxidizing in the body
-reduces plaque in arteries
-may prevent and slow down the growth of breast cancer and prostate cancer
-can prevent heart attack and stroke
-can lower blood pressure 
-can prevent and slow down Alzheimer's
-helps prevent cartilage deterioration


I love learning about how our bodies can heal itself through eating the right things. Of course, this is best done by eating it in it's most natural state-fresh and RAW! Best yet, they taste yummy! In fact during lunch today the kids kept asking for more of those beautiful jeweled seeds! Thanks, Jess, for reintroducing me to pomegranate! Mwah!

Should you drink the popular POM juice? No!!!! Juice begins losing it's nutritional value 15 minutes after juicing! Yep! It's true. I no longer buy juice in the store. The only juice that I don't do fresh is lemon and lime juice. I juice them and then freeze in ice cube trays for when I need them, which is better, but not the best. Tangent, I know, but anyway, be careful what juice you buy and ingest. Most juices are pasteurized (meaning most of the good enzymes are killed by heat!!) and then filled with added sugar or chemicals to keep it fresh. Ew, right? C'mon, folks, let's take good care of our bodies: it's the only one we have!

Carrabba's Minestrone

Several months ago, we took our daughter to Carrabba's to celebrate the reaching of her summer reading goal. While there, I had a bowl of their minestrone, which I love sooooo much! While there, I wrote down all the ingredients so that when it got cold, I could try to recreate it. Well, I did this last night, and it was positively PERFECT on a cold night! Of course, I don't know if I really replicated it, I just know whatever it was that I made was DELICIOUS! I didn't do a lot of measuring, so everything that has a * next to it, the measurement is a guesstimate. :)

This made a HUMONGOUS batch! Enough to feed 5 adults, 6 children and a large tupperware of leftovers....and I forgot to take a picture, dang it!

Take 1 1/2 c of dry garbanzo beans and *1/2 c white beans let them soak overnight. Rinse well, and put in a humongous stock pot, filled halfway with water. Sprinkle *4 HEAPING tablespoons of vegetable broth powder in it and bring to a boil, let it boil for an hour, then add the following ingredients:

10 large carrots, cut into quarters, and then in big chunks
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 head of green cabbage, chopped
8-10 small red potatoes, diced
1 can kidney beans, rinsed well!
2 zuchinni (cut into quarters, and then cut in chunks)
*1 heaping T Italian seasoning
*2 heaping T parsley
*4 t sea salt, may need to taste the broth after it's simmered for a bit and see if you need to add more!
*1 t pepper
*1/2 t ground turmeric
*1/2 t fennel seed
*2 t arrowroot powder (to thicken the broth)
opt. 1 T thyme, 1 t basil

Simmer for 30 more minutes, or until the potatoes and cabbage are tender.
During the last 15 minutes of simmering, add 2 cans of drained cut green beans and 10 cloves of crushed garlic, minced. Stir well and serve! The vegetables should retain their form, so if you strain the broth, it's perfect for a child who doesn't eat with utensils yet (which we have found is a difficulty during soup/chili season!)

***Beware-your kitchen will smell heavenly and your family will slurp it up and ask for more, so make sure you have plenty! :)

Healthy Alternatives For Great Immunity

I came across an article with ideas for great immunity, which many of you are very interested in this time of year! I have chosen to not do flu vaccines this year for me or my children. I believe that we can fight off any illness by properly caring for our bodies. I also believe that much of what we take in during the winter months is just dead food: food that has been killed to the point where we aren't able to enjoy the enzymes, vitamins and minerals. We do this by cooking things for long periods of time (soups, chilis and stews that cook for hours and hours on the stove).
I have a love/hate relationship with green smoothies when the weather turns cold, because let's face it, who wants to drink something cold when they are already....well, cold? :) So, on soup night, which is a must at our house, we have a nice cup to a cup and a half of green smoothie cram-packed with nutrients before we indulge in savory vegetable, lentil or quinoa soups. So far, it's working nicely and we all feel really good.

Anyway, here is the article, the detox immunity tea and the link to the Glowing Green Smoothie.

Quinoa Pilaf

Here is a new quick recipe, dedicated to one of my readers at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. She likes quick stuff!

Quinoa Pilaf with Cranberries

 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup sliced raw almonds


Heat oil in a medium pot over medium high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add quinoa and toast, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in broth and salt and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cranberries, cover again and continue to cook until liquid is completely absorbed and quinoa is tender, 8 to 10 minutes more. Toss with almonds and serve.

APPLES!!!!!

 What in the world do you do when you have apples this big? Make a pie, of course! We order seasonal produce from a local source called www.bulknaturalfoods.com, and have enjoyed a few new varieties of apples this year. The variety you see above is called Mutsu. I have never been good at making piecrusts, but I finally learned a way to do it pretty!!! See below, prior to cooking:

 Pretty huh? Here is the link to how to do it, but don't pay attention to the recipe-we are going to healthify it! :)

Whole Wheat Pie Crust
2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 t sea salt
Mix together well, then follow the instructions on how to cut in 2/3 c butter
Mix 1/2 c very cold water with 2 T agave nectar, and pour into the mix a little at a time until it reaches the flaky consistency shown on the video. Then, split it into 2 balls and roll out as shown in video.

Filling
6 c sliced apples-mix varieties if you'd like
1/4 c agave
3 T whole wheat flour
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 t cinnamon
3/4 t nutmeg
dash or 2 of sea salt

Mix well, and put in the crust. Cut 1 T butter into small pieces and dot over the filling. Top with other crust, and follow the video's instructions to make it pretty. Bake at 425 for about 40 minutes.

It was delicious! A different taste because it's whole wheat, but delicious, nonetheless! Be sure to let me know if you want to join the Group Buy. I'd like to order by November 1 if possible.

Lentil Soups

Soup season is upon us, and my family eats a LOT of soup when the weather cools off. Here are a few new ones that we tried and LOVED! I don't have pictures for these. They disappeared much too fast! :)

Green Lentil Soup

1 lb. green lentils, rinsed well
1 C brown rice, rinsed well

2 large onions, diced

8 stalks celery, diced
5 carrots, diced

5 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1⁄4 C coconut oil
1 Tbsp. sea salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cumin
3 qt. vegetable broth

1 can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
grated Parmesan cheese 

Cover the lentils and rice with boiling water and let sit for 15 minutes, then drain. In a large stockpot, sauté the onions with the coconut oil and seasonings until the vegetables are tender. Add the carrots and celery and sauté another 5-10 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, tomato sauce, garlic and lentils/rice.

Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for one hour. Add the vinegar and serve with grated Parmesan. This recipe makes a LOT! Tastes even better the next day.

Lentil Chili

8 cups vegetable broth, divided
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
8 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped 
1 1/2 t oregano
1 1/2 t sea salt
4 t chili powder
2 1/4 cups brown lentils
2 cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro


Bring 3/4 cup broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook about 8 minutes or until onion is translucent and pepper is tender. Stir in chili powder and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add lentils, tomatoes, garlic and remaining 7 1/4 cups broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until lentils are almost tender. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Butternut Squash Soup

I've been dying to post this one, til it got colder. I actually made it this summer on an unusually cool day. Here ya go!

Butternut Squash Soup
2 stalks lemongrass (very inexpensive! I found it at Whole Foods. Oh, and it freezes well, so you can stock up and throw it in the freezer).
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into cubes
3 c frozen corn
1 potato, scrubbed and chopped
1 c coconut milk
3 c vegetable broth
1 T ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 jalapeno
1 large onion
1 1/2 t sea salt
1 t extra virgin olive oil
roasted pumpkin seeds

Cut off the tips of the lemongrass and bruise the stalks with the blunt edge of a knife. Chop the onion, jalapeno and ginger, then saute them in a bit of olive oil. Add the lemongrass and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the squash, potato and 1 1/2 c corn and the vegetable broth. Cook on high until the squash is cooked through.

Discard the lemongrass, pour all the other cooked ingredients in the high powered blender and blend until smooth (it will take a few batches). Pour soup back into pan, add the coconut milk, sea salt and the rest of the corn. Heat through. Serve with pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top.

Fallllll!!!!!!!!!!

Ah! It is finally here! To me, October IS fall! The first weekend, our family surrounds our computer to listen to our Church leaders in a semi-annual general conference. It is a weekend that is spiritually nourishing, and our family enjoys good food as well. There is no question, however, which was more filling: the food or the words... General Conference weekend is always so amazing! It's a shame that it goes by so quickly.

This morning we enjoyed pumpkin pancakes topped with raw applesauce. We had a simple lunch of green cranberry blueberry smoothies, fresh veggies and hummus. Then we sat down to a lovely dinner of black bean enchiladas with raw apple crisp for dessert.

Pumpkin Pancakes
2 c whole grain flour (mix different grains for different flavors!)
3 Tb Sucanut or agave
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground all spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I do an overflowing 1/2 cup)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 mashed banana
1 egg
2 Tb coconut oil
2 Tb vinegar

In one bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, oil and vinegar. Combine dry ingredients separately and them stir into pumpkin mixture just until combined.Cook on a hot griddle and top with Grade B maple syrup or fresh raw applesauce (see below).


Raw Applesauce (thanks, Green Smoothie Girl!)
4 large Jonathon apples
1/3 c lemon juice
1/3 c maple syrup
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 c water
Pulse in blender until chunky.

The kids loved it!

Black Bean Enchiladas
2 c black beans
1 c (or less) leftover shredded chicken
1/2 c chopped cilantro leaves
1 yellow pepper, finely diced
3/4 c (or less) of shredded cheese
2 c spinach
1/2-3/4 c salsa
1 T taco seasoning
Combine above and fill in about 10 large whole wheat tortillas. Then take an 8 oz can of tomato sauce and mix with a heaping tablespoon of taco seasoning. Pour over and sprinkle with a bit of shredded cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Serve after a LARGE salad! :)

 

 Raw Apple Crisp

5 c diced apples

1 T lemon juice

Mix well and spread in a square baking dish. Then crumble over the top the following combined ingredients:

1 c regular oats

1/4 c raw honey

1/4 liquid coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 t sea salt

1/4 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c chopped almonds

(use your hands to mix it up!)

You can eat it as is, or bake at 350 for 45 minutes. We ate it raw, and everyone except my husband loved it. 

His family has caramel apples for Conference weekend, and I haven't found a healthier alternative to this....yet. :)

Breakfast Recipes

I think I blinked too long because what the heck? It's the last week of September already! I've had a serious bout of busyness lately, so I have been lax in many things.

A few thoughts before I proceed to my post of quick breakfast recipes that I promised a long time ago. First of all, I have an inspiring person who I've been so blessed with. She comes to me to talk about struggles she is having, and I always come away feeling like I got the better end of the deal, nuggets of wisdom. She and I were discussing the importance of prioritizing. You know that analogy with the rocks and the sand in the jar? Well, I was reminded once again that I need to take another look at how I spend my time and make some changes. It takes time and effort, but I can go to sleep knowing that the most important stuff is done. I need to write the things down, not so that they can be checked off, but as a reminder of what is most important. One priority is exercise. Not only do I want to do this for my health, but I also want my kids to have that example. I decided instead of saying, "I'm going to exercise 3 times a week", giving me permission to skip this day or that...instead I'm going to do something physically active every day, even if it's 5 minutes of stretching. So far, it has really helped.

Do you have trouble with priorities sometimes? If so, what have you done to stop and rearrange and start again? What helps you focus on what is most important?

Okay, onto breakfast recipes. The kids have been in school for a month and a half now, and we have not had store-bought cereal at all! The kids leave home feeling satisfied and happy. Here is a list of what we do:

Granola!!-Serve this with fresh fruit, sprouted sunflower seeds and some almond milk for a scrumptious, filling breakfast.

Toast-We serve toasted whole wheat bread with organic (or freshly made) peanut butter, a sprinkling of chia seeds (which are very filling and a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids, and is great for fighting depression as well!), and sliced fresh fruit. We've had a lot of peaches and plums lately. Pears, apples, bananas are all nice, too. We top it with a sprinkling of cinnamon and the kids are happy as clams.

Scrambled eggs-this is maybe a once a week to every 10 days, but take FRESH eggs, mix with almond milk, sea salt, fresh pepper and scramble. Sometimes I add sundried tomatoes, spinach and parmesan with some ribboned basil leaves for something different, or some salsa and black beans with cilantro. Anything to add variety!

Steel cut oats-this is wonderful for those chilly mornings. Rinse a cup of steel cut oats really well and put in 3 1/2 cups of boiling water with a dash of sea salt. Boil for about 20 minutes, maybe a tad longer. 1 cup of uncooked oats is enough to feed 1 adult and 4 children when you add fresh fruit, cinnamon, raw honey or agave nectar and a dash of almond milk. You can also add some raw nuts if desired. It is delicious! Oh, watch for the reboil. Sometimes it will boil over, but if you watch it closely that won't happen.

 Overnight oatmeal-soak 2 cups of regular rolled oats in 2 cups almond milk and a dash of vanilla extract overnight in the fridge. The next morning, top with nuts, peaches (or other fruit) and a drizzle of raw honey or agave nectar. Simple and nummy.

Green smoothies-I usually do these in the afternoon, but if it seems like there is a cold coming on, we've done these in the mornings, and it helps during the day as the body fights it off. I need to knock on wood but it's been nearly a year since any of us have been to the doctor because we were sick! Woo Hoo! With 5 children, I can't count that as coincidence. I believe that what we eat plays a major role in our ability to fight off illness.

Leftover pancakes-about 2 or 3 times a month, we'll do pancakes for supper. I usually make lots of extra to freeze, pull out a couple per child, toast in the toaster oven and top with fresh fruit and drizzle with a smidgen of Grade B Maple syrup, fresh honey or agave nectar. Sometimes just fruit and a dash of cinnamon is enough!

What are some of YOUR favorite breakfasts?

Pear Salad

We had this scrumptious salad for lunch today before church. It was filling and light and wonderful!

1/2 pound spinach (or more)
3-4 fresh pears, diced
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c raw shredded coconut
sprinkling of raw sesame seeds
1/2 c chopped raw almonds

Mix and use a sweet dressing. We used this one:
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 c raw apple cider vinegar
1 c olive oil
1 T mustard
1 t sea salt
1/2 c onion
1/2 c alfalfa and red clover sprouts
Blend all together in your high powered blender and then add 1 T poppy seeds.

This makes A LOT of dressing. I usually cut the recipe in half, and we still have enough for 3 humongous salads.

Pear-adise

This recipe is for my son who said, "Mom, you need to call this 'Pear-a-dise'". Cute, huh?

Lots of spinach crammed into blender jar
1 1/2 c water
1 banana
2 fresh ripe pears
fill the rest with frozen strawberries

Blend blend blend!

This has a mild but sweet flavor. Very yummy!

The Sun & Cleaning Products

It's been awhile since I've done a "wiser" post...

I started noticing about 3 months ago that when I use harsh cleaning products, it really affects my skin. And I'm lazy, I rarely put on gloves to clean. Then I started thinking about how much we absorb through our skin. For example, my Master's degree is in the psychology field, and in abnormal psychology I've learned about seasonal depression which occurs during the time of year when we see the least amount of sun. Combine that with the fact that our bodies need Vitamin D and the most beneficial form of Vitamin D is in the form of good ole straight sunlight, absorbed directly into our skin.
One of my friend's brothers attempted suicide many months ago, and one of the things that the doctors found in their testing was that his body was dangerously low in Vitamin D. Could this deficiency contribute to feelings of depression or even suicide? I don't know, but it's interesting the obvious correlation. My husband has said many times that the winter months are really hard on him, in regulating his mood.

Anyway, sorry about the tangent, back to what we absorb through our skin:

So, really, how much of what we expose our bodies to is exposed through our skin? Obviously Vitamin D through the sun is, but what about cleaning products? Shampoo? Soap? Deodorant? If I think too hard about it, I get really stressed because I can't afford for everything in my house to be organic! But I've tried (like the dirty dozen in fruits and veggies) to think about the worst things in my home.

That same friend that I spoke of above moved a year and a half ago (sniff sniff), and I went over to help her clean her house. I fell in love with her cleaning products because they smelled SOOOO GOOOD and they didn't bother my skin at all! The brand name is Method, and when I find it on sale, I buy it, but if I coupon I can get some glass cleaner for .25! It's a constant battle: cheaper or better for you?
Well, I got an email from the Krazy Coupon Lady that talks about homemade house cleaning solutions. Check this recipe out!

1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t peppermint oil
1 t cornstarch
Mix and put in a spray bottle; use to clean surfaces and glass. 

Okay, doesn't that sound like it smells heavenly?

She also gives the following as inexpensive cleaners:
white vinegar-natural degreaser and disinfectant. Okay, I hate the smell of white vinegar. I've used it a few times, but rarely because I like my bathrooms to smell CLEAN, not smell like vinegar. But with the recipe above, I think it would smell clean! I love the fresh smell of peppermint and lemon! Anyway, if you like vinegar, mix 1 part vinegar and 1 part water. You can pour vinegar straight onto your stove and let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe it clean---grease is GONE! :)

Baking soda-this is for scrubbing! Make a paste with water and it cleans everything, including your oven!!! No more fumes that you are breathing in!

Canola oil-use a small amount with a drop of lemon juice to clean wood furniture. You can also put a drop of lavender oil in if you like!

Need to unclog those drains? Do the following: Pour 1/2 c baking soda down the drain followed by 1/2 c vinegar. Wait for it to bubble up, and then rinse it down with hot water.

Does anyone else have ideas for homemade cleaning solutions?

Community resources & Fried Okra

I had the opportunity to go visit the Amish community on Monday. This is a resource that I've known about....but I haven't REALLY known about!  For $19 I got the following:
1 gallon fresh raw goat's milk
2 dozen freshly gathered eggs
4 lbs cucumbers
4 canteloupes
6 lbs tomatoes
2 lbs okra
3 lbs summer squash
2 HUMONGOUS butternut squashes (like, I'm not sure I have a pan big enough to cook them! But I'm super excited... I have a soup recipe coming up that is soooo delicious!)

 I think that's it, but it feels like I'm forgetting something. But seriously! That is some cheap food, and it was all freshly picked that morning before I got there! They had bushels of green beans for $15, concord grapes by the bucket, homecanned items, gobs and gobs of things! I made yogurt and kefir with the fresh milk, and the kids and I are still eating on the cucumbers. I froze most of the tomatoes for winter cooking, and made a healthier version of fried okra, and still have enough for 2 more batches! See below for the recipe.

I don't know that I'll go every week, as it's about a 40 minute drive...but I will definitely go 1-2 times/month. The quality of food plus the price makes it worth the effort, especially while I'm in between summer and fall planting for my garden. (It's soooo hot here that every time I try to plant fall crops, they wilt as soon as they break through the surface. So, I've started seeds inside and will transplant them as soon as the weather cools a bit.)

I know that there are resources that aren't well known in every community, you just have to look for it. Eating healthy does NOT have to cost an arm and a leg! What have you found in your community?

Fried Okra

Note-this is best done in a cast iron skillet...but I don't have one. It's on my wish list. :)

Okra, diced (discard the top of the okra)

popcorn

coconut oil

1-2 eggs

Put popcorn in your high powered blender and blend fresh corn meal. Crack the eggs and mix with the okra til it's pretty slimy. Mix in the cornmeal until everything is thoroughly covered. Warm coconut oil until warm enough for frying, but not smoking. Fry okra on both sides until crispy and slightly browned. You can serve with ketchup or eat plain. All of us love fried okra, but I admit, it may be an acquired southern taste. Have you ever had fried okra? What do you think? 

Say YES to Fun School Lunches!

Allright, here we go. I'm doing this post mostly for me, but I know there are a lot of other parents out there who are at a loss on how to pack healthy lunches for their kiddos, that are fun too! (And that don't take an hour every morning to prepare!) I will be adding to this post as I go!

Salads

Black Bean Taco Salad
1 handful of salad greens with fresh veggies (cucumbers, peppers, whatever you want to add)
1/4 cup of black beans mixed with a bit of salsa or taco seasoning
1 handful of chips, crushed in hand
The dressing is salsa, so pack this is a sealed cup. Everything else can be in compartments so that the kiddos can assemble their own salad and it's not all soggy.

Tuna Salad
1 can tuna
1 apple, finely chopped
handful of raisins
1 small stalk of celery, finely chopped
seeds of your choice (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc)
Mix all together with a bit of vegenaise, onion & garlic powders, cumin
Serve on a bed of greens and chopped veggies

(I actually made this last week with leftover crockpot chicken. The kids loved it!)

Black Bean & Corn Salad
2 c cooked black beans
1 1/2 c fresh corn
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro chopped (leaved only!)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1 diced cucumber
1 handful spinach
Combine and drizzle with the following dressing:
1/2 c agave
1/4 c rice vinegar
1/3 c lime juice
1/3 bunch cilantro (leaves only)
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
sea salt to taste
Blend in a blender.

 Fresh Mango & Mint
That's it! Chop up some mango, chop up some fresh mint leaves, mix and voila! It's super tasty!

Strawberry Salad
Spinach or romaine, rinsed and torn
1 cucumber, diced
1 apple, chopped
8 strawberries, quartered
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 can mandarin oranges
crumbled blue cheese
1/4 c slivered almonds or chopped pecans

Combine in a bowl and put the dressing on the side in a disposable cup:
1/3 c agave
1/4 c rice vinegar
8 strawberries
Blend in blender.

Fruit Dips

Yogurt Dip
1 cup homemade kefir or yogurt
Add agave nectar & cinnamon to taste (thanks Jessica!)

Strawberry Dip
1 cup plain yogurt
frozen strawberries, 6ish?
a bit of agave nectar
Blend in your blendtec and pour into those disposable cups to dip apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, pears, etc.

Veggie Dips

Black Bean Dip

1 cup black beans - lightly pulsed in a blender/food proccesor

1 cup salsa

1/4 carrot puree (blend raw carrots in blender until smooth, add water if needed)

1 Tbsp taco seasoning

1 Tbsp fresh cilantro or 1 tsp. dried cilantro

Mix together and serve with an array of sliced fresh veggies.

Salsa
This is for you folks out there who don't care for raw tomatoes (like me!)
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1-2 raw roma tomatoes
1 bell pepper cut into big chunks
1/2 medium onion
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1 T lime juice
1 t sea salt
1 t cumin
1 drop hot sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Pulse all ingredients (except cilantro) in blender until you reach desired consistency. Stir in cilantro. Serve with pita chips, rice chips or organic tortilla chips.

Wraps

Spread homemade peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla, sprinkle with raisins and cinnamon. Roll up and slice.

Spread hot refried beans, mozzerella cheese, and shredded veggies (squash, carrots, etc); roll up and serve.

Make homemade guacamole (I wish we all loved this, but only my hubby does) by dicing or mashing a ripe avocado with taco seasoning and sea salt to taste, some lime juice and some salsa. Mix well and roll in a tortilla.

Toast a piece of whole wheat or sprouted bread. Spread with almond butter and top with sliced bananas, raisins and cinnamon.


I will post some soup/chili/stew recipes this fall (my absolute favorite season ever!) that you can send with your child. See here with the link to our soup/leftover container.


I will also post a pre-school breakfast post soon with some breakfast ideas besides that sugary bowl of cereal. My son finally eats a variety of breakfasts instead of mini wheats every day! Woot Woot!


You can always serve a homemade muffin with fresh fruit and veggies and dip. We do this 1-2 lunches/week and the kids looooove muffin day! Here is a link with some muffin recipes!

A few smoothie recipes

...for those of you who exercise or just need a little bit more energy:

-5 stalks organic celery, chopped into chunks
-1 1/2 c water
-1 apple
-4-5 frozen bananas, broken into chunks

Blend Blend Blend! This tastes so creamy, and is almost treat-like. :)


-3 stalks organic celery, chopped into chunks
-2 bananas
-1 c frozen mixed berries
-1 c water

Blend Blend Blend! This is so simple and so energizing!


For either of the above smoothies, add a couple of handfuls of your favorite greens to help boost the vitamins and minerals!

Eggplant at Our House??? Who Knew?

We have NEVER liked eggplant. Ever. Well, we got some in our CSA, and you know me: I didn't want to waste food, especially fresh farm grown food, so I started researching. I found a recipe for fried eggplant and then added my own variations, and the result? Not a stitch of eggplant was left! The entire family lapped it up, even me!

Okay, so one of the secrets is an amazing sauce, which we were fortunate enough to eat tonight as well. Make this first and let it be simmering while you make the rest:

4 pounds of fresh, mixed tomatoes, half of which need to be flavorful Romas!

Blanch these by putting them in boiling water until the skin starts to blister, then dump into ice water to cool. Pull the skin off and chop into chunks, or pulse in your blender until it's a little smooth with some chunks still in it.

Meanwhile, in a large pot saute in 2-3 T of olive oil, 1 large chopped onion and 5 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced.

Add the following to the pot:
tomatoes
3 cans tomato paste
2 T raw apple cider vinegar
4 T vegetable broth powder (see recipe for it here)
2 t dried oregano
3 T fresh basil, chopped
2 t fennel seed
1 1/2 t sea salt
Add veggies of your choice. I threw in a couple of summer squash, sliced. Spinach and mushrooms would be tasty, too!

Simmer for 30-60 minutes.

Slice 2 eggplant, lengthwise, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.

Make batter by combining a little more then 1 cup chickpea flour (made by dumping dried chickpeas in the high powered blender and plug your ears while it blends until smooth), 1 t sea salt, 3/4 t chili powder, 2 t garlic powder and 3/4-1 c water. You want the batter a little thicker then pancake batter consistency, not too thick or it will slip off of the eggplant.

Dip the egg plant in the batter on both sides and fry in coconut oil. Make sure the oil isn't too hot to smoke, but just hot enough to fry until golden brown. Flip and do the same to the other side. Layer your eggplant between paper towels so that it's not too greasy.

Boil water and cook your favorite pasta and serve pasta, eggplant and sauce. You can sprinkle Parmesan or hemp seed if you wish. Mwah! Delicioso!

p.s. okay, that picture wasn't that great, it's a post-eating picture trying to move things around to look good, because I really wasn't convinced this was going to taste good. After a few minutes of bliss, I said, "Get the camera OUT! This is sooooooo GOOD!"

2 New Muffin Recipes

I have rarely made muffins. For my whole life. They just seemed like a lot of work, until I realized that you can squeeze all kinds of nummy stuff into them, and then freeze them! Pull them out the night before and it's all soft and wonderful the next morning. Lately, I've been freezing muffins, and I leave just enough for lunch with a fruit and a ton of veggies and dip (hummus, black bean, salsa, whatever!) This is a super easy lunch idea instead of buying lunch or packing sandwiches day after day. (Oh, and it's a super easy breakfast idea to eat AFTER a green smoothie!)  Before I give you these recipes, though, here are a few resources. 3 years ago, I bought each of my kiddos one of these. This is PERFECT for leftover soup, stew, chili, or even dinner from the night before if the kids raved about it. :)

This year, I'm buying these so that my kids have homemade & much healthier lunchables. Also, my sister has a membership at Sam's Club and is going to buy a package of 1000 of these (see picture) for dips, etc. I'm soooo excited for this, because kids looooove to dip things. Heck, I love to dip things too. :) 


Alright, hopefully now that you know there are plenty of ideas for packaging the lunch out there, let's move on. MUFFINS!!!  P.S. Special thanks to my Jess who bought me the coolest cookbook! I have adjusted some of the recipes per Jess and the result is absolutely fabulous!

Banana Muffins

2/3 c Agave

3 very ripe bananas

1/2 c coconut oil

1/4 to 1/2 c almond milk (adjust to make batter thin enough)

1 1/2 t vanilla

1/2 apple, cored, with skin on

1 t baking powder

1 1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t sea salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg

2 c flour, see note

Note: any combination of flour will do, but we do a lower gluten variety if we can. You can do whole wheat or partially whole wheat with spelt or kamut or brown rice flour. Everything I've tried has worked beautifully!

Blend in high power blend, or if you don't have one, make sure at least the apple and banana is blended until smooth. Then add dry ingredients to combined wet ingredients. Fill muffin tins until about 3/4 full. This made about 21 muffins. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes. 

****you can also add a few teaspoons of freshly ground flax seed-yum!

Pumpkin Muffins

1 can pumpkin

1 1/2 c agave

1/2 c coconut oil

2/3 c water 

1 whole apple, cored, with skin 

1/2 banana, mashed

2 t baking powder

3 1/2 c flour (see note above)

2 1/2 t baking soda

1 1/2 t sea salt

1 t cinnamon

1 t nutmeg

1/2 t ginger

Blend in high powered blender. If you don't have one, do the banana and apple, and then mix combined wet ingredient with combined dry ingredients, adding water as needed to ensure the batter is thin enough. Pour into 2 muffin tins, about 3/4 full. Cook at 325 for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

****you can also add a few teaspoons of freshly ground flax seed-yum!

I loooooooove fall, so these just fill my kitchen will all sorts of happy smells and happy thoughts of cooler, crisper weather and colorful leaves.
I will do some dip ideas in another post, but until then, ENJOY!!! :)

Sickness

So, my little man is SICK! For the first time! (Boooo!), but I can't complain, the guy was born during flu season and this is the first time he's been sick! I decided to put my faith in some natural remedies, try it out and see if they work, and guess what? He is on the mend! This is what we did:
-Colloidal Silver, 1/2 tsp a few times a day
-garlic. Because I'm still breastfeeding I thought perhaps if I took the garlic straight, it would get to him through my milk. First I made a batch of homemade mashed potatoes. Then I took a small spoonful, and slipped a fresh, crushed garlic clove into it. I actually cut the clove in half, because I have a hard time swallowing big things.
-I have had about 16 oz of kefir for the last 2 days-again, hoping it goes into my milk for lil guy.

Anyway, little guy was up almost the whole night 2 nights ago, and at least 3 times per night for about 5 nights before that. Last night, he got up twice, but the second time was only cause he was congested. My hubby made a homemade saline solution and cleared his nasal passages, and he went right back to sleep.

He also hasn't been napping because he's been so uncomfortable, and I just went into my bedroom where he was playing, and he was passed out on the floor. :) Cute! Anywho, I think I will keep this colloidal silver on hand and keep the garlic comin. How cool is that! No trip to the doctor and NO ANTIBIOTICS! Woo Hoo!!!

Coconut Popcorn

Does anyone else love this stuff as much as I do?

I just can't get enough of it! Reminds me of Sunday nights as a child, and I learned to eat it fast or else my brothers ate it ALL! :) Well, I was determined to find a healthier way to make it. Did you know that popcorn is one of the few foods that cannot be genetically modified? Love that! So, sometimes for a meal we have smoothies and coconut popcorn, or of course, I make it for movie night. On rare occasions that we go to the movies, we sneak it in. :)

Pop popcorn in a popper or over the stove. (Or you can pop 1/4 cup in a paper bag, fold it closed, and put it in the microwave until the popping slows-this is what I usually do, and about 4-5 batches to be enough for our family).
Take 1-3 Tablespoons (depending on the amount of popcorn) of virgin unrefined cold-pressed coconut oil, liquified, and pour over the corn. Stir well and sprinkle with sea salt.

*to liquify the oil, put desired amount in a container and place container in warm water. Usually during the summer it stays a liquid, whereas during the winter it is more solid.

Let's talk about coconut oil. There are very few oils and fats that are actually good and healing for your body. A big one is avocado, and there are so many wonderful properties that I wish I liked it! (I do occasionally put 1/2 in a smoothie, and can't taste it). Coconut oil is AMAZING! It got a lot of flack many years ago because it is a saturated fat. However, it is cholesterol free and trans-fatty acid free, and has been shown to lower cholesterol and stimulate the thyroid function. It is easily emulsified during digestion without burdening the liver or gall bladder. Virgin coconut oil also has medium-chain-length fatty acids (or triglycerides). Next to breast milk, coconut oil is the best natural source of medium-chain-length fatty acids. These have many health benefits including:

-raising metabolism
-acting as an antifungal agent
-acting as an antibacterial agent
-acting as an antiviral agent

Coconut oil has many healing properties as well, and is a beautiful moisturizer for your body. I use it on my legs, arms, knees and elbows. Oh, and my feet. :)

Mountain Rose Herbs (see link on the right side of the blog) has the best coconut oil for your buck, and they sell it in huge quantities. We just bought the 5 gallon bucket! I'm so excited!

Green Beans & Potatoes

Okay, before we jump to the recipe, let's talk about garlic. What? Garlic? Yep. I totally love the stuff. Love the smell, love the taste, but I certainly didn't know that I'd love what it does for my body! A while ago, my friend would eat whole cloves, tucked into a dollop of mashed potatoes to get it down. It has many curing properties on anything from the common cold to plague-illnesses. Here are some other things it does:

-helps with acne

-a natural antibiotic

-cleans your blood

-people who live in high-garlic-using cultures have a much lower incidences of cardiovascular disease

-garlic contains allicin which increases antioxidant enzymes

-garlic is anti-bacterial-awesome during cold & flu season!

-it adds so much flavor to cooking, which is my favorite part. :)

Garlic is best when raw, fresh and crushed prior to chopping or mincing. I just take the long part of my knife blade and press a clove firmly into the cutting board until I hear the clove crush. Mmmmmm!

My little guy has recently started crawling and he found our potatoes. Thankfully, he just gummed them to death. :)

 

Okay, folks, for those of you who have not tried organic potatoes, you are missing out! The flavor is awesome. But potatoes are the best when they are home grown, or bought from local farmers, as these are. Unfortunately, nothing will ever taste as good to me as my husband's (and mine!) Grandpa Don's potatoes, but these are definitely a close second. This is one of our favorites during the summer:

Green Beans & New Potatoes

3-4 pounds of fresh green beans, rinsed & snapped

2-3 pounds of fresh new potatoes, scrubbed

6-8 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced

1-2 onions, quartered

Place potatoes, onion, garlic and then green beans in a large pot. Cover with water and boil for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Season with sea salt and fresh pepper. We have also added fresh rosemary, and it is delicious! Serve AFTER your large salad. We also put a pat of organic butter on the potatoes....mmmmm!

Granola

Oh, what a wonderful week I have had! My bestest friend was in town with her two daughters, and she spoiled me rotten with her time! I enjoyed playing with the girls, and cooking and cleaning up, and essentially just living together for a week. We had a 4 a.m. talking session that I don't think either of us really recovered from, but I am so glad that they came out!

 

Isn't she absolutely beautiful?

Now, I've made a ton of stuff, but haven't posted much....soooo, I'll be playing catch up for a bit. Here's a granola recipe from Green Smoothie Girl, with some HW&W adjustments to our family's tastes:

8 C regular rolled oats
1 C raw wheat germ
1 C shredded unsweetened coconut
1⁄2 C freshly ground flax seeds (flax seeds lose their nutritional value FAST after they are ground, so always grind it fresh prior to using it)
3/4 c nuts (we use raw almonds)
3/4 c seeds (love raw pepitos!)
3 Tbsp. cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice! Mmmm!)

Mix ingredients well in a big bowl.

Heat on the stove until barely melted, stirring together:
1⁄2 C raw honey
1⁄2 C Grade B maple syrup or molasses
1⁄2 C water
1⁄2 C coconut oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla or almond extract
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until distributed evenly (this takes a few minutes). Spread onto 2 large cookie sheets, and bake at 250 for 45 minutes. Stir, and then bake for 45 more minutes. Stir again, and bake another 10-15 to get it good and dry. Keep in the pantry for up to 2 weeks in cooler weather, or in the fridge for up to six weeks.

We always pour on a bit of almond milk and some sprouted sunflower seeds, as well as seasonal fruit (peaches, bananas, apples, sometimes raisins....nummy!)

p.s. this stuff cleans you OUT! :)

Onto gardening! We had to pull out 2 of our squash plants. We lost them to vine borers, and I haven't had time to research how to prevent them. When I do, though, it will be on here so I remember for next year! We still have a bunny. Yeah. It's eating our garlic and making short work of our swiss chard. We are still getting things from our garden, but a little irritated that we are also feeding our pests. We continue to work, though, picking off squash bugs daily, looking for egg clusters, and watering during this heat spell we are having. My 3 year old's legs can't move any faster when she hears I'm going to water the garden. She loves to help!  I think next year we will try planting our vine plants later in the season. However, if anyone has ideas on how to get rid of bunnies, I'm totally open to it! :)

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Do you see these???? Oh my heaven. Ohhhhh myyyyyyy heavennnnnnn!!!! They are well worth the effort. I'm not a huge carrot cake fan, but I'm tellin ya, I had a hard time staying away from these!! These come from GSG's Holiday Cookbook.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

3 eggs

3/4 c plain kefir

1/2 c coconut oil

1/3 c mashed banana

1 c sucanut

3/4 c raw honey

2 t vanilla

2 t cinnamon

1 t nutmeg (my variation)

1/4 t sea salt

2 c Kamut flour

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder (aluminum free)

3 c finely shredded carrots

1 c crushed pineapple with juice

1 c shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 c raisins

chopped walnuts if desired

Preheat oven to 350. Blend the eggs with the Sucanut and honey. Add the oil, kefir, mashed banana and vanilla and blend again. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Add the carrot, pineapple, raisins, coconut and opt nuts. Drop batter by 1/4 cup into greased muffins tins or muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool. Top with the following icing, if you want.

Coconut Cream Icing

1/2 c coconut oil

1 c powdered Sucanut (you can run it in your blender to powder it)

3/4 c shredded unsweetened coconut

1 t vanilla

Blend oil, Sucanut and vanilla in your high powered blender, then stir in coconut. Spread on cupcakes and let it set up.

Whole Wheat Pancakes w/ Homemade Peach Syrup

I don't buy syrup from the store anymore unless it's Grade B Maple Syrup. The kids loooooove homemade fruit syrups, though, and since we bought a bushel of fresh peaches from our bulk food's distributor, we had a lot of peaches to eat. So, we had these babies for breakfast one morning and they were quite filling.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 1/2 c almond milk

1 c uncooked wheat berries

Blend at speed 9 for the full cycle

Add 2 T coconut oil

2 eggs

2 T sucanut

1 T baking powder

1/2 t sea salt

Pulse 5-7 times, and then let rest for 5 minutes while the griddle heats up. Cook pancakes as usual, and serve. 

This recipe makes enough for me and my 4 children for breakfast. If you family is bigger or if you want leftovers to freeze, make 2 batches of batter.

Homemade Peach Syrup

3 c peaches, peeled and pitted

1/2 c sucanut

a smidgen of lemon juice

Press the soups button and run the cycle twice for hot nummy syrup.

2 Minute Cherry Ice Cream

My husband was so sweet to go to Whole Foods last Friday to get me organic cherries that were on sale for $2.99/lb! But....um....he got about 18 pounds. I was shocked and a little panicky for a few minutes. We sold about 5 pounds, and then I thought, "Duh! I can seed these and freeze them!" Has anyone ever bought organic cherries before at full price? Yeah, super expensive. $2.99/lb is amazing! So, we got a cherry pitter tool thingee and I pitted the rest of our cherries this morning and threw them in the freezer. 

For our Sunday night treat, we made this nummy ice cream in our BlendTec, and it was so scrumptious:

5-6 oz almond milk

2-3 oz raw agave nectar

1/8 cup powdered milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

2-4 in vanilla bean pod (opt)

10 pitted bing cherries

4 cups ice

Combine ingredients in the order given and press the ice cream button on your BlendTec. Enjoy!

Carnage & Burning

....in my garden, that is. :)

We continue to have problems with garden pests, but my friend Chelsea told me about this little concoction. It helps a lot with certain pests, but I admit, those dang squash bugs are too fast for me to kill very many of them. So I take my handy dandy scissors and snip them in half, and then stomp them for good measure. I told you there was carnage! :)

We also have problems with Japanese beetles and ants and bunnies. This concoction keeps the bunnies away so they don't burn their little mouths, and kills the ants, it's just hard to find the ant hills to destroy and burn because they are pretty good at hiding them under all the foliage.

Cut 1 whole garlic (not a clove, but a WHOLE thing of garlic) in half
Cut an onion into quarters

Place in a glass Mason jar with cayenne pepper and cloves. Fill it up the rest of the way with water and cover with lid. Let it bake in the sun for a day, and then strain (with a cheesecloth) into a spray bottle. Spray leaves, bugs, anything, and then follow with an evil laugh for good measure. Mwahahaha!

We have harvested beets, swiss chard, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, 1 zucchini (stupid bugs and ants!), cilantro, basil, mint, dill, rosemary, a carrot (yay!), green beans and we have seen little tiny peppers and cantaloupe in our garden. We love eating from our garden, especially because of what it saves us....but also because the taste cannot be beat!  There is nothing like sinking your teeth into a crisp juicy cucumber, freshly picked!

Peach-Banana Smoothie

I've been MIA for a bit, and I don't have a ton to share, but here's a quick recipe and a quick question:


So, we just got our bulk foods order, 2 boxes of FABULOUSLY JUICY, drip-down-your-chin beautiful peaches. I've frozen about 6 huge ziploc bags of them for smoothies, but here's what we did with some of the fresh ones last night:

Pack your spinach or swiss chard into your blender jar with 1-1 1/2 cups of filtered water. Add 3-4 fresh peaches, cut into quarters. Fill it up the rest of the way with frozen bananas broken into quarters and blend for a deliciously sweet smoothie.

Sorry, no picture because it was gone within minutes. No kidding.

So, the quick question. Have you ever wanted to do something you've never done before, but been afraid to make the commitment? I have been doubly inspired this summer by wonderful people. I have never run long distances before because I had knee surgery 4 years ago. My surgeon said not to do any marathons or even half-marathons, so I've kind of been afraid to do ANYTHING!

Well, my kids enjoy running races from time to time--and with a supportive school to assist in training early in the morning before school starts, it's something they take a lot of pride in. One of the races that they ran is one that takes place the weekend before Halloween called the Grey Ghost. It's a 5K for adults and a 1K for kiddos. Well, I kinda sorta want to do it this year. Just to say that I did it. I'm in horrible shape right now. The pro would be I would have a commitment that would force me to get into better shape, set a great example for my kids and have some me-time to boot! The con? Fear that I'll give up. :(  My husband has said, "Ya know, even if you aren't able to run it all, you can totally walk it!" Yeah, he's right.

Can ANYONE out there relate? And have you overcome your fear? How did you do it?