New Lunch recipes! Energy Bites & Zucchini Carrot Raisin Muffins

 Energy Bites
2 c regular oats
1 c peanut butter (or other nut butter)
2/3 c raw honey
2 c shredded coconut
1 c freshly ground flaxseed
1/2 c mini chocolate chips
1/2 c raisins
2 t vanilla
1-2 T chia seeds

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  I chill the night before, and then roll into balls the next morning.  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week. Very filling and delicious!

Zucchini Carrot Raisin Muffins
1 c regular oats
2 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c coconut sugar (or sucanut)
1 T + 2 t baking powder
1 c grated zucchini
1 c grated carrot
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t sea salt
3/4 c raisins
3/4 c coconut oil
2 ripe bananas
1/2 apple
1/2 c agave

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the first 9 ingredients in large bowl. Combine the last 4 ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. These freeze well and taste DELIGHTFUL!

Cherry Almond Granola

Cherry Almond Granola
4 c regular rolled oats
1 cup chopped almonds
1 c uncooked millet
1 c dried cherries
4 T ground flax seed
2 T chia seed
1/2 c coconut sugar (or sucanut)
1 1/2 t sea salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cardamom (optional)
dried coconut (optional)
pumpkin seeds (optional)

4 heaping T applesauce
1/2 c raw honey
6 T nut butter (peanut, almond, sunflower, etc.)
2 heaping spoonfuls coconut oil
2 t vanilla extract
1 t almond extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 1 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients until well combined. In a microwaveable glass dish combine wet ingredients-MINUS THE EXTRACTS!. Microwave for 1-2 minutes and stir until well combined. Pour in extracts and stir again. Pour over dry ingredients and stir well until evenly coated. Scott onto baking sheets and bake for 40-50 minutes, stirring halfway through. Allow to cool before putting it into airtight container. It will still be a little bit wet, but will harden up as it cools.

This is delicious with almond milk and fresh fruit. We also eat it over vanilla goat yogurt, too! For most of us...this is our favorite!
Enjoy!

Creamy Breakfast Quinoa

  Breakfast Quinoa

This recipe isn’t really a recipe in that there are no exact measurements, so make it work for you or your family as needed. This is meant to be fast and to use up what you have on hand, so don’t stress! Just go with it and experiment. You can easily make this every day and change up the flavors so that it tastes like something different each time you make it!

-Rinse (if needed) and cook quinoa according to package directions. (Do this the night before for ease in the morning.)

 -Cut up fruit that you have on hand-fresh, dried and/or freeze-dried. This picture has a mango, a banana and a few strawberries.

-Raw nuts and seeds-I sprout my own and dehydrate them to store in my pantry for a more nutrient dense breakfast, but you can use regular raw nuts and seeds, too! (see below)

-Other toppings: unsweetened coconut, sesame seeds, whatever you want!

-Creamy milk: I used  what I had on hand-1 ½ c almond milk (canned coconut milk would be delicious!), dash of vanilla or almond extract, maple syrup or honey, 1/4 t sea salt, 1/2 t+ cinnamon, unsweetened shredded coconut, dates, whatever! Blend it all up in your blender and taste to make sure it’s the perfect sweet and creamy consistency that you want.

Put quinoa in a bowl, top with fruit and pour milk mixture on top. Sprinkle with nuts and seeds.

Dehydrated Nuts and Seeds

Cover nuts and seeds with filtered water and let it sit overnight. In the morning let it drain and rinse really well . Put on dehydrator sheets and let dehydrate at 108 until dry, about 12 hours. This keeps it raw, and the sprouting makes it a powerhouse of nutrients. Store in airtight container.

**The next time I do this, I will soak the nuts and seeds separately so that I can chop the nuts before storing it. I will also put some raw chia in the jar with the nut/seed mixture. Enjoy!

Raw Berry Crisp

This may have been one of the fastest desserts I've ever made, and so delicious and simple!

Raw Berry Crisp
*6 cups mixed berries (whatever you want-see note below)
1-2 T maple syrup, preferrably Grade B
1 c raw almonds
1/2 c raw walnuts
1/2 c-2/3 c chopped dates
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t chia seeds
*Note: I used frozen berries from Costco, and just ran some cool water on them for a few minutes. Gently place in baking dish. Or use fresh, and gently chop bigger berries-strawberries-and place in baking dish

In small baking dish (7x11 or the like), place berries. Drizzle with syrup and gently mix. Put remaining ingredients in food processor and process until coarsely ground. Nuts should be the size of 1/2 pea, or if you prefer chunkier, process it for less time. Sprinkle over berries. Serve immediately or chill in fridge until ready to serve.

This would be a great dessert or brunch item.

Bee Pollen

I ordered this book a little over a month ago, and I really enjoyed Kimberly's second installment. I've relearned a lot about different foods, as well as learned a lot of information of new information! I definitely recommend reading. It will inspire you to nourish every cell in your beautiful body. Take it a day at a time, and keep it as simple as you can. Spend time and energy on the things that matter most.

Okay, on to something that I've never even heard of as a food source: bee pollen! Here is a picture:

 
Looks interesting, huh? Bee pollen is filled with most B vitamins, so it provides stress relief, improves digestion and balances your hormones. Side note-it doesn't take much to throw your hormones out of whack: pregnancy, monthly cycle, breastfeeding, trauma, stress, etc. I've had many indications that my hormones are out of whack, so bee pollen is my new best friend.

Bee pollen is also a complete protein, contains all essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and nucleic acids. It helps control hunger and protects the nervous system against radiation. It also protects vitamins C & E, which helps protect and repair your skin. How awesome is that?!?!

I throw it in smoothies and eat it straight, only about 1/2 teaspoon. You can find it at your local health food store, from www.mountainroseherbs.com or from a local beekeeper.

Have you ever had bee pollen before?

Quick Protein Smoothie

I love this on days that I'm doing a really tough workout. High in protein and energizing. Avoid using whey and soy protein powders. These are dairy based and therefore acid-forming and difficult to digest. Instead, use organic hemp, brown rice, sprouts or split pea proteins. These are plant-based, easy to digest and used efficiently.

2 c unsweetened almond milk, water or a combination of the two.
2-3 T hemp protein (or your preferred protein powder)
1-2 T chia seeds
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 banana
1/2-3/4 c frozen mixed berries
opt: dash or two of stevia

Blend and enjoy!

Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie

I love this! My children LOVE this! It's just sweet and flavorful and wonderful!  The kids ask for it at least once a week, and get super jealous when I make it for me. AND IT'S SO GOOD FOR YOU! Raw beets are an excellent blood purifier. Coconut liquid is packed with minerals and electrolytes. Strawberries are high in vitamin C.

1 1⁄2 c coconut liquid  from young Thai coconut (best raw, or use coconut water. I buy them by the case at Costco) 
1 large carrot, cleaned and cut into 3 pieces (or 6 baby carrots)
1⁄4 of a medium beet, raw, peeled (we grow these in our garden and peel them, cut them into quarters and throw into the freezer)
1⁄4 c cashews
1⁄4 c chopped dates 
2 t vanilla
12 frozen strawberries
optional: 1 t flax seeds or 1 t chia seeds
Pureé all ingredients except the strawberries in your high-power blender for 90 seconds. Add the strawberries and pureé on high until smooth. 

My little guy? He skips the jealousy part and goes straight to, "Momma, a moo-ee peeeeeeeeeeeze?" How can I resist those baby blues?

Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini Muffins
4 1/2 c grated fresh zucchini
1 c liquid coconut oil
2 c sucanut
3 T chia seeds (put in 9 T water and let it sit for 15 minutes or until gel)
3 t vanilla
3 t baking soda
pinch sea salt
4 1/2 c whole wheat flour
3 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 c raisins (or dried cranberries)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl combine the sucanut, chia seeds, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the melted oil. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. Stir in raisins.
Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little spray (or use muffin liners). Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.

Vegan Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

These were so awesome! We had them for dinner this week, following a tall cup of green smoothie. This makes a really quick meal and lots of extras to freeze and toast later. I had some for breakfast this week with layers of your favorite nut butter, sliced bananas and a bit of maple syrup. It was heavenly!


*Oh, I also split this in half and blended half the ingredients first followed by the other half. My blender sure isn't big enough to handle all of it! :)

Vegan Oatmeal Banana Pancakes
3 3/4 c oats
1 1/2 c flour (I used whole wheat)
6 t baking powder
1 1/2 t sea salt
4 1/2 c almond milk
6 ripe bananas, peeled

Blend the first 5 ingredients together until smooth. Add bananas and blend more. Cook on hot griddle. I add a bit of coconut oil before batter to make the ends nice and crispy. Serve with syrup of your choice.

This makes A LOT! They freeze really well, just pop in your toaster oven for a super quick breakfast.

Overnight Blueberry Oatmeal

Make the night before. We actually had it for dinner on a busy night, and then again for breakfast the next day.

Overnight Blueberry Oatmeal
1 1/2 c rinsed steel cut oats
1/2 t ginger
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t sea salt
1 t baking powder
dash of vanilla or almond extract
4 c unsweetened almond milk
2 c unsweetened coconut milk
(or just 6 cups of your favorite dairy-free milk)
sweetener of your choice. I added raw honey, about 1/4-1/2 c
1 1/2 c fresh blueberries
1/4 c dried blueberries
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan and combine all ingredients except last 3. Carefully stir in remaining ingredients and pour into pan. Bake for 1 hour. Remove and let cool, then place in fridge overnight (mixture will thicken overnight).

Blueberry Sauce
2 c fresh blueberries
dash of water
Heat over medium high heat until it sizzles, and turn down the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, mashing blueberries against side of pan.

Serve oatmeal with a bit of milk and sauce. Add any other toppings you would like (i.e. nuts, chia seeds, coconut, etc.)

Mango Pancake Topping & NEW Salad Dressings

Do you see this???

This is the face of Dad and Daughter....fighting over our new favorite pancake topping: MANGO! Mangos are in season right now and so yummy when you cut open a ripe one. I put 2 or 3 in my blender, added less then 1/4 cup (maybe 1/8?) Sucanut (or a smidge of agave or honey would be good) and blended until smooth. Mango doesn't need much sweetener if it is ripe already. Such a great addition to our coconut pancakes!

We have also discovered a few new favorite salad dressings.

Homemade Ranch 

1 t parsley

3/4 t ground black pepper

1 t sea salt

1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 t onion powder

1/8 t thyme 

I actually quadrupled this and have the mix in my spice cabinet anytime I want to add a little ranch flavoring to something I am making....without the MSG and chemicals. 

Add to buttermilk or 1 c almond milk with 1 T fresh lemon juice, veganaise (if you want it thicker), or whatever else your little creative heart desires. :)

Basil is so easy to grow! We have 3 basil plants and use it every day in something! Try growing your own and save some money! :)

Basil Parmesan Dressing

3⁄4 c basil leaves
1 c oil (2 Tbsp. flaxseed, the remainder olive) 
1⁄2 c (or less) Parmesan cheese
1⁄4 c balsamic vinegar
3 T white wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic
1⁄4 t freshly ground pepper
1⁄4 t sea salt
Blend all ingredients in a high-power blender. Let flavors blend in fridge for a few hours, if desired.

Sweet Basil Dressing

Juice from 1 lime

1 c fresh basil leaves

4-5 leaves stevia (or a dash of powdered)

1 clove garlic

1 T water

2 T olive oil

1/4 t sea salt

Blend on high until smooth. This is pretty watery because it is lower in oil, but packed with flavor! I love how fresh it tastes! 

Red Velvet Pancakes

This would be really fun for Valentine's Day, cooked in a heart shape. We decided we could have eaten it plain or for dessert, but we served with the choice of Grade B Maple Syrup or homemade mixed berry syrup. Heavenly!

1½ c buttermilk or almond milk
2 eggs
2 T coconut oil
½ beet, roasted and peeled
⅓ c sucanut
1 t vanilla 
¼ c raw cacao powder
1½ c Kamut flour (or whole wheat flour)
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
½ t  sea salt 

Add first 6 ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and 4-6 times until dry ingredients are incorporated; do not over blend. Allow batter to rest 5 minutes.  Heat griddle or other pan over medium-low heat; use coconut oil to grease surface.  Cook pancakes as usual, making sure it is cooked all the way before flipping over. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven at 200°F loosely wrapped in foil.

Note: To roast a beet, remove beet greens, set greens aside for use in green smoothies and wash beet thoroughly.  Wrap beet in foil and place in 400°F oven and roast for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.  After the roasted beet has cooled, peel and cut in half.


--To make Mixed Berry syrup, add 6 cups of frozen mixed berries to large blender with 1 1/2 c hot water and 1/2 c maple syrup. Pulse until chunky. Mmmmm!!!

Baked Oatmeal

I made some healthy adjustments to this recipe, and we love it!

The night before…
• 3 c rolled oats -not quick cook
• 3/4 c sucanut or agave (we prefer sucanut to the agave. Firmer texture)
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1/3 c liquified coconut oil
• 1 1/2 c plain yogurt or kefir (we make our own, and sometimes I use some of each)
In the morning...
• 1 c almond milk
• 2 eggs (or 2 T chia seeds plus 4 T water; let sit for 15+ minutes to gel-we have used both and they both work great!)
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t sea salt
• opt: add 1 apple chopped and 1/3 c raisin. We have also tried it with 1 sliced banana, diced peaches, diced strawberries, frozen mixed berries... Be creative!

Instructions

The night before…
1. Combine the night before ingredients and mix well.
2. Cover with plastic wrap or towel.
3. Leave on the counter overnight.
In the morning…
4. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
5. Pour into greased glass baking dish-we do one that is between square and 9x13.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until it looks a little browned around the edges.

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?

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!!! :)

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! :)

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.