Meal Plan 11/01/09 and 11/8/09

Yes, I know that it is Saturday and I'm just getting my meal plan typed up. I actually wrote it last Sunday but never got a chance to do all the links. Since I'm so sluggish, I decided to go ahead and post next week's meal plan also :)

Mon:
Bfast: scrambled eggs, fried apples
Dinner: Sloppy Joes (from freezer)
Tues
Bfast: blueberry blender pancakes
Dinner: Cheesy Broccoli Chicken (I just poured some leftover broccoli chowder over the chicken and baked it at 350 for 30 mins )
Wed
Bfast: Apple cinn omelet
Dinner: BarBQ chicken sandwiches
Thurs
Bfast: Cinn-raisin toast with coconut oil, jam, and cream cheese
Dinner: Manicotti, double and freeze
Fri
Bfast: Pumpkin muffins
Dinner: Clean out the fridge night
Sat
Bfast: granola with raisins and milk
Dinner: Creamy tomato sausage pasta
Sun
Bfast: scrambled eggs and fried apples (yes, we are obsessed :)
Dinner: Home-made pizza

Week of 11/8/9

Mon:
Bfast:Cinn-apple omelet
Dinner: Tangy Pineapple Chicken
Tues
Bfast: Chocolate muffins
Dinner: Feta Salmon
Wed
Bfast: Leftover Chocolate muffins
Dinner: Lime Chicken Tacos
Thurs
Bfast: blender pancakes (from freezer)
Dinner: Clean out the fridge night
Fri
Bfast: Fried apples and scrambled eggs
Dinner: Pesto Chicken
Sat
Bfast: Pumpkin muffins
Dinner: Taco Soup
Sun
Bfast: Granola with milk and raisins
Dinner: Cheesy Chicken Strips

Healthy Fried Apples

Ever since we came across the recipe for apple cinnamon omelets, we have had an obsession for apples with our eggs. And they fit nicely together: Eggs contain every nutrient your body needs except vitamin C, and apples have lots of vitamin C, so they are the perfect breakfast pair! But we don't always have the time to make separate omelets for everyone, so we just started making yummy fried apples to go with our scrambled eggs. (And the combo is even better with some crunchy bacon, let me tell ya! :) I mix them all together and Mark eats them side by side, so do whatever you like best :) Here is how we fry our apples -- so easy!

Ingredients:
apple slices
coconut oil
cinnamon

Directions: Put a big, heaping spoonful of yummy coconut oil in frying pan. Turn stove on medium and cut up apples while the oil melts. Throw the apples in the pan, stir to; covered with oil, and shake cinnamon on them. Let simmer til soft.

Crud-Fighting butter spread

I am so thankful for Donielle because I keep learning so many wonderful tips from her! Today on facebook she posted this spread that actually helps fight the viruses and infections! I never thought of such a thing, but the ingredients are soooo good for you! Now I need to go make some yummy home-made bread so I can smother it in this :)

3 Tbsp softened butter (NOT margarine!!!!!!)
3 tsp softened or melted coconut oil (CO is ant-viral and helps counter the strong garlic)
2+ cloves of fresh garlic (as much as you can stand -- garlic fights infection!)
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dried minced onion

Mix together and slather generously on warm bread, toast, baked potatoes, etc.

Use as much garlic as you can, I put 4 cloves in ours today and if it was just for me I could do one or two more.

Helping a spider bite

A friend of mine talked to a homeopathic friend about how to help her husband get over a very painful spider bite. I thought I should post it in case we ever (hopefully not!) have the need for such a thing:

1. Make a paste out of baking soda and distilled vinegar
2. Apply to wound. Let it dry. Reapply paste.
3. Soak leg in hot water with 1 cup epsom salt and 1/4 cup baking soda. The hot water also draws out the infection.

Kombucha update!

I've been making my own Kombucha for a while now, using the juice method to flavor it. A couple of weeks ago, my holistic care doctor told me that she uses elderberries (which has many healing qualities) and blueberries (packed full of antioxidants) to flavor her Kombucha. And then my other friend let me taste hers that was flavored with frozen strawberries and fresh slices of ginger. WOW! I cannot tell you how good it was! So I made my own version combining all of them and like it so much that I will never return to my old method!

Here is what I did:
1. Make Kombucha like normal and allow to ferment 2-4 weeks
2. Pour in quart-sized jar and add about 2 frozen strawberries, 3 frozen blueberries, a few dried elderberries, and a slice of fresh ginger.
3. Set in fridge for a day or two.
4. Enjoy! (Watch out -- it's addictive!)

Recipe Review: Enchilada Sauce

This enchilada sauce worked just fine for us! I really didn't notice a lot of difference in flavor from the kind I used to buy at the store. I only used 2 Tbs. of chili powder and about 10 oz. of tomato sauce because we didn't want it as spicy. I didn't need it all, so I froze the rest for next time.

New BarBQ Sauce to try this week

Donielle just shared this recipe for home-made BarBQ sauce and I thought I would try it out. Almost every BarBQ sauce at the grocery store has HFCS (unless it is organic and expensive :) so I'm hoping I like it!

2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup unsulphered molasses
1 Tbsp dried onion
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
optional: a few Tbsp of apple cider vinegar and/or
1/2 tsp or so of worchestershire sauce.
Just mix and use. If you want a thicker sauce, just substitute some tomato paste for the sauce.

Meal Plan 10/25/09

Mon
Breakfast: Fried eggs, pumpkin muffins, blueberries
Dinner: Lime Chicken Tacos
Tuesday
Breakfast: Crustless Quiche
Dinner: chili
Wednesday
Breakfast: Leftover quiche
Dinner: Enchiladas (double and freeze) with New sauce Recipe
Thursday:
Breakfast: blueberry pancakes (from freezer)
Dinner: cheesy chicken strips, double and freeze
Friday:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon
Dinner: Home-made cheesy breadsticks (an experiment with my pizza dough recipe -- I'll share afterwards how I did it :) and Pumpkin chowder
Saturday:
Breakfast: quinoa with blueberries and maple syrup
Dinner: clean out the fridge night
Sunday:
Breakfast: waffles (from freezer)
Dinner: Sloppy Joes (from freezer)

Home-made Enchilada Sauce: New recipe to try

For my freezer stocking task this week, I planned to make a bunch of enchiladas. However, when I went to the store to buy the ingredients, I couldn't find a sauce without soybean oil or HFCS, two things I try to avoid as much as possible. So I decided to look for a recipe to just make it myself. I chose this one because it uses cocoa powder as a secret ingredient and, well, that just sounded like a yummy idea to me! One commenter mentioned using home-made chicken stock instead of water to add flavor and nutrients and I will probably do that as well. Someday I am going to start making my own tortillas, but not this week!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 3 cups water
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Directions: Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl. Stirring constantly, slowly add enough of the water to make a thin paste. Pour into pan and add rest of water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Stir in tomato sauce.Use in your favorite enchilada recipe. The amounts on the ingredients are very flexible. For instance, if I am feeding my kids who do not like"spicy", I will halve the chili powder and double the tomato sauce. Experiment to suit your taste, but don't leave out the cocoa!

*For a quick meal, we will soften a corn tortilla in a bit of hot oil, drag it through the sauce, and lay it flat on a plate. Cover it with grated cheddar cheese, sprinkle with chopped onions and sliced black olives. Then cover with another softened sauced tortilla and melt the cheese in the microwave for 1 minute on high.

New Recipe review: Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I know, it sounds like a weird kind of soup. When I told my hubby what we were having, he said, "what were you thinking?" Ha, ha. But I love soup in the fall and I'm always looking for a new one. I try to make soup at least week when the weather is cold because it saves so much money. So I decided to give this a try because Tammy has never led me astray before :) Cauliflower is honestly not something we eat very much of at our house so I thought this might be a way to get it in the meal plan. And as my husband couldn't help but say, "This soup is surprisingly good!" :) But you have to read the next paragraph to see what I did...

Now of course, I can never follow the recipe completely... We like a thick chowder and since I'm always trying to conserve milk (we buy fresh milk from a local farmer and its more expensive), I cut down the liquid a bit. So I probably only used about 4 cups of water (I just made sure the veggies were covered for boiling) and 3 1/2 cups of milk (divided). And I sauteed the garlic and onion in about 3/4 of a stick of butter first because, well, butter just makes everything more yummy :) And when I finished the soup, I tasted it and thought, hmmm, this is pretty good comfort food, but not something my hubby is going to LOVE. So I thought and thought and decided to add something to make it a little unique: nutmeg! I know, I know, I'm a little obsessed with nutmeg during the fall, but it really was good! But I didn't measure (sorry) so you'll just have to sprinkle it on to taste :) And then (my hubby's favorite part) I topped the soup with little chunks of sharp cheddar cheese and bacon. And it was a winner! My toddler loved it as well (of course, she is in love with bacon just like her Daddy :)

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium potatoes, washed and cut into large chunks (we don't peel our potatoes, but you can if you'd like)
7 cups water
5 cups milk, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
3/4 cup flour

Instructions:

1. Place cauliflower, onion, garlic, potatoes, and water into a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for at least 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and the cauliflower starts to fall apart.

2. Add 3 cups of the milk, along with the pepper and salt, and return to a boil.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and remaining 2 cups of milk. Pour into boiling soup and whisk or stir to combine. Boil for a minute or so, until soup is thickened. Do a taste test for how much salt you want to add (we like pretty much!). Serve hot.

Butternut Bisque

My sweet friend Mary made this for us when we went to visit her a couple of weeks ago. I LOVE soups, and this one was delicious. I think it would also be good with pumpkin, but I haven't tried it yet :) It was also something my 9-month old enjoyed as well :) Mary said that it was a lot of trouble to peel the squash, so next time she would try cooking it first, and then peeling it. And don't forget the sour cream as you serve it -- it really added a lot of flavor and creaminess :)

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for garnish (optional)
• Coarse salt
• 1 large butternut squash (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Sour cream, for serving

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, and cayenne. Season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add squash, broth, half-and-half, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Working in batches, puree in a blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt. Serve bisque with sour cream, garnished with cayenne, if desired.
4. To Freeze: Ladle cooled bisque (without sour cream) into airtight containers, leaving 1 inch of space; freeze up to 3 months.
5. To Reheat: Run container under hot water to release bisque. Heat with a bit of water, stirring occasionally.

Meal Plan 10/18/09

Mon:
Breakfast: granola with raisins and milk
Dinner: my new favorite grilled cheese with apple and bacon
Tues:
Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes
Dinner: Creamy Salmon Pasta
Wed
Breakfast: pumpkin muffins
Dinner: game night covered dish :Cornbread casserole
Thurs:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon
Dinner: New Recipe to try: Cauliflour soup
Fri:
Breakfast: Blueberry Waffles
Dinner: Out with the folks
Sat:
Breakfast: Fried eggs, bacon
Dinner: Piknic at the pumpkin patch (didn't make it last week due to sickness)
Sunday:
Breakfast: French Toast
Dinner: Clean out the fridge night

The Best Grilled Cheese Ever!

It is undoubtedly soup weather! Yay! And nothing (in my humble opinion:) goes better with any soup than a grilled cheese sandwich. I know I've already raved about how tons of coconut oil make the best grilled cheese sandwich. And I know I've already shared one of our favorite ways to make an especially delicious grilled sandwich, the Monte Cristo. But yesterday I made a different grilled cheese that my husband just raved about, so I decided to share it with you:)

Ingredients:
Spoonfuls of coconut oil
Cinnamon raisin bread
sharp cheddar cheese
swiss cheese
very finely sliced apples, without peels
crispy bacon

Directions: Dump several spoonfuls of coconut oil in frying pan, heat on medium heat til melted. Stack cheeses, apple slices and bacon on bread slices; make sandwich. Grill sandwich in coconut oil on both sides til golden and crispy.

Pizza Crust update

I've been really thrilled about my new pizza crust recipe because its just so good and healthy, too! So I wanted to let you know that you can make it ahead of time and leave in your fridge a couple of days and it will work just fine. I had saved some of my dough to make hot pockets out of for Mark's lunch, but didn't get around to making them for 2 more days. But the dough still worked great!

Toddler crackers update

Just wanted to let you know that after making these easy toddler cracker so many times, I decided to see if we would like them dehydrated instead of cooked at such a high temperature. Cooking at lower temperatures preserves more nutrients. So made them like usual, but I set my oven at its lowest temperature and let them dehydrate all day til they were good and crunchy. And guess what? We liked them better!

Home-made sore throat /cough syrup

My 2 1/2 year old caught a bad case of laryngitis from her Daddy this week and my Christian holistic doctor recommended that I make her this soothing and healing syrup to help her feel better.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup elder berries
2 cups water
can also add a Tbs. or 2 of other healing herbs like nettles, mullein, echinacea, etc.
about 3 Tbs raw Honey to taste

Directions: Using a pot that is not metal (metal ruins the medicinal quality of herbs), gently simmer elderberries, water, and other herbs for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the syrup cool down. Strain through a cheesecloth. Stir in honey until dissolved. (Note: do not stir in honey while really hot or it will kill the healing properties of the honey. Wait until it is just warm enough to dissolve the honey). Administer several Tbs. every few hours til better.

Soaked Pizza Crust Review

This is the first time that I've made a soaked bread product that Mark really enjoys. Karis and I both thought it was yummy as well. This will definitely be my staple pizza crust recipe now and I'm excited that I can make it in bulk and freeze the dough all ready to roll out. Expect to see it on my meal plan about every other week because pizza is one of Mark's favorites. Plus, when I make it myself, it is a real budget stretcher!

New Recipie: Healthy Pizza Crust

I love the recipe I've been using for pizza crust, but I've been looking for a recipe that uses soaked flour to ensure better absorption of the nutrients. I was so excited to find this recipe on Passionate Homemaking (a fabulous blog!) It sounds yummy and easy, too. I'll let you know how we like it...

Homemade Pizza Crust

2 Tbls Yeast
3 1/2 cups water 110F, divided
3 Tablespoons acid medium, for soaking (whey, kefir, yogurt, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp honey
¼ cup honey
1 Tbls salt
8-10 cups whole wheat flour (or combination with kamut flour)

______________________________________________________________________________

Soaking Step (optional, if you want to skip soaking, proceed with the instructions below the line)

To receive the full nutrients and break down the phytates, try soaking the whole wheat flour in advance, otherwise, skip this step.

Combine 10 cups of flour, 3 cups of water requested in the recipe, substituting some of the water with about 3 Tablespoons of whey, kefir, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice (no need to be exact), and 1/4 cup honey. Allow to soak for 12-24 hours. After soaking, activate the yeast in a small container with the remaining 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 tsp of honey. Allow to foam up for about 5 minutes. Add the proofed yeast mixture to the soaked flour, along with the salt. Knead for 5-10 minutes. If recipe is still sticky, add a little more flour as needed until it is able to be kneaded. Continue with recipe below.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Preheat over to 500 degrees (if you are baking right away). Combine yeast, 2 cups of warm water, and a teaspoon of sugar or honey in a bowl, cover and let sit for 7-10 minutes. Add water, honey, and salt. Mix thoroughly. After dissolved, add flour bit by bit, beating thoroughly. After all flour is beated in; knead 5-10 minutes. Let rise for thicker pizza dough. Divide into four sections for four crusts. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

This works wonderful with all whole wheat flour (hard white or red wheat) or with a combination with kamut flour (provides a lighter texture). Whole wheat pastry flour makes it very crumbly. Great easy recipe and tastes fabulous!

Here are some topping recommendations (these are my hubby’s favorites!): Pepperoni, cheese, Italian sausage, green peppers, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese

Enjoy!

For the Freezer

Mix dough completely as instructed and then divide into 4 portions. Freeze the dough in individual Ziploc bags. You do not have to pre-bake the dough – simply put the dough immediately into the freezer. When you are ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator for several hours, bring to a room temperature and then roll out and assemble as desired.

Meal Plan 10/11/09

I know; it's a little late in the week for making a meal plan. But we've been out of town and this is the first time I've been able to sit down and think about it. So here it is...

Mon: Still out of town and eating Mama's cooking :)
Tues
Bfast:Scrambled eggs, pumpkin muffins from Nina
Dinner: Chili (from freezer)
Wednesday
Bfast: Baked Oatmeal
Dinner: Tortilla Soup (from freezer)
Thursday
Bfast: Homemade cereal
Dinner: Pizza with THIS sauce and NEW CRUST!
Friday
Bfast: Apple Cinn Omelet
Dinner: Out to eat for our 5th anniversary!
Sat
Bfast: Pancakes
Dinner: Picnic at pumpkin farm :)
Sun
Bfast: granola with raisins and milk
Dinner: Clean out the fridge night

The Results: Lime Chicken Tacos

A new favorite!! Everyone loved it! Even my picky toddler ate a whole taco! And Mark and I really loved the lime flavor. This was super duper easy and it is going on our favorite list! I'm going to make double and freeze from now on :)

Stocking the freezer!

With 2 little ones and a husband whose work schedule changes randomly, I often end up without time to prepare a nice dinner for my family. We are on a strict budget and try to avoid eating out just because "there is nothing to eat in the house!" (We like to plan on eating out for special occasions instead :) So when I make my meal-plan each week, I try to make sure I plan one day (usually the day that Mark is off work so he can help watch the girls :) to go crazy cooking and double or triple a recipe or two for freezing. That way I always have something to pull out in a pinch. So I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite things to make in bulk and freeze.

(Note: I flash freeze the enchiladas and manicotti before cooking on a cookie sheet and then dump into freezer-safe ziplocks bags. You can also freeze them in a pan with the sauce, but it takes up more room and I find that they come out more soggy. I flash freeze the chicken strips, cordon blue, bierocks and meatballs the same way. Everything else just gets dumped in a tupperware :)


Taco Meat
the Best Sloppy Joes Ever
Mannicotti
Cheesy Chicken Strips
Chili
Taco soup
Enchiladas
Tortilla Soup
Meatballs
Chicken Cordon Blue
Bierocks

Meal Plan 10/4/09

Mon
Breakfast: Apple Cinn Omelet
Dinner: Potato Soup
Tues
Breakfast: Coconut Flour Pancakes
Dinner: Best Sloppy Joes Ever!
Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal Casserole
Dinner: Lime Chicken Tacos (New Recipe!)
Thursday
Breakfast: Leftover Oatmeal Casserole
Dinner: Clean out the fridge night
Friday
Breakfast: granola with raisins and milk
Friday dinner til Monday: Out of town -- eating my Mama's yummy cooking! YAY!

Lime Chicken Tacos

My new recipe of the week is highly recommended by my sis-in-law, Terra, who got it from THIS blog. We love all kinds of tacos, so I'm pretty sure it will be a winner. The added lime flavor sounds really yummy. I'm excited because I can make it ahead of time!

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup chunky salsa
12 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce, optional

Place the chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred and return to the slow cooker. Stir in corn and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese and lettuce if desired.

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

We made these cookies because Karis had been reading a book about making cookies and kept asking to make cookies. I don't make cookies often because my self control is seriously lacking in the cookie area and my toddler's is even worse :) Whenever we make a snack, she wants it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So I decided to search for a healthy cookie that I wouldn't mind her eating all the time to avoid the battle. I found this recipe at THIS blog. These are completely healthy, but definitely not as sweet as you would expect a cookie to be. My husband wasn't a huge fan, but they worked for Karis and I. And yes, she has been asking for them all day long!

I was out of milk, so I used a combination of yogurt and coconut milk instead. And I used coconut oil instead of butter. So the recipe is pretty flexible :)

Ingredients:
2 cups cracked oat groats (rolled oats work also)
1.5 cups freshly ground flour
1 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk/milk
3/4 cup honey

Directions: Melt the butter and honey, cool off some and then add the buttermilk, oats and flour. Cover and let sit for 12-24 hours. 24 hours being best, esp for the oats.

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tsps cinnamon
1/2 tsp b soda
2 tsps vanilla
1/3 cup chocolate chips*

Mix well. Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes.

My absolute favorite fall side dish!

I posted this recipe last fall, but I made it again last night and fell in love with it all over again. So I thought I'd mention it in case you'd forgotten about it : Sweet Potato Spinach Bake! Yes. I know. It sounds like a really weird combination but its amazing. Spinach in a creamy sauce with cheesy sweet potatoes and bacon. I never would have put them together but I love it! And so does my husband, which is also amazing because he usually only like spinach as a dip for chips and only likes his sweet potatoes super sweet with lots of brown sugar and butter and cinnamon :) But he loves it. So I'm probably going to be making this almost every week :) Just thought I'd let you know!

Completely Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Mmmmm.... I love pumpkin muffins! But since I'm trying to feed my family more nutritious food, my favorite recipe had to go (too much white flour and sugar!) Luckily, Kimi at Nourishing Gourmet blog (I get sooo many healthy recipes from her blog!) posted this fabulous recipe. I made them yesterday and everyone loved them! They are yummy both with or without the struesel topping. She uses natural sweeteners and the grain is soaked, so I can eat as many as I want :) She uses pastry flour, which would be great, but I didn't have any and my kamut worked just fine! I also just used yogurt instead of the coconut milk tonic.

Spiced Pumpkin (or Squash) Muffins with a Streusel Topping -Makes 12

This recipe is soaked for better nutrition, read about it here and here. But it would be possible to skip that step. I have also included dairy options for those who prefer dairy, otherwise this recipe is dairy free.

1 3/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup of coconut milk tonic (for baked goods, I use the one just mixed with water)
2 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (or, use 1/2 cup of buttermilk, thinned yogurt, or kefir, in place of the vinegar and coconut milk tonic)
1/3 cup of coconut oil or melted butter
1/3 cup of honey or maple syrup

1 egg
3/4 cup of pumpkin puree or roasted squash
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping
3 tablespoons of arrowroot powder, white flour, or sprouted flour
3 tablespoons of maple sugar, rapadura, or sucanat
3 tablespoons of cold coconut oil
n1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of salt
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

1-The night before, in a saucepan, gently melt the coconut oil and the honey together until liquid.

2-In a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut milk, vinegar, and the honey/coconut oil in a bowl, stirring just until combined. Cover and leave out overnight.

3-12-24 hours later, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease with coconut oil 12 muffin tins.

4-In a small bowl combine the streusel ingredients, except for the chopped nuts, and cut in the coconut oil with a fork, until there are no big pieces left. Then stir in the chopped nuts.

5- In a small bowl combine the egg and pumpkin, and add it, with the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. If your house is cold, the coconut oil will have hardened, making the dough a bit stiff, but it will loosen up as you gently fold in the rest of the ingredients.

6-Using a spoon, or an ice cream scoop, evenly distribute the batter between the 12 tins. They should be about 2/3’s full. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of the streusel mixture over the top of each (you will have a bit extra leftover).

7-Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle. Let rest for ten minutes in tins, then remove from the pans (gentle! they are fragile when hot) and let cool on cooling racks.

Enjoy!

Meal Plan 9/27/09

Mon
Breakfast: Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Dinner: Feta Salmon
Tues
Breakfast: Blender waffles
Dinner: Chili (from freezer) (And yes, we have chili ALL THE TIME in the fall/winter :)
Wednesday
Breakfast: Cinn Apple Omelet
Dinner: Poppyseed chicken (hubby's request :)
Thursday
Breakfast: Quinoa with raisins and maple syrup
Dinner: Bierocks
Friday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon
Dinner: Clean out the fridge night!
Saturday
Breakfast: French Toast
Dinner: Broccoli Soup
Sunday
Breakfast: Granola and bananas and yogurt
Dinner: New Recipe: Muc-ver Fritters

Cliff Bars Review

Karis is a little obsessed with these :) She begged to eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and fussed when I hid them :) I didn't think they were that wonderful, but pretty good for a healthy snack. My husband said that they "weren't that bad," which was pretty impressive considering that he told me as I was making them that he probably wouldn't like them because he doesn't like normal cliff bars or pecans :) And, I definitely saw him sneaking back in the pantry for more later on :) So I think its a recipe worth keeping.

My review: Extremely easy to make, except that I have a small food processor and had to do it in two batches. Not a big problem, though. And my toddler had a BLAST pressing (punching, beating, etc) the batter into the pan :) At the rate my toddler eats them, though, I will definitely try to soak the oats first so that they are completely healthy. I'll let you know how I do it if it works :) And I thought a little sunflower butter and a few chocolate chips might make them a little more exciting, but we'll see what I have on hand when I try them next.

I also had a fabulous discovery: I normally do not like pecans, but I figured that if they were ground up in a recipe they'd be ok. So I decided to soak and dehydrate them to make them healthier (click HERE for a good explanation of why and how!) Guess what? It TOTALLY changed the texture and taste of the pecans and I LOVED them! I think it made them crispier, somewhat buttery (if that's possible :) and definitely a little sweeter. It was actually hard for me to put most of them in the recipe because I was enjoying them so much. Seriously folks, even if you don't care a lick about being healthy, you should soak your nuts just because it makes them taste so much better!

More natural remedies

A while back, my baby was sick with strep throat and an ear infection. I posted on our family blog some natural remedies that helped her get through her illness without taking antibiotics or tylenol. I thought I should link to it on my recipe blog because most of my other natural remedies are on this blog :) So HERE is the link to my post.

Home-made Cliff Bars

This is my new recipe to try. I'm always trying to find healthy snacks for my toddler and husband to take on the go and this one looks good. It's perfectly healthy except the oats aren't soaked for better absorbtion of nutrients, I'm going to (try) to follow the directions the first time and if we like them, then I will try to make them healthier the next time :) And I think they would be yummy with coconut flakes, chocolate chips, or our other favorite add- ins. I'll let you know what we think :)

I found this recipe at the Health, Home, and Happiness blog

Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 cups crispy pecans (I suppose regular pecans could work too)
1-1/2 cup dates packed, approx 15 large ones
1/4 cup coconut milk
4 tablespoons grade B maple syrup (I would think that honey would work as well)
1/2 tsp sea salt

Blend in food processor in order listed above. Press into a 8x8 or 9x9 pan, bake at 325 degrees 30 minutes. Allow to cool for a bit, then cut into bars. Allow to cool completely before packaging.

Special Bath to help with fevers

As much as I hate it when my girls get a fever, I know that it is important to let it run its course instead of using Tylenol. God made our bodies to get a fever because the high temperature kills the disease. If I use Tylenol, then I am hindering the process. So I generally try to just make my girls as comfortable as possible, give them tons of liquids (because dehydration can be a major problem) and let the fever run. (Read THIS book for a lot of good info on fevers.) However, if the fever gets really high and my baby is utterly miserable, I will sometimes give her this special bath to help her through it.

Ingredients:
1 cup dead sea salt
1 cup Epsom salts
1/4 cup baking soda
Euchalyptus essential oil
Lavendar essential oil
Pine essential oil

Directions: Make a hot bath (but not hot enough to burn the baby!) and add salts and baking soda. Once the the water is run, add essential oils. Stay in until comfortable, allowing the water to cool if the fever is rising.