Meg's Favorite Recipes

Frittata with apples, eggs, meat, and cheese

2012-01-24T13:19:00.003-05:00

I made this yummy frittata for breakfast this morning and Mark loved it! The apples go really well with the bacon and cheddar and give it a nice sweetness. I love a good breakfast I can throw in the pan and then let cook while I have my quiet time before the girls awake. I made the bacon in the oven the night before while cooking dinner so it was a snap to throw together in the morning. Many thanks to Simple Bites for a great recipe! You should check out the blog for great pictures and many more great recipes and tips for healthy cooking!

Ingredients:

2 egg whites (I skipped this part because I don't like to waste my yolks!)
8 whole eggs
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Salt, to taste
3 slices bacon
Ground Pepper, to taste
2 apples, Fuji or Gala
1 Tablespoon butter

In a medium cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Crack the eggs, one at a time, over a small bowl. Add half of the grated cheese to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, to your liking. Add egg mixture to the skillet. Sprinkle the bacon crumbles evenly over the eggs. Gently arrange the apples on top of the egg mixture, in a circular pattern. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Move the skillet from the stovetop to the upper rack of your oven. Bake until frittata is firm in the center and cheese is browned, about 20 minutes. Use a flexible spatula to loosen the frittata from the pan. Carefully slide it onto a cutting board. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing into wedges.Put the rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.

nutbutter cereal

2012-01-15T14:44:00.003-05:00

This recipe is very much like my other cereal recipe, but with a nutty flavor. Kind of like a grape nuts but sweeter with a sunflower butter kick. We liked it. It is a little more expensive than my other recipe because sunflower butter isn't cheap (we can't use peanut butter because Karis is highly allergic). But it was fun to change up our cereal a bit! Many thanks to Christian Mommy Blogger for such a great recipe! Check out her blog for some good pictures of the process. Note that this is soaked for better digestion and therefore you need to plan to start the day before.

5 cups flour (I a mixture of spelt and kamut, but I think any grain would work)
3 cups raw milk or yogurt (I used 2 3/4 cups water with 1/4 cup ACV)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup coconut oil (in its liquid form)
2 cups natural nutbutter (nothing in the ingredients but nuts!)
1 cup honey (I used maple syrup because we were low on honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon

First day: combine the flour and milk/yogurt in a mixer bowl. Mix together until well combined. Cover bowl with a plate. Leave on counter for 24 hours.

2nd day: THREE STEPS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix all of the ingredients into the mixer with the batter and blend until well combined. Pour batter into 2 greased 9×13 pyrex pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool until you can handle it.

2. Crumble it onto baking sheets (2 half sheet pans to be exact). You can make the pieces as big as you wish, but my family likes them smaller (like grapenuts).

3. Put in a 170 degree oven for 6-8 hours. Check every hour or as needed to remove dehydrated pieces on the top and shuffle around as necessary.

Serve with raisins, bananas, milk, etc.

Delicious, quick, and easy chicken lazone!

2012-01-04T14:39:00.003-05:00

I found this recipe on Pinterest and as soon as I saw the few but delicious ingredients (does anyone else LOVE butter and cream like I do?), I knew I wanted to try it. But I had no idea how easy it would be! This is totally going to be my go-to meal from now on when I have no idea what to fix. It uses ingredients that are always in my kitchen and takes no time at all. I quickly prepped the chicken during nap-time, stuck it in the fridge, and threw it in the pan 15 minutes before we ate. I cannot tell you how easy it was! And Mark loved it! He is always quite skeptical of my new creations, but he was so excited that he asked if he could finish off the pan. I actually completely followed the directions for once and we ate it over quinoa and it was great! Check out food.com for lots of pictures of this fabulous recipe.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Combine the seasonings and coat chicken breasts.
In large saute pan melt half of the butter and cook chicken over medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes, turning once.
Pour the cream into the skillet and lower the heat.
Simmer for several minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens then add the remaining butter.
When butter is melted place chicken breasts on four plates and top with the sauce.

New Favorite Breakfast Recipe: Farmer's Hash

2012-01-02T13:57:00.004-05:00

My husband was quite excited about the potatoes in this recipe. He said it was one of the most filling breakfasts I have made. I thought it was delicious, but the girls weren't quite sure about the eggs mixed with the potatoes. Nevertheless, it is a delicious healthy breakfast that I will definitely add to the rotation. It would actually be good for dinner as well. And if you don't like your eggs cooked with the potatoes then you can certainly cook them separately, as they are the last ingredient to add in the skillet. Many thanks to Plan to Eat Blog for such a healthy, yummy, easy recipe! You should check out the blog for pictures and lots of other great recipes! I changed just a few things -- I used coconut oil since I didn't have any lard and I used sausage instead of bacon. I'm pretty sure that you could add just about any vegetable or meat to this recipe, and I'm sure I will try out many different options. We added cheddar cheese on top and it was really good. I think diced tomatoes would be delicious, but I knew my girls would not like them. I used half potatoes and half turnips, and no one even noticed the turnips.

2 tablespoons lard, tallow, or coconut oil
3 medium – large potatoes cut into ¼ inch dice
½ large onion, diced
5 strips of bacon, diced or ¼ – ½ lb of breakfast sausage
10-12 good eggs
Garlic powder to taste
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Optional add-ins or subs: Cheese, Bell or hot peppers, Greens, Swap turnips for some of the potatoes, Tomatoes

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until good and hot. Add the lard and allow to melt. Add the potatoes, stir to coat in lard, and allow to cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally and seasoning with sea salt.
Add chopped onion, diced bacon, garlic powder and black pepper, and sauté another 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
Meanwhile, beat eggs. Once bacon is cooked and potatoes are tender pour eggs in, distributing evenly throughout the pan. Stir occasionally, as in scrambled eggs. Season if needed and serve once eggs are done to your liking. Now is a good time to add cheese if you desired.
Serve alongside hot coffee or tea in front of a wood stove and happily spend the morning without cries of hunger.

January meal plan

2011-12-27T10:47:00.001-05:00

As you might have noticed, I haven't had much time for this blog lately. Having a 3rd baby has kept me really busy, because she doesn't always nap when the other two do. And trying to get dinner on the table has been a little crazy! All the more reason to meal plan, though, and I am really hoping to be more organized this coming year. I'm going to plan out my breakfasts again because when I don't, I don't plan ahead and we end up having scrambled eggs and bacon every day. (Which we love, but only not every day!) I'm planning to consistently use nap time to get dinner made to avoid the 4:30 meltdowns. I'm not going to even try to do reviews on all the recipes I test because I just don't have the time -- you will only hear from me if the recipe is amazing and joining our monthly rotation.

(As usual, I just plan 5 meals for the week because we always have enough leftovers for the other two days)

Week 1 breakfasts:

Farmer's Breakfast Hash

Cinnamon Apple Omelet

Oatmeal Bake

Quinoa and raisin pancakes

Egg tortilla with chicken apple sausage

Week 1 Dinners:

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Quinoa Burger

Creamy Turkey Pot Pie

Chicken Lazone

Cheesy Potato Soup

Week 2 Breakfasts:

ABC Frittata

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes

Mexican Layer Casserole (with black beans added)

Egg, Cheese, and Bacon Muffins

Chocolate Breakfast cake

Week 2 Dinners:

Creamy Grilled Chicken Piccata

Chili

Feta Salmon

Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta

Smothered Club Sandwich

Week 3 Breakfasts:

Fried Apple Pancake Rings

Slow Cooker Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Cinnamon Apple Omelet

German Pancake

Scrambled eggs and bacon

Week 3 Dinners:

Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Broccoli, Beef, and Potato hotdish

Zucchini, Black Bean, and Rice Casserole

Red Meat Winter Stew

Family Pizza Night

Week 4 Breakfasts:

Berry Pancake Souffle

Hearty Breakfast Casserole

Cinnamon Apple Omelet

Oatmeal Bake

Oatmeal Cranberry muffins

Week 4 Dinners:

Man-Pleasin' Corn and Chicken Chowder

Rice, Bean, and Veggie Casserole

Hamburger Buddy

Honey-Lime Enchiladas

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Barbecue chicken soup -- a winner!

2011-11-15T19:54:00.005-05:00

I love soups in the winter! My husband is ok with them, but is not totally excited about them. When I told him that I had made barbecue chicken soup for dinner, he told me right away that it did not sound the least bit appealing to him. And yes, he is always completely honest about my cooking and I don't take it personally; I like to try new recipes and half the time they are just not as good as they sound. But this time, he thought it tasted a lot better than it sounded! Yay! I substituted chicken I got at my Farmer's Market for the canned stuff because chicken in a can just sounds gross to me! I also thought sharp cheddar cheese made it even better. And be sure to read the label when buying barbecue sauce or you will be drowning in HFCS. Many thanks to Pinterest and Picky Palate for such a great recipe!

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic

11 oz can corn with peppers, drained (I use frozen organic corn to stay away from BPA and GMO's)

2 12 oz cans Swanson’s Chicken, drained (I used cooked and shredded chicken from our local farmer's market)

1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth

1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I used unrefined sea salt)

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt (I used a natural msg-free garlic salt I got from WFN)

1/2 Cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

(I added cheddar cheese on top!)

1. Heat oil into a medium pot over medium heat. When hot, saute onions for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic, corn and chicken breast; mix to combine. Pour in chicken broth, BBQ sauce, salt, pepper, garlic salt and cilantro leaves. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until ready to serve. Garnish each bowl with a fresh sprig of cilantro. (I added cheddar cheese as well!)

Better than Campbells Creamy Tomato Soup!

2011-11-05T20:12:00.003-04:00

Tomato Soup (especially with a yummy grilled cheese) is the ultimate comfort food for me. I've tried many a recipe and love them all, but my girls don't like any basil or garlic or anything that looks funny in their soup... I've never found one to please them. I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought it might work because it was creamy and smooth -- no crazy textures to bother them. I was so excited to find that it is very similar (but even better!) to my favorite tomato soup of my youth! (Even though I don't touch canned soups now, very few meals make me as nostalgic as tomato soup and grilled cheese -- we used to eat it almost every Sunday!) I used fresh, whole milk from my farmer and a jar of strained tomatoes from Tropical Traditions. Super creamy and delicious!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups tomato or v-8 juice (I used strained tomatoes)

3 cups milk

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. sugar (I used sucanat)

Toppings if choice (croutons, basil, parmesan, feta, blue cheese, pasta, french bread, etc)

Directions: Melt butter, stir in flour. Blend well; make sure there are no lumps. Add tomato juice and stir until thickened. Add baking soda; blend well. Add milk, sugar, and salt. Serve while hot!

New Favorite Recipe: Honey Lime Enchiladas

2011-10-25T21:45:00.002-04:00

I've been meaning to try out this recipe for quite a while now and I'm ever so glad that I did! The flavors are just delicious! I have to admit that I made a few changes (of course!) It was actually the grocery store's fault -- they were out of green enchilada sauce so I just decided to go with mango salsa instead. And it was a great substitution! Mark thought it was delicious! Many thanks to The Girl Who Ate Everything for the recipe!

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas, (I use the soft taco tortillas because they fit perfectly in the pan)

1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded

2 cups green enchilada sauce or mango salsa

1/2 cup heavy cream

toppings of choice (sour cream, cilantro, avocado, rice and beans, quinoa, etc)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

Butter pan. Pour enough enchilada sauce or salsa on the bottom of each baking pan to create a thin layer on the bottom. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and a generous amount of shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover chicken marinade (you might not need to use all of the enchilada sauce depending on how saucy you like yours). Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and top with reserved cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. Can be served with whatever toppings you like (sour cream, rice and beans, avocado, ect)

Twice Baked Butternut Squash

2011-10-02T19:30:00.003-04:00

My baby and I are the only ones in my family who love butternut squash. I found THIS recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it out and see if the rest of the family would eat it. But I didn't have sour cream and I wanted my butternut squash to have pumpkin pie spice rather than chives and paprika. So I switched out the ingredients and we thought it was delicious! The measurements depend on how much squash you use -- the original recipe calls for 6 squash and I only made 1/2 a squash for us (the other half of it was just cooked with sea salt and butter for the baby :). So I didn't measure a thing and am just guessing... I just wanted to blog it so I wouldn't forget the idea.

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash (1/2 small squash)

butter (2 Tbs)

sea salt (to taste)

cream cheese (3 Tbs)

pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Panko bread crumbs (for topping)

Directions

Heat oven (I used toaster oven since it was a small squash) to 450 degrees with the rack in center. Halve squash lengthwise, and remove seeds and fibers. Sprinkle squash halves with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fill a pan with 1/4 inch water. Place squash in pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake until squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer squash to a cool surface, and let cool enough to handle. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees.
Use a spoon to scoop baked flesh out of each half into a large bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch border around six of the halves so they will keep their shape. To the bowl, add cream cheese, butter, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Season with salt. Fill squash halves with mixture. Sprinkle tops with panko. Bake until golden brown and warm throughout, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve.

October Meal Plan

2011-09-28T21:34:00.005-04:00

September was super busy and totally got away from me and I didn't even make a single meal plan! Ack! I was definitely scrounging for meals, not trying out new recipes, and thankful for what I had in the freezer. So I was determined to get October's meal plan done before the month actually began. And I have to say that I am super excited about adding in all my favorite soups and fall recipes!!!! (And many thanks to Pinterest for filling my head with a ridiculous number of new recipes I want to try!)

Week 1:

Stir-fry

Cheesy Chicken Tenders

Feta Salmon

Lime and Honey Chicken Tacos (new recipe!)

Cheesy Potato Soup

Week 2:

Meatball subs

Crockpot orange oriental chicken (new recipe!)

Chili

Tomato Basil soup and the Best Grilled Cheese Ever

Beef stew

Week 3:

Hamburgers

Tangy Pineapple Dump Chicken (new recipe I made up)

Broccoli Chowder

Meatza

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Blue (new recipe!)

Week 4:

Hotdogs

Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken (new recipe!)

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Pizza

Cheesy Potato Soup (yes, it is on the meal plan twice because it is just that good!)

Week 5:

BarBQ pizza Chicken Soup (new recipe!)

Shepherds Pie

Chicken Taquitas

at a wedding all weekend; won't have to cook for 2 days!

chicken grilling packets with lime and cilantro marinade

2011-09-10T14:22:00.000-04:00

My friend Lauren sent me this awesome recipe containing my favorite lime and cilantro! Everyone at my house thought it was great!

rice or quinoa

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2.5 Tbsp fresh lime juice (I juiced a lime and then added a bunch of zest as well)
1.5 Tbsp olive oil

a tsp of chil powder

tsp of cumin in the marinade1/4 tsp salt
Toppings of choice: black beans, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, avocado, etc
Pound out chicken to tenderize. Slice or cube chicken. Make marinade in ziploc and add chicken. Marinate from 30 min to a few hours...I did like 4 hrs. Empty bag onto foil, wrap it up and throw it on the grill!!

We ate it over soaked brown rice with black beans, salsa, lettuce, s.cream and cheese! YUM! If you want extra limey taste squeeze another lime on top of the chicken before serving.

Our Favorite Breakfasts!

2011-09-05T14:12:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned before that our family does not eat store-bought cereal at all. The simplified explanation is that store-bought cereals are processed at such a high heat that it destroys all the nutrients. Sure, they are "fortified" with "vitamins" but they are artificial ones and not easily utilized by our bodies. So we might as well be eating cardboard. (I must admit that I was a cereal-a-holic for the first 25 years of my life and would happily eat cereal for any given meal, so refusing to buy them is quite a step for me!) Anyways, I thought I'd give you a list of what we eat for breakfast instead.

But one quick note first: EGGS!!! I've written before about how much I love eggs and how I hate that they have gotten such a bad rap, so I won't go there today. I just wanted to say that my girls LOVE eggs and it is the one meal of the day that I can be sure they will get lots of protein and healthy fat (plus, I usually smother them with butter from grass-fed cows! :) They may be feeling too picky to eat the meat I fix for dinner, but that is ok because I know they have eaten eggs for breakfast :) Our family eats about 6 eggs a day (2 each for Mark an I, and one each for the girls) so we easily eat 3 dozen eggs a week!

And now, our favorite breakfasts:

1. Apple-Cinnamon Omelet -- this is our family's absolute favorite breakfast!! Every single person in my house loves it and never refuses it. It sounds like a funny combination, but you have to try it :)

2. Scrambled eggs with "chicken-apple-sausage or turkey bacon from Trader Joes -- if you have a Trader Joe's in your area then you have to try this chicken apple sausage! It is not the least bit spicy, ever so sweet, and so much better for you than normal sausage. My super-picky toddler begs for more of it and my baby eats it, too. And I can't describe to you how much my husband loves it!

3. Cinnamon Raison Quinoa Pancakes -- lots of protein and delicious! You have to play with the recipe to get the texture you desire.

4. Egg and bacon/sausage muffins -- I've found that these warm up nicely in the toaster oven, so it is my go-to grain free healthy breakfast to make ahead of time.

5. Homemade granola -- my girls would eat this for every meal of the day if I let them!

6. Farmer's Hash -- lots of filling and healthy potatoes, eggs, meat, and veggies!

7. Bacon Apple Cheese Frittata -- easy, sweet and savory

All of our other "mostly-healthy" breakfasts in no particular order:
Oatmeal bake
Fried Apples on toast or with eggs
Pumpkin Muffins
Blueberry Pancakes: Coconut Flour or Whole Grain
Crustlass Quiche
Chocolate Breakfast Cake
Dutch Pancake
Oatmeal Cranberry Muffins
Healthy Breakfast "cake"
Home-made Granola
Home-made Cereal (kinda like Grape nuts, only sweeter :)
French Toast Bites (made from pieces of my bread)
Breakfast Cookies
Strawberry or Peach Bread
Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkin waffles

Our more unhealthy Breakfasts that we have every now and then :)
Nina's yummy pumpkin muffins
Baked Oatmeal
Smoky Bacon Wraps
Toffee-Apple French Toast Bake
Awesome Zuchinni Bread
Harvest Loaf Cake
Sausage Hashbrown Casserole
The Most Delicious French Toast Casserole Ever!
Overnight Egg and Sausage Casserole
Hashbrown Casserole

This post is a part of "KK's show us your life breakfast recipes!"

Healthy Fudgesicles!

2011-08-15T14:37:00.002-04:00

I just made these as a special snack for my girls' first day of pre-school (at home :) and oh, they are so good! My husband did mention that they taste more like dark chocolate than sweet chocolate but I didn't really notice it myself. My 4-year old thought they were the best treat ever and she normally wouldn't even touch an avocado! I actually used 1 1/2 avocados because I had some leftover in the fridge I wanted to use up. And I smashed it instead of quartering it to make certain it would blend well. I think I will actually use 2 next time to add in some more healthy fat to slow the sugar rush a bit. But I'm not too worried about it since it only uses honey for sweetener! Many thanks to Recipes to Nourish for posting such a great treat for my girls!

1 ripe avocado, remove pit, quarter

4 tablespoons raw organic cacao powder

2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract

¼ cup raw honey (I use local raw clover creamed honey)

3 cups raw whole milk (See Resources)

1. Combine all ingredients in blender.

2. Blend on a lower setting until smooth and combined. No avocado pieces

should remain. Strain through fine mesh strainer if needed.

3. Pour mixture into popsicle molds.

4. Place in freezer for at least 6 hours.

5. When frozen, run under hot water to release the mold.

Yield: Makes about 4 cups mixture, finished popsicle yield varies.

August meal plan!

2011-08-13T14:24:00.000-04:00

Yes, I do know it is already the middle of August, but better late than never!

Week 1:

Zucchini Cheeseburger boats

Grass fed beef hotdogs

Feta Salmon

Sloppy Joes

Pepperoni Calzone (using my home-made bread)

Week 2:

Chicken Divane (with home-made cream of cheese soup)

Egg Muffins with Sausage

Tacos with black bean and veggie salsa!

Smothered Cheesy Roasted Club Sandwich (on my home-made bead)

Out to eat for a friend's birthday

Week 3:

Burgers

Lauren's cilantro and lime chicken (new recipe!)

Manicotti

Turkey and Cheese roll-ups (using my bread dough)

Japanese with my parents :)

Week 4:

Grilled Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Coconut Chicken (new recipe!)

Beef enchiladas (new recipe!)

Pizza

Fried Tacos

Week 5:

Meatball subs

Chicken Taquitos

Meatza (new recipe!)

Feta Salmon

Out of town for the holiday!

Healthy and Frugal Dinner: Black Bean Salsa

2011-08-13T14:13:00.004-04:00

We had a taco bar at my house last night and some friends brought this amazing black bean salsa to share. It was fabulous on our tacos, but would be great on its own as well. I absolutely love the fresh flavors of lime and cilantro that permeate this dish! The recipe comes from Passionate Homemaking (Lindsey has yet to post a recipe that I did not like! You should really subscribe to her blog!) Enjoy!

1 cup cooked black beans (or 1 can, drained)

1 fresh tomato, diced
1 cup fresh corn
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup or more chopped cilantro
2 Tbls. lime juice (or lemon!)
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, to taste
4 tortillas (If using homemade, make sure they are thin enough to roll up!)
Salsa, sour cream and guacamole, if desired

Stir fry the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the beans and remaining ingredients. Heat through before laying on tortillas with other toppings, as desired.

Homemade "Cream of... Soup"

2011-08-08T21:42:00.002-04:00

For so long I have rejected all my favorite casseroles because I didn't want to buy canned soups. I wish I had just tried making my own a long time ago! This recipe is extremely easy and flavorful. I usually cook two chickens and make tons of stock from them every month so I always have plenty of chicken broth on hand to make this. Creamed soup will undoubtedly become part of my monthly cooking to make throwing together casseroles a cinch! Many thanks to Katie@ Kitchen Stewardship for posting such a great recipe. You should really check out her post because she gives some tips and great recipes! I added a bunch of minced onions, garlic salt, and cheese to make a very flavorful cream of cheddar soup. It worked well in replacing the yummy sauce in our favorite Chicken Divane Casserole.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
3/4 c. whole wheat flour (can add more if you like a really thick base)
4 cups milk
2 cups homemade chicken stock (preferably condensed for added flavor)
Optional: Chopped onions

Method:

Melt butter over low heat. If using onions for extra flavor, saute in butter until limp. Add flour and whisk together until smooth. Cook 1 minute. Do not let it brown! Gradually add milk and chicken stock, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when sauce has thickened. This may take up to 15-20 minutes.

Options:

Cream of celery: Sautee a stalk or two of chopped celery with the butter before adding flour.
Cream of mushroom: Sautee chopped fresh mushrooms in butter.
Cream of broccoli: Add chopped steamed broccoli to the soup after it thickens.
Cheesy sauce: Add shredded cheese (sharp cheddar gives the most flavor) after removing from heat. Stir to melt.
If you want to make a big batch of soup and have different flavors, you can always saute mushrooms or celery separately and simply add to the finished soup, one can-equivalent at a time.

Recipe Review: Cheeseburger zucchini Boats

2011-08-02T14:23:00.003-04:00

I tried this recipe because it seemed simple and I thought the "boat" idea would be fun for my girls. And I was right! It is definitely not a "wow, this is amazing!" kind of recipe, but it is an easy, healthy, grain-free, "real food" recipe that we enjoyed so I will definitely make it again. My 4-year old does not usually like ground beef or zucchini: she prefers whole pieces of meat that she can dip in ketchup and yellow squash instead of zucchini. But I let her scoop out the insides of the zucchini, put a little ketchup on the meat, and sprinkle her own cheese, and she actually asked for seconds! (By the way, I have found that letting kids do the cooking a sure-fire way to overcome picky eating! Karis is always willing to try something that she has created!) Many thanks to Heavenly Homemakers for posting this recipe! And if you want pictures of the process, check out her post because I am not a food-picture blogger (I'm just lucky to get dinner done on time and not ending up on the floor with all my little "helpers." No time to take a picture of every step!)

Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats

3 small zucchini
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped tiny
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. chili powder
sea salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (I use raw white cheddar)

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and boil them for about 10 minutes. In the meantime brown hamburger meat, onion, garlic powder and chili powder. Salt to taste. Use a fork and spoon to scrape out the “zucchini guts” (sorry, I live with boys) and add it to cooked hamburger meat. Scoop equal amounts of hamburger mixture into each “boat”. Top with shredded cheese. Put in oven broiler for a couple of minutes until cheese is melted then serve right away.

Whole grain choc chip cookies (that are actually yummy!)

2011-07-30T14:14:00.003-04:00

I love chocolate chip cookies! I've tried several times to make a healthy chocolate chip cookie, but fail every time. I'm pretty sure these are as close as I'm going to get! They do contain a lot of sugar, but at least it is a natural one. And the grain is not soaked, but I am certain they would not be nearly as good soaked so I didn't even attempt it :) This cookie is the closest you will come to a healthy version of the recipe on the Nestle's Tollhouse bag! Many, many thanks to my friend Jessica for this recipe!

Ingredients
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 ½ c. sucanat or rapadura
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups sifted whole grain flour (I used a blend of Kamut, Spelt, and Oat Groats)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C). Generously grease cookie sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and eggs. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, gradually blend into the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Great article on feeding babies!

2011-07-21T14:12:00.003-04:00

I just had to share this article about feeding babies from Keeper of the Home. My philosophy exactly and I love how she explains it! But I also have to say that I know it doesn't work for everyone and I don't think any particular kind of method creates a less picky baby :) But I still really appreciate her article and love this method of feeding babies :)

Best Chicken Parmesan Ever!

2011-07-16T13:50:00.003-04:00

This is the 1st recipe I've seen that calls for dipping chicken in Italian dressing before breading, and it makes a huge flavor difference! My husband loved it! I don't use store- bought Italian dressing because of the soybean oil, so I just made my own by mixing my Italian dressing seasoning mix with olive oil and letting it sit for about an hour before making the recipe. Also, if you are like my husband and like your chicken very crunchy, just serve the sauce on the side instead of baking it on the chicken :)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing (or make your own!)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I used organic Panko because it didn't have msg)

1/2 tsp. Italian herbs

1 cup marinara sauce

4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Coat chicken in Italian dressing. (It is even better if you let it marinade a bit :) Blend remaining ingredients and coat chicken in mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or more. When barely done, spoon marinara sauce n a strip across centers of breasts. sprinkle mozzarella over sauce and return to oven until cheese is melted and sauce is heated through.

Recipe from Ironwood Camp Cookbook

kefir lemonade update -- My husband kicked the sodas!

2011-07-16T13:02:00.002-04:00

I just had to let you know that my husband has not had a soda in almost 4 weeks!! Once I started making the kefir lemonade, he started drinking that instead. We even went to his parents' house for a vacation and there were sodas galore, but he never took one! I am so proud of him! He said that the hardest thing was when they went to a pizza restaurant because he ALWAYS drinks Dr. Pepper with his pizza, but he didn't want to go back to being addicted to it. I am so incredibly proud of him! He doesn't really like water, so most of the time he drinks coconut water at work and kefir lemonade at home instead. Yay for Mark!!!! (Now, I just need to find a healthy replacement for his nightly chips... any suggestions? We made them ourselves with coconut oil for a while, but it was just too much trouble to keep up on a regular basis. I need something home-made that is salty, crunchy, and I can make ahead of time so he can grab it when he needs to munch.)

Recipe Review: Zucchini Chips

2011-07-11T14:29:00.002-04:00

If you join a CSA for the summer, you will undoubtedly get boatloads of zucchini and run out of ways to use it up. I usually shred and freeze a bunch for yummy zucchini bread, but I often run out of other ideas. I saw this recipe on 100 Days of Real Food blog (you should definitely check out the blog because it has great recipes and free meal plans for using only affordable real food!) a while back and kew I'd want to try it when I was swimming in zucchini. And it is definitely one I will make again! Mark enjoyed it as well, so I am excited about another yummy way to eat zucchini! We used coconut oil instead of olive oil because of its better smoke point.

Zucchini Chips

Ingredients

2 medium sized zucchinis
3 eggs
1 ½ cups whole-wheat breadcrumbs (I found 100% whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs with a short list of ingredients at Earth Fare or you could make them yourself)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Thinly slice zucchini into 1/8” round pieces.
Beat eggs in a shallow bowl.
Using a small food processor (or a mortar and pestle) process the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and a couple dashes of salt & pepper together until fine. Put the breadcrumb mixture in a shallow bowl.
Pour a thin layer of olive oil in the bottom of a medium to large sauté pan and turn the heat to medium. Let it heat up while you start preparing the zucchini.
Make an assembly line in the following order: raw zucchini slices, beaten egg, breadcrumb mixture, and empty plate.
With one hand (which will be your “wet” hand) coat a few of the zucchini slices with the egg and shake off the excess. Drop those pieces on top of the breadcrumb mixture and using your other “dry” hand coat them with breadcrumbs. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs and transfer the coated zucchini slices to the clean plate.
As soon as you have enough zucchini slices breaded to make a single layer across the bottom of the pan, slide them in the oil to start cooking.
Meanwhile, start coating the next batch of zucchini, but check the stove after 2 or 3 minutes to see if the bottom of the zucchini is turning golden brown. Once they are brown flip them over and add more olive oil if necessary to keep the bottom of the breaded zucchini “wet.” Once both sides are golden brown transfer them to a paper towel lined plate and keep warm.
Repeat process until all the zucchini are cooked. Arrange them on a serving platter, garnish with Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

Yield: 4 – 6 side servings

Great article!

2011-07-11T14:07:00.002-04:00

I just read a great article that fully explains why we don't eat boxed cereal! I hope you will read it.

Onion Soup Mix Recipe

2011-07-03T14:29:00.002-04:00

Some of my favorite recipes (like my Mom's unbeatable lasagna) contain onion soup mix. This is a major problem for me because I try to avoid MSG as much s possible. So I was very excited to find that Laura at Heavenly Homemakers had created her oven version! She always has great recipes with natural ingredients, so I knew it would be good. You should really check out some of her other recipes as well! This is one mix that I plan to always keep on hand!

Onion Soup Mix

2/3 cup dried, minced onion
3 teaspoons parsley flakes
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sucanat (or sugar if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a jar, then give the jar a good shake. I’d recommend shaking the jar to mix the ingredients well before each use.

Use 4 Tablespoons Onion Soup Mix in a recipe in place of 1 packet of onion soup mix. (I actually found that 2 Tablespoons was plenty in a beef stew recipe I tried.) Store this in a dry, cool place.

Cinn-Raisin Quinoa Pancakes

2011-07-01T13:36:00.003-04:00

Whenever we make quinoa for one of our favorite dishes, I usually make 2 cups of it so that we have leftovers for pancakes. The girls LOVE them and they are a good way to give them a protein-filled breakfast! I have to admit, though, that I never measure, so play with the recipe until you get it the way you like it. I just wanted to post it so you would have an idea of what I do. I use a bunch of eggs because they are so good for you, but if you want the pancakes to be more crispy and less eggy, don't use as many :)

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa

4 eggs

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. sea salt

pinch of sucanat or whatever sweetener you like (I don't use much since we are putting syrup on them to eat them)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

handful of raisins

dash of coconut oil (or whatever oil you prefer) for frying

Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Heat coconut oil in skillet until hot. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil, turning pancake over when one side is brown. Serve with maple syrup.

This post is part of KK's SUYL breakfast recipes

July Meal Plan

2011-06-30T21:25:00.001-04:00

I've figured out I just need to plan 5 meals per week because we have plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week :)

Week 1:

Chicken Parmesan

Home-made Pizza

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Lasagna

Tuna steak (recipe to come)

New Recipes to try: Zucchini Chips and Soaked Peanut butter Oatmeal Cake

Need to Make: Granola and Tortillas

Week 2:

Chicken Taquitos

Farmer's Market Sausage Skillet

Grass-fed Beef Hotdogs

Chicken-broccoli creamy Ranch stir-fry (Just something I throw together :)

New Recipes to try: Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats and Avocado Fries

Need to Make: Blueberry Pancakes

Week 3:

Lime Chicken Tacos

barBQ meatloaf muffins (an experiment :)

Feta Salmon

Quinoa and Bean salad (another "I don't do it the same way twice" kind of recipe :)

New recipes to try: Spelt and Yogurt Crackers and Veggie-Filled Shepherd's Pie

Week 4:

Fried Tacos

Home-made Pizza

Sweet N sour Chicken over quinoa

Feta Sausage Pasta

Grassfed beef hotdogs

New Recipes to try: Hashbrowns to freeze for quick, filling breakfasts and Pretzels!

A Fabulous Free E-Book on How to Use Herbs!

2011-06-22T21:42:00.004-04:00

My husband has been drinking water kefir lemonade faster than my grains can make it, so I had to order more. I stumbled across this local company that sells organic herbs, teas, culture starters, etc, at great prices. When I placed my order and signed up for their newsletter, I received a FABULOUS free e-book on how to use herbs. I highly recommend it. It gives great instructions on how to easily make herbal teas, tinctures, infusions, syrups, compresses, etc. If you have any interest in using herbs for healthy living, you should really check it out: Savvy Teas and Herbs.

(and in case you were wondering, I'm not getting any compensation for this recommendation. I just thought they had great prices and a great e-book and hope that it might be a helpful resource for you :)

Foodie/ Nutrition Link Love

2011-06-15T21:34:00.003-04:00

The Facts about Pertussis -- good info!

Good foods for Depression

Interesting uses/ healing properties of licorice root

Empowering Mothers with Homeopathy and Nutrition

51 Natural Ways to Protect Your Family From Cancer

Agave Nectar: Good or Bad?

5 simple, natural recipes for pancake syrup

Herbal Cold and Flu Remedies

The Thoughtful Parent's Guide to Thinking Through Vaccines

Kombucha FAQ

Does Topical Flouride Really Protect Tooth Enamel?

17 Must-See Food Documentaries

Non-Toxic Cleaners You Can Make at Home

Nutrient Dense Foods I Don't Buy Local

A new favorite drink: Water Keifer Lemonade!

2011-06-14T21:51:00.004-04:00

I have a new obsession. I hate soft drinks; I always have. Nothing to do with their immense health problems, but I just don't like the taste. I kind of like sweet tea, but I usually avoid it because it isn't my favorite thing in the world and I'd rather save my sugar for desserts :) But I LOVE lemonade! I still don't drink it that often, though, because the high sugar content often makes me feel icky afterwards. Enter: Water Kefir Lemonade!

I've been meaning to try this for quite a while to help my husband kick the soft drink habit. He just doesn't like water that much, and although I give him coconut water as often as possible, it gets expensive. He was very skeptical, but actually really liked it! And I thought it was awesome; lemonade without the sugary aftertastes and headache!

The best part: it is really good for you, chock full of probiotics! The kefir grains eat the sugar and produce probiotics. And very easy. You can make it any flavor you like (depending on what juice you put in it), with as much carbonation as you like (depending on how long you let it set).

So simple. I just fill a 2 quart jar with warm filtered water and 1/2 cup of sugar. I wait until the sugar has dissolved and the water is back to room temperature and then I add my kefir grains and cover the jar. I let it sit for about 3 days, then strain out the juice and add an ice cube of lime or lemon juice. Yummy! If you want more fizz, cover it and let it set on your counter a couple more days.

The grains are a little pricey to start off with, but you can use them indefinitely for a very inexpensive drink!

Healthy Chocolate Candy

2011-06-09T21:54:00.004-04:00

Ok, I thought I had posted this a long time ago, but I was searching for the link to give to a friend and couldn't find it. And I figured that if I couldn't find it on my own blog, then you surely wouldn't be able to so I simply must post it again. Because it is that good! (And good for you!)

I have been making this candy about every few weeks in large batches and freezing the extras. (Because I never know when I am going to get a chocolate craving!) It is also a favorite treat for the girls to choose after they take their cod liver oil. (They usually choose from this candy, a carob raisin, or a bit of raw honey). Please note that it should be kept in the fridge or freezer because it will get soft and mushy if it stays at room temperature!

You will probably think I am crazy, but I have found this candy to be the perfect way to give my girls superfoods like kelp and liver. I buy it in powder form and sprinkle some in the mixture. I promise you, you don't taste it at all!

I add in all sorts of things to my candy, depending on my mood. If I have good quality butter from grass-fed cows, I will add some of that to the mixture. I also LOVE sunflower butter mixed with it and usually add in raisins, silvered almonds, and/or dehydrated coconut as well.

Here is the original recipe (found at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, a fabulous blog that you really ought to check out!):

1/2 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. real maple syrup (use less to make them healthier)
1/2 c. organic cocoa powder
1 t. organic vanilla
1/2 t. sea salt

Melt together gently in a saucepan over low heat (so you don't lose the great antibacterial properties of the coconut oil!) until it’s all mixed together. You then have several options: You can drop it by dollops onto wax paper, you can drop it into candy molds or ice cube trays, or you can spread it out on wax paper covering a cookie sheet and break it into "candy bark" after it as solidified. I have tried all the options and found the latter to be the easiest by far! Stick it in the fridge or freezer for a while till hardened and then enjoy!

Egg and bacon muffins -- a new favorite breakfast!

2011-06-09T21:04:00.005-04:00

I found this recipe in my most recent Weston A Price journal. I knew my girls would like it because they love anything you can call a "muffin," but I was very surprised at how much my husband liked them! I used a very flavorful smoked turkey bacon from Trader Joes and a bunch of garlic powder and he loved the strong flavor. I love the fact that these muffins warm up wonderfully in our toaster oven so I can make a bunch ahead of time for a super healthy quick breakfast or protein-filled snack. And don't worry if you despise cottage cheese (like my husband) because once the muffin is cooked you cannot even tell that it is there!

Ingredients:

1 pound breakfast meat (I actually only used 4 large slices of bacon, 1/3 slice for each muffin)

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup chopped veggies (they recommend onion, garlic, peppers, carrots, green onions, etc, but I skipped all those for the first try to make sure my family did not reject them simply because of the add-ins :)

12 pastured eggs, beaten

1 cup cheese, shredded or crumbled (I used a little of parmesan and cheddar)

herbs and spices of choice (sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, etc)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Grease 12 muffin cups. Cook meat. Use leftover grease or favorite healthy fat (coconut oil, tallow, butter, ghee, or lard) to saute chopped veggies. In a large bowl, beat eggs then add everything else. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture into each muffin cup, sprinkle with cheese, and cook between 15 to 20 minutes, until egg has set.

Two Week Meal Plan 6/1/11

2011-06-06T13:23:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited that it is summer and all the fresh vegetables are finally here! I will hopefully be having a lot of fresh vegetable medleys and grilling in my meal plans this summer :) I bought Mark a pack of good quality steaks, burgers, and hotdogs from US Wellness meats for his birthday so our freezer is set for grilling season! You have truly never eaten a good hotdog until you eat one from USWM -- I was always opposed to hotdogs until I ate these. (Mark always prefers the standard meat and potato dinner over just about anything, but good steaks don't fit in our budget that often. So that is what he wanted for his birthday :)

I've found that I really only need to plan 5 meals per week because we usually have at least 2 nights worth of leftovers :)

Meals for week 1:

Grilled steaks and veggies

Farmer's Market sausage skillet

Baked Chicken, Artichokes, and Sundried Tomatoes casserole (new recipe!)

Bierocks

Breakfast for dinner! (French Toast Casserole and Egg and Bacon Casserole)

Meals for week 2:

Grilled hotdogs and veggies

Chicken Taquitos

Sausage Zucchini Bake

Homemade Pizza

Grilled Feta Salmon

Quick Farmer's Market sausage skillet

2011-06-04T20:19:00.005-04:00

We went to the Farmer's Market today so tonight I threw together this dish using only what we bought :)

Ingredients:

1 pound Sweet-Italian style sausage, casings removed

about 6 little potatoes, sliced thinly (I used 3 purple ones and 3 red ones)

3 zucchini, chopped (I used 1 green and 2 yellow)

1 small sweet onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, chopped (we love our garlic but you might want to do less if you don't :)

Directions: Saute everything in the oil of your choice (I used coconut oil) on medium-low heat. I chopped the potatoes first because they take the longest to cook and threw the zucchini in the pan at the last minute because I didn't want it soggy. Sprinkle on whatever seasonings you like (I used a little sea salt and oregano). Top with a little of the cheese of your choice (I used Parmesan). I think diced tomatoes would also be delicious in this dish.

Great Article on Traditional Remedies for Illnesses!

2011-06-04T20:13:00.003-04:00

I just read a fabulous article: Traditional Remedies for Childhood Illnesses. It had lots of great info, so I just had to pass it on!

New Favorite Recipe: Sausage Pasta Presto

2011-05-01T20:27:00.004-04:00

I've had this recipe in my "recipes to try" file for a while now, and I am so glad I finally tried it! It is now one of my favorite "go-to" recipes! It is simple to put together, can feed a lot of people because of the noodles, and very tasty. I'm going to have to start keeping my freezer stocked with cooked sausage so I can throw it together even faster whenever I am pinched on time. I added some sweet onions and cooked them with the red peppers because we love them. I also was out of feta cheese, so I just sprinkled on some parmesan cheese instead. And we don't like black olives, so we just skipped them. And Mark loved it! But I'm sure the feta is absolutely delicious as well. Thanks to Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking for another great recipe!

1 package (16 ounces) brown rice penne pasta (preferred due to the low amount of phytates over other whole grain pastas, unless sprouted)
2 teaspoon olive or coconut oil (coconut is best over high heat)
4-5 cups (1/4 inch thick) sliced red bell pepper (approx. 4 large bell peppers), each cut in half crosswise (I have also used various colored bell peppers in combination together with great results!)
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
16 ounces Italian sausage (I love this with chicken Italian sausage from our local Trader Joe’s – delicious! I usually get by just fine with 1/2 pound)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (about 1, 5-6 oz small container) crumbled feta cheese
1 (15 oz can) black olives, sliced (or kalamata, if desired)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Undercooking is best, as it will continue cooking when you add to the other ingredients.

Saute the bell peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt for 2 minutes in olive or coconut oil. Remove casings, if necessary, from the sausage. Add sausage, oregano, and garlic to pan; cook for 4 minutes until sausage is done; stirring to crumble. Add pasta, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cheese, olives, and black pepper; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Recipe Review: Coconut Rice and Beans and More

2011-04-30T20:51:00.000-04:00

I was excited to try out this recipe because of my (well-known) love for cilantro, lime, and coconut milk. I wasn't disappointed! We loved the flavors! I did change a few things, of course. I used quinoa instead of rice. And I soaked the quinoa the night before for added nutrition. That meant that I skipped the water when I made the quinoa the next day so my quinoa was extra potent. Mark isn't a big bean lover, but he raved about the quinoa. And don't skip the mango topping; it really makes the dish! We LOVE mango but both agreed that it is a pain to cut up.If you have any tips, let me know. I think next time I might add some cooked chicken to the dish, because Mark always likes a dinner more with a little meat :) Thanks to Under the High Chair for a fun recipe!

Coconut Rice & Beans
adapted from this recipe, originally found in Southern Living.

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/4 cups uncooked basmati rice
1 small onion, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black eyed beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 red pepper, chopped (optional)
1 lime
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings: lime wedges, diced mango, sour cream, cilantro, green onion.

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted. Cool.
2. Bring broth, coconut milk, salt & pepper, 2 Tbsp. butter, and 1 cup water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Stir in rice. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed.

3. Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in beans, chili powder, cumin, and 3/4 cup water. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
4. Grate zest from lime, avoiding pale bitter pith, into a bowl; squeeze juice from lime into bowl.
5. Fluff rice with a fork. Fold lime zest and juice, coconut, green onions, and cilantro into hot cooked rice. Serve bean mixture over rice with desired toppings.

Baby Steps to Eating Healthy

2011-04-29T20:49:00.001-04:00

I'm a health nut. A lot of people think I am crazy. But I have my reasons. I have so many friends and have read so many stories of people who have been relieved of big-time problems just by eating healthy. Problems like infertility, asthma, food allergies, autism, seasonal allergies, fibromyalgia, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and the list goes on and on. I just can't ignore it. What you eat affects how you live!

I wish I could, but I don't really have the time today to put together a post to convince you of the importance of good nutrition. I'm just hoping that you believe me. I mean, every mom wants her family to be healthier, right? But how to start? Who has the time to make everything from scratch? I try so hard, but I definitely don't.

When I began my real food journey after my first baby was born, I was totally overwhelmed with all the changes that I thought I "had" to make. I finally realized that I could only do one little change at a time. Once I got that one improvement down pat, I moved on to the next change I wanted to make. For instance, first I started making my own bread, then my own tortillas. The next year I started buying grain and ground it with with my cheap coffee bean grinder and the following year I finally bought a nice grain mill. So it took me about 3 years before I finally reached one of my initial goals. An easier and faster goal for me was to buy good quality milk from a local farmer because it didn't require as much time on my part. We just had to re-arrange our grocery budget so that we could afford it. That was a quick change that drastically improved my family's health. (Note: if you cut out processed foods from your grocery budget, you will find ample money left for better quality food!)

So just in case you are like I was, (wanting to change the way my family ate but not knowing where to start) I thought I'd give you some good links to help give you some direction. My biggest advice would be to start reading labels, and refuse to buy things that you cannot pronounce or items that contain high fructose corn syrup or soy. Avoiding those products will greatly improve your health. And then start on some of the worthy steps that these other bloggers mention. Good luck!

Nutritional Eating on a Budget -- Lindsay's "do-able" steps to real food

Simple Ways to Improve Your Digestion

Good Foundational Eating Habits -- Good advice from Kitchen Stewardship

Rookie Tips from Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Cheeseslave's 15 tips for Beginners

Nourished Kitchen Tips for Newbies

Baby Steps In the Kitchen

Making It Practical -- from WAPF

Delicious taquita soup

2011-04-07T20:42:00.003-04:00

I usually buy 2 chickens at the Farmer's market at the beginning of each month, cook them both, make a big pot of chicken stock, and make a bunch of recipes from the meat. This month I mixed up a lot of our favorite Chicken Taquitos filling and froze it in smaller portions so I could make Mark a yummy fried taco with it when I needed a meal in a hurry. I defrosted some the other day and the weather grew cold and I started wanting soup. So I just tossed it in a pot, covered it with chicken broth, and added some noodles. It was seriously one of the best-tasting soups ever! The cream cheese made it so creamy and the lime and cilantro just made my tastebuds so happy :) And the best part was, it only took a minute to throw together!

Recipe Review: Cilantro LIme Chicken

2011-04-07T20:34:00.002-04:00

I made this chicken recipe with much excitement because I absolutely LOVE lime and cilantro. However, I did not follow the recipe exactly... I didn't have a whole chicken, just chicken breasts, and I did not have enough time to let it marinade well. *Sigh* I know, I know; how can I test out recipes if I never follow them exactly?

Anyways, we thought the glaze was absolutely delicious, but it definitely needed to marinade for a while to permeate the chicken. My version just didn't do it justice.

Healthy Cooking oils

2011-04-05T20:50:00.002-04:00

Kristen asked a great question about what oils to use when cooking, so I thought I'd do a little research and answer in a post so everyone could read.

You all know of my love for coconut oil, that I love the taste and the fact that it is so good for me and that I use it for practically everything! But as much as I hate to admit it, there are definitely other fats that are actually better for frying things at higher temperatures. Although coconut oil is much better for you than any cooking oils you will find at the grocery store, it unfortunately does not have a high enough smoke point and breaks down at high temperatures.

So what to use? You might find it hard to believe, but tallow and lard are the absolute best for deep frying. And (even more hard to believe..) they are actually good for you! But you have to get good quality fat, from pastured animals that actually see the light of the sun. Then you will be eating tons of wonderful vitamin D and the healthy fat will help your body absorb the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs. Please don't buy lard from the grocery store that is partially hydrogenated and has chemicals added to it. Buy it online, find a local farmer who renders it naturally, or even do it yourself!

If you are still having trouble with believing that good quality fats are good for you, check out THIS post.

And my favorite website for nutrition has a great FAQ on fats and oils

And just for some added info, here is the lowdown on all kinds of fats (also from theWAPF website)

Duck and Goose Fat are semisolid at room temperature, containing about 35% saturated fat, 52% monounsaturated fat (including small amounts of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid) and about 13% polyunsaturated fat. The proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids depends on what the birds have eaten. Duck and goose fat are quite stable and are highly prized in Europe for frying potatoes.

Chicken Fat is about 31% saturated, 49% monounsaturated (including moderate amounts of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid) and 20% polyunsaturated, most of which is omega-6 linoleic acid, although the amount of omega-3 can be raised by feeding chickens flax or fish meal, or allowing them to range free and eat insects. Although widely used for frying in kosher kitchens, it is inferior to duck and goose fat, which were traditionally preferred to chicken fat in Jewish cooking.

Lard or pork fat is about 40% saturated, 48% monounsaturated (including small amounts of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid) and 12% polyunsaturated. Like the fat of birds, the amount of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids will vary in lard according to what has been fed to the pigs. In the tropics, lard may also be a source of lauric acid if the pigs have eaten coconuts. Like duck and goose fat, lard is stable and a preferred fat for frying. It was widely used in America at the turn of the century. It is a good source of vitamin D, especially in third-world countries where other animal foods are likely to be expensive. Some researchers believe that pork products should be avoided because they may contribute to cancer. Others suggest that only pork meat presents a problem and that pig fat in the form of lard is safe and healthy.

Beef and Mutton Tallows are 50-55% saturated, about 40% monounsaturated and contain small amounts of the polyunsaturates, usually less than 3%. Suet, which is the fat from the cavity of the animal, is 70-80% saturated. Suet and tallow are very stable fats and can be used for frying. Traditional cultures valued these fats for their health benefits. They are a good source of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid.

Olive Oil contains 75% oleic acid, the stable monounsaturated fat, along with 13% saturated fat, 10% omega-6 linoleic acid and 2% omega-3 linolenic acid. The high percentage of oleic acid makes olive oil ideal for salads and for cooking at moderate temperatures. Extra virgin olive oil is also rich in antioxidants. It should be cloudy, indicating that it has not been filtered, and have a golden yellow color, indicating that it is made from fully ripened olives. Olive oil has withstood the test of time; it is the safest vegetable oil you can use, but don't overdo. The longer chain fatty acids found in olive oil are more likely to contribute to the buildup of body fat than the short- and medium-chain fatty acids found in butter, coconut oil or palm kernel oil.

Peanut Oil contains 48% oleic acid, 18% saturated fat and 34% omega-6 linoleic acid. Like olive oil, peanut oil is relatively stable and, therefore, appropriate for stir-frys on occasion. But the high percentage of omega-6 presents a potential danger, so use of peanut oil should be strictly limited.

Sesame Oil contains 42% oleic acid, 15% saturated fat, and 43% omega-6 linoleic acid. Sesame oil is similar in composition to peanut oil. It can be used for frying because it contains unique antioxidants that are not destroyed by heat. However, the high percentage of omega-6 militates against exclusive use.

Safflower, Corn, Sunflower, Soybean and Cottonseed Oils all contain over 50% omega-6 and, except for soybean oil, only minimal amounts of omega-3. Safflower oil contains almost 80% omega-6. Researchers are just beginning to discover the dangers of excess omega-6 oils in the diet, whether rancid or not. Use of these oils should be strictly limited. They should never be consumed after they have been heated, as in cooking, frying or baking. High oleic safflower and sunflower oils, produced from hybrid plants, have a composition similar to olive oil, namely, high amounts of oleic acid and only small amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids and, thus, are more stable than traditional varieties. However, it is difficult to find truly cold-pressed versions of these oils.

Canola Oil contains 5% saturated fat, 57% oleic acid, 23% omega-6 and 10%-15% omega-3. The newest oil on the market, canola oil was developed from the rape seed, a member of the mustard family. Rape seed is unsuited to human consumption because it contains a very-long-chain fatty acid called erucic acid, which under some circumstances is associated with fibrotic heart lesions. Canola oil was bred to contain little if any erucic acid and has drawn the attention of nutritionists because of its high oleic acid content. But there are some indications that canola oil presents dangers of its own. It has a high sulphur content and goes rancid easily. Baked goods made with canola oil develop mold very quickly. During the deodorizing process, the omega-3 fatty acids of processed canola oil are transformed into trans fatty acids, similar to those in margarine and possibly more dangerous.⁶⁹ A recent study indicates that "heart healthy" canola oil actually creates a deficiency of vitamin E, a vitamin required for a healthy cardiovascular system.⁷⁰ Other studies indicate that even low-erucic-acid canola oil causes heart lesions, particularly when the diet is low in saturated fat.⁷¹

Flax Seed Oil contains 9% saturated fatty acids, 18% oleic acid, 16% omega-6 and 57% omega-3. With its extremely high omega-3 content, flax seed oil provides a remedy for the omega-6/omega-3 imbalance so prevalent in America today. Not surprisingly, Scandinavian folk lore values flax seed oil as a health food. New extraction and bottling methods have minimized rancidity problems. It should always be kept refrigerated, never heated, and consumed in small amounts in salad dressings and spreads.

Tropical Oils are more saturated than other vegetable oils.

Palm oil is about 50% saturated, with 41% oleic acid and about 9% linoleic acid.
Coconut oil is 92% saturated with over two-thirds of the saturated fat in the form of medium-chain fatty acids (often called medium-chain triglycerides). Of particular interest is lauric acid, found in large quantities in both coconut oil and in mother's milk. This fatty acid has strong antifungal and antimicrobial properties. Coconut oil protects tropical populations from bacteria and fungus so prevalent in their food supply; as third-world nations in tropical areas have switched to polyunsaturated vegetable oils, the incidence of intestinal disorders and immune deficiency diseases has increased dramatically. Because coconut oil contains lauric acid, it is often used in baby formulas.
Palm kernel oil, used primarily in candy coatings, also contains high levels of lauric acid. These oils are extremely stable and can be kept at room temperature for many months without becoming rancid. Highly saturated tropical oils do not contribute to heart disease but have nourished healthy populations for millennia.⁷²It is a shame we do not use these oils for cooking and baking—the bad rap they have received is the result of intense lobbying by the domestic vegetable oil industry.⁷³
Red palm oil has a strong taste that most will find disagreeable—although it is used extensively throughout Africa—but clarified palm oil, which is tasteless and white in color, was formerly used as shortening and in the production of commercial French fries, while coconut oil was used in cookies, crackers and pastries.

The saturated fat scare has forced manufacturers to abandon these safe and healthy oils in favor of hydrogenated soybean, corn, canola and cottonseed oils.

Summary

In summary, our choice of fats and oils is one of extreme importance. Most people, especially infants and growing children, benefit from more fat in the diet rather than less. But the fats we eat must be chosen with care. Avoid all processed foods containing newfangled hydrogenated fats and polyunsaturated oils. Instead, use traditional vegetable oils like extra virgin olive oil and small amounts of unrefined flax seed oil. Acquaint yourself with the merits of coconut oil for baking and with animal fats for occasional frying. Eat egg yolks and other animal fats with the proteins to which they are attached. And, finally, use as much good quality butter as you like, with the happy assurance that it is a wholesome—indeed, an essential—food for you and your whole family.

Organic butter, extra virgin olive oil, and expeller-expressed flax oil in opaque containers are available in health food stores and gourmet markets. Edible coconut oil can be found in Indian or Caribbean markets.

2-week meal plan

2011-03-29T14:38:00.003-04:00

Week 1:

Sun: Taco Soup

Mon: Zesty Cilantro Lime Roasted Chicken (new recipe!)

Tues: Pesto Tortellini with meat sauce

Wed: Dinner at a friend's house

Thursday: breakfast for dinner -- French Toast Casserole

Fri: Grilling out -- Chicken, burgers, etc with Mark's fav oven roasted potatoes

Sat: Pizza at a b-day party

Week2:

Sun: Sweet and Sour chicken tacos (from freezer)

Mon: Leftovers

Tues: Slow Cooker Veggie Lasagna (New Recipe!) ( I might add some meat to make my husband happy :)

Wed: leftovers

Thurs: Coconut Rice and Beans and more (new recipe!)

Fri: leftovers

Sat: Grilled Italian Chicken with Cream sauce (I'll use my own seasoning mixture to make the marinade)

Food I've enjoyed lately...

2011-03-27T22:01:00.004-04:00

This is a random post... I just thought I'd share some snacks/easy meals we've enjoyed recently. I am normally a health freak, but having a newborn has definitely made me just grab what is easy :)

1. Yogurt with frozen blueberries -- we usually just eat plain, unsweetened, whole milk yogurt, but one day Karis asked for frozen blueberries and Karlie decided to put them in her yogurt. It has made for a fun, healthy treat that they now ask for often.

2. Tortilla pizzas -- When I make tortillas, I triple the recipe so I have enough for a month or two. So we always have tortillas on hand. I love my pizza dough recipe, but it takes time to roll it out and cook it. Tortilla pizzas take just a minute to fix and only a few minutes to get crispy in my toaster oven. They have saved the day several times when my "scheduled" dinner just did not get made :)

3. Grass-fed beef hotdogs -- I never thought the day would come that I would think a hotdog was healthy and honestly, my girls had never had a hot dog till a couple of months ago! But grass-fed beef hot-dogs are actually really good for you and my girls love them. And they only take a few minutes to heat in a pan or my toaster oven.

4. "Like-Lara bars" -- since I am nursing I am hungry All. The. Time! I love Lara bars because they are natural and contain such few ingredients. But they are expensive. So I've been making my own version, just throwing whatever ingredients I have on hand in the food processor and mashing it in a dish and sticking in the fridge to munch on all day long: some almonds, granola, coconut, sunflower butter, chocolate chips, cinnamon, vanilla, dates, pecans, coconut oil, etc. It never turns out the same because I never measure and don't use the same ingredients. But it is always yummy! The only two necessary ingredients are dates and nuts. The rest are just to make it extra good!

5. Frozen bananas with peanut butter. This is one of my favorite night-time snacks. Frozen bananas taste remarkably like ice cream! I usually add some plain yogurt for a creamy kick as well. Sometimes I will add in some granola and/or coconut flakes to give it a crunch. Or some nutella or chocolate chips to satisfy a chocolate craving!

6. Grilled Salmon with Tomato-Basil Feta butter sauce. We LOVE my cousin's awesome feta salmon recipe, but we enjoy salmon even more when we grill it. Plus, it is an easy dinner that Mark enjoys fixing for us. He just grills the salmon and melts the butter and tomato-basil flavored feta together in an oven-safe bowl on top of the grill. Then we pour the yummy sauce over our salmon right before eating it. Easy and Delish!

New Recipe Review: Garlic Carrot Potatoes

2011-03-20T20:03:00.003-04:00

I was intrigued by this recipe because I thought the carrots would add a neat flavor to my mashed potatoes. And I was not disappointed! My family really enjoyed it. Mark said that he usually doesn't like me to mess with my normal mashed potato recipe, but that he thought they were very good. I added a little extra butter instead of milk and I sprinkled cheese on the top because it sounded good to me. And because there is just something in me that refuses to follow a recipe exactly :) Thanks to Mindy at The Purposed Heart for such a great recipe!

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds potatoes, peeled and diced (about 6 medium sized)

1 ½ pounds carrots, peeled and diced (about 9 medium sized)

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

4 tbsp butter (half of a stick)

1 tsp dried parsley

1 – 1 ½ tsp. sea salt, to taste (less if using refined salt)

¼ – ½ tsp freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 – 2 tbsp milk

Directions

Place potatoes, carrots, and garlic in a medium-sized saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook until vegetables are tender and can be easily mashed, about 20-25 minutes. Drain the water. To the pot of cooked vegetables add butter, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mash well with a potato masher. (You could also use a food mill if you would like them silky smooth. A potato masher will give you a chunkier texture, which is what we prefer.) Once the veggies are mashed, stir in the milk until they reach your desired consistency. Enjoy!

Recipe Review: Chicken Fried Steak

2011-03-20T19:54:00.002-04:00

I was excited to try out the chicken fried steak this week, because my husband usually likes fried things and my girls currently prefer pieces of meat rather than casseroles. (Honestly, their favorites are steak, salmon, chicken strips, and (grassfed) beef hotdogs!) This recipe was very simple and worked great. My 3 year old took one bite and said, "this is yummy, Mama!" Unfortunately, after a few bites, we all decided that we didn't like the cube steak that the recipe called for. I'm not sure if it was the one we got (although we thought we got good quality!) or what, but it had a lot of gristle. The girls were excited about it at first, but spit out a few bites because the gristle made it too chewy. So my recommendation would be to use the recipe, but use a different cut of meat! And please, let me know if you have had trouble with cube steak having a lot of gristle in it. That was the first time we had tried it and I'd hate to never buy it again just because we got a bad batch.

A good use for old muffins...

2011-03-15T13:20:00.003-04:00

With the birth of our baby, we were blessed to have a lot of food given to us. And since our parents came to help us out for a while, they made breakfast for us. So we didn't get around to eating all the muffins bestowed upon us before they started getting stale. But I am here to tell you that stale muffins make a DELICIOUS bread pudding!! I didn't really use a recipe or measure, but just mixed together the muffins (crumbled), a bunch of milk, eggs, butter, vanilla, and a little maple syrup till it was soupy and threw it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. Delicious! I liked it so much that I have since made it with pumpkin muffins and blueberry muffins. It is great served with extra milk, cream, or butter and is a fabulous way to get those healthy fats into my girls :)

For this of you who would actually like a recipe, HERE is one that I recently saw on a blog I enjoy reading :)

Back in the Game :)

2011-03-13T20:19:00.003-04:00

After a month of delicious meals from my church family, I am back to cooking! I'm still having trouble finding time to do everything, so last week, I used my husband's day off and help from a friend to fill my freezer full of taco meat, sloppy joes, lime chicken tacos, sweet and sour chicken, chicken taquitos, seasoned ground beef, and spaghetti meat. So now I feel like I have things to pull out on days when I just don't have time to cook :) I made a meal plan for the next two weeks and here it is:

Week 1:

chili (from freezer)

leftovers from eating out with my parents :)

Pumpkin Bread French Toast (I'm just frying up a loaf of pumpkin bread I had previously made with my normal French Toast recipe -- yum!)

Pizza

Chicken Fried Steak (New Recipe!)

Week 2:

Fried Tacos

Tomato Sausage Cream Pasta (from freezer)

Cheesy Chicken Strips

grassfed beef hotdogs (my girls LOVE them!)

Feta Salmon with Garlic Carrot Potatoes (new recipe)

Spaghetti Squash Fritters (new Recipe!)

A New Favorite Taco Soup!

2011-02-23T15:40:00.004-05:00

Well, my sweet baby is here (just 2 weeks old now) and I'm not doing any cooking right now. (If you want to see pics of her, just click over to our family blog.) My wonderful church family has been providing us with meals and it has been so fun to try out different meals! This taco soup was absolutely delicious! My friend put a lot of cilantro right in the soup and let it simmer, instead of just using it as a topping. And I loved it! The cilantro just made it taste so fresh and delicious. So here is her recipe:

Soak beans the night before - I use 1 cup of pinto and 1 cup black. Cook them the next day for a few hours. (If you don't have time, you can use canned beans.) Drain. Brown 2 lb. beef with a chopped onion and several minced garlic cloves. In a big soup pot, but beans, beef and the following:

2 c frozen corn
1 small can chopped green chillies
2 c salsa
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes - I often use grape tomatoes.
Chicken broth enough to cover food + some

Simmer for 30 min. Top with green onions, cheese, sour cream, cilantro and fritos.

Real Food Link Love

2011-02-01T13:59:00.004-05:00

I may not be trying out so many new recipes right now, but I've still been reading! Here are some good articles I've read lately:

21 Natural Remedies for Headaches and Migraines

Surprise -- Most "better for you" kids' foods aren't!

Foods for Conception

Interesting UTube video about meat...

9 Reasons to make bone broth and how to do it!

How to get more Calcium in your diet (because pills really don't do much for you!)

Heal Sinus Infections without Anitibiotics (Really!)

Cold Kicker Remedy: A tried and true recipe

Changing Ingredients for a Nutrient Dense Diet

Common Myths about Food and Nutrition

A great guide to supermarket navigation!

A great guide on how long different foods last and the best way to store them!

11 Healthy and Nutrient Dense Foods at a Glance

Cut Sugar and White Flour to Improve your Mood and help Overcome Depression!

A great example of why we never eat fast food!

The 3 best substitutes for a child allergic to milk

Nitrites, Nitrates, and Processed Meat -- why we stay away from them!

Delicious Blueberry or Banana bread/muffins

2011-01-31T14:07:00.007-05:00

Because my baby is due very soon (any day now!!!!), I have not been trying out new recipes. I've just been trying to stock my freezer with recipes that I know we will enjoy. However, I recently decided to splurge and buy some sprouted flour so that I wouldn't have to worry about the soaking step in my recipes (anything to make my life easier at this point!). Sprouted flour opened up a whole new collection of recipes to me and this recipe is the first one that I tried. So easy and delicious! I made a loaf of banana bread and one of blueberry bread and they both turned out great! I didn't even fool with the crumb topping since I wasn't sure if it would freeze well, but I'm sure that they would be even better if you included it! Thanks to Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking for such a great recipe!!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry/soft spring wheat is the best!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup rapadura or sucanat (natural sweeteners)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter or coconut oil, melted – or replace with half applesauce, as desired
Blueberry Variation: Replace bananas with 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries and 3/4 cup applesauce. Yum!

Topping, optional:

2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup rapadura, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full (Definitely fill all 12, otherwise they will overflow).
Optional: In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup rapadura, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. I normally just sprinkle with cinnamon and a little rapadura.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean

Grain free Coconut Cookies

2011-01-13T14:33:00.003-05:00

My girls have been wanting to make cookies, and this recipe seemed healthier (because of all the coconut and eggs) than most but still yummy! This is a very kid-friendly recipe -- the girls had fun rolling the dough into balls and then flattening them into cookies. They wanted "baby" cookies, so we had fun making little button-sized bites. Oh, and I am running low on honey, so we used sucanut instead. And I used my stone bar pans, so I didn't use any parchment paper. These are not super sweet, but just right for me and my girls! We love coconut! Thanks to Food With Kid Appeal blog for such an easy and yummy recipe!

Coconut Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup honey (I used sucanut)
6 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 300 . Combine oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla. Add shredded coconut and coconut flour. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Make golf ball size balls and then flatten with hands. I wet my hands before forming the cookies to keep the batter from sticking. The dough will not spread out so however flat you make them is how they will turn out. Bake for 20-30 mins or until lightly browned.

Time-Saving Spice Mixes I Keep on Hand

2011-01-07T14:44:00.003-05:00

I recently made up big jars of the following mixes, and I cannot tell you how handy they have been! Need some seasoning on my oven fried potatoes? Just sprinkle on some Italian seasoning mix. Need a quick dinner when the pantry looks bare? Make a basic cream sauce with milk, butter, flour and my ranch seasoning mix and toss in some chicken, pasta, and broccoli! Want to spice up a sweet potato? Sprinkle on some pumpkin pie spice! Needless to say, I have really enjoyed having these spice mixes at the tip of my fingers. (And if you are wondering why I don't just buy them at the store, it is because almost all pre-made mixes are loaded with msg and bad salt! Plus, it is cheaper to make my own mixes!)

So here are the ones I plan to always keep on hand:

Ranch Seasoning Mix

Italian Seasoning Mix

Taco Seasoning Mix

Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

Onion Soup Mix

And I just found THIS awesome website that has 178 different spice mix recipes, so I can't wait to try them out and add to my list!

Nutritional/Cooking goals for 2011

2011-01-04T21:36:00.001-05:00

Since I have a new baby coming sometime within the next month, it is difficult and a little silly to make too many resolutions for the new year. But I know that eventually things will calm down, I will ned to get into a routine again, and a list will help me know what to try to accomplish first, so I decided to write out a few goals.

1. Learn to can, especially tomatoes! I know, I know, canning is so easy! I totally planned to do a bunch of it this year, but I had horrible morning sickness during the prime canning months and ended up just freezing things instead because it was easier than learning to can. Now my freezer is bursting and I hardly have room to make meals ahead of time (which I desperately need to do for my upcoming sleep-deprived state of having a newborn!) I really need to can diced tomatoes because I use them in so many of my recipes and I cringe every time I open a can and think of all the BPA that has probably leached into them.

2. Save up to buy little stainless steel dishes and utensils for my girls -- I use BPA-free plastic, but it still bothers me and I would really just like to get rid of everything plastic in my house! I'd love to get these cute dishes that my girls would just love!

3. Learn to make 3 fermented things that my family will enjoy other than yogurt and kombucha (which I already make and my girls and I love but my husband does not). I know you think I'm crazy, but fermented food is so good for you! It will fill your body with helpful probiotics and help you better absorb the nutrients and minerals in the food. (Read THIS ARTICLE for more info on why eating fermented food is good for you.) Anyways, I'm thinking that ketchup would be a great start since my girls love it. I also want to find a drink that my husband likes since he's still not a huge fan of kombucha. I'm hoping to try fruit-flavored water keifer soda or lemonade. And thirdly, I want to try some kind of lacto-fermented vegetable. I've heard that carrots are one of the easiest to get used to, so I might try that. Or maybe salsa.

4. Save up for a dehydrator -- I try to dehydrate lots of things (granola, almonds, crackers, fruit leather, etc) in my oven, but I know that even the lowest setting is a little too hot to keep all the nutrients intact. Plus, I hate leaving my oven on over-night, which is usually necessary for things that take a long time to dehydrate. I'd love to try dehydrating all kinds of fruit pieces and making chips, etc, and it would be so much easier and better quality with a dehydrator. In case you are wondering, I'd love to get THIS one, but will most likely settle for one a little less expensive :)

5. Continue trying out one new recipe every week (once I get over the "survival-mode," sleep deprived stage of having a newborn :)

Last Year's Goals -- how did I do?

2011-01-03T21:39:00.002-05:00

Last year, I made some New Year's Nutritional Goals and I thought it would be interesting to look back at them and see how I did :)

1. Find a good recipe for hamburger buns and tortillas that uses soaked grain -- I have to admit that I never made the perfect bun this year :) My bread recipe makes ok buns, and I did that some of the time, but I have not perfected them yet. I most often just ended up eating my sloppy joes and hamburgers open-faced on a slice of my home-made bread. Which is fine with me, but my husband is not a fan :) So I need to work on that one. I did, however, find a good recipe for tortillas that I made every month and used regularly. The girls and I ate cheese and chicken roll-ups with them for lunch quite regularly and I ate a lot of our fried tacos with them as well.

2. Find a recipe for a healthy salad dressing that Mark likes -- I did find a healthy ranch-flavored salad dressing that Mark likes, but I didn't make it often enough. I plan to remedy that this year :)

3. Refuse to buy a $5 hot and ready pizza when I am desperate for an easy dinner - CHECK! I got into regularly making big batches of my pizza dough for quick, easy dinners, so I really never bought another pizza out of desperation :)

4. Save up for a grain mill -- Oh, how I love my Wonder Mill! After finding Lindsey's recipe for home-made bread, my husband told me to go ahead and invest in a grain mill!

5. Find a reasonable source of grassfed beef so I can stop buying mass-produced supermarket meat. I pretty much buy all of my meat from our farmer's market now, other than our favorite turkey bacon and chicken-apple sausage that we get every month from Trader Joes. I do also buy TJ's natural frozen chicken breasts as well, because I cook dinner once a week for 3 college guys and we can't afford to buy them the grass fed/pasture raised meat. (They eat as much chicken in one night as we do over the course of the month! :)

Finally, I want to keep on trying out at least one new recipe every week! I did this for the most part until morning sickness knocked me out of the kitchen for a couple of months. I also let this goal go over the holidays when I had so much other holiday traditional baking to do :)

Some other healthy changes that I am excited that we made this year:

--- Because I started buying 2 organic whole chickens at the Farmer's market per month, I started making my own chicken stock. It is so easy and so incredibly good for us. It also made making soups and other recipes very easy because all I had to do was defrost a jar from my freezer.

--- We gave up fast food entirely (other than a CFA splurge every now and then) not because "we know we should" but because we have no longer have any desire for them. Seriously, fast food disgusts us now. And believe it or not, I am speaking for my husband as well. After making my husband watch some great movies like "Food Inc" and Supersize Me," he totally lost his craving for fast food. He actually told me how nice it is to drive by somewhere like Sonic or McD's and not be tempted by their ads. Instead, he is disgusted. Which is impressive for the guy who used to eat out almost every meal when he was single :)

--- My husband decided that he loved my coconut milk smoothies so much that he was willing to give up his nightly bowl of ice cream! (Note: I think that home-made ice cream can be incredibly healthy because of all the healthy eggs and cream, but the store-bought kind has anti-freeze and other chemicals in it, so I try to limit my intake.)

--- I received a toaster oven for my birthday and we pretty much gave up the microwave completely!!! It took a while for me to remember to plan ahead and give myself more time for re-heating in the toaster oven, but now I am so out of the habit of the microwave now that I rarely even think of it. We enjoy the texture and flavor of our food so much more from the toaster oven or stove top! I feel almost spoiled by the difference. When I used our folks' microwaves over the holiday, I was so disappointed by the quality of food since I was so used to my toaster oven :)

-- We really enjoyed utilizing a market-share CSA with a local farm this spring-fall. We ate fabulous produce during that time and now that winter is upon us, it is so nice to have my freezer packed full of blueberries, strawberries, cinnamon apples, apple butter, and pumpkin puree. I wish I had done more with tomatoes, but they were at peak season right as my morning sickness was unbearable :)

368 Wholesome Recipes

2010-12-09T13:37:00.004-05:00

First, I have to apologize for not posting much lately... I've been trying new recipes, but just can't find the time to post them. Hopefully soon. But in the meantime, you just have to check out this awesome link: Real Food Recipe Roundup: 368 Wholesome Recipes! So many great recipes to check out! And let me know if you try any and love them!

meal plan Nov. 15

2010-11-16T19:14:00.003-05:00

Meals for this week:
Monte Cristo Sandwiches from leftover French Toast
Lime Chicken Tacos
Thai Coconut Soup (new recipe!)
Pumpkin Lasagna (new recipe!)
Shepherd's Pie
Steak and baked potaos

Next week: Going out of town and eating ALL THESE holiday favorites!

My Pumpkin Experiments :)

2010-11-09T14:44:00.003-05:00

I have a very patient husband. He is not the least bit enamored with pumpkin the way that I am. And he laughs at my desire to try out a new pumpkin recipe every week. But at least he doesn't seem to mind all my new recipes too much. The only one he really loved were the pancakes, but the rest were "ok" with no complaints. I, on the other hand, was pretty excited about each one that I tried :)

Pumpkin pancakes -- a winner! So good that we will probably never make "normal" pancakes again! And they freeze well, so I triple the recipe every time I make them!

Pumpkin waffles -- I used THIS recipe but made it healthier by soaking my flour in the yogurt overnight. It was a little difficult to mix up and was thicker than most waffle recipes, but was oh, so yummy! These freeze well, too!

Pumpkin enchiladas -- I wanted the creaminess of THIS recipe, but the kick of the garlic and chili powder from THIS recipe, so I kind of combined the ingredients for the sauce in each of them and made my own :) I mainly followed the 1st recipe and just added in the garlic and chili powder for kick.

Pumpkin enchilada stir-fry -- By the time I had tasted and added and tasted and added to my enchilada sauce to get it the way I wanted, I had almost doubled the recipe, ha,ha. So later on in the week, I combined my leftover pumpkin enchilada sauce with home-made taco meat, beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and shredded cheese for a quick stove-top meal.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage -- This was probably my favorite dinner with pumpkin in it because I loved the creamy sauce :)

Next to try: Pumpkin Lasagna! (I'm probably going to have to add some ground beef or sausage to keep my husband happy, though :)

10/24/10 2 weeek meal plan

2010-10-26T14:27:00.000-04:00

Here are the meals I'm planning for the next two weeks; I still have a list of pumpkin recipes to try out! :)

Creamy Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Taco soup
Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce (new recipe!)
Smothered Club Sandwiches
Breakfast casserole for dinner
Chicken-Apple-Cranberry Salad with Sweet Poppyseed dressing

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Sausage and Pasta with a butternut squash cream sauce (new recipe!)
Meatball Subs
Hollie's Pinwheel Chicken
Fried Tacos
Potato soup

Hollie's Pinwheel Chicken

2010-10-23T13:42:00.003-04:00

My friend Hollie posted this recipe on the POH blog a long time ago and I've been meaning to try it ever since. Last night was the big night and we really enjoyed it! The paprika and lemon juice add a nice kick that is different from all my other breaded chicken strip recipes and we really liked the variety. Fairly simple to make and healthy if you use your own bread crumbs instead of store-bought ones.

Pinwheel Chicken:

2-3 Tbsp parsley (if you're using fresh, use more and chop very fine)
1 stick butter
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 cup bread crumbs (make them if you can)
1/3- 1/2 Parmesan cheese (preferably fresh)
1 lb of chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into strips)
paprika
1 lemon or lime

1. Melt stick of butter completely in bowl
2.) Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl: bread crumbs, salt, pepper, parsley Parmesan cheese
3.) Make an assembly line in this order: raw chicken, melted butter, dry mixture, greased Pyrex or oven-safe pottery
4.) Designating your left hand for butter dipping, dip chicken strip into butter and drop into crumb mixture. With right hand only, fully cover the chicken by tossing around and roll it up like a pinwheel or a snail into the dish. It might take some time rolling it with one hand, but with a little practice, you'll be a pro. *By designating one hand for butter dipping and the other hand for dry ingredients, you eliminate a lot of moisture and clumps in your dry mixture; thus making it go farther.
5.) Continue placing each pinwheel into your Pyrex, touching one to the other, so keep them tightly rolled.
6.) Sprinkle lightly with paprika all over to add a little kick and color. Adds great flavor!
7.) Squeeze lemon all over the pinwheels (This is the secret ingredient and a MUST to this dish.)
8.) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

*Check on them at 25 minutes, depending on your oven. The key here is not to dry them out/over bake them since they are very thin strips. Chicken should reach a temperature of no higher than 170 degrees, although some prefer 160 degrees to retain moisture. I prefer 160 degrees.

Home-made Tomato Soup

2010-10-15T14:02:00.003-04:00

I love tomato soup! It is a comfort food to me... growing up, we ate it (along with a grilled cheese sandwich) almost every Sunday afternoon in the fall and winter. But since I've tried to stop cooking with canned soups, I haven't had it in forever! So when Girl Talk blog gave this easy recipe for Tomato Basil soup, I jumped at the chance to try it! I have to admit that I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, so I kind of took the idea and ran with it. (For example, I didn't have any heavy cream, so I used a combination of our whole milk and cream cheese :). I also sprinkled parmesan cheese on top. Oh, it was so good!

La Madeline's Tomato Basil Soup

4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
12 fresh basil leaves
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick (1/4 lb) of sweet unsalted butter
Salt to taste
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Simmer tomatoes in saucepan for 30 minutes. Puree, with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender or food processor. Return to saucepan and add cream, butter, salt and pepper while stirring over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.

Which pumpkin?

2010-10-12T14:20:00.002-04:00

I'm not a food picture blogger and never will be, because I happen to be quite a messy and impatient cook. I absolutely love a meal with a fabulous presentation, but with two little munchkins running around, it just doesn't happen. And I taste things immediately (usually burning my tongue!) which also messes up the presentation. And I simply never think of taking a picture.

But last night I took a picture because I just had to show you the difference between these two pumpkins. All my life, I've thought that the pumpkin you buy for baking is a "pie pumpkin" ... makes sense, right? But last Saturday I actually asked my farmer about what pumpkin he recommends and he told me that pie pumpkins are no longer good for baking!! Who knew? He said that they used to be, but have changed genetically over time. I was pretty bummed, because I had already bought 7 pie pumpkins last week. But I took his advice and bought 3 humongous Indian River Pumpkins. And then I cooked them side by side in the pan. Can you tell which one is the Indian River? Oh, yes, the deep orange one that made me want to just eat scoops of puree with my spoon. The pie pumpkin on the right? It was much drier and stringy and reminded me more of a squash that I didn't like. I am definitely going to be buying only Indian River pumpkins from now on!

Real food/nutrtion/health link love

2010-10-11T21:10:00.004-04:00

Here are some good articles that I've read recently:

Natural Remedies for a Stomach Ache

How to Balance Hormones Naturally

Healthy Pregnancy and Baby Posts

Winter Squash 101: How to Select, Prepare, and Cook Winter Squash

How Much Fat is Enough? 7 Reasons to Eat More

Get the F Out! Flouride -- Slowly Poisoning our Children?

12 Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe

10 Baby Steps to a Healthier Diet

5 Foods Women Should Be Eating

The Risks of Eating Soy Foods

7 Ways to Use your Food Money Wisely

Creamy Chicken Divane Soup

2010-10-10T15:53:00.006-04:00

I found this recipe while waiting for my OB apt. and looking through a Southern Living magazine :) We absolutely LOVE my Mom's chicken divane recipe, but I don' t make it often because I don't like the mayonnaise and canned cream of chicken soup it requires. So I was excited to find this soup recipe that does taste surprisingly similar! I added some shredded carrots to it for added nutrients and it worked well with the soup. This recipe makes a lot, so I cut it in half for our family. This post is part of the Whole Food for the Holidays Progressive Dinner!

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. butter
1 med. sweet onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper (I left that out)
1 (48 oz.) container chicken broth (I used home-made)
2 (12-oz) pkg. fresh broccoli (about 12 cups)
1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut into cubes
4 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 (8oz.) block sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 shredded carrots if desired :)

Directions: Melt butter, saute onion til tender, add garlic (and shredded carrots) and red pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and broccoli. Cover and bring to a boil 10-15 min. Stir in cream cheese. Process with a blender til smooth (we wanted it chunky, so I skipped that step :). Add chicken and shredded cheese. Cook on med-low, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes til cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.

This recipe is part of Kelly's Korner SUYL

Butternut Squash Fries

2010-10-09T20:17:00.002-04:00

I've seen recipes for butternut squash fries, but stayed away from them because I thought they would be a pain to make. But Kimi gives a great tutorial on the easiest way to cut and peel the squash HERE. I highly recommend checking it out. These were the best tasting fries yet. I'm still working on getting the perfect size of fry and amount of oil so they are really crispy, but the whole family loved these, even the softer ones!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1 butternut squash
4 tablespoons oil (I have used coconut oil or a mixture of coconut oil and olive oil)
Sea salt and pepper

I added a sprinkle of cinnamon, cloves and sucanut :)

Directions: Check out Kimi's post on how to cut your squash! Place the cut squash in a bowl, and, if needed, melt coconut oil gently. Toss the oil with the squash and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.

The other secret to getting not overly soft squash fries is to very widely space them on your sheet pan. The ones below really were a little too close. It works best to have them far apart from each other. I would use two sheet pans for one squash, if possible.

Place in your hot oven for about 45 minutes, switching the sheet pans, half way through. This will depend on your oven and how small you cut them, so check early, and leave a time cushion if they take a little longer then you expect.

You want them to get not only well cooked, but slightly browned as well.

Creamy Ranchy Dressing

2010-10-07T13:45:00.003-04:00

One of my New Years Resolutions was to find a Ranch dressing recipe for my husband. I am quite content with pretty much any of the EVOO and ACV variations, so I have been eating healthy salads all year long. But I suddenly realized that it was October and I had been letting my husband slowly destroy himself with rancid soybean oil for the past 10 months! (OK, I'll admit that I am slightly dramatic, but store-bought salad dressings are ever so bad for you and my dear husband just loves his Ranch on EVERYTHING (pizza, roasted potatoes, etc). So last night I was fixing us a taco salad for dinner and randomly decided to try out a recipe that I had bookmarked several months ago. And I was so glad that I did, because after 10 months of only eating oil and vinegar dressings, this creamy dressing was just heavenly to me! My husband said it was pretty good, that it didn't taste exactly like Ranch, but was close enough and a good enough dressing for him to be happy to eat. So here is the recipe that I got from Heavenly Homemakers (a fabulous blog, by the way!)

Note: I don't recommend using the mayonnaise version, unless you make your own, because store-bought mayonnaise is also filled with rancid vegetable oils that are bad for you. The dip version is healthy, though, and I actually made up my own version utilizing the dry mix and a cup of buttermilk, a pkg of cream cheese, and several Tbs olive oil. Oh, and I added some dill because we love dill :) (Sorry, I know I can't ever leave a recipe alone :) But the mix is good to use with whatever creamy sauce you like :)

Ranch Dressing Mix

5 Tablespoons dried minced onions
7 teaspoon parsley flakes
4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix together and store in an air tight container.

For dressing: Mix 2 Tablespoons dry mix with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk or sour cream. (I use buttermilk.)

For dip: Mix 2 Tablespoons dry mix with 2 cups sour cream or kreme fresh.

Mix up a few hours before serving, so the flavors all blend nicely.

2-week meal plan October 3

2010-10-06T14:54:00.003-04:00

Yay for cooler weather! Now I can make all those soups that I've been missing! I have a soup obsession almost as big as a pumpkin one, so let me know if you have any favorites to share :) My girls love soup, too, so it is always a hit at our house!

*note: almost all of these meals last for more than one night, so I only planned 5 meals for each week :)

Meals for Week 1:
Cheesy Potato Chowder
Chicken-Apple-Cheese Bake
Taco Salad
Tomato Soup (new Recipe!) with Grilled Cheese
Fried Tacos (to use up laeftover taco meat :)

Meals for Week2:
Creamy Chicken Divane Soup (New Recipe!)
Tomato Cream Sausage Pasta
Taco Soup
Sweet Potato Burritos (I've been craving these lately... I might add some sausage or bacon to it since my husband is not a big fan of the lack of meat in this recipe :)
Chili

Crock pot pumpkin apple butter! (No peeling!)

2010-09-28T13:31:00.004-04:00

...And so the pumpkin obsession continues! This was kind of an experiment :) I just replaced some of the apples with fresh pumpkin puree in a normal apple butter recipe. I had to add a little bit more honey, because the pumpkins aren't quite as sweet, but it worked well!

I've been looking for an apple butter recipe that uses honey instead of sugar and doesn't require peeling. And yesterday, Health, Home, and Happiness blog posted THIS simple crock-pot recipe for apple butter that uses honey without peeling the apples!

So I just decided to replace some of the apples with fresh pumpkin puree. And I increased the honey since pumpkins aren't very sweet. And added nutmeg and cloves, because every pumpkin deserves some nutmeg and cloves :) So here is what I did:

Ingredients:
6 apples, cored and sliced
puree from 2 small pie pumpkins
1/2 cup water
1 cup honey (you might need more if your family is not used to minimally sweetened food :)
Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to taste (Sorry; I never measure :)

Directions: Put everything in crockpot and cook on low for about 12 hours. At this point you will have apple-pumpkin sauce. Puree with blender or food processor til smooth and place back in crockpot on lowest setting with lid cracked for another 4-6 hours. Stir every hour or so and it will darken and turn in to apple -pumpkin butter! Freeze or can as you would apple butter.

Healthy and Yummy Pumpkin Pancakes!

2010-09-14T13:37:00.003-04:00

Oh, it is definitely that time of year again! You know, the time of year when any recipe containing the word pumpkin catches my eye :) Yes, I definitely have a pumpkin obsession! I've always LOVED pumpkin pancakes and there are tons of recipes out there, but I had not yet found one that meets my healthy standards (i.e. honey instead of sugar and soaking the flour to reduce the phytates and improve digestion.) So I was excited to randomly come across the Come Walk With Me blog, which discusses Nourishing Tradition-style food and recipes. Lisa's recipe for pumpkin pancakes is not only healthy, but delicious, and even my "not-so-obsessed-with-pumpkin" husband whole-heartedly approved :) She says they freeze well, also, but there weren't enough left today for me to find out :)

Squash (or Pumpkin) Pancakes
2 c. flour (I used spelt)
1 1/2 c. buttermilk ( I used keifer because it was what I had on hand; yogurt would work as well)
*12-24 hours beforehand, combine these two ingredients & cover

1 c. squash or pumpkin puree (I just used the whole can, probably 1 1/2 cups)
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/8 t. nutmeg
2 T. raw sugar, honey, or maple syrup
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
2 T. melted coconut oil

When you're ready to make the pancakes stir in all remaining ingredients to the soaked flour/buttermilk mixture. Lisa likes thin pancakes (not fluffy) so she added about 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. milk to greatly thin out this batter. I wanted them thick, so I didn't add any, and the batter didn't pour easily but still made great pancakes! Heat additional coconut oil in a skillet over medium low heat (you want these to cook all the way through) flipping when bubbles pop.

Stuffed Peppers With a Mexican Flair

2010-09-13T13:48:00.000-04:00

I love stuffed peppers! But my husband is not a huge fan of the normal rice and beef and tomato sauce version. So I thought I'd try something different and he really liked it! (Of course, he decided to eat it with chips, and that makes everything wonderful in his book :) But this dish would also be great served over quinoa or rice, and I ate the leftovers wrapped up in one of my home-made tortillas and it was delicious! You could even make it a vegetarian dish if you skipped on the ground beef. I got the recipe from Kitchen Stewardship, a great blog for finding healthy recipes and learning about nutrition! I substituted my own taco meat for the ground beef and seasoning packet because I wanted to avoid all the MSG and fake seasonings in those packets. My girls won't eat the peppers, but I saved them a mixture of the taco meat, corn, and beans before adding in the salsa. They loved it with a little bit of quinoa and cheese added.

Ingredients:
3-5 bell peppers, green or colored, halved, seeds removed
1/2 pound ground beef (or a full pound)
1 Tbs. taco seasoning (or follow package directions for 1/2 pound beef)
1 1/2 c. frozen corn (optional)
2 c. black beans (dried and prepared or about 1 can)
1 16 oz. jar salsa
1/4 c. diced red onion
(optional) other vegetables: diced red pepper, zucchini, leafy greens, etc…anything you have on hand to enhance the mixture
shredded cheese

Directions: Mix all the ingredients except cheese (I warmed mine and mixed on the stove top) and simply fill the raw peppers, adding a little water around them in the casserole dish to soften them up while it bakes. Bake 30 minutes, covered, before removing the cover for 5-10 minutes to brown the cheese.

Taco Seasoning Mix

2010-09-11T13:37:00.005-04:00

We were planning to have taco salad this week, so I decided to try out a new recipe. While at my parents' house a while back, I watched an Alton Brown show about tacos. (Yes, I LOVE the Food Network!!! But we don't have cable so I only get to watch it at my parents' house :) His tacos looked so good that I had to try the recipe. Mark thought it was great, and I like it because I can mix up a bunch of the dry ingredients ahead of time for whenever I want to make taco meat in a hurry!

Seasoning mix:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Yield: 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons

Other ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
16 ounces ground sirloin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 recipe Taco Seasoning Mix (recipe above)
2/3 cup low-sodium beef broth (I used some home-made chicken stock and a few Tbs of tomato sauce)
2 Tbs oil (I used olive)

Directions: Heat oil on med. heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned around the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground meat, 1 teaspoon salt, and garlic. Cook until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to break up the meat. Add Taco Seasoning Mix and beef broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

I found the recipe @ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/all-american-beef-taco-recipe/index.html

Yummy strawberry or peach bread!

2010-09-07T20:33:00.004-04:00

After reading THIS GREAT POST about why a fellow blogger decided to not eat any more cereal (all the same reasons that I had for making the same decision!), I decided to check out her healthy recipes for some new breakfast ideas. Her Strawberry bread jumped out at me because we have tons of strawberries in our freezer right now. I made the healthier soaked version, but she also gives the non-soaking version if you want it. YUM! I only used 1 cup of sucanat instead of 1 1/2 cups and it was plenty sweet for me. Next time I might lessen it even more! You should really check out her blog: Homemade Dutch Apple Pie for some other great recipes!

Strawberry Bread (Peach Bread/Fruit Bread)

2 cups fresh (or frozen) strawberries

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups rapadura or sucanat

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup melted butter (organic)

3 eggs (hormone/antibiotic free)

First…you can do one of two things with your strawberries: If they’re fresh, you can slice them and stir them into your dry ingredients. Or, if you don’t think your family will like chunks of strawberries in their bread…blend them all up in the blender, then mix in. If you’re using frozen strawberries, thaw, then blend in blender.

Mix dry ingredients together. Stir in butter, eggs and strawberries. Pour into two buttered loaf pans. Bake in a 350° oven for 45-50 minutes.

To soak flour:
Melt butter and cool slightly. Mix flour, butter and enough buttermilk to just moisten the flour. Cover and let sit for at least 7 hours. When ready to bake add remaining ingredients. You can add a little extra buttermilk if the dough is too dry or just to make the bread lighter/more moist. Bake as directed above.

Easy raspberry or chocolate swirl cheesecake

2010-09-03T20:18:00.005-04:00

Cheesecakes are impressive. If I see one at a covered dish, I always think, "wow; someone went all out for this meal!" They can be somewhat intimidating, but I recently learned that I could make a really good one with very little effort. I couldn't decide between the chocolate swirl and the raspberry swirl, so I did half and half. Believe it or not, we preferred the raspberry side because the cake is so rich and sweet that the tangy raspberry flavor was the perfect compliment. But the chocolate was definitely delicious as well :) Give it a try; you won't be disappointed!

(Warning: this is not one of my "healthier" recipes, in case you had any doubts... I want to try it with honey instead of sugar, but haven't had the nerve. I suppose these homemade graham crackers would work for a healthier crust, though :)

Ingredients:
2 pkg (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 graham cracker crust -- you can use an pre-made one, but the home-made kind is pretty simple as well and looks more impressive :)
3 Tbs. fruit preserves or 1 square Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted, slightly cooled

Directions: Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended. Pour into crust. Dot top of cheesecake with preserves or melted chocolate. Cut through batter with knife several times for marbled effect. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Recipe found in the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Collection

Dinner Options

2010-09-02T12:06:00.006-04:00

When I am making my monthly meal plan, I keep this list of our favorite meals in front of me. I usually try to pick one beef, one chicken, one soup, and one pasta recipe a week, as well as a meal from our freezer and a penny-pinching (inexpensive :) meal. Since we pay more for grass fed beef and organic chickens from the farmer's market, I'm also trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our plan to save money. However, my husband generally doesn't like them as much so I don't do it every week. I also try to double and freeze at least one meal a week.

Meg's Dinner Options

Our top 6 favorites (can you tell we like Mexican?):

Honey Lime Enchiladas

Lime Chicken Tacos

Sweet n Sour Chicken Tacos or over quinoa or rice

Chicken Taquitos

Fried Tacos

Chicken Lazone

Baked Spaghetti
Baked Turkey and Gravy
Baked Ziti
Barbeque Chicken (on rice/Sand/or w/ bacon and cheese)
BarBQ beef cups

BarBQ Chicken Soup
Beef Tenderloin (only on special occasions :)
Beefaroni
Bierocks
Breakfast Casserole
Brian's Chicken Casserole
Broccoli Chowder with Monte Cristo Sandwiches
Burgers
Cheesy Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Canelloni
Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole
Chicken Divane Soup

Chicken Lazone

Chicken, grilled, with lime and cilantro
Chicken Parmesan

Chicken/Turkey Pot Pie
Chicken Salad
Chicken Mexican Crockpot Dinner
Chicken Taquitos
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Divane
Chicken-Apple-Cheese Bake
Chili -- over spaghetti, chips, or potatoes
Corn Chowder with grilled ham and cheese sand.
Cranberry Chicken
Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta
Crockpot Roast with veggies
Enchiladas (Thanks, Leah!!)
Grilled Chicken Salad with strawberries/grapes/almonds/whatever in fridge :)

Farmer's Market sausage skillet
Fried Tacos
Feta Salmon
Grilled Cheese (The Best Ever!)
Ham Biscuits
Hawaiian Chicken Pile Up
Homemade Pizza
Italian Chicken with cream sauce
Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Casserole
Lasagna
Lime Chicken Tacos
Mandarin Chicken Salad
Mango Salsa Crockpot Chicken
Manicotti
Meatballs (barbq, Sweetn-Sour, or Swedish over rice/quinoa
Meatball Subs
Meatloaf

Pinwheel chicken
Pizza with Home-made crust
Pizza Pasta
Pesto Chicken
Poppyseed Chicken
Potato Soup and grilled cheese
Pumpkin Chili
Pumpkin Soup and turkey, apple, cheese panini
Quesadillas -- taco, pizza, chicken-bacon-ranch, turkey and cheese, etc
Quinoa, Beans, and chicken
Sausage-Tomato Cream Pasta
Salmon Pesto Pasta
Salmon Cream Pasta

Sausage Presto Pasta

Shepherd's Pie
Sloppy Joes
Stirfry w/ onions, peppers, and other veggies-- chicken or beef
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Smothered Cheesy Roasted Club Sandwich
Stromboli
Stuffed Mexican Peppers
Sweet Chicken Tacos or over quinoa or rice
Taco Bake
Taco Salad
Taco Soup

Tomato Soup

Taco Salad Dressing

2010-09-01T13:24:00.001-04:00

My sis-in-law gave me this awesome recipe for an easy, healthy, and delicious salad dressing that satisfies my current lime and cilantro obsession!

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, pressed
4 oz fresh lime juice, lemon will also work if needed
1/4 tsp. salt
splash of tobasco, optional
finely snipped cilantro to taste (between 1-2 TBS)
8 oz. olive oil

Directions: Mix all the ingredients except for the olive oil together really well then add 8oz. olive oil and mix again. Try to make it early in the day to let it sit so the acidity of the lime juice will blend the flavors well.

Stocking the freezer!

2010-09-01T13:04:00.001-04:00

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 :)

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

Home-made Pizza Dough
Home-made Tortillas
Bread
Pancakes and Waffles
Breakfast cookies
muffins -- pumpkin and berry
Harvest Loaf
Zucchini Bread
Pumpkin pancakes
Pumpkin waffles

Don't eat Mexican without fresh lime juice and cilantro!

2010-08-31T14:02:00.006-04:00

I just had to write about how I am currently addicted to freshly squeezed lime and cilantro. I've been adding it to all sorts of random mexican-like things and it just makes my food seem so fresh and delicious. I first got the craving after making Chicken Taquitos, and then our friends Mary and Samy made us a yummy Gordito dinner and offered us fresh limes to squeeze and cilantro to sprinkle on the top... and I was hooked! Here are a couple of my favorite ways to use it:

Easiest Taco Dinner: Place chicken breasts and a jar of salsa in a crockpot on low all day. (Read the ingredients in your salsa or you will mistakenly get HFCS!) Serve with your favorite type of tacos/tortillas/gorditos/rice/quinoa and any/all of the following add-ons:

sliced avocado
sour cream or cream cheese
sliced lime
cilantro
diced cucumbers
soaked and cooked beans
lettuce
shredded cheese
*Remember to squeeze the lime juice on last!

My favorite easy lunch:
Fill a pita or tortilla with turkey or chicken breast, top with a bit of salsa and cheese, sprinkle on some cilantro, and squeeze some lime juice on top just before toasting in the toaster oven.

Easy chip dip:
Slowly heat equal portions of salsa and cream cheese on stove top on med-low, mixing regularly. Or bake in oven, at about 350 for 20 min, layered with cream cheese on the bottom and salsa on the top. Sprinkle cilantro and drizzle with lime juice right before serving. You can also add shredded cheese if desired.

Amazing melt in your mouth flourless chocolate cake

2010-08-26T14:04:00.001-04:00

This cake is divine. It is not flourless because it is healthy. No, it is flourless because the other ingredients are so rich that no flour is needed. Oh, how I love this cake. It is the ultimate reward to a chocolate craving. It is the perfect way to treat yourself after a rough day. You simply have to try it. My awesome friend Heather made it for a cook-out and was so kind to give me the link for the recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake 1 cup water 3/4 cup sugar 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, diced 18 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped 6 large eggs Ganache 1 cup heavy whipping cream 8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preparation:

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim.

Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat.

Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.

Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes.

Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.
For ganache:

Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat.

Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides.

Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

This post is part of Kelly's SUYL desserts! Click on over for more yummy desserts!

Missouri and Rhodes Smothered Club Sandwich

2010-08-25T14:13:00.000-04:00

My MIL got this recipe from a the Miller and Rhodes Tea Room that used to be in Roanoke, VA. People used to eat this sandwich (amongst other delicious treats) while being entertained by a fashion show at the tea room :) My husband loves this sandwich and recently asked me to get the recipe from his mother. The cheese sauce is super easy to whip up and is so yummy!

*Note-- we prefer to eat this as an open-face smothered sandwich with less bread and more meat. We also skip out on the Tabasco sauce and add a little more Worcestershire sauce instead :)

Ingredients:
6 oz. thinly sliced fully cooked turkey
6 oz. thinly sliced fully cooked smoked ham
8 thin tomato slices
8 slices white bread, toasted lightly
4 thin slices sharp cheddar cheese (Optional; we usually find that the cheese sauce is enough cheese for us :)
8 crispy cooked slices of bacon

Tangy Cheese Sauce Ingredients:
2Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. butter, melted
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. white pepper (I just use black pepper)
2-3 drops of hot sauce (we skip that because we don't like it spicy :)
1 Cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or Swiss cheese
pinch of paprika

Directions:
For Sauce: In a heavy saucepan, blend flour with margarine until smooth, add milk, stir in seasonings, gradually add cheese until it melts and thickens slightly.

For Sandwiches: On individual oven proof serving plates, evenly layer turkey, ham, and two tomato slices on each of four slices of toasted bread. Top each with a slice of toast and spoon cheese sauce generously over each serving. Then top each with a slice of cheese. Place under oven broiler until cheese is melted, bubbly hot, and lightly browned. Top each sandwich with two pieces of crisp bacon. Serve immediately. Serves 4

Lynne's Layered Mexican Dip

2010-08-24T13:55:00.002-04:00

My MIL makes this easy, yummy dip often when we come to visit :)

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
either a can of chili or homemade hot dog chili
1 can of diced Mexican style tomatoes with diced green chilies
1 bag pf Mexican shredded cheese
sour cream

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a medium baking dish. Layer the chili and then the tomatoes. Top with the shredded Mexican cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve hot with nachos or whatever chips you like and sour cream on the side.

2- week meal plan

2010-08-23T13:51:00.001-04:00

Well, we are back from all of our traveling and my morning sickness has ceased (YAY!!!) so I think I can handle blogging about our meals and new recipes each week again! I am actually super excited about cooking now and can't wait to try out some new recipes!

Sunday: Tacos made with leftover chili dip
Monday: Monte Cristo Sandwiches (made with leftover French Toast :)
Tuesday: Cheesy Lentils and Rice Casserole (New Recipe -- I'll post if we like it :)
Wednesday: Mango Salsa Chicken over Rice
Thursday: Clean out the Fridge
Friday: Chicken Taquitos with Quinoa and Beans
Saturday: Missouri Club Open-Faced Sandwich with Cheese Sauce (my MIL's awesome recipe!)

Sunday: Fried Tacos
Monday: Chicken Parmesan
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Best Sloppy Joes Ever
Thursday: Sausage Tomato Cream Pasta
Friday: Leftover sausage pasta
Saturday: Chicken with Orzo and Spinach (new recipe)
Sunday: Home made Pizza

Awesome Hummus

2010-07-04T20:41:00.005-04:00

I was craving hummus this week and remembered that my friend, Melissa, had sent me this recipe that she said her family just loved. I doubled it and took some to a cook-out this weekend and everyone loved it and was asking me for the recipe. I used an extra garlic clove because fresh garlic is so good for you and adds so much flavor. All the adults loved it, but the extra kick was a little too spicy for my little ones. I also used my basic oil blend instead of just olive oil, and I think that the faint sweetness of the coconut oil was a nice contrast to the strong garlic flavor.

Total time: 5 minutes, Makes 1.5 cups
1 15 oz. can chickpeas ( garbanzo beans), rinsed
1 clove garlic
1/4 c olive oil, plus more for serving
2 TB fresh lemon juice (fresh makes a difference.)
2 TB tahini
1 t ground cumin
kosher salt
1/4 t paprika

>> In a food processor, puree the chickpeas and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, cumin, and 3/4 teaspoon salt until smooth and creamy. Add 1-3 TB water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

>> Transfer to a bowl , drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika before serving.

This post is part of the Real Food Progressive Dinner! and Kelly's Korner SUYL

Few and Far Between...

2010-06-21T13:46:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to say that I'm probably not going to be posting that often for the next couple of weeks. I have a whole list of recipes to try out, but morning sickness is really hitting me and just the thought of food makes me cringe. So blogging about food is definitely not going to be a favorite thing to do over the next couple of weeks :)

Pre-Morning sickness two-week meal plan

2010-06-07T14:51:00.004-04:00

We found out last week that I am pregnant again, which is so exciting! But I know that morning sickness will hit very soon and that I won't feel like being in the kitchen at all. So instead of trying out new recipes, I am focusing on easy ones that double and freeze well because I am determined to have real food for my family even when I don't feel like cooking!

Mon: Rotisserie Chicken; veggies
Tues: Strawberry chicken salad; make bread and pancakes for the month
Wed: Beans and rice tortillas
Thurs: Cheesy chicken strips; double and freeze; make pizza dough for the month
Fri: Lasagna; double and freeze
Sat: Pizza
Sun: Fried Tacos; make granola and breakfast cookies for the month

Mon: Manicotti; double and freeze; make chicken soup to freeze (I'll add the noodles later)
Tues: Chicken Cordon Blue; double and freeze
Wed: Sausage Breakfast Casserole and French Toast casserole; make waffles for the month
Thurs: Creamy Spinach Chicken Pasta; make tortillas for the month
Fri: Meatball subs; double and freeze the meatballs
Sat: Dinner with the folks
Sun:Church at the beach; take chicken salad sandwiches

Our favorite healthy quick snacks

2010-06-05T14:58:00.013-04:00

Frozen bananas with peanut butter. This is one of my favorite night-time snacks. Frozen bananas taste remarkably like ice cream! I usually add some plain yogurt for a creamy kick as well. Sometimes I will add in some granola and/or coconut flakes to give it a crunch. Or some nutella or chocolate chips to satisfy a chocolate craving!

Tortilla pizzas -- When I make tortillas, I triple the recipe so I have enough for a month or two. So we always have tortillas on hand.

home-made crackers

mini-muffins
breakfast cookies

home-made granola
Home-made "power bars"

Coconut oil chocolate candy (a great way to get more coconut oil into them!)

Homemade cereal

soaked and dehydrated almonds
soaked and dehydrated pecans

Home-made cliff bars

egg and bacon muffins

smoothy popsicles -- I make a super healthy smoothy with coconut milk, frozen fruit, raw honey, and other favorites and freeze it into popsicle molds for a quick, healthy treat
cheese chunks, raw if possible!-- if I am doing "snacks for lunch" I always include cheese to make sure my girls get plenty of dairy and protein!
raisins
grapes, apple slices, banana, and other fruit, often with sunflower butter
frozen blueberries (very messy, though, so not good for the car! But they are my girls' absolute favorite and we always keep some in the freezer for a quick fix for teething and busted lips :)
frozen peas
dehydrated, unsweetened coconut flakes
cut up dates, often with sunflower butter on them
black beans (my girls will eat them cold! But they stain as well, so be careful!)
cooked brown rice pasta (yes, they will eat that cold, as well :)
applesauce -- if you don't make your own, then please buy the unsweetened kind so you aren't giving your kids HFCS!!! The "original" kind is full of HFCS!
yogurt -- if you don't make your own, then try to get plain (unflavored) full-fat yogurt. It can be hard to find. When we are on the road, we get Fage Greek yogurt for the girls or Organic Stonyfield plain with the cream on top.

This post is a part of Kelly's Korner SUYL!

May Microwave Challenge Results

2010-06-01T21:04:00.002-04:00

This was undoubtedly a challenge worth having! It took a bit of experimenting, but my husband and I quickly agreed that the food tasted so much better when it was not reheated in the microwave. But I know that what you really want to know is if I could actually go a month without using the microwave. And the answer is YES! (Except for the last three days of May when we were at the beach and didn't have a toaster oven and I didn't want to waste my hosts' electricity by warming up a few leftovers in the big oven.)

Yes, I do plan to leave my microwave barren for all eternity. (Not that I think that using a microwave is a dreadful sin, but with me, it has to be all or nothing or I will end up back where I started: using the microwave for everything!) It definitely takes more planning and a little creativity, but I know that our food will be a lot healthier and better tasting.

What I learned through this challenge:

*I used my toaster oven mainly for breads (pizza, muffins, pancakes, etc) and some chicken dishes (Monteray Chicken) and I used my stove-top for almost everything else.

*Soups, meatballs in sauce, etc. actually warm up faster on the stove-top than they do in the microwave

* A lot of leftovers needed a little bit of liquid to help them warm up better on the stove. I added some milk and butter to my baked oatmeal before heating it on the stove and it was so good! My chicken/quinoa/beans meal was great with a little bit of chicken broth. With casseroles that might be too dry, I just added chicken broth, milk, or marinara sauce (depending on the dish) and made them into a soup because my girls LOVE soup for some reason. But even if you aren't crazy about soup, a tiny bit of extra liquid would probably help the end result without being soupy. A couple times I just added the chicken broth for cooking and moisture, but used a slotted spoon to get the food out because my husband isn't as crazy about soups :)

* My husband absolutely LOVED muffins in the toaster oven -- it made them a little crispy around the edges, but soft on the inside. He also especially loved the pizza warmed in the toaster oven.

* The stove-top was definitely faster than the toaster oven for almost everything I tried. (Other than breads; we always used the toaster oven for breads.)

My new favorite simple snack

2010-05-29T15:42:00.004-04:00

I don't have all the ingredients for my favorite power bars , so I've just been eating nut-butter on dates. Any nut-butter will do, although my favorite is sunflower butter. The dates have a perfect little hole for the nut-butter after taking the pit out, and the nut butter gives a salty contrast to the sweet date. My girls love it, too, although I have to admit it is a messy snack for them :)

May Real Food link love

2010-05-28T13:51:00.003-04:00

Here are some blog posts I've been enjoying lately :

Donielle's quick explanation of why "butter is better!"

Katie's easy tutorial on making "crispy nuts"

Lindsay's awesome explanation on "Adapting Your Recipes for Soaking." This post has helped me a lot!

Organic is only part of the story... a great synopsis of why you can't think something is healthy just because it is organic. This post tells you other things you need to watch out for when buying food!

10 Reasons NOT to Give Up Red Meat

The Right Way to Feed Babies

Common Myths About Food and Nutrition

My adventures in corn: Polenta and Cornbread

2010-05-25T22:29:00.003-04:00

To be honest, I try not to cook corn for my family too often because I know it is in absolutely everything we eat -- even if you don't see it on a label, you can be sure that it is there. It has not only been fed to our cows and chickens, but is added to every single processed food that exists. (Try to find something in the store that doesn't contain HFCS, starch, glucose syrup, maltodextrin, ascorbic acid, crystalline fructose, lecithin, dextrose, lactic acid, MSG, caramel color, xanthan gum, and the list goes on and on.) Even though we try not to eat processed food, I figure we really don't need any more. Plus, if I don't want to pay extra for organic corn, I will be eating GMO junk. So I don't usually buy it. But my husband absolutely LOVES his tortilla chips and cornbread. So I figured that I needed to figure out how to make it a little more healthy...

The polenta was yummy and flavorful, but my husband, who is particular about texture, didn't like the texture. He said it tasted good, but he just doesn't like polenta in general. The cornbread was a huge hit! He said it reminded him of the sweet and soft cornbread at K & W cafeteria :) My girls also could not get enough of it. (Note: I used polenta corn meal for both recipes simply because it was what I had in my pantry :)

Corn is different from most grains because it requires a double-soaking step in order to be healthy. Please read Kimi's excellent post on why nixtamalization is important! Don't be deterred by the extra steps, though. They really only take a few minutes and are very simple!

Step 1: Make lime water:
Lime water is from made from Pickling Lime ( calcium hydroxide). You can buy it here and other places on the net. To make, very carefully spoon about an inch worth of lime onto the bottom of a 2 quart size mason jar. Then fill with filtered water and stir. Let this settle for about 12 hours or overnight. After everything settles back down, the clear water left on the top is the lime water (don’t stir the pickling lime back in! It’s supposed to fall to the bottom). If any gets on your hands, wash right away because it can be very irritating to your skin, and keep both the water and the pickling lime away from children. Store in a cool place.

For Polenta: (I used Kimi's recipe)

1/4 cup of raw apple cider vinegar (this is what I used) or lemon juice, whey, buttermilk, yogurt,.

2-3 teaspoons of sea salt
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil.
8 cups of water, chicken broth, or a combination of both

1-Carefully measure out one cup of lime water, avoiding contact with skin as it can be irritating. Mix with the polenta in a medium size bowl. Let sit at room temperature, covered, for about 7 hours. Then add the 1/4 cup of vinegar or other acidic choice. Now leave for 12-24 hours. You can start this the morning before you want to make this for dinner, to leave plenty of soaking time.

2-When you are ready to cook it up, in a large pot, heat your butter or olive oil. When hot, add your chopped onion. Cook and stir for a few minutes then add 6 cups of the water/broth and salt. Place the lid on and bring to a boil. Meanwhile add two cups of water/broth to the polenta mixture and stir to combine.

3-When the liquid is hot, add the polenta mixture to it, and bring back to a boil, making sure to stir. Lower the heat and keep the polenta at a low simmer. Now it’s just a matter of time. Remember to keep stirring every few minutes (if you want to not have to worry about stirring so often, see this method. I decided against it because our “stainless steel” pans are cheap and things stick too easily to it). Cook and stir every once in a while for about 45 minutes. While this cooks, I make my sauce, and side dishes (salad, roasted veggies that sort of thing). By the time the polenta is done, I have everything else ready as well.

4-As you near the end of the cooking time it will start to thicken a lot more, you may need to stir more often to prevent cooking. When it is getting quite thick and harder to stir you know it’s done. 45 minutes worked great for us. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Then ladle into bowls. I like to let it to sit for about 5 minutes again at this point as it starts to firm up the more you let it sit. Then ladle your choice of toppings over it and enjoy!

Here are the recipes and our reviews:

For Double-Soaked Cornbread (adapted from Kitchen Stewardship)

Step 1: Soak 1 cup cornmeal in 1/2 cup lime water: Carefully measure out 1/2 cup of lime water, avoiding contact with skin as it can be irritating. Mix with the cornmeal in a medium size bowl. Let sit at room temperature, covered, for about 7 hours.

Ingredients:
1 c. soaked cornmeal (make sure it’s not “degerminated”)
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbs. honey
2 beaten eggs
1 c. milk (see below to use yogurt or buttermilk)
¼ c. melted coconut oil or butter

Directions: Mix together soaked cornmeal and flour with buttermilk and/or yogurt to equal one cup. Soak at room temperature overnight, then add baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, honey and coconut oil or butter at baking time. Be careful to stir the baking powder, soda and salt in evenly. You can melt the coconut oil or butter in the 8×8 pan in the oven as it preheats. Pour into greased pan and bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve hot. Store leftovers in fridge.

Meg's Favorite Recipes

Frittata with apples, eggs, meat, and cheese

nutbutter cereal

Delicious, quick, and easy chicken lazone!

Ingredients

Directions

New Favorite Breakfast Recipe: Farmer's Hash

January meal plan

Barbecue chicken soup -- a winner!

Better than Campbells Creamy Tomato Soup!

New Favorite Recipe: Honey Lime Enchiladas

Twice Baked Butternut Squash

Directions

October Meal Plan

chicken grilling packets with lime and cilantro marinade

Our Favorite Breakfasts!

Healthy Fudgesicles!

August meal plan!

Healthy and Frugal Dinner: Black Bean Salsa

Homemade "Cream of... Soup"

Recipe Review: Cheeseburger zucchini Boats

Whole grain choc chip cookies (that are actually yummy!)

Great article on feeding babies!

Best Chicken Parmesan Ever!

kefir lemonade update -- My husband kicked the sodas!

Recipe Review: Zucchini Chips

Zucchini Chips

Ingredients

Directions

Great article!

Onion Soup Mix Recipe

Cinn-Raisin Quinoa Pancakes

July Meal Plan

A Fabulous Free E-Book on How to Use Herbs!

Foodie/ Nutrition Link Love

A new favorite drink: Water Keifer Lemonade!

Healthy Chocolate Candy

Egg and bacon muffins -- a new favorite breakfast!

Two Week Meal Plan 6/1/11

Quick Farmer's Market sausage skillet

Great Article on Traditional Remedies for Illnesses!

New Favorite Recipe: Sausage Pasta Presto

Recipe Review: Coconut Rice and Beans and More

Baby Steps to Eating Healthy

Delicious taquita soup

Recipe Review: Cilantro LIme Chicken

Healthy Cooking oils

Summary

2-week meal plan

Food I've enjoyed lately...

New Recipe Review: Garlic Carrot Potatoes

Recipe Review: Chicken Fried Steak

A good use for old muffins...

Back in the Game :)

A New Favorite Taco Soup!

Real Food Link Love

Delicious Blueberry or Banana bread/muffins

Grain free Coconut Cookies

Time-Saving Spice Mixes I Keep on Hand

Nutritional/Cooking goals for 2011

Last Year's Goals -- how did I do?

More Real Food Link Love

368 Wholesome Recipes

meal plan Nov. 15

My Pumpkin Experiments :)

10/24/10 2 weeek meal plan

Hollie's Pinwheel Chicken

Home-made Tomato Soup

Which pumpkin?

Real food/nutrtion/health link love

Creamy Chicken Divane Soup

Butternut Squash Fries

Creamy Ranchy Dressing

2-week meal plan October 3

Crock pot pumpkin apple butter! (No peeling!)

Healthy and Yummy Pumpkin Pancakes!

Stuffed Peppers With a Mexican Flair

Taco Seasoning Mix

Yummy strawberry or peach bread!

Easy raspberry or chocolate swirl cheesecake