Kitchen Happenings

So what's been going on in my kitchen lately? I actually took some pictures last night!!

We had homemade chicken noodle soup- super for immune boosting.




And delicious whole milk yogurt topped with this berry sauce- raspberries, blueberries and blackberries sweetened with sucanat and thickened with arrowroot powder.




Here's my brewing cupboard- an every growing kombucha mushroom that I need to pull out of there and make a new batch of! And a jar of kefir, almost ready to refrigerate.



I have 2 cups of steel cut Scottish Oatmeal soaking in water and whey for today's breakfast. Yum. No comparison to regular rolled oats.




Here are my herbal brews! I finally got them going! I have two large jars of immune booster and 1 of sleepy time. I'll give the recipes later.



I also made a large pitcher of herbal tea since the tinctures aren't ready yet. This is a mix of elderberries, echinacea tops and roots, yarrow, mullein and catnip. I HIGHLY recommend buying herbs from www.bulkherbstore.com You get a LOT of herbs for the price. I was absolutely floored when I saw how much I got in each bag!!!


And here is a kitchen tip. When I open a bag that doesn't have resealable thingie, I use clothespins! Works great- much better than the little twist ties and cheaper than buying 'Chip Clips'. I do also save the twisties from bread packages as well.


And I must close the post with a baby picture :)



And maybe another....

Healthy and tasty Bread, plus other stuff

I am so excited! Yesterday I experimented with making 100% whole wheat bread and it turned out perfect! I tried it last week, but used the bread machine to mix it, and it turned into a brick :(

I got the original recipe from Heavenly Homemakers blog. Here is the original:

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

6 cups whole wheat flour, divided
1 ¾ cups warm water, divided
1/3 cup honey
1 pkg. active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
1 t. sea salt
3 T. melted butter

You soak half the flour in almost all the water for 30 minutes, activate the yeast in the rest of the water, then combine all ingredients, adding the rest of the flour to get a good dough, then knead till smooth and elastic, set to rise for an hour or so. You know how to do bread, most everyone I think.

Well, if you know me, you know I altered the recipe, of course :)

I didn't have honey, so I substituted molasses. I upped the salt to 1 Tablespoon, upped the yeast to 1 Tablespoon, added 1 T wheat gluten and 1 T soy lecithin, and while I was adding the rest of the flour to make a dough, Samantha woke up wanting to eat, so I tried entertaining her in the bouncy seat while I hurriedly kneaded the dough. Finally she wasn't waiting any longer so I just covered it and left it. After about 1.5 hours, it had risen, but I had to go somewhere. So I punched it down,kneaded it better this time, made into a pretty ball, put it back in the bowl and covered it, then stuck in the fridge. When I got back and hour later, it had risen perfectly. I shaped it into loaves, put them in oiled pans and let rise, almost 2 hours till risen enough.

It baked up nicely, not too high, and it's soft and the crumb is nice and even all throughout the loaf. By the way, the soy lecithin helps keep the bread soft, like storebought bread soft, and is a natural dough conditioner. The gluten helps the whole wheat rise better. Oh and the pre-soaking of flour also activates and breaks down the gluten.

So, to recap the recipe:

6 cups whole wheat flour

1-2 cups water, I had to use more

1/4 cup honey or molasses

1 T sea salt

1 T wheat gluten (I'll add more next time, but that was all that was left)

1 T soy lecithin

1 T yeast

3 T butter, melted

Soak cups flour in 1.5 cups ore more of warm water. Let sit for 3o minutes. Combine remaining water, sweetener and yeast and allow to stand 5-10 minutes or until foamy. Melt the butter, and add it along with the lecithin and salt to liquids, then add to soaking flour. Sprinkle on the gluten and add enough flour to create a soft dough. Knead 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic, cover and let rise till doubled in size.

Punch down dough, knead a few minutes, shape into ball, allow to rise again till doubled.

Butter/oil two loaf pans. Shape dough into loaves, put in pans and allow to rise until the top of dough is level or slightly above loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees 30-35 minutes.

Cool, then slice. I wrap one loaf in plastic wrap and freeze it and keep the other out.

Because it takes awhile to rise, the prolonged soaking time helps to break down the whole grain and make the nutrients more available. If I used buttermilk or something similar, that would make it even more nutritious.

Let me tell ya, I have made so many whole wheat bricks in my past I could fill the deep freezer! Dough enhancers are awesome!

I am still struggling with organization. I am backed up on the laundry again and the floors are looking pretty sad. Yes, I put baking above cleaning. But it makes me feel good, and it's productive. I'll get to it :)

I haven't started my eating plan yet. I've barely had time to read the book since my husband has been working late so much, there's no extra hands to help with other stuff.

Alright, since I can't help but be real and honest on my blog, there is something going on. Sunday we prayed over the baby, as it appeared she had reflux. She started doing better. Well, on Tuesday I noticed her not wanting to eat and it was really a struggle to get more than 2 oz of milk down her gullet. So, I decided to call the doctor and let him know how the soy stuff went and how she was doing. He felt we should try zantac.

So, here's the deal, I am sitting in the chair trying to feed her and she's resisting it. In my heart, I just felt I should do what the doctor says and am at peace about it. I called my husband and we both agreed to give her the medicine. At least then we would know for sure.

Did God fail us? Hardly. Sometimes when we are standing and believing on several things, we get stretched thin, and it's hard to remain strong. In this instance, God wants us to use medicine. We're fine with that. When my husband was sick, he used medicine while we were believing for his healing. Using medicine isn't in place of the healing, in some instances, it's the catalyst to healing. There are Christian doctors out there (which hers is an awesome one) that God uses to help people. A lady at church was diagnosed with advanced cancer. Her and her husband prayed about the right course of action, and God told them to do the treatments. She did and at first was very ill, but then it got better and better and finally it was gone. But they stood firm on what they were led to do by the Lord. It's not always the same every time.

So, I also felt totally released in my spirit from making her formula. Before I felt like it was so vital and that if I didn't do it I was a bad mom. But, that moment, I instantly felt calm and that it would be fine.

Samantha is taking 1ml of zantac three times a day, is using Carnation good start formula with probiotics, the Dr. Brown bottles and rice cereal twice a day. (to weight the formula and help it not slosh in her belly) She spends a lot of time upright- in the bouncy seats, the swing, the carseat and we elevated the mattress in her cradle. She is happy and smiley and adorable. She has days where she's really hungry and times when not interested. I just monitor how much she eats in a day, and if we're lacking, I spoon feed some cereal and sometimes she'll want the rest of the bottle. It may take a few weeks for the zantac to work- it helps the acid from coming up into her esophagus and keep the sphincter closed so it isn't coming back into her throat.

So, there ya go. I might get a lot of flack for one, not breastfeeding for long, and 2, for giving medicine, and 3, for feeding solids early. Do not judge lest you be judged is all I have to say :-) You gotta do what works, even if it isn't popluar.

How to stretch a tough piece of meat

Before I had the baby, I thought I was getting a great deal on some roasts. It was buy one get one for 1 penny! Who could resist that? The first one I did in the crockpot with the traditional onions, carrots and potatoes. A little tough much....

So, I finally defrosted the other one this week to do something with. I was going to cut it up and do beef stew or stroganoff, but I just really wanted something different. Then I remembered when I did the Jewish Feast meal at my church, the first time, I used beef instead of lamb because I couldn't get it, and did a middle east spice rub. Hmmm, that sounds interesting. That's what I did and it was yummy!

Here's the recipe:

Blend together approximately a tablespoon of garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, a splash of cayenne pepper, powdered ginger, 1/2 t cinnamon and I guess that's it. Rub on the meat, heat a large pot on medium high, add 3 T olive oil and sear meat on both sides.

Chop some onions and carrots while the meat is searing, then add to the pan. Dice about 1/3c dried apricots and add that to the pot with a handful of golden raisins. Add enough liquid to come up half way up the meat. I used a combo of water and chicken stock that I had. Cover and simmer a few hours. Since this meat was so tough I sliced it after awhile and then added it back to the pot to simmer until it would shred easily with a fork. We ate this on brown rice garnished with chopped cilantro.

So, this was so good I ate just meat when the rice was gone :) Anyways, there was still a good bit of meat left, around 2 cups, and I decided it would work well for chili. I had frozen cooked beans in the freezer and a brand new container of chili powder, why not?

This morning I chopped more onions and some bell pepper, threw that in the pot with extra garlic powder, cumin and chili powder, then added 1 small can of tomato paste and probably two cups of cooked pinto beans. Then I added the liquid- water and chicken stock and started cooking it. I just had a taste and it was really good. I will serve it with sour cream, cheese, chopped tomatoes and avocado and tortilla chips.

On another note, I was super woman this morning! I cleaned the ENTIRE house- not just basics- the dusting, windex, vacuum all rooms, sweep and mop all hard floors, bathrooms, trash, changed sheets/bedding, refilled soap dispensers, bleached the kitchen sink, AND, did kid laundry AND baked cookies. Oh, that includes the usual make beds, tidy up, give Sarah a bath because she covered herself in diaper rash cream and feed baby Samantha several times. Wow- amazing what some coffee and a vitamin and a real breakfast will do. Well, honestly, it was God, because it's a miracle.

Samantha slept all night Tuesday! She went from 11pm to 6am without feeding! She did wake up last night, but I couldn't get her to take a full feeding at 10:30, so that could be why. Sure was nice to have continuous sleep.

Sorry there are no pictures- I didn't think of writing this post until after I started the chili. Maybe I can take one later...don't hold yer breath!

My Easiest Meal

I'm sure we all have those quick, no brainer back up meals for when we just can't think of what to make for dinner. For me, cooking used to be a joy. Now I have to figure out how to cook foods my whole family will really enjoy, as some are a little picky. And honestly, I just haven't been all that interested...too many other things going on :)

One meal we all love, especially the pickiest one, is this:

bbq chicken drumsticks
oven fries
raw veggies


All I do is lay the chicken on a sheet pan, salt and pepper it, put it in the oven on 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Then I start basting them with prepared bbq sauce- 10 minutes later it's done.

For the fries I scrub several potatoes- 5 good sized ones. Then I cut them in half long ways, then slice those into planks, then into sticks. Lay them on another sheet pan, salt and pepper and I add garlic powder, toss with olive oil, and slide into oven on same temp. for 30 minutes or until crispy and partially browned.

Raw veggies- this is usually cole slaw, but the cabbages at the grocery store looked terrible. Since I have an abundance of fresh tomatoes, I sliced two big ones. That's it. Everyone had seconds.

I even made a dessert. I sliced strawberries and some ripe peaches and tossed with a few tablespoons of sugar. I let that sit an hour or so. When time to serve, I took my homemade creme fraiche, mixed it with some honey and vanilla extract, and added a dollop on top of each serving of fruit. YUM!!!

Iced Punkin' Cookies

These were just fabulous if I do say so myself, and I even altered the ingredients. The 'cookies' are more like cake in texture, however the dough retains its shape, so it isn't going to spread out on the cookie sheet. I used a 2T sized ice cream scoop to portion mine out.

Pumpkin Cookies

2.5 cups flour- I used 1 cup unbleached all purpose and 1.5 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1.5 cups sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown and 1/2 cup white)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup pumpkin, canned
1 large egg
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease baking sheets.

Combine all the dry ingredients and spices in a medium bowl. Cream together the butter and sugar until well blended and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. (this didn't really smooth out for me) Gradually beat in flour mixture, then drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets. Bake 15-18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool.

Now, the recipe calls for powdered sugar glaze, but I kicked it up a bit with buttercream. I didn't have a recipe, I just threw it together.

Vanilla Buttercream
1 stick of softened butter
Approx. 1 cup of powdered sugar
1 t vanilla or more depending on preference
2-3 T milk

Just beat the butter until creamy, add sugar in small bits, like 1/4 cup at a time. Add extract and watch for the texture to be just right. I started with 1/2 cup sugar, but it wasn't enough so I added more, then it was dry, so I added some milk etc. Then I tasted it and when it was sweet, but not pure sugar, I stopped beating it. Spread on cooked cookies. Dee-lish!


I make an 'unhealthy' dessert about once a week or less, but this is partly whole grain and I reduced the sugar some, so it wasn't too awful. Not to mention I used real food ingredients instead of mixes. These were great with a glass of milk or coffee.

Let's talk potato salad

I really need to get some pictures of things up here. I'm just being lazy about it. For one, I must show off the most amazing pumpkin cookies I made- wow! They're like little cakes with their tops loaded with buttercream frosting. Next I need to show off the ultra girly dresses I am sewing for the kids- they are super excited about them too.

And last I wanted to talk about potato salad. Yes, potatoes.

Apparently, potato salad comes in various forms, and everyone seems to feel it needs to be done their way or the way their mamas made it. Now down here in the South, or at least in my part of it, potato salad is not chunky. It's like mashed potatoes almost.

My mom makes the best and it consists of: russet potatoes, cooked and smashed, mayo, mustard, sweet pickle relish, chopped onion and celery, chopped boiled eggs and the top MUST be dusted with paprika. I add a bit of apple cider vinegar and dried dill to mine.



Now my husband grew up on 'Yankee' potato salad. My mother-in-law has a specific art to it. First, you boil the potatoes whole in their skins till tender. Then you peel and dice them, leaving them in cubes. She uses mayo, diced celery and cucumber, boiled eggs and I'm not sure what else. It's been awhile since she made it around me.

One time she made hers and I made mine at the same meal. They were both tasty, but guess which one got eaten first....mine :) Hers looked prettier though.

Either way, I love potato salad and should make it more often. Just lazy at times. But today I made BIG bowl of it for tonight and tomorrow's dinner. My family loves it as well...I'll be sure to snap a picture before we dive into it...maybe...

So, how do you make your tater salad?

My toothpaste

For several weeks now, my husband and I have abandoned regular toothpaste. I noticed that I had a build up of plaque on the insides of the bottom of my teeth. I don't really have money or time to go to a dentist to scrape it off, so I hit the internet.

I found out that common household ingredients can clean as well as heal your teeth better than anything else. So, I mixed up baking soda, salt and some drops of peppermint oil and started using that. I sometimes dip my toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide before I dip it in the baking soda mix and brush. It's slightly unpleasant, but not real bad. Anyways, my teeth are cleaner and some painful nerve sensitivities are now gone. I haven't checked the plaque situation lately, but I will keep doing this and see how it works.

I got all my information here.

Now, if I could just get the kids to go for it...

My new favorite drink and some recipes

Can you guess what this is??

This is called Thai Iced tea, er, well my version of it. I first heard about it here and was interested so I did some research on it. It's basically regular black tea steeped with spices- cinnamon, star anise and vanilla. Then you sweeten it, pour it on ice and top with half and half or sweetened condensed milk. (I also used milk and heavy cream)

What I did:

8 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 t fennel seeds
4-5 allspice berries
3 regular sized tea bags
3/4 cup sugar-I used a natural one
vanilla extract

I heated the water to a boil in a large saucepan, then added the tea and spices. I put the seeds in a metal tea ball strainer thingie. I let it steep 30 minutes. Then I took the tea bags out and reheated the liquid so the sugar would dissolve. Then you're supposed to cool it, but I just pour it over the ice warm. Next you just drip-drop the milk/cream whatever on the top and let it swirl down. At first I wasn't sure about the taste, so I put everything back in the pot and let it steep longer and added more sweetener. (I only let it go 15 minutes the first time) Then it was GOOD! Seriously, I drank a quart of it in one afternoon. My dinner guests liked it as well.


Also, I served a simple yet delicious dinner to my guests. I had originally planned to make a spicy pumpkin soup, but since I didn't know them well or their tastes, I decided to something else. I made Porkchops Pizzaola with polenta, Caprese salad (tomato-basil-mozzarella), our guest brought garlic bread, I had loads of radishes to mess with and I made some sauteed ones, and panna cotta with black berries.

Ok, the pork chops. I'll start by saying I don't cook much pork anymore. There was a time where I couldn't eat it at all without getting sick-neither could dh. But as we've been eating lots of probiotics, coconut oil and doing bowel cleanses, we can tolerate it very well now. I bought the family pack of HUGE pork chops for around $10.

In a large pot heat some olive oil on medium-high heat. Season meat with salt and pepper and sear in the hot pan on both sides. (I did this in batches because mine were so big) After all the chops are done, put them in a large glass baking pan (9x13). In the same pan add 1 medium-large onion, sliced. When softened add 1 large can crushed tomatoes, 1 regular can of diced tomatoes, 1 T herb de provence, 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer 10-15 minutes.

Then I poured the sauce all over the chops and covered the pan. I had the oven on 325 and stuck them in there for a few hours, however you could do it at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time- I was just making it ahead of time and allowing to sit in the oven till time to eat.

Polenta is basically just cooked cornmeal- three parts water to 1 part cornmeal. Then you stir it on low heat for awhile and add in the goodies. I usually do butter, cream and parmesan cheese. You can serve it creamy or spread it in a pan and let cool, then cut into shapes and fry it. I served the meat and sauce on top of the polenta.


I also wanted to include this one. My family loves my chicken noodle soup. It's very simple and easy, and nothing amazing, but since they like it so much I thought I would post it. I find that it's easier and tastier to use a leftover roasted chicken carcass with a little meat left on it than putting a whole raw chicken in a pot to make the broth. This is what I do:

Put the leftover chicken in a pot and cover with water. Simmer with the lid on for at least an hour. Then I take the chicken and bones out to cool. Next I add a bay leaf, some herbs and salt, and start adding chopped carrots, onion and celery. I use two medium size carrots and two large stalks of celery and half a medium sized onion. While the vegetables are cooking I start picking off the chicken meat and usually after I'm done with that, the veggies are getting soft and I add the chicken and noodles to the pot. When the noodles are cooked through I add about 1/2 cup of cream and taste for seasoning. Done. Saturday we ate this with saltine crackers and leftover tomato basil salad. My husband said I could bottle it and sell it :) I think the flavor from the roasted chicken and the cream is what makes it so yummy.

And it's cheap!

Yesterday's Frugal Meal

Yesterday's dinner was very frugal- for us. I already had everything on hand, which is why I ended up making the meal in the first place. Normally the sweet bell peppers aren't cheap, but they were on sale last week when I bought some. I also have a HUGE basil bush growing in my flower bed. I always keep coconut milk in my pantry as well. The two things I went to the store for were cilantro and ginger root.

This soup is so easy to make once you've prepped the ingredients. It's also very nourishing.

Chicken Coconut soup, adapted from the coconut soup recipe in Nourishing Traditions

Approximately 2-3 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
1.5 cups brown rice
3 cloves garlic
1 inch grated ginger root
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, cut in bite size pieces


Obviously, the easy thing to do is put a whole chicken in a stock pot, add a couple of carrots and celery stalks, some garlic cloves, bay leaves and some salt and fill the whole pot with water- then simmer on the stove top at least 6 hours, and up to 24 or more hours.

Then you have loads of healthy and nourishing chicken stock and cooked chicken meat. The rest of the soup is easy now.

Ok, so put the stock in a pot. Add the rice and everything but the chicken and cilantro. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then turn down to a slow simmer. Allow to cook until rice is tender, then add chicken and cilantro and seasonings. Done.


I also made some sandwiches to go with it. I got the idea here, and just adjusted the recipe to what we had on hand.

Roasted veggie Sandwiches

2-3 bell peppers, any color, I used a yellow and two half green/half red ones from the garden
1 zucchini
1 onion- yellow one

Slice the peppers into strips, the zucchini into discs and the onion into chunks. Place on a baking sheet and douse heavily with balsamic vinegar. Let marinate 30 minutes. Preheat the broiler to 400 degrees. Sprinkle salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil on the veggies, then mix together. Broil 15 minutes, checking often that they don't burn. You might need longer or less time.

Next you need 1/3 cup mayonnaise (I use Helmans'), 4-5 leaves of fresh basil, finely chopped, one clove of garlic minced and some salt to taste. Mix everything together. Toast some whole wheat buns, spread with mayo and pile the veggies on top. This was so good- the flavors go really well together. My husband loved it. I am actually planning to make them again on Friday- they were that good!

Cultured Vegetables

In the olden days, when there wasn't mason jars and canners or refrigerators, people had to find a way to preserve food. Probably what they didn't realize completely, is that the method they used, which was fermentation, was very life giving. Raw veggies and fruits contain tons of natural good bacteria, or probiotics. (pro- good, biotic-life) They were literally eating living foods!

Since the industrialization of America, we have abandoned these practices and it's cost us in our health. When the vegetables are fermented, the lactobacilli break down the veggies and make them more digestible and the nutrients are more available to the body.

Ok, so I have never like sauerkraut- ever. I'm not a fan of sour tasting foods, however, I wanted to give it a try because of the health giving properties of natural, homemade fermented vegetables. I've made 4 batches of different fermented vegetables, and they came out ok except for one. I didn't put enough liquid in it and it went bad. So I was looking for some new recipes on the internet and came across the one I posted on Friday. So here is my set up:

So I had carrots, red and green cabbage, onions, garlic and fresh herbs that you can't see. Notice the coffee...

So I started off with the food processor. It has a chip on the lid that's been getting bigger, and it finally just died during this process. So, guess what I had to do? Use a knife and chop it all by hand.

Finally! My arm was sore for two days. The bowl on the left is for the cultured veggies and the one on the right is for coleslaw. Now time to do onions and garlic.

I whack the garlic cloves good with the side of the knife, then peel the skin off and chop it. Next I took out a few cups of the veggies and put it in a large measuring cup with distilled water. I am going to blend this up and add the whey from some kefir as my 'brine' for the veggies. I had to get a stock pot out to mix all the vegetables and herbs together because my bowl wasn't big enough.


Remember these are 'marinara' veggies, so I added fresh basil and dried Italian seasoning/herb de Provence. Mixing it up with my hands...

Ready to blend it up. Notice the mess on my counter top :) I didn't take pictures of how I separated the whey from the kefir. Basically you get a mesh strainer, set it over a bowl, lay a piece of thin tea towel or cheesecloth and pour in the kefir or yogurt. Let it sit several hours till you have a few T of clear whey in the bottom of the bowl.

Then you pack the veggies in the jars. I forgot to sterilize everything, but it's not really necessary. When the jar got half way full I got a wooden spoon and pounded it down until the veggies were packed tight, then I poured in the liquid.

Then I took one of the outer leaves of the cabbage and washed it, then I rolled it and put on top of the veggies to help them stay submerged in the liquid.
Then I put the lids on tight and put them in a dark place. I moved them to the pantry after taking this picture.

Here is what they looked like after three days of fermenting.

The recipe said to let them go for 7 days, but Nourishing Traditions always said 2-4 days, so I did 3.5 days :) I put them in the fridge last night and will taste them in a bit. I will let you know how they are!


*************************************************************************************
I have now tasted the veggies. They are very, er, sharp tasting if that makes sense. The flavors have not fully developed and I probably should have let them sit longer. Since they're in the fridge, I'm not sure if I should just leave them or take them out. I will probably just leave them there for several weeks and taste them again. They'll last many months.

Another budget meal

Yesterday I had scheduled to make a new recipe with a grain called millet. However I forgot to soak the grains the day before and couldn't find a good recipe and just plain got busy. So, I made a different plan. We ate roasted chicken on Wednesday, and after we were done I put the carcass in a stock pot with water and started simmering it that evening, turned it off before bed, then turned it back on the next morning and simmered it all day long.

What was left was about a gallon of chicken broth and some leftover meat. I decided to make a chicken pot pie gravy and serve it on top of biscuits.

Chicken Gravy

1/2 to whole onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
3 T butter
3 T flour
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
herbs for seasoning- I used thyme and herb de provence
frozen green peas
1-2 cups cooked chicken


Melt the butter in a large deep skillet or pot and add the chopped veggies and herbs. When veggies are softened and semi cooked add the flour and cook at least a minute. Slowly add the chicken stock, allowing it to thicken after each addition of liquid. Then add the milk. When it has thickened to your liking, add the chicken and peas. Season with salt and pepper.

Any biscuit recipe will do, but this is what I use.

2 cups flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 T baking powder
1 T sugar
1 stick of butter, or combo of butter and lard
2/3 cup buttermilk (mine is really thick like yogurt since i make it and I add a little milk to moisten it better)


Mix dry ingredients well with fork/spoon/mixer. Cut butter in chunks and cut into flour mixture. When it resembles coarse meal and butter is thoroughly mixed in, add the liquid until you have a slightly sticky dough that pulls together. I just pull off pieces of dough and form it in my hand, then place it in a greased pie plate. I usually get about 8-10 medium/large biscuits. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or lightly browned on top. The homemade buttermilk makes all the difference!


I served this meal with leftover mashed potatoes and a spinach salad that had red onion, carrots and diced apples in it. Then I made a dijon vinegarette(sp?) - 1 t dijon mustard, 1 t honey, 2 T apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper- blend with whisk, then slowly add 3-4T olive oil. Pour on top of salad and toss to coat.

Ever since the spinach contamination back in 2006 I don't buy it very much. I avoided it for so long that I just don't think about buying it anymore! But I really don't have anything to worry about because first of all, we pray over all of our food, and, we eat lots of probiotics that will keep the bad bacterias from hurting us. Apple cider vinegar can kill it too.

***To anonymous, I will take a picture of my 'tater box for you later.

New Bread recipe

I have been loving my sourdough bread. My children however have not. So, last week I happened up on a GREAT bread recipe. I found a dough recipe for cinnamon rolls, and the dough was so easy to handle and work with and tasty that I decided to try to make bread with it, and tweak the ingredients of course :)

While I understand that the health benefits of sourdough far outweight the common yeasted bread, I feel I need to compromise somewhere for the littles. Leiah is in school now and I'm packing her lunches and it's hard to make a normal sandwich with the sourdough bread since it's not as soft as storebought.

So, here are my loaves. I made the dough in the machine and then shaped it myself and baked like regular bread. This bread is 80% whole wheat and 20% unbleached white flour. I used raw honey, real butter, quality salt and bread machine yeast. It is absolutely perfect-in texture, taste and appearance. I will continue to make sourdough bread as well, but we are taking a little break from it for awhile.


I also wanted to add something I discovered. You know how everyone is going on and on about the benefits of fish oil supplements? Well, I've never been good at taking it because of the oily taste and the capsules make you burp which leaves a fish taste in your mouth. But, my husband ordered Carlson's Cod liver oil made and bottled in Norway- big family sized bottle. I watched my little girls take it easily and with a smile. I figured if they do it, mama should too. So I did and both yesterday and today I've felt so good. I haven't had mood swings or that stressed/panicked feeling, I've had lots of energy and an overall sense of wellbeing. That's the only change I made in the last two days. All last week I was worn out and moody and blah. What a difference!!!


Honey Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

Place in this order in bread machine:

1.5 cups of water
2 t salt
1/2 cup butter, softened or melted
1/2 c honey
4.5 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
1 T yeast

Program to dough cycle. When dough is ready, divide in two pieces and shape as desired. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Quick and easy breakfast

When I was little we had to get up very early and go to school early because my mom worked. She would make breakfast around 2 times a week mixed with cereal on the other days. One of my favorite breakfasts was peanut butter toast with syrup. I had forgotten it until recently, and my kids enjoy it too. Plus it's fast and can be healthy depending on what you have on hand.

So, toast some bread. If using storebought bread one slice per child is enough. Then spread with any kind of peanut butter- all natural or whatever. Then cut into bite size pieces. Add syrup of choice or honey. I serve it with banana slices or orange slices and milk to drink.

Yummo.

My Challah bread recipe

The Famous Challah

2.5 cups warm water
1 T yeast
4 T vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1 T salt
2 eggs, beaten
7-8 cups of flour or more

1 egg for wash
seeds for topping- sesame, poppy etc.

Ok, this recipe is not for beginner bread makers. This makes a sticky dough and can be hard to manage. I HATE sticky dough, but the last time I made it I used more flour than recommended and it was much easier to work with.

Put the warm water in a bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Allow to sit a few minutes. Next add oil, honey, salt and eggs and mix well. (I use a mixer or whisk) Do not forget the salt- the bread will taste very bland without it. Start adding flour one cup at a time and mix well. I use unbleached all purpose flour by the way. Soon you'll have to start mixing by hand. What I do, since the dough is very sticky still, is heavily sprinkle it with flour in the bowl, on top of the dough, then coat my hands in flour and pull the dough to the middle whiles scraping the flour down the sides of the bowl to sort of coat the whole thing in flour. That probably doesn't make sense. Work in enough flour till you get a smooth, elastic, slightly sticky dough.

Grease a bowl and the top of the dough and cover with damp cloth. Allow to rise till doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Punch dough down and divide in two parts, shape dough as desired and allow to rise until doubled. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with desired topping. Bake 25-30 minutes, until top is a deep brown and the loaves sound hollow when the bottom is tapped.

That's it.

A note on shaping. Some people will just make a three strand braid, some do four (don't know that one), some make a big three strand braid and smaller one and lay the small one on top of the big one. I've never done that. The six strand looks the neatest and is really fun. I've done it about 20 times now, so it's not a big deal to me, but it was a little tricky at first. However you must remember, it's only bread dough. So what if you mess up? Just keep trying :)

Sourdough bread

Early this morning I got up and tried out Candy's bread recipe again. The last time I didn't have homemade buttermilk and had the Hodgson Mill brand of whole wheat flour. The result wasn't the best :(

So, I planned better this time around. I made my own buttermilk per her instructions so it was ready by yesterday afternoon. Then I took my sourdough starter out an fed it and let it sit overnight last night. I woke up at my usual early time (by myself) and started working on it.

My buttermilk was so thick, like yogurt! I used 3.5 cups of that, 5 cups of starter because mine isn't homemade and is from white flour, so I wanted to use a bit more in case it didn't leaven as quickly as Candy's. I didn't have maple syrup or honey so I used some natural sugar. I kept everything else the same. I ended up just using 8-10 cups of flour- Gold Medal brand whole wheat flour.

I kneaded the dough at least 15 minutes, maybe more, to fully develop the gluten which is what makes a whole wheat bread not taste so heavy. I only made three loaves out of mine since I only have three loaf pans- they'll be big loaves I guess. I put them in buttered pans and covered them with a wet towel. That was at 7am and they are now fully risen at 1:57pm. So, about 6 hrs of rise time. I'm about to bake them and we'll see how it works out.

For anyone not familiar with sourdough, it is so easy to make. And the bread is easy too because there isn't any waiting for the yeast to bloom, you don't have to let the whole batch rise, then shape into loaves, then rise again etc. Most sourdough bread recipes are simply starter, flour, salt, sugar, some butter/fat and water. Very easy and the dough comes together nicely, which is a big plus for me, because I hate sticky dough!! Yuck...

I will do my absolute best to take a picture later, but no promises. I've been awful about picture taking lately, sorry, so busy!!!

*************************************************************************

Ok, here are some pictures. Here are my fully risen loaves.

You've probably read what Candy says about not being able to get all the loaves the same shape. Well, neither can I.

And here are the loaves baked up and sliced. This bread is GREAT!!!!! The key I think is the homemade buttermilk and how you bake it. 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then I did 30 minutes at 325 degreees.

The bread doesn't have a sour taste at all, just yummy all purpose soft bread. I sliced a loaf and put in a plastic gallon baggie, then wrapped the other loaves in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. I think they stay moister if you leave them in whole loaves for the freezer.

So there it is, truly amazing bread. Thanks Candy!

Homemade toothpaste

I made it finally- I've had the recipe for months. My husband and I have been using Uncle Tom's brand of natural toothpaste for a year or so now. So, we are used to the less sweet more baking soda-y taste. To anyone who isn't used to it, it will be quite a change. That toothpaste has gone up and can cost close to $4 per tube. So, I happened on this recipe and just happened to have all the ingredients, so here it is.

2 T virgin coconut oil- has to be the good kind
3 T baking soda
5-8 drops peppermint or spearmint essential oil
pinch of stevia powder or 5-6 drops stevia liquid

(stevia is an herb that is naturally sweet)

Basically you just mix it all together and put in a sealed container. I just dip my toothbrush in it and brush. My teeth feel very smooth after brushing, however I'm told it doesn't totally take away bad breath. Maybe I should add more peppermint...

My husband tried it this morning and he liked it. I may try one for the girls only use some tangerine essential oil and vanilla extract and more stevia. We'll see...

Deodorant recipe coming soon :)
Sorry there are no pictures. I just don't have the time I would like to take and download pictures right now. Maybe in the future I can get some up. There's not really a lot to see on this one.

Excellent and simple dinner

Tonight I made a great dinner. I'm not bragging on myself, really, it's just the recipes are so simple and delicious that anyone could do it. I made a French dish called Cassoulet, and why I've only made it once before now I don't know- I guess I just forgot about it. Anyways, the first time I made it, I used turkey sausage links, chicken tenders and canned beans.

This is the more healthful dinner, just because it has more fat and bone in chicken.

1lb turkey sausage (I use the tube kind in the frozen section)
5-6 chicken thighs (dark meat is essential and thighs are cheap)
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 medium carrots
2 stalks of celery
1 cup dry navy beans
2 chicken bouillon cubes (out of homemade stock, oh well)
1 T Herb d'Provence seasoning Or a mix of dried thyme, basil, bay, sage and rosemary
1 cup white cooking wine
12-24 hrs before cooking time, soak your beans in some water with a couple of tablespoons of whey, buttermilk, kefir, yogurt, lemon juice or vinegar. And hour before you start the main dish, drain the water off the beans, put in saucepan and add enough fresh water to cover. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to simmer and let simmer till beans are tender.

Get a large pot out and heat on medium-high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the pan and the sausage. After it browns, spoon out with slotted spoon. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot. Brown on each side, remove from pan. While meats are cooking chop the veggies into small/medium pieces. Add them to the pot with the herbs and let cook for 5-10 minutes. Next add the wine and let reduce 2-3 minutes. Add the meat, beans, bouillon cubes and 2-3 cups water, enough to just cover everything. Bring to a simmer and let cook till chicken is done. Cover your pot if the mixture is getting dry. I actually added too much water, so we ended up with a lot of juice. This was soooo yummy with the sourdough bread that had just come out of the oven.

Serve your meal with a salad and fresh bread.

Time for dessert!

I have been wanting to try this dessert called panna cotta for a long time. It basically means cooked cream and is quite possibly the most delicious thing I've ever eaten :)

You need

1 cup whole milk
1 T or packet of unflavored gelatin
1 T sugar
1 pinch of salt
3 cups of heavy whipping cream
1/3 c of honey


Put the milk in a medium size saucepan and sprinkle gelatin on top. Let sit for at least 5-10 minutes to dissolve. Turn on the heat to medium and stir often for about 5 minutes. Next add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 5-7 minutes stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. (10-15 minutes) Pour into wine glasses, custard cups or whatever you like. Put in fridge and let sit at least 2 hrs preferably 4-6.

But that's not all. There's a topping.

You need:

1-2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 T sugar
pinch of cracked pepper
2 T balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let sit at room temperature for at least an hour. This is a strange but heavenly combination.

Serve the cream with strawberries on top. This is actually a healthy dessert, and I think I will make it more often :)

Yooper Mac-n-Cheese

For those of you who don't know what I mean by 'Yooper' it's the nickname for those that live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

This dish is my husband's and his brothers' favorite thing their mom made for them. I tried making it once based on dh's description, but of course it didn't turn out quite the same. Later I learned I'd left out a few things. (big surprise) So while we were visiting I watched her make it and made it yesterday. The good points about this dish: it's cheap; can be healthy depending on how you make it; it makes a lot; everyone likes it; it's easy.

Ingredients:

1 pound package or 4 cups regular old elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
3 or more cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c breadcrumbs, seasoned or plain
1 15oz can diced tomatoes and juice
1/2 to 1 whole stick of butter, preferable cold
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Note: the results are much better if you use a deep casserole dish as opposed to a 9x13. The deeper the better- somehow it's cheesier and tastier that way.

Butter the dish you are using and spread a layer of macaroni on top. (approx. 1 cup of macaroni, however I probably did more because I only had room for three layers)
Sprinkle salt and pepper next, then a layer of cheese. Next sprinkle enough breadcrumbs on top for a light coating. Cut the butter into pats, about 1 tsp per piece and layer on top,or you can crumble it all over the top. (works better if the butter is cold) Repeat layers making sure there's plenty of cheese for the top. After putting the butter slices on the last layer, pour the juice from the can of tomatoes all over the top and spread the tomatoes on the very top. I added a bit of salt to them as well. Bake, covered with foil or lid of casserole dish for at least 20 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

If you like lots of tomatoes you could use two cans and layer them with the other ingredients too. I may try this next time. Serve with a green veggie (we did sweet peas) and a fresh apple cake :)

Matt gave his approval of the authenticity of my version of this dish. Glad to know I can make it like his mom did :)

Healthy Cake

I made this cake today and it was great! Unusually it was economical, as I always seem to have a can of coconut milk and overripe bananas on hand. This was the first time I've made a 'Nourishing Traditions' cake before, where you soak the flour for 12-24hrs, then make the rest. It was a very healthy cake and the kids loved it.

My Quick and Easy Meal

I created this meal last spring, that turns out we really like and it's real easy. It's pretty cheap- I figured it for 6 people and it came to $1.09 per person. Our grocery store sells chicken legs at discount, so I can get 8-10 legs for about $3-4 and sometimes even cheaper depending on sales.

Quick and Easy Meal: BBQ chicken legs, cole slaw, corn on the cob

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange chicken on baking dish without the legs touching each other. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and slide into oven. Let cook for 20 minutes.

Fill a saucepan with water and set on medium high heat. Leave that alone.

In a large bowl, mix 3 T apple cider vinegar, 2 T honey, 1/2c mayonaise or more depending on preference, salt and pepper. Whisk it up good, then add cole slaw mix. I generally add extra shredded carrots, but I didn't today. Put in fridge to chill.

Put frozen corn in pot of water. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes till hot all the way through. Take chicken out and baste with storebought bbq sauce. Return to oven for 5 minutes. Take it out again, turn them over, baste liberally, return to oven another 5 minutes. Chicken is now done, serve with extra sauce if desired.


We are having this meal tonight and it certainly is a kid pleaser. One time I had the tiny chicken drummettes and used those for the kids and they loved it!