A Matter of Eating and Drinking

Correction

2011-05-31T22:32:00.001-05:00

I messed up on the Hamburger Rice Casserole recipe. Remove the 2 cups beef stock from the ingredient list. Hope I didn't ruin anyone's supper!

Blog Recommendation

2011-05-31T21:20:00.004-05:00

http://frugalplayground.com/

This blog has a list of all the "kids eat free" nights and lots of ideas for cheap or free entertainment for families in central Iowa. It's just nice to have it bookmarked if you are having one of those days when you think it would be fun to go do something! I can't remember who told me about it; otherwise, I would thank you right now. :)

Pudding

2011-05-25T16:27:00.003-05:00

I found a recipe that I like even better for chocolate pudding here.

(It also has recipes for vanilla and butterscotch, but I haven't tried them.)

I haven't read anything else on this blog, but I do like this recipe! :)

Hamburger Rice Casserole

2011-05-24T20:29:00.003-05:00

A great comfort food and makes a big batch! You may want to cut the recipe in half if you don't like leftovers.

In a pot, brown:
2 lbs hamburger
2 cups onion, finely diced
4 stalks celery, diced

Add and simmer:
2 cups brown rice (measured before cooked), cooked in beef stock or water
sea salt

Add white sauce to pot and mix well. Heat through.

White Sauce:
Melt 3 T butter. Add 3 T arrowroot powder. Whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add 2 cups organic whole milk. Simmer till thick and bubbly.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

2011-03-29T15:10:00.002-05:00

Mmmm! This recipe is adapted from the tea room in Perry, Iowa. It takes a little extra work but you can just throw baked potatoes in the oven with it and have a whole meal! There were also enough leftovers for another meal for our family which is unusual, so I think it was worth the time.

3 cups cooked rice (I used a mixture of rices, including wild rice.)
16 oz. package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup shredded organic cheddar cheese
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms or 2 cans organic mushrooms
2/3 cup mayonnaise (I use Hain's safflower.)
10 3/4 oz. can organic cream of mushroom soup or half-recipe of homemade
1 tsp mustard
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I have used Ezekiel or homemade bread.)
2 T organic butter
parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. In a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan, layer rice, broccoli, chicken, cheese, and mushrooms. In a small bowl, combine mayo, soup, and mustard. Pour over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Saute bread crumbs in butter until crisp. Sprinkle crumbs and parsley over top. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until bubbling hot.

Raw Milk

2011-03-01T08:55:00.002-06:00

If you would like Iowa familes to be able to drink raw milk, please send an email saying so to the following Senate Ag Subcommittee members today! Even better, you can attend the hearing on the raw milk bill tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at 8:00 am in Room 305 at the State Capitol.

thomas.courtney@legis.state.ia.us, sandra.greiner@legis.state.ia.us, tom.hancock@legis.state.ia.us

Peanut Butter Fig Blondies

2011-02-25T11:01:00.002-06:00

I would have never guessed that these would be as good as they are; I was just trying to use up a jumbo bag of figs that I had bought at Costco! This recipe is from What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook.

1 cup dried figs

Dry Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 T oat flour (I put rolled oats through my grain mill.)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
scant 1/4 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup honey and/or real maple syrup (I used a combo.)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 325. Spray an 8 x 8 baking pan.

2. Cut the stems from each fig and cut each into quarters. Place them in a small bowl and cover the figs with very hot tap water. Let them sit for 10 - 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and the wet ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well.

4. Drain the figs, reserving 3 T of the water. Put figs and reserved water into food processor and make a paste. Add to wet ingredients. Mix well.

5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

6. Put batter into pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Hearty Black Bean Soup

2011-02-11T09:27:00.002-06:00

1 lb. nitrate- and nitrite-free organic bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large onions
2 medium carrots, diced small
2 cloves garlic
4 (15-oz.) cans organic black beans, drained
4 cups organic chicken stock
sea salt, to taste
sour cream (optional)
fresh cilantro, diced (optional)

In large pot over medium heat, cook bacon until slightly crisp. Remove excess grease. Add veggies; cook until soft, about 15 - 20 minutes. Add garlic, beans, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro if desired.

This tasted better than I expected it would! :)

Chicken Divan & Homemade Condensed Mushroom Soup

2011-02-07T13:49:00.002-06:00

from my sister Elizabeth Behrens' kitchen

2 or more cups cooked brown rice
2 bunches fresh broccoli, chopped and lightly steamed
2 - 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
cream of mushroom soup (recipe below or sub 2 cans)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 - 2 tsp lemon juice
sea salt
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 - 3/4 cup bread crumbs
butter or oil

Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice, and salt. Keep the mixture relatively thin by adding milk or water.

Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Layer rice, then broccoli, then chicken. Pour soup mixture over layers. Sprinkle cheese on top. Combine crumbs and butter/oil (I sauteed the crumbs IN butter to make them crunchy), and sprinkle over all. Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes or about one hour longer if casserole is coming out of freezer.

Cream of Mushroom Soup (equivalent of 2 cans)

2 T butter
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I used arrowroot to make it thicker, but I should have done half and half or just used wheat. It made it TOO thick.)
1 tsp salt or more
12 fresh mushrooms (I used organic canned.)
2 cups of milk

Heat butter and oil then add flour and salt, whisking briskly. Add mushrooms and cook about a minute. Add milk and stir until thickened.

Fudge Sour Cream Brownies with Fudge Sauce

2011-02-07T13:41:00.003-06:00

2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup real maple syrup
1 1/4 cup quinoa flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 375. Beat egg whites on high until stiff. (Save yolks.) Mix remaining ingredients separately (including yolks) until moist. Gently fold in eggs whites. Put into greased 8 x 8 pan for 30 - 35 minutes or lined muffin tins for 12 - 16 minutes. Top with fudge sauce and/or strawberries if desired.

Fudge Sauce

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
1/3 - 1/2 cup real maple syrup
1 T vanilla
pinch of sea salt
1 cup milk
1 - 2 T arrowroot (to desired thickness)

Place all ingredients in top half of a double boiler. Stir occasionally.

Granola

2010-10-08T10:41:00.005-05:00

With a new baby and homeschooling in session, many mornings require a quicker breakfast option than pancakes and eggs! :) We've been eating toast from homemade bread, sprouted grain (Ezekiel brand) cereals, or homemade granola for breakfast a lot more often lately! I found a link that was helpful and thought I might share it. I love having granola in the house...it makes for a quick breakfast or a great, filling snack. Some days, it's the only thing I can get eaten before supper!

Granola Recipes

I would alter the recipes some so as not to use brown sugar or wheat germ, and I probably wouldn't buy the sweetened foods but it's a good place to start!

My friend Sarah Farnsworth gave me my favorite granola recipe so far...oats, cinnamon (plenty), raisins, raw pumpkin seeds, and a little maple syrup...yum! Thanks, Sarah!

Talerine

2010-07-08T13:11:00.003-05:00

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
6-oz. can tomato paste
14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes (can have seasonings in them)
1 T sea salt
6 oz. brown rice or sprouted grain pasta
10-oz. package frozen corn
1 cup shredded organic cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. In a large pan, brown beef and onion together. Stir in tomato paste, tomatoes, and salt. Add pasta and pour in water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until pasta is slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Drain excess water (not completely), stir in the corn, and transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Fluffy White Frosting

2010-07-08T13:08:00.003-05:00

from the kitchen of my sister Elizabeth

3 egg whites
2/3 cup raw honey
pinch, sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Put first three ingredients into double boiler (or pan placed on top of pan with boiling water in it). Mix with beaters for 7 minutes while water underneath is boiling. Fold in vanilla.

Oatmeal Bars

2010-07-08T12:46:00.002-05:00

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Bars
adapted from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook

1 cup coconut oil (refined if you don't like the coconut flavor)
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 - 1 cup maple syrup (or mix with honey)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups wheat or spelt flour
1/2 cup arrowroot powder (or can sub more wheat/spelt)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
2 cups oats
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Beat coconut oil with molasses and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl. Add vanilla. Combine flours, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to mixing bowl. Add oats, stir, and then add raisins or chips and stir.

Spread onto greased jelly roll pan. Bake for about 14 minutes. Do not overbake.

We have been known to eat these for breakfast too. :)

Chocolate Cake

2010-07-08T12:34:00.004-05:00

This isn't the recipe for chocolate cake, but it's the best I've found so far. I would LOVE to find links to ones you have found (or created!) in the comments! I'll admit that it's difficult to replicate the soft texture of cakes and breads that our white-flour-loving tongues are accustomed to!

Classic Chocolate Layer Cake
The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook

1/2 cup first cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 cup raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups freshly-ground spelt or wheat flour
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup warm organic whole milk or almond milk

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Cover the bottom with a piece of wax or parchment paper to fit and then grease again (optional). Combine oil, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Add eggs and applesauce. Combine flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the bowl, alternately with milk. Beat until completely combined and a little fluffy. Pour into pans and bake about 20 - 25 minutes, until sides are pulling away from pan and top springs back to shape when touched. Do not overcook! Let cool on wire rack 10 - 15 minutes before removing from pans. Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Syrup (not to top the cake but used in frosting recipe)
from tastethedream.com

3/4 cup organic whole milk or unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup nut butter (such as peanut butter)
1/2 - 1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup maple syrup

Mix in blender.

This can be used to top ice cream or any other place you would use chocolate syrup.

Chocolate Frosting
from tastethedream.com

1 recipe Chocolate Syrup (above)
1/4 cup arrowroot powder (or more)
1 cup organic whole milk or unsweetened almond milk

Whisk arrowroot into 1 cup milk in double boiler (or pan sitting on top of pan with boiling water). Pour in chocolate syrup. Heat over medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Frosting will gradually thicken. Allow to cool before using.

Applesauce

2010-04-23T13:02:00.003-05:00

8 medium apples, sliced/cored but unpeeled
1 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup (or less) real maple syrup

Bring apples and water to a boil; simmer uncovered until tender, about 5 - 10 minutes. Do not overcook or they will get mushy! Stir in rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil and stir one minute. Slightly cool and then transfer to food processor. Process until desired consistency. Serve warm or store in fridge or freezer.

Notes: It works great to make a huge batch when apples are cheap, and then put them in freezer-safe ziploc bags to have all winter.

You can peel the apples but it takes longer and removes a lot of the nutritional value of the apple. The food processor does a pretty good job of blending in the peel, but it will taste smoother if they are peeled.

I have heard that you can replace part or all of the water with kombucha, but I've yet to try that.

More Muffins

2010-04-23T12:50:00.002-05:00

Spiced Apple Muffins

Preheat oven to 375. Line 10 muffin tins.

1/2 cup freshly-milled flour (wheat, spelt, or if gluten-free - almond or coconut)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Combine dry ingredients and briskly whisk until all lumps are removed.

Melt together on stovetop (just to warm) then add to dry ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey

Add:

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Whisk until everything is well-combined and then add:

3/4 cup shredded or finely diced unpeeled apples (1 - 2)

Divide into muffin tins and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

"Cornbread" Muffins

1 3/4 cup freshly-milled wheat or spelt
1/2 plus 1/3 cup freshly-milled millet
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup buttermilk, whole milk, or milk substitute (such as almond milk)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey

Preheat oven to 375. Grease or line 18 muffin tins.

In a large bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg, oil, and honey. Stir wet into dry just until evenly moist. Transfer to muffin tins.

Bake for about 12 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. These go well with soup or hearty dishes. They are actually called millet muffins, but I thought they tasted like cornbread. :)

Caramel Rolls

2010-03-10T20:40:00.001-06:00

4 - 4 1/3 cups freshly-milled wheat or spelt
2 1/4 tsp quick-rising yeast
1 cup organic whole milk or unsweetened almond milk
2 T honey
1/3 cup organic butter
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup organic butter
3/4 cup honey, real maple syrup, or combination
3 T organic butter, melted
1/4 cup honey, real maple syrup, or combination
2 tsp cinnamon

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of wheat and yeast; set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat and stir milk, honey, butter, and salt just until warm and butter melts. Add to dry mixture along with eggs. Beat on low to medium for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl. Beat on high for 3 minutes. Mix in remaining wheat. Knead for 3 - 5 minutes. Divide in half and place on lightly floured surface. Let rest for 10 minutes.
2. Melt and combine 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup sweetener in small saucepan. Pour into two 9" round baking pans. Use same pan to melt and combine 3 T butter, 1/4 cup sweetener, and 2 tsp cinnamon.
3. Roll each portion of dough into a 12" x 8" rectangle. Brush with melted mixture (second set melted in pan). Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting from a long side. Seal seam. Slice each roll into 12 equal pieces. Place in prepared pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size.
4. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Immediately invert rolls from pan to serving platter. Best when served on same day, preferably warm.

Chips & Dip Recipes

2010-02-08T13:22:00.004-06:00

We've been buying these tortilla chips from Azure Standard. I used to buy corn tortillas and make homeade tortilla chips by cooking them in olive oil and sea salt, but it's a lot of work to make a good-sized batch!

Here are our current two favorite chip dips...

Spinach Artichoke Dip from What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook

1 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup mayonnaise (such as this one)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (Since it's difficult to find this in organic, I often just buy non-organic.)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1, 14-oz. can of artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
1, 10-oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
3-4 sprigs fresh dill (chopped) or a few shakes of dried dill
1 cup shredded organic mild cheddar cheese

Put garlic, mayo, Parm cheese, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Add artichokes, spinach, and dill. Pulse several times until desired texture. Add cheddar cheese and mix until just combined. Transfer to 8 x 8 or similar-sized pan and bake at 350 degrees or until dip is bubbly. (Broil to brown slightly, if desired.)

Note: I was able to find all the ingredients I needed for this - except for the mayo - from Target.

Warm Taco Dip

1/4 - 1/2 onion, diced small
1 lb. ground beef
1, 16-oz. can organic refried beans
1 - 2 tsp. taco seasoning (such as this one)
2 cups shredded organic cheese
1, 16-oz. container organic sour cream (or less)
shredded or diced lettuce
1, 11-oz. jar salsa

Brown hamburger and onions in large skillet. Stir in beans and taco seasoning until well combined. Spread mix onto 7 x 11 pan or similar. Top with salsa and then cheese. (At this point, you can refrigerate it until you are close to serving time if you want to make it ahead.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Top with lettuce then sour cream.

Optional: You can also top with things like diced tomatoes, green chilies, black olives, and green onion, but I like it simpler!

Note: I was able to find all the ingredients for this at Hy-Vee.

Pregnancy Complication

2010-01-29T13:31:00.001-06:00

Circumstance

Fad Diets vs. Organic Whole Foods

2010-01-19T16:38:00.003-06:00

Fad diets are based on the wisdom of the world. Organic whole foods have been healthful since their creation by our beloved Creator.

Fad diets are 1, 5, or 10 years old. Organic whole foods are 6,000 years old.

Fad diets are found in magazines, newspapers, and on television. Organic whole foods are found in the Bible.

Fad diets are usually focused on glorification of self. Organic whole foods can be focused on glorification of God through good stewardship of our body.

Fad diets involve eating foods (low-fat, low-sodium, low-sugar, low-carb) created or chemically altered by man. Organic whole foods are created by God and sometimes naturally altered by man (such as olive oil and wine).

Fad diets usually fix one problem while making others worse. Organic whole foods bring healing.

But, most important, Jesus died for people who are on fad diets and people who eat organic whole foods and people who could care less about what they eat and people who have nothing to eat. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. Romans 14

How to Savor Vegetables

2010-01-19T15:46:00.003-06:00

In the past, vegetables were something that I steamed fresh or frozen, slapped on some butter and salt, and shoved'em down my throat to check "ate veggies" off my list for the day. As I'm learning more about cooking and vegetables, I actually look forward to eating them! It's all in how they are prepared. Here's a few ways we have enjoyed. It's fun to experiment with different combinations and spices! (You just witnessed me crossing over into cooking geek hood.)

Roasted Veggies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut fresh veggies into squares, rectangles, thin and skinny, or fry shapes - whatever you like. Thin cuts will get crispier. Pour some extra virgin olive oil into the middle of a big jelly roll pan (they are like cookie sheets with short sides). Put the veggies onto the oil and toss to coat then spread into a single layer on the pan. Sprinkle with sea salt. If desired, sprinkle with other spices such as garlic salt, Italian seasonings, lemon pepper, or paprika. (They taste great without extra spices too though.)

Veggie Ideas
Zucchini, Yellow Squash, & Sweet Potatoes (Cut sweet potatoes smaller since they take longer to cook.)
Green Beans & Onions (finely diced)

Make It a Meal
Toss chicken parts, boneless skinless breasts (cut up), or fish pieces in the oil with the veggies and cook together. We often do chicken parts, diced onion, large-diced potatoes, and halved baby carrots.

Sauteed Veggies

Preheat large pan on stove. Put organic butter or extra virgin olive oil in pan (can add more later if veggies are burning or looking dry). Once butter/oil is hot, add veggies and cook until browned and tender. Add sea salt when about a minute left.

Veggie Ideas
Sweet Potatoes (diced small)
Zucchini (cut into rounds, turn once when one side is lightly brown)
Broccoli, Onion (diced), & Garlic (uses more butter/oil, stir often)
Green Beans, Onion (diced), & Garlic
Green Beans, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Tomatoes (diced, a few), Onion, Garlic, Frozen Corn and/or Peas (add toward end) or other crazy mixtures. All the colors make it look fancy when really it's very easy!

Make It a Meal
Whisk organic eggs and a little milk in a bowl and pour over diced sweet potatoes. Tastes better than you think it would!
Add diced, cooked chicken and cooked brown rice to veggies at end for a Chinese-tasting meal.

Foods with Veggies

If you're family needs help adjusting to eating veggies, you may have to get creative for a while. Try making zucchini bread instead of banana bread or carrot muffins instead of blueberry muffins.

There's a lot of recipes that you can simply add more veggies to. For instance, we were going to eat spaghetti one night. I diced onion and finely-chopped broccoli (green pepper would have worked even better) in the pan with the ground beef, then added the pasta sauce. Then, I put a layer of spinach underneath the sprouted grain spaghetti and sauce. No one in my family noticed!

Soup is another food that can handle extra veggies well.

Feel free to share your ideas or favorite veggie prep methods in the comments!

My Most Versatile Recipe

2010-01-06T14:39:00.002-06:00

Oat Squares

This is a recipe that we have used for breakfast bars in the car (yes, a little messy), snacks, and even dessert when eaten warm with cinnamon ice cream (add 1 T cinnamon to vanilla ice cream recipe). It's taken from the book What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook.

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup organic whole milk or almond milk
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup (less if for breakfast, maybe more if dessert)
1 tsp cinnamon (I like more cinnamon.)
heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
1 unpeeled apple

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 pan (or 9 x 13 if making double batch). Mix ingredients, except apple. Chop or shred apple. (I use a mini food-processor.) Mix in. Press oat mixture into pan and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. For on-the-go, put into ziploc bags or saran wrap. The original recipe calls for dates, raisins, pecans, walnuts, and optional dried unsweetened coconut as well, but I like this simple and soft version. If you like nuts, that would be a great way to get protein into them.

My Favorite Desserts

2010-01-06T14:05:00.003-06:00

Brownies

1/2 cup extra virgin first-cold-pressed olive oil
10 T honey (This is a 1/4 cup filled 2 1/2 times.)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 T vanilla

1 cup plus 2 T freshly-milled wheat/spelt or a gluten-free flour combo
2 T arrowroot
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup hot water
2 cups (or less) chocolate chips (homeade or organic - not the healthiest but when eaten with a healthy diet, every once a while is probably not a big deal!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Either line muffin cups, mini-muffin cups (my favorite way!), or grease a pan.

While milling grain into mixing bowl, mix the wet ingredients (except water) together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Whisk dry ingredients together. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Stir in hot water to make a smooth, silky batter. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon into muffin cups or pour into pans. DON'T overbake; leave slightly gooey, will change as they cool. Mini-muffins are pretty quick - maybe 10 minutes or so. Muffins might take more like 15 minutes or so, and I have no idea on a pan version since I haven't tried it before. :) I told you I'm no expert - just learning how to copy the experts! :)

Leave muffins in pans for a few minutes before removing.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

1 cup arrowroot
3/4 cup freshly-milled wheat/spelt or almond flour
2 tsp xantham gum
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

chocolate chips

Put garbanzo beans in food processor until smooth. (It they aren't getting smooth enough, try adding some of the coconut oil.) Add remaining wet ingredients and blend on low until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add wet to dry and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 - 15 minutes. They will be slightly brown on top when done. Let cool on pan for a minute or two before removing.

They do taste a little more cake-like than the cookies you might be used to eating, but they are delicious and no one will know they have beans in them! I love the higher protein content to help keep your blood sugar stabilized when eating dessert!

For cinnamon raisin cookies, add 1-2 tsp cinnamon to dry ingredients and stir in raisins instead of chocolate chips.

Fudge Sour Cream Brownies

2 egg whites (keep yolks)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup real maple syrup (maybe could use honey?)
1 1/4 cup quinoa flour
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 organic sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat egg whites on high until stiff. Mix remaining ingredients (separately) until moist. Gently fold in egg whites. Put into greased 8 x 8 pan or lined muffin tins. Bake pan for 30 - 35 minuts or muffins for 12 - 16 minutes.

News and Praise

2010-01-04T15:06:00.003-06:00

Baby # 4 is on the way! I'm about 6 1/2 weeks pregnant and due around August 27.

I have been praising God for the ways that his created foods have brought healing to my body, and this pregnancy is one way I've seen his wonderful design.

In my previous three pregnancies, I was on either Unisom (over-the-counter drug) or Zofran (prescription drug) for the entire nine months. If I was even thirty minutes late taking a dose, I would begin to vomit profusely. With my last pregnancy, I was on IV at the hospital for a while due to morning sickness.

After being on an organic whole foods diet (it will be two years in May), I have not yet thrown up this pregnany, even without drugs! This is just unbelievable to me. Now, I'm still sick 24 hours a day but I can tell that my body is healing and responding well to the diet changes, and this baby will benefit from it too! Thank you, God!

Random Notes

2009-12-07T14:06:00.002-06:00

The Azure order deadline is this Thursday for locals! The group is getting so big that we had to move our drop spot! We are now code number 525629 which is the parking lot of First Family Church's new building on SE Magazine.

I accidentally ordered unrefined coconut oil last month and it tastes like coconut! If you prefer a neutral flavor (like me!), I suggest the refined coconut oil. I'm trying Wilderness Naturals this month because I think it's cheaper.

On the Azure website, check "Specials" then "Produce" for this month's produce. Sometimes, you can find organic produce for cheaper than grocery store non-organic produce.

Irene, grassfedmeat@yahoo.com, has all kinds of meat and eggs that she delivers right to your house! We've been getting delicious eggs for a long time ($3/dozen), and this time, I got some boneless chicken breast too.

I highly recommend viewing "Food, Inc." We ordered it on Netflix, but I'm assuming it's in rental stores too. I'm not saying that I agree with absolutely everything on there, but it's eye-opening and it was fun to show my husband since he will never be interested in reading about this stuff! :)

Basic Bread Recipe

2009-12-04T13:41:00.003-06:00

I've made this several times since I last posted it. (I had just switched bread recipes.) I've simplified and adjusted it a little.

1 1/2 cups very hot water
1 cup cold almond milk (can use organic whole cow's milk)
3 eggs (optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1 T sea salt
6 - 7 1/4 cups freshly-milled flour
4 1/2 tsp. instant yeast

Combine water, milk, eggs, oil, honey, and salt. (Temperature should be just right for yeast.) Mix in yeast. Add flour to make a soft dough. Knead by hand or with mixer's dough hook until smooth and elastic (about 8 - 10 minutes). Shape into loaves and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on top with fingernail. Makes 2 - 3 loaves.

This bread recipe is a little "stickier" than most, and I think it might be because of the eggs but I'm no expert. I like it better though because it stays moist for several days, whereas the recipes I used before dried out so quickly. My KitchenAid mixer has a dough hook, so I don't have to knead it by hand which might be difficult since it's sticky.

Blog Update

2009-11-25T13:12:00.002-06:00

Love Not Your Life

The Best Gadget

2009-11-19T12:49:00.003-06:00

If you've decided to try whole foods cooking, you may at first be overwhelmed by the number of "recommended" gadgets - especially if you read Nourishing Traditions like I did! It's a great book, and I agree with about 95% of it, but after I read it, I thought I had to buy 85 new things and make 300 recipes from scratch every week. In all of this, I don't want anyone to feel like a burden is being put on them. Listen for the Shepherd's voice. We can avoid legalism and be wise stewards of the home and family for which God is entrusting to our care.

We may spend more on equipment or higher-priced health food items. But we may also spend less on the processed food we used to buy. You may decide to make some sacrifices so that you can afford what you need...eating at home more, avoiding that Starbuck's stop, or packing lunches instead of picking something up. If Jesus is calling you to make changes, he will help you see what can be done to make the changes possible. He wouldn't ask you to do something and then make it impossible to do!

I got a little off-topic but maybe someone needed to hear the rambling! Anyway, my personal opinion is that the best gadget to improve your family's health is a grain mill. Most all meals contain grain of some type in them and if it's store-bought (with the exception of the Ezekiel brand), it's probably not healthy. You may be amazed at how far you can stretch a meal by adding a bread product like rolls, breads, or muffins.

You can take the bread recipe here and make it into a hundred different things, so that you can just get in the habit of making bread dough every day or every other day and you will find that you don't have to think so much before meals. I usually make the dough and use half of it for an everyday loaf (sandwiches, toast, etc.) and the other half for pizza dough or rolls or whatever. Pretty soon, it will be as mindless as brushing your teeth.

If you ever want to try mine, let me know. Homemade bread products are my family's favorite part about a whole foods diet!

My Favorite Breakfast Foods

2009-11-17T13:41:00.002-06:00

If you don't have a grain mill, you may want to try gluten-free flours. I'm not an expert in that area, but there are lots of bloggers out there who are!

Note: I have a special "Breakfast Syrup" container that is half syrup/half water so we can dunk our pancakes and waffles without consuming so much!

Pancakes & Waffles

2 1/4 cup freshly-milled wheat flour
1 T aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cup organic whole milk, almond milk, etc.
2 T raw honey
2 T olive oil or melted butter
2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients well. Put milk in small pan on stove to gently warm. Whisk in honey and oil, then eggs. Add to dry ingredients and mix briefly, until blended but still lumpy. Pour by the 1/3 cup onto electric skillet. Flip. Serve with organic butter and real maple syrup.

For Apple Pancakes (my fav!): Add 1 - 2 tsp cinnamon to dry ingredients. Core 2 small apples and dice small, shred, or put in mini food-processor to shred. Mix in at the end.

For Blueberry Pancakes: Stir in 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries at the end.

For Peach Pancakes: Add 1 - 2 tsp cinnamon to dry ingredients. Reduce honey to 2 tsp. Stir in drained can of peaches (diced) in their own juice at the end.

For Waffles: Double the recipe. It takes about 2 minutes, 35 seconds on my big waffle iron. I love to make these Saturday morning and then pop the leftovers in the toaster on Sunday for a quick, easy breakfast before church! You can add any of the above fruit options for waffles as well.

For Thin Pancakes or Crispy Waffles: Reduce flour to 2 cups and increase milk to 1 3/4 cup.

Muffins

2 cups freshly-milled flour
4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 egg
3/4 cup organic whole milk, rice milk, etc.
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour and baking powder in large bowl. Whisk eggs, milk, honey, and oil. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Line 12 - 15 muffin cups and fill with batter. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

For Banana Muffins: Fold in 1 1/2 mashed ripe bananas and 1/2 tsp cinnamon until just blended at end.

For Berry Muffins: Fold in 1/2 cup berries at end.

For Carrot Muffins: Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon to dry ingredients and fold in 1 cup shredded carrots at end. (They're good and also go great with dinner! You can add 1/2 cup raisins too if you like.)

Snack Ideas

2009-11-11T15:18:00.002-06:00

Sweet Potato Fries

If you haven't tried these before, you may be surprised at how good they are! There's a lot of different ways to prepare them, but basically cut a sweet potato or so into strips (like fries) or rounds. Pour a little olive oil or melted butter into the center of a shallow pan. Toss the sweet potatoes in the oil or butter then spread out to a single layer. Sprinkle with sea salt and choice of spices. (Paprika is my current favorite. I also like Italian seasoning or just oregano.) Put in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or so, depending on how thick you cut them. If they are thin, you won't have to flip them in the middle. Salt again if needed and serve.

Popcorn

We buy bulk organic popcorn from Azure for cheap and then use a Whirly Pop with a little olive oil in the bottom to pop it. I suppose you could use a popcorn popper too. While it's popping, I melt a little butter in the microwave. When done, mix in butter and sea salt. For caramel corn, mix butter with raw honey or real maple syrup before mixing and reduce or omit salt.

Chips & Salsa or Hummus

Organic tortilla chips (check the oil used) aren't high on the healthy list, but they're not too bad if you find a good brand. You can find easy homeade salsa recipes online that used canned tomato products, garlic, lemon juice, cilantro, etc. or buy pre-made salsa (check ingredients). Hummus is also easy to make or you can buy it (check ingredients).

Azure Order Deadline on Thursday

2009-11-11T13:21:00.003-06:00

The order deadline (if you're local) for Azure Standard is tomorrow! If you need the drop point in my town, the code is 39820. Jule (jule@btbutterfly.com) sends out the email saying what time the truck will arrive next Wednesday, November 18. Lately, it's been arriving mid- to late-afternoon. You just show up at Bee the Butterfly and find the boxes with your name on the label. If you ordered frozen items, be sure to check the separate set of boxes as well. You pay online so you don't have to do anything when you pick up. It's also fun to meet other whole food-eating families in town! You will come away not feeling so strange after all! :)

Let me know if you have questions!

The Dirty Dozen

2009-11-07T15:18:00.003-06:00

Which food items are worth the extra cost for organic? For more information, google "the dirty dozen foods".

1. Meat
2. Milk
3. Coffee
4. Peaches
5. Apples
6. Sweet Bell Peppers
7. Celery
8. Nectarines
9. Strawberries
10. Leafy Greens
11. Grapes
12. Carrots, Pears, Cherries, or Kale (depending on who made the list!)

There are also some products (such as canned soup or tomatoes) that I buy organic because they are more careful with the "extra" ingredients.

Whole Foods on the Internet

2009-11-07T15:14:00.002-06:00

To find a healthy replacement for an unhealthy recipe that your family loves, try googling like this:

brownies whole food
brownies gluten-free (if you don't have a grain mill)
brownies honey instead of sugar

Or, you can google for whole food blogs and find a never-ending supply of recipes! Most people that blog on whole foods know their way around the kitchen...not me! I just want to help make it easier and more organized for beginners.

My Favorite Main Dishes

2009-11-07T14:37:00.005-06:00

Shepherd's Pie
A comfort food!

Mashed Potatoes:
3 large or 5 medium baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup milk or almond milk
3 T organic butter
1 tsp. sea salt

Filling:
1 medium onion, diced
2 T olive oil
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1/2 cup hot water
1 tsp. sea salt
1 bay leaf (optional)
spices (garlic and oregano or whole cloves or whatever you like)
4 - 6 T ketchup
1 T red wine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook potatoes in water to cover thoroughly. Make sure they're really soft. Drain and mash with milk, butter, and salt. Set aside. Brown onion in oil. Add carrots and celery and saute until tender. Remove from pan. Brown turkey or beef in same pan. Add back veggies and all other ingredients. Mix. Place in deep baking dish. Smooth top. Cover with thick layer of mashed potatoes. Cook about 1 hour or until potatoes are brown a bit on top. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Tea Room Chicken adapted from the Perry tea room cookbook

1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1 T parsley
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (may be difficult to find organic)
1 slice bread, crumbled by hand or in mini food-processor
chicken pieces (about 4 servings)
1/3 cup water
1 T olive oil
1/4 cup organic butter, melted
1/3 cup Marsala wine

In a bag, place spices, cheese, and crumbs. Coat chicken well by shaking. Grease a pan with olive oil spray or olive oil. Pour in water and arrange chicken. Sprinkle chicken with oil and melted butter. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Pour wine over chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes more. Will have extra sauce to put on baked potato and/or veggies.

Pizza

Dough from Bread Recipe
Muir Glen pizza sauce
Ground beef, browned
Cheese, shredded

Make dough into pizza crust. Let rise to desired thickness. Bake for 5 - 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and spread on pizza sauce. Top with beef and cheese. Return to oven until cheese is melted and dough is cooked (about 10 minutes depending on size). Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Note: The bread recipe is enough for about two large pizzas, so you may end up using it for one crust and one loaf, or I've heard you can freeze baked pizza crust if you decided to eat one and freeze one.

Sweet and Sour Beef Stir-Fry
This is one of my hubby's favorites.

1/2 medium onion, diced
1 T olive oil
1 lb. ground beef or beef chunks
1 zucchini, diced (or other veggie)
3/4 cup beef stock
3 T real maple syrup
3 T vinegar
2 T arrowroot powder
1 T naturally-fermented soy sauce
2 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked

Saute onion in olive oil for a couple minutes. Add beef. Cook until brown. Remove from pan. Saute vegetable in olive oil until desired softness. Add onion and beef back into pan. Whisk together remaining ingredients, except rice. Add to pan; cook until thick. Serve over rice.

Note: Short-grain brown rice has a sweeter flavor but is more difficult to find. You can use long-grain brown rice as well.

Marinated Chicken Skewers with Pineapple and Onion adapted from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook
If you're not up for making skewers, you can do whole pieces of chicken and rings of pineapple right on the grill or broiling pan.

Marinade:
1 cup tightly packed cilantro (or cheat like I do and use dried cilantro in smaller amount)
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup raisins
2 T lemon juice
5 cloves garlic or 1 T minced garlic (can be bought in small jar)
sea salt and pepper

Skewers:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into about 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 - 2 onions, cut into chunks
6 cups fresh pineapple chunks (or canned, in its own juice if possible)

Blend all marinade ingredients in a food processor. Put chicken and marinade in covered container and refrigerate, overnight if possible. When ready to cook, put chicken, pineapple chunks, and onion chunks onto skewers. Grill or broil on broiling pan on high, turning every 5 minutes. Brush with remaining marinade. Tastes good with brown rice.

My Favorite Soups

2009-11-07T14:01:00.002-06:00

Chicken and Dumplings adapted from my favorite cookbook, The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook
A comfort food that tastes like something grandma would make!

Soup:
2 carrots, chopped (or more)
2 stalks celery, chopped (or more)
2 T olive oil
2 cups diced cooked chicken (can be leftovers)
10 cups free-range chicken stock
1 tsp sea salt (or more)
parsley
pepper (optional)

Dumplings:
1/3 cup arrowroot powder
1 cup freshly-milled wheat
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup milk or almond milk
1 egg

Saute carrots and celery in olive oil in large pot over medium heat. When soft, add chicken, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook at a slow simmer about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Mix arrowroot, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add milk and stir until moist. Add egg. Stir well. Wet hands with water and drop about 16 balls of dough and parsley into soup. Be sure that the soup is barely simmering, because if you boil it, the dumplings will fall apart. Cover pot, turn heat as low as possible, and cook about 15 minutes. When done, add salt and pepper to taste.

Turkey/Chicken Noodle/Rice Soup with Spinach adapted from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook
A good way to get lots of veggies without noticing! :)

1/2 medium onion
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
4 scallions, sliced (or 1 tsp dried chives)
1 T olive oil
2 cups turkey or chicken meat (can be leftovers)
8 cups free-range chicken stock
pinch of thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt (or more)
2 oz. pasta or brown rice or quinoa (or more)
1 10-oz. package chopped frozen spinach
fresh ground pepper (optional)
1 tsp. hot sauce (optional - I'm too wimpy for this!)

Saute onion, celery, carrots, and scallions in olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat until soft. Add broth, turkey or chicken, thyme, and salt to pot. Cook 25 minutes at a simmer. Then add pasta or brown rice or quinoa. (If pasta, cook until just done. If others, make sure they are soft.) Add spinach, pepper, and hot sauce. Cook at slow simmer until nice and hot.

Chicken Corn Chowder adapted from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook

2 T olive oil
2 oz. nitrite-free bacon, diced (2 - 3 slices)
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, cup up
3 small potatoes or 3 medium red potatoes, cubed small
4 cups free-range chicken stock
cooked chicken, cut up or shredded (can be leftover)
3 cups milk or almond milk
3 cups organic fresh or frozen corn
2 T flour
sea salt and pepper
parsley (optional)

Cook bacon in oil over medium heat until crispy. Add onion and celery and cook until soft. Add potatoes and broth. Cook at a simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add milk and corn. Cook about 20 minutes more. Add chicken. If you desire a creamy chowder, combine flour with some of hot soup in a little bowl, stirring until smooth. Add back into pot. (I skipped this step last time and it didn't turn out as well.) Stir in well. Add salt and pepper, and cook a little longer to thicken slightly. Serve with a little chopped parsley if desired.

Mix and Match Chicken Soup

One thing that whole foods cooking has taught me is what and why foods go together. Soup is one of the easiest things to "play" with. Basically, you can saute veggies (such as onion, carrots, celery) in olive oil and add free-range chicken stock, pasta or brown rice or quinoa if desired, cooked chicken or turkey, and spices to make your own creation. Add lemon juice if desired.

No Condemnation

2009-11-06T20:32:00.004-06:00

Once I started learning about organic, whole foods eating, I felt this guilt when I would eat something unhealthy. It has taken a long time to get over this. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. We can make wise choices without putting healthy eating on the altar. The goal is for we sheep to listen to the voice of our Shepherd. He will never speak guilt into our lives. We are free from guilt. He speaks words of life, gently urging us to follow him in all things.

Keep an eye out for panic, distress, guilt, discouragement, or seeking to control others. These things are not from the Shepherd. I have felt all of them at some point, so know that we are in this together! In this tough transition period, you may not have the ingredients to make a healthy snack or haven't found a dessert you like yet. That's okay! Or, maybe you would just like to have a candy bar tonight and are not sensing that you would be disobeying Jesus by doing so. That's okay!

This is not just about food but about self-control that comes through grace - not trying to receive God's favor by being self-controlled! The focus is on God's worthiness, not ours! Hang in there, friends!

Easy Desserts

2009-11-05T15:11:00.004-06:00

Peanut Butter Cups adapted from thenourishinggourmet.com

3/4 cup natural peanut butter
2 T raw honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup coconut oil

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup raw honey (or more, to taste)
2 T real maple syrup (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk first set of ingredients well. You can add chopped nuts if you like them. Drop by heaping teaspoons into lined mini-muffin pans or heaping tablespoons in regular muffin pans. Place in freezer uncovered.

Put second set of ingredients in top half of double boiler. (If you don't have one find a heat-proof bowl that fits on top of one of your pots.) Bring about two inches water to boil in bottom pot. Watch carefully so chocolate doesn't burn. Stir gently. When almost melted, remove from heat and stir until melted and mixed. Pull muffin pans out of freezer and drop chocolate over each one.

Put in freezer until solid. Remove from pan and refrigerate.

Notes: You don't have to line muffin pans, but it's a little tricky to time it just right as to when you can pop them out of the pans. Try freezing them for about 20 - 40 minutes before popping.

You could chop them to use them in other recipes that call for peanut butter cups.

Make sure you take some to Amber who has had the "privilege" (haha) of trying my different healthy desserts over the past couple months and has liked these the best. Well, if you don't want to share, at least let them remind you to pray for her sweet baby Miles.

No Bake Cookies

2/3 cup real maple syrup (maybe you could use honey?)
1/4 cup olive oil
5 T unsweetened cocoa powder (may need more if not using the Azure bulk kind)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp vanilla extract

Over medium heat, combine maple syrup, oil, cocoa, and cinnamon. Boil for three minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla until well-blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto unbleached parchment paper (or wax paper). May want to refrigerate, depending on preference.

Chocolate Ice Cream

3 cups milk, coconut milk, or almond milk
almost 1/4 cup cocoa powder (may need to double if not using Azure bulk cocoa)
almost 1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 tsp vanilla

Whisk cocoa powder in a small amount of milk until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until well-combined. Pour into ice cream maker. Add chopped peanut butter cups, bananas, or whatever in last five minutes if desired. Serves 4 plus.

For Vanilla Ice Cream: Do not add cocoa powder, and increase vanilla to 1 T.

Note: If you use cream for part or all of the milk, it will be thicker and taste a little more like what you're used to. Reduce arrowroot, which is a thickener, if using cream.

Chocolate Pudding adapted from thenourshinggourmet.com

1/3 cup arrowroot
1/3 cup cocoa powder
dash of sea salt
2/3 cup maple syrup
4 cups milk, coconut milk, or almond milk
1 tsp vanilla

Whisk the arrowroot, cocoa, and salt together until no lumps remain. Add about 1 cup of the milk and all of the maple syrup and mix until no lumps remain. Stir in rest of milk and heat on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Heat until mixture starts to thicken (usually as its starting to simmer) and cook for one minute more. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into containers and serve when thick. Serves 6.

Baked Custard

1 can coconut milk (or 2-3 cups milk or almond milk)
1/4 cup raw honey
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt

Beat all with mixer until blended. Pour into custard cups or medium dish that fits inside a 9 x 13 that has been half-filled with hot water. Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired. Bake at 350 for 45 - 60 minutes or until knife in center comes out clean. Serve warm or chilled. Makes 6 servings.

Cookie and cake recipes to come!

What's for Breakfast?

2009-11-05T14:38:00.003-06:00

I'll share some delicious breakfast recipes later but here is some simple stuff to get started. I will not pass judgment on those who eat breakfast cereals, but you may want to know that they (even "healthy" ones!) are listed as the second-deadliest food in the American diet in Nourishing Traditions, with pop being the first. This could just be the author's opinion though, so I'm not stating it as fact!

We usually have a protein and a carb for breakfast to keep us full until lunch time. However, a lot of people are fine with one or the other, so maybe this is just what we've gotten used to doing! Also, the Ezekiel products are a complete protein because of the combination of grains that are used. See Ezekiel 4:9 to be encouraged that God cares for his people and was so clever in creating foods!

Carb Ideas:
1. Ezekiel or homeade bread, toasted with butter
2. Ezekiel cinnamon raisin or homeade cinnamon raisin bread, toasted with butter
3. Leftover rolls or other bread products
4. Oatmeal with real maple syrup and milk or coconut milk
5. Ezekiel brand makes some cereals (expensive though!) that are actually healthy. The only one we like is Cinnamon Raisin, but there are four varieties. I like to keep one box in the cupboard for emergencies. Eat with milk or coconut milk.

Protein Ideas:
1. Scrambled eggs - Start by melting butter then add eggs. You can scramble them right in the pan with a fork then add a little milk or almond milk to make them fluffier. One of my favorite foods is to first cook diced sweet potatoes in the butter and then add the rest.
2. Bacon or turkey bacon with no nitrates or nitrites.
3. Put peanut butter on your toast.
4. Target and Hy-Vee sell an apple chicken sausage or something similar that's made with maple syrup.

Both:
French toast! Scramble two eggs per person in a small dish. Add milk or coconut milk, sea salt, and vanilla (without sugars in it). Cook on an electric skillet and sprinkle with cinnamon before flipping. Once you get a system, this is almost easier to make than anything else. Top with butter and real maple syrup. (I mix it with water so my boys can dunk it without getting to much sweetener!)

What's for Lunch?

2009-11-05T14:14:00.003-06:00

This is often a difficult adjustment, so here's some ideas. Please feel free to add your own!

We go through phases, but right now, our Monday - Friday lunch usually consists of the following...
1. Ezekiel or homeade wheat bread with Smucker's natural peanut butter and a little bit of Polaner's all-fruit jelly -OR- tuna salad (tuna in water mixed with organic safflower oil mayonnaise).
2. Frozen green peas (cooked) with butter and sea salt -OR- Terra chips (The varieties with a short ingredient list are best....sweet potato chips, sweets and beets, or they may be others but they are more expensive. You can buy these even at Target.)
3. Banana or apple or unsweetened applesauce
4. Sometimes carrot sticks

Hubby's lunch (he doesn't have microwave access) consists of the following...
1. Ezekiel or homeade wheat bread with lunch meat (natural as possible - best is nitrate/nitrite free but expensive) with organic safflower oil mayonnaise and spinach -OR- tuna salad -OR- organic tortilla chips with tuna salad for dipping
2. Raw veggies such as carrots, broccoli, or celery
3. Banana or apple

Other ideas:
1. Costco sells Naked Nuggets, which are natural chicken nuggets without breading. I don't think they are too exciting but others have liked them. You can make honey mustard sauce by mixing - you guessed it - honey and mustard or dip them in ketchup.
2. Leftovers.
3. I will buy a package of tilapia fish and then bake a couple with a little olive oil and garlic salt. I cut it up and put it over a salad with some raw veggies, hard-boiled egg, fresh berries, whatever I have, and put Annie's Naturals dressing on top. I use the extra fish/salad for hubby's lunch the next day.

Love Not Your Life Notice

2009-11-04T15:06:00.004-06:00

I've had to do a couple things because of the upcoming events. Sorry for being vague...email me if you have questions. www.lovenotyourlife.blogspot.com

Easy Main Dishes

2009-11-03T14:36:00.003-06:00

Spaghetti & Variations

Prepare Ezekiel brand sprouted grain noodles (preferred) or brown rice noodles.

Brown hamburger or saute cubed chicken in olive oil.

Mix meat with pasta sauce (check ingredients).

Optional: Mix in roasted veggies - can be leftovers (cut up zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, etc. tossed with olive oil and sea salt and cooked at 400 degrees until tender).

Optional: Put all over spinach leaves.

Optional: Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Honey Mustard Chicken adapted from my friend Lisette S

1/4 cup organic butter
1/4 cup (or less) raw honey
2 T mustard or dijon mustard
1 tsp sea salt
chicken pieces
1 cup brown rice (preferably short-grain), cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter in dish and place in preheating oven. Remove when melted and whisk in honey, mustard, and salt. Place chicken in pan, turning to coat. Bake for about 30 minutes (depending on size of pieces). Layer rice, then chicken, then sauce drizzled on top.

Note: It works well to serve a non-kid-friendly veggie like broccoli with this, because you can drizzle the extra sauce on the veggies to make them yummy!

Taco Soup adapted from my sister Elizabeth B

1 lb. ground beef
1 large or 2 small onions, diced
2 cans black beans (check ingredients)
1 can kidney beans (check ingredients)
4 cans tomato sauce, 8 oz. (Muir Glen?)
1 can diced tomatoes, 28 oz. (Muir Glen?)
frozen organic corn, small bag
taco seasoning to taste (at least 2 T)
1 - 2 cups water or more
organic tortilla chips (check ingredients)

Brown beef and onion in very large pot. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes or more. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes a LOT of soup. Can freeze.

Note: Healthy taco seasoning can be found at Campbell's (the 42nd Street location) or from Azure Standard.

Making Bread

2009-11-02T15:31:00.004-06:00

My friend Sarah W just introduced me to www.breadbeckers.com, an excellent resource. There, you can order a free copy of "Do Not Eat the Bread of Idleness." I've read the condensed version and learned a lot. It's a summary of the damage done by white flour. If Jesus is the Bread of Life, bread should be healthy, right? For so many years, I avoided purchasing bread from the store because it just didn't seem healthy to me, but I didn't know what to do about it!

Bread is one of the most difficult changes about a whole foods diet but it will seem normal someday! When your husband comes home to the smell of fresh-baked bread, he may not think this diet is to bad after all. :)

Step One
Purchase wheat berries from Azure Standard or Bread Beckers.

Purchase a grain mill from Urban Homemaker or Bread Beckers. I know it's pricey to get started but I calculated that it more than pays for itself. I had a Kitchen Aid mixer already, so I paid about $100 for a grain mill attachment.

Step Two
Rearrange your kitchen so that the grain mill and wheat are easy to access. (I put my wheat berries in a large bin with a scoop in it that takes up an entire cabinet.)

Step Three
Pour wheat berries into grain mill. Voila! Out comes freshly-milled flour! It couldn't be any easier!

Step Four
Put ingredients into bread machine (instructions to come) or make bread by hand.

Our Current Bread Recipe (adapted from Bread Beckers)
1 1/2 cups very hot water
1 cup cold almond milk (can use organic whole cow's milk)
3 eggs (optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1 T sea salt
6 - 7 1/4 cups freshly-milled flour
4 1/2 tsp. instant yeast

Combine water, milk, eggs, oil, honey, and salt. (Temperature should be just right for yeast.) Mix in yeast. Add flour to make a soft dough. Knead by hand or with mixer's dough hook until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Shape into loaves and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. Makes 2 - 3 loaves.

If you want thin, sandwich slices that most resemble store-bought bread, I would recommend an electric knife (about $10 at Target) or wait until cool to slice with serrated knife.

Where Do I Find This Stuff?

2009-11-02T15:01:00.005-06:00

Azure Standard (www.azurestandard.com) is where we get most of our groceries. We actually spend less on food now than we did before we ate an organic, whole food diet! With Azure Standard, I order and pay online. The semi-truck comes from Oregon once a month to various locations around the western and central United States. Just figure out which drop spot is closest to you (Bee the Butterfly is my spot!), and enter that spot during the check-out process. The catalog can be fun or completely overwhelming. I've resorted to searching by keyword on the website to find what I need. Here are some of my favorites:

Santa Cruz Lemon and Lime Juice
5 lbs. arrowroot powder (replaces cornstarch and used for desserts)
Ezekiel 7-Grain bread and Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Natural Value Coconut Milk
Spectrum Coconut Oil
Spectrum Olive Oil Spray
Hain Safflower Mayo
5 lb. sea salt (cheap!)
Muir Glen organic ketchup (does have some sugar in it)
Natural Value garbanzo beans - bulk
Pacific Foods free-range chicken broth - bulk
Organic Hard White Wheat Berries - 25 lb bag
Rolled Oats - 50 lb bag
Kettle Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips - 12 x 18 oz box
Azure Alphabet Soup (makes a lot and kids like it!)
Muir Glen diced tomatoes, pizza sauce, tomato paste, and tomato sauce
Robbie's Worcestershire Sauce
Ezekiel Spaghetti Noodles
Rumiano Cheddar, white ($20 for 5 lbs - not bad for raw organic! I run it through my shredder and put them in freezer bags for pizza or whatever)
1 lb. cinnamon powder
organic butter, cultured, no salt (15 lb box and keep extra in freezer)
Baking soda
Rumford baking powder (non-aluminum)
Short-grain brown rice
Blue Diamond Almond Breeze (unsweetened original) - bulk
Azure Farm classic 3-bean chili mix (not amazing but tastes good and makes a ton for cheap)
Spectrum Balsamic Vinegar (for salad dressings mostly)
Bragg's Olive Oil (although I got the olive oil from Costco last time for cheaper and haven't noticed a difference)
Shelton Turkey Chili Mild

I buy beef from Wallace Farms. They deliver to three different Des Moines are locations once a month.

Irene (grassfedmeat@yahoo.com) delivers 12 dozen organic eggs to my house every other week for $3/dozen. They are even healthier and more delicious than grocery store organic eggs.

You can usually find someone locally that harvests and sells raw honey. Email me if you want the phone number for Ankeny. They sell it for $30/gallon and it's delicious!

Most everything else I buy from the Hy-Vee Health Market (10% off on Wednesdays!), Target, or Wal-Mart.

It does take some time to figure out a "system," but I promise that someday, it won't be so confusing! It will be just about as easy as your old grocery store shopping methods. I don't even have to think about it anymore.

Quick Comment : Different Viewpoints

2009-11-01T20:48:00.004-06:00

It seems that every few months, I tweak something in our diet because of something I learned. For instance, before the diet, we drank AE milk. After the initial research, we switched to raw milk. Then, we quit that (apparently, it's illegal to sell in Iowa) and drank VAT pasteurized organic whole milk. Lately, we've cut dairy almost completely out of our diet because of the pasteurization involved and some skin problems our boys were having and switched to almond milk or coconut milk. Who knows what we will be doing with this next year!

Even among organic, whole foods advocates, there are some differing views. I'm am so far from being an expert; I know so very little. Also, some bodies are going to react differently to some foods because of how we are already messed up from our previous diets.

So it's okay if we have different viewpoints on anything or even everything! I will probably learn more from you than you from me!

Getting Started

2009-10-31T14:05:00.005-05:00

It's overwhelming to switch to a whole foods diet, so for those of you who don't like to read or don't have time to read, here are some easy steps you can take to move toward a whole foods diet. Whole foods are prepared and consumed in a state that does not chemically alter, thereby compromising, their nutritional value.

Instead of vegetable oil, use extra virgin first-cold-pressed olive oil or coconut oil.

Instead of butter imitations (margarine, etc.), use real organic butter.

Instead of products containing corn syrup or sugar, use natural products (i.e. Smucker's natural peanut butter, Polaner all-fruit jelly, real maple syrup).

Instead of white and brown sugar, use raw honey or real maple syrup to sweeten foods.

Instead of canned fruits and vegetables, eat fresh or frozen (without extra ingredients).

Instead of white rice, use brown rice or quinoa.

Instead of store-bought grain/bread products, make homemade or buy brands such as Ezekiel. (Ezekiel brand makes breads, pastas, and more.) This can be the most overwhelming part, so I'll tackle this one in a separate post. In the beginning, it's easiest to just minimize or avoid grains for a while. It's a good de-tox anyway from all the white flour products you've eaten in the past.

Instead of unhealthy salad dressings, use Annie's Naturals or homemade (whisk a little garlic salt and vinegar into olive oil).

Instead of pasteurized beverages (milk, juice, etc.), buy raw or natural substitutes or drink water. We pretty much drink only water and kombucha at our house. I use coconut milk or almond milk for baking, but in some states, it's legal to have raw milk. Fruit juice takes all the sweet stuff out and leaves a lot of the healthy stuff behind, giving you just another way to keep your "sweets high" going. Even if it's an all-natural juice (i.e. oranges with pulp), it's still pasteurized which kills nutrients and provides the consumer with several servings of fruit in one sitting, which is not healthy. Whole fruits are so much healthier!

Most products that come in a box, can, or bag or not healthy, although there are more and more products coming out that are decent. We like to keep some natural canned soups on hand (from health stores) for Sunday afternoons or emergencies. Just because something says "natural" or "organic" does not make it healthy though, so use caution and common sense. Organic macaroni and cheese in a box just can't be healthy, can it? :)

There are some healthy, canned foods: tomato products (sauce, paste, diced, etc.), beans, and some others that can be found usually in health food stores. Check labels of course. Usually if the tomato products or beans say "organic," the ingredients are pretty good, but sometimes you can even find generic ones that are good enough.

Any questions? I'm not a health expert, but I believe God created foods for our benefit and not for our harm. We can go to the Bible for answers to anything - even what is best for our bodies! God is for us!

The Purpose of this Blog

2009-10-29T15:44:00.004-05:00

"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand...

"Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

"Therefore, let us make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food." Romans 14

The purpose of this blog:
1. Bring glory to God by serving Jesus.
2. Speak love - not judgment - to unify the body of Christ.
3. Offer practical tips and recipes for healthy eating.

There are many believers who eat healthy and sit in judgment on those who don't. Although they often claim to be accepting, the reality for many is quite different. (I've been among them.) There are also believers sitting in judgment on those who eat healthy, thinking that it's a waste of time and money when there are eternal matters at stake. This, too, often goes unspoken.

Both of these attitudes lead to disunity in the Church. That's why I want to make it very clear that this blog is not about telling people what they "should" eat. This blog is for the person who is curious about healthy eating or would like some new recipes.

Reasons we eat an organic, whole foods diet:
1. Relief from previous health issues.
2. Decreased illness and length/severity of illness.
3. Less time at the doctor's office.
4. Increased self-control in other areas.
5. Decreased risk of disease and cancer.
6. Free from sugar addiction.

The danger that it poses though is becoming legalistic or conceited about healthy eating. I must always keep this in check. I would rather eat a piece of cake made of white flour, sugar, and vegetable oil than cause someone to misunderstand Jesus.

I do not love health; I love Jesus. I want to make wise decisions for my family, while at the same time loving people to Jesus by accepting them just as they are - healthy or not.