Ever Fought with a Pomegranate?

These fruits are full of wonderful, filled with nutrients, but I have always had the hardest time deseeding them.  I have tried multiple methods since we taught The Odyssey in my classroom and Persephone eats a pomegranate.  We recently bought one and I was putting off deseeding it.  But here is a super way to beat those seeds out!  Here's how to win the battle!  Click here for the link.

Now go and buy one-we add ours to our smoothie.  :)

On Making Spaghetti

Katie and Owen requested Spaghetti this past weekend for dinner.  Noodles are a sure favorite at our house.  Justin went to the store and bought some angel hair noodles and a jar of sauce. Katie had asked for this meal a few days ago and I forgot to plan it.  So I made dinner within 20 minutes (which was nice) and we sat down to eat.  We got half way through our bowls and then were surprised.  Neither of the kids liked the meal.  They ate a portion of it and then said they were finished.  Why? I asked.  They both agreed that this noodle and sauce was not good compared to my 'awesome'-Katie's word-homemade sauce.  It caught me off guard.  For the first time my kids out loud said they preferred something homemade and they could tell the difference in store bought/can/jarred sauce.  I was thankful.  This is something that I really want for my kids.  Not that they are food snobs and I definitely don't want them to be...  -And if you have us over for dinner we will eat WHATEVER, THANKFULLY!  But I am grateful that they like real food.  Foods that have been seasoned correctly.  Foods that take a bit of time to make.  Foods that are full of nutritious stuff.  And I am glad to be able to make it for them.  The meal table hasn't always been a easy place.  Sure there are some meals my kids would prefer to NOT eat.  But someday I would love to have my kids home from college and have them ask for my bread or whatever their tummies want.  I love when my family comes in and says it smells good in here because of something cooking.  I want them to have good memories around food.  I want our family to fellowship around the dinner table.  

I want them to see and taste that the Lord is good!

It was a great reminder that good food doesn't have to take a lot of time (though it can), but it does take intentionality and planning.  And I am finding it is worth it!

-Please don't hear me saying that I make the following recipe all from scratch.  I never have used my own homegrown tomatoes, made noodles or grown the other ingredients...By homemade I am referring to putting together the bulk of the meal.  I am sure others are really making it completely homemade-way to go, I need to learn from you!

-Does anyone have a good jarred spaghetti sauce?  I'd love to have one on hand for the times when things like this do happen. 

Here is our best noodles and sauce recipe!

Lady and the Tramp Spaghetti and Meatballs

-this is always delicious and it freezes well.  Oh and it is a great meal to share!

Sauce:

1 cup Onion

1 T Olive Oil

1 T Butter-optional

1 Can 28 oz Stewed tomatoes (have more flavor) -but I have used diced before and 

   they worked fine

2 Cans (6 oz each) tomato paste

1 T Honey

1 t salt

1 t basil

1/2  t oregano

1/4 t marjoram

1/4 t paprika

dash pepper

Meatballs:

2 eggs

2 garlic cloves minced

1 T parsley

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 cup grated parmesan-optional

Sauce-

1. Sauté onion in oil and butter until tender and sweet

2. Stir in tomatoes-cut them up if you want a smaller dice, paste, honey, and seasoning 

3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  

*If just using sauce without meatballs, simmer for at least 30 minutes.

*And if you like more seasonings, season away!

Meatballs-

1. Beat eggs, garlic and parsley

2. Add beef and mix well

3. Sprinkle in cheese and bread crumbs-mix in gently

4. Shape into 1 inch balls-add these to sauce

Cover and simmer about 45 minutes.

Server over pasta or rice

I normally double this if we have company or if I want to freeze some.  Also good as meatball subs!

Reinventing My Salad Taste Buds

A while ago I posted about teaching our kids to enjoy salads, and yes I said, "teaching',   :)

and now I am more convinced then ever.  

Three things have pushed me again to take up salads-once a day, 1. watching Forks over Knives, 2. eating at Chop'd in DC and 3. going to a plant based workshop.

The benefits of salads are amazing.  No one will disagree with all the nutrients present in a dark green leafy salad.  But not all salads are equal.  We've tried around here to do salads before.  Justin would take them for lunch, I'd make one for the kids and I, but eventually I get tired of eating like a rabbit (hehe thats something my dad would say:).  

But enter a NEW way to eat salads.  Nothing fancy.  No new ingredients.  But simply a chopped salad that blends all the ingredients together and makes a wowwowzer of a salad.  It is also a GREAT way to use lots of lettuce with only a few ingredients BECAUSE when it is finely chopped a little bit of each ingredient sticks to your greens.  

After going to Chop't in DC and watching them transform my salad taste buds I am not going back. 

Wanna give it a try? Here's what you do:

1. Take a large cutting board and place all ingredients in the center-my first photo.

2. Using your chef knife or a rolling knife like this one, chop up everything really well!-my second photo.

3. Drizzle on some dressing, mix it up on the board and then scoop up into bowls.

4. Presto, delicious salad where every bite has something on it.

Let me know if you try it...I think you will agree...salads are once again delicious down to the last bite!

Here are a few new salads for you to try-most taken from the Chop't website.  I also included the dressing I used per salad.

1. Mexican Caesar-grilled chicken, monterey jack cheese, green pepper, tortilla chips with a mexican Caesar dressing
2. Sub Salad-salami or pepperoni, green/black olives, feta, tomatoes, red onions, sweet orange/red peppers, banana peppers with a Italian Salad Dressing
3. Cobb Salad-hard boiled egg, bacon, grilled chicken, avocado, tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese with a dijon vinaigrette dressing
4. Harvest Salad-Sunflower seeds, apple slices, craisins, blue cheese with a dijon vinaigrette dressing
5. Simple Salad-Coconut flakes, feta cheese, with a splash of Roasted Walnut oil and lots of freshly squeezed lemon
6. Color me Salad-cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, pecans, craisins with your favorite dressing.
7. Greek Salad-feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, cubed baked potato, red onions with a greek dressing
8. Taco Salad-Taco Meat both/or black beans, tortilla chips, tomatoes, corn, green onions, cheddar cheese, avocados, topped with salsa
9.Tropical Salad-Mango, pineapple, cashews, grilled chicken, avocado and with lemon juice or tropical salad dressing
10. Asian Salad...haven't tried this one yet, but on the menu soon

*We are trying to increase our veggie consumption and any meats and cheese on our salads are on the low end.  Still very delicious!
*Add salt/pepper if you want-I normally add a titch of both.
*Salads as meals are pretty easy to clean up! Yay!
*Add some sourdough bread, or pitas to your salad to round out your meal
*Most salad dressing recipes make large batches....I scaled down each recipe just to try them.
*Update-OUR KIDS LOVE SALAD.  Somedays Katie will take 3rds.  :)  And once we get Owen to take a bite he eats his entire bowl willingly!

Diet Revolution...

I recently read this post from a long time friend and found it encouraging to see her thoughts on food.  If you get a chance to read it head over to Putting Down Roots by Amy C.  Amy is a friend from college and ADPI  living in Maine with her three kids and farming husband.  She is one of the most researched and simple/natural/willing to give anything a try I know.  She is awesome as she thinks through life on her blog!  And when we have a play date at the end of March I think our kids will have a blast together.  :)

"How a bookcase helped me eat better (and the results of the sugar cleanse)-The Nourishing Gourmet

I found this article over on The Nourishing Gourmet helpful and encouraging (especially the first part about a bookcase).  

Take a chance to read it if you can. 

How a bookcase helped me eat better (and the results of the sugar cleanse)

by KIMIHARRIS on FEBRUARY 13, 2012

I am going to talk about bookshelves and how bookshelves really are related to how well I eat and the sugar cleanse. You’ll see the connection, I promise!

I bought the above bookshelves from a friend who is moving across country. We are in need of more bookshelf space right now, and in a couple months we are moving and leaving behind built in bookshelves, so we will have even more need of them. We set them up in our living room, and I finally had a place to store the books that were crowded into a tiny little bookshelf. I also found room in the closed cupboard below the bookshelf to store all of Elena’s schoolbooks that were crowded on our kitchen table and behind the couch. Alongside them, went her craft supplies that were overflowing in the office. That lead my husband and I to clean through the office, taking out bags of old mail to be shredded or burned, and trash too. Then, I found a place for some books from an upstairs bookcase in our new bookcase. The old bookcase was refitted into our music studio bookshelf so that we could finally find music a bit more easily. (Actually, Joel somehow always knew were to find the music, but I couldn’t find things easily at all). Those simple transformations were enough to inspire me to more change.

I’ve found in my own life that personal success breeds success, no matter how small the success was. Unfortunately, failure can also discourage me, which leads to more failure. I think that is true for getting our eating habits in order too. But our eating habits aren’t isolated, but can be very affected by the order of the rest of our lives.

What I mean is this, when our lives are so hectic and stressful, it can be really hard to put time and energy into making a simple, healthy dinner at home. When your life is out of control, sometimes your eating habits go out of control too. When the house seems turned upside down and out of order, I personally can find it hard to have my meal planning, shopping and cooking in order as well. One facet of life is not unrelated to the rest of your life. One part of your life in disarray can lead to other parts of your life in disarray too.

The last two weeks I have fallen behind in some of my chores around the house, as well as some of my writing projects. When you are faced with miles of writing to do, mountains of laundry and a sticky kitchen flour, it can make you want to sit down and look at pictures on Pinterest. (Okay, at least it does for me).

However, when my husband and I got the bookshelves in order, which freed up a lot of other disorderly areas of my house, I got so encouraged that I was able to start making good progress again.

Yesterday, I finally found a place to put all of the new supplements my daughter is on, cleared the counters, and got the kitchen back in order, so that when dinner time came rolling around, it truly wasn’t a big deal to throw together a simple soup. When I have my kitchen organized and running smoothly, I can make meals more easily, and resist foods that I really don’t want to feed my family or myself.

I still have my work cut out for me, but at least I see that I am making good progress again in the house, my writing, and back on track with my meal planning.

Yes, buying a bookshelf did all this for me and more. I think I could become a salesman for bookshelves!

But it also works the other way. Sometimes if you can get your meal planning, shopping, and meal preparation in order, you get so encouraged by your success, you start to get inspired to push through in other areas in your life.

For those of you on the sugar cleanse, which is now, officially at least, rolling to an end, you’ve probably found that if you didn’t plan your meals ahead, have healthy snacks, and a satisfied tummy, it was way harder to resist treats.

You know, I don’t have a simple solution to my, or anyone else’s scheduling, energy, or other roadblocks to a healthy lifestyle. But I can say this from my own experience, seeking to have a simpler lifestyle (which for us is including getting rid of extra stuff we just don’t need), pushing through to find success in one area (so that I get encouraged to seek success in another area), and intentionally planning out my life is all helpful in having a better balanced life. That better-balanced life helps me cook a better balanced diet too.

I am still getting there myself, and it’s just a very busy time for us, but I am hopeful that once I get over a couple of “roadblocks” in the form of laundry, sorting through stuff, and setting up better writing schedules, I will be well on my way to a simpler, less stressful lifestyle.

My personal results on the sugar cleanse: 
During this time of reflecting on my life, seeing progress, but still needing to do a lot, it was really helpful to be doing the sugar cleanse. While there were many times when I would have normally put a dab of maple syrup in my coffee, tried a sample of gourmet dessert or chocolate at the store, or had another type of naturally sweetened dessert at home, that sense of denying myself of something helped me regain better self-control.

I’ve always found that if I have better self-control over eating food when I am not hungry or when I just don’t need the extra sugar, that self-control reaches over and gives me strength to have better self-control in how I use my time too. It’s a funny thing how that happens. It must be how each part of our life is interconnected with every other part of our lives.

For those who struggled:
Now, I know that some of you had a really difficult time with the cleanse. If you found that you just couldn’t stay away from sugar, I ask that you not feel that you were a failure. Feeling condemnation from this two week fast of sugar is not the point. My piano teacher always told me when I had a memory blank out when playing for her that I had “struck gold”. That mistake showed me an area in my music where I was weak and needed to work extra hard. In the same way, if you found it impossible to resist refined sugar during this cleanse, then perhaps you also “struck gold”. Perhaps the reason you had a hard time isn’t simply an issue of self-control (though it could be), but perhaps it’s a sign that the rest of you life is so hectic, you don’t have time to eat well. Perhaps your lifestyle is what needs to be balanced out, and then a balanced diet will follow. Or perhaps your body is addicted to sugar, unknown to you, and you “struck gold” in finding that out through trying to do the sugar fast. Now you need to dig deeper and look at your health with a broader viewpoint in healing.

I found that I was fine without dessert, except when I was tired. It made me realize how I liked to eat something sweet to keep me going. My problem was simply not having self-control to resist that second serving of yummy dessert, it was a problem of fatigue. Getting better rest and rebuilding my energy stores is in order (which will then make it easier to resist too many sweets). I also had such great energy when I was writing my salad cookbook, that I think I will start incorporating more raw salad greens into my diet.

For those who had success:
Others of you had great success on the sugar cleanse and found that you lost weight, gained energy, and a clearer mind. I’d encourage you to use that success to continue to breed success! The more you eat a certain way, the more second nature it becomes. Let that success spill over into other facets of your life, which should be easier now that you are more energetic and have a quicker mind.

Others mentioned to me that while it was easy to stay away from sweets, you were surprised not to feel any more energy. I can relate. Fatigue is certainly not always linked to sugar consumption. For me, removing foods that bother me (dairy), getting a lot of sleep (which feels very hard right now with my littlest one), and seeing a naturopath for help has been crucial for boosting my energy.

I am not claiming any simple answers to either finding success, or overcoming health issues. I am on a journey myself. But whether you had success taking out refined sugar from your diet, or not, I hope that this cleanse was helpful to you in either encouraging you in your success, or helping you “strike gold” in the sense of discovering something in your life that needs to be dug down deeper to remove.

Food

Food thoughts-

Over the past few weeks I have been on a mission to plan my meals, shop at the grocery store a few times a week (instead of everyday because I am not prepared) and to try new things.  So far I have been pretty successful.  Still working hard, yet living by grace.  :)

I was also talking with my sister who was in a rut about food and decided I would email some menu ideas to her that were easy and we had eaten in the last week or so. Plus, another idea that I am doing is calling a friend or two that I appreciate their cooking, asking what they have had for dinner and then adding their menu to ours!  It sure has saved me from hours of planning and also we have added new things to our plates-yay!

Below I am going to post a few things so that I don't forget some yummy new foods we tried and/or to help anyone out that is also stuck!

Oh and my friend, Kristin (thank you!) pointed me to this site-100 Days of Real Food and it is WONDERFUL.  Please check it out if you have a desire to learn about foods or get good ideas for healthy menu item or to take their 10 day challenge to not eat processed foods!  If I could have written something like this I would have!  Of course she is a much better written then I ever will be and more organized :)...high fives to the author Lisa!  A sweet site.  Go check it out! :)

Foods we have enjoyed lately:

1. Kale Chips-I honestly didn't think I would be addicted to these....but alas I AM HOOKED!  They have a similar texture and taste to potato chips, but healthier and in season right now! Disclaimer-I took one bite and liked it okay.  But then I tried another crunchy piece and they sure did grow on my taste buds.  :)

2. Anything with sweet potatoes.  These as well are in season and full of nutrients!  We have tried sweet potato biscuits, sweet potato smoothies and sweet potato cookies.  Next on the docket is sweet potato hummus and a soup!  Everything has been a delicious amount of sweet and also very moist.  Cookie recipe-I changed the pumpkin to sweet potato, flour was spelt and used honey granulars instead of sugar, cutting down the sweetener to 1/2 cup which was plenty since it was a 'sweet' potato.  :)   Biscuit recipe-yummo.  I used spelt again and honey granulars with good success!

3. Smoothies.  We've done smoothies in the past and then it just fell away.  Probably when Owen was born, I was to wiped out and so the smoothies stopped.  But after seeing gorgeous photos on Pinterest I was reminded of what a great nutrient benefit these are to our diet.  Plus it really really helps us all get enough liquid into our bodies in the winter.  We've tried this green one which is light and yummy and then have made some blueberries/raspberries ones that are tasty.   I try to add some extra Vitamin C powder, flax seeds and probiotics for our systems to have a boost.

And lastly....here are some of what has been on our menu these past two weeks!

1. Pizza, salad and sweet potato cookies
2. Taco Salad (buying and cooking extra for sloppy Joes), and dressed up Pico.
3. Pinwheel chicken, salad and sweet potato cookies
4. Left overs
5. Sloppy Joes-(seasoned with your favorite bar b sue sauce!), peas and baked/seasoned potatoes
6. Spicy Veggie Chili and sweet potato biscuits
7. Grilled DELICIOUS chicken and Potatoes from Bobby Flay-recipe below from our friends the Muses! It is SO worth putting this recipe into your 'to try' box.  Justin tried this and IMMEDIATELY he said, DELICIOUS and he said...I over ate and LOVED it!  :)  Oh and the sauce is great on subs or as a salad dressing or a dipping sauce.  Make sure you read through the directions, but know it is easy peasy!
8. Chipolte....love that place.  :)
9. Spaghetti and meatballs, bread, salad
10. Lentil soup with chicken sausage and sourdough bread

Recipe for you!

SOOOO good Bobby Flay Dinner!!!

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette and Grilled Potatoes--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ingredients:

For the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette: (I made this the day before)
8 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves-I used dried for this one
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes...-forgot this ooops!

For the grilled chicken and potatoes:
12 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
Kosher/sea salt
Olive oil
4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breasts
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Keep some fresh oregano sprigs, for garnish-optional
Fresh some fresh parsley sprigs, for garnish-optional

For the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette
Combine garlic, vinegar, oregano, parsley, honey and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Stir in the red chile flakes.

For the grilled chicken and potatoes:
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until a paring knife inserted comes out with some resistance. Do not cook the potatoes all the way through because they will continue cooking on the grill. Drain well and when cool enough to handle, slice in half lengthwise.

Heat the grill to medium. (I do think this recipe would also work baked in the oven if you don't have a grill)

Brush the chicken and potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin-side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. A few minutes before the chicken has finished cooking, place the potatoes on the grill, cut-side down and cook until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes Turn over and continue grilling about a minute longer. (*FYI-the chicken took about 25 minutes for me, a bit longer then the recipe says and I put the potatoes in a sauté pan on the grill to finish the cooking.)

Remove the chicken and potatoes to a platter and immediately drizzle with the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with oregano sprigs and parsley sprigs.

EAT!

Ok that is all I have folks.  I hope someone can glean from this post...and if not, it will be a great reminder for us! 

A favorite baking ingredient

I am always trying to cook with natural or ingredients in their most raw state-for the nutritional benefits.  I have tried to redo a lot of recipes with success by changing out the oils or flours or sweeteners.  There is a little bit of tweaking that takes place, but for the most part they can be equally substituted and taste relatively the same.  For sweeteners we now use maple syrup from a farm in PA (thanks Beth!), local honey or on occasion we have raw sugar.

One of my favorite finds was granulated honey!  It is WONDERFUL.  I use it in all my baking and think that it is an easy peasy way to use more natural ingredients.  I have tried to research the health benefits of this process for turning liquid honey into dried pin sized granulars, but haven't found much yet-I will keep looking.  But until then if you are looking for a great substitute in your baking try granulated honey.  I buy ours from Bread Beckers and though shipping is high, if I split an order of 3-4 pails with friends it is worth it and well priced!  And a five gallon pail will last quite a long time.  One can also buy it from Amazon to give it a try.  Oh and remember that honey is naturally sweeter then sugar so use about 1/4-1/3 less then the recipe calls for if you do give it a try!

Happy Baking!

Nutritional moment-cheese!

I recently read this post on a friends blog-Amy at Putting Down Roots-who lives in northern Maine and who I went to college with at Kansas State-ummmm...about 10 years ago! She has a bunch of information on her blog about healthy living, farming and family stuff. Feel free to scoot over there if you want. But as I was reading a recent post it caused me once again to consider what I am feeding my family.

Cheese...love it...and even with Katie being dairy intolerant we have still strived to find a good cheese that she can tolerate. (We are thankful for places like Trader Joes and Whole Foods to carry goat and sheep cheese-with smaller proteins for easier digestion- and to carry varieties that are yummy!) But nonetheless we eat less cheese then we used to since working through this issue. And that's not bad! I have been more creative, tried new things and found that we can live with less dairy then I thought.

One thing that we still have and I haven't changed much is our beloved pizza. And to have pizza one MUST have delicious cheese SMOTHERED ALL OVER THE TOP. I searched for different choices for the kids (some were horrible) and finally settled on a goat mozzarella. It really isn't bad and the kids don't mind at all! But since it is bought in a block I have gone back to shredding my own cheese. I keep a bag of it frozen in the freezer and pull it out when needed. Sometimes it does clump, but I get out the hammer and simple break it apart. :)

Yesterday we had pizza and we had some pre shredded in the freezer that I added to the top for Justin and I's section. I then pulled the pizza out of the oven and what Amy wrote about on her blog was so true. The cheese I shredded looked and tasted much creamier, more like normal melted cheese should look. It was well worth my time of shredding! The pre shredded stuff, though tasty, didn't compare. And now I know why...here is what Amy had to write...

Pre-shredded cheese contains cellulose (yes, wood shavings) as an anti-caking agent. Cellulose is in lots of processed foods, especially low-fat and no-fat foods, as it increases the fiber (I guess it appears to be healthier?) and reduces the need for fats (again appearing healthier). Cellulose gives foods with little fat a more creamy texture somehow, which is what consumers of those product want, something that tastes as close as possible to the higher fat food they really crave.

I’m sure I have lots of cellulose in my body because I used to eat lots of these so-called low fat foods! Humans can’t digest cellulose because our bodies don’t have the correct enzymes to do it.

Anyway take a peek at her blog and read her interesting post about shredding your own cheese. Then leave a comment telling her I sent you so she keep posting interesting facts like this one! Thanks Amy!

Recommendations for Back-to-School Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner ideas

Hey all,
I read this blog-Kitchen Stewardship-and found her recent post helpful for ideas in making food delicious, wholesome and hopefully fast during this back-to-school time of year! Read here for eight different articles that could be worth your time in the kitchen.

A few of the topics-best containers and picky kids, affordable school lunch tips, quick and easy snack tips...

Breakfast ideas

(Photo credits to google and others)

The Standard-any day we don't have anything else and at least on Monday!
--Fried Eggs and Toast.
Two eggs for Justin and I and one for the kids with a piece of toast. Sometimes I have left over grilled potatoes and veggies which I reheat and add to the plate. Sometimes I have some (nitrate free) bacon or sausage from Trader Joes that I add. Yummmmmmm! And as always we add some good ketchup-without refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup...TJ's carries a good version.

Baked Oatmeal is made on Tuesdays and then left overs are reheated or eaten cold on Thursday. Check out the recipe in the blog archives. I've posted about this one before. Delicious.

Sometimes I make "English breakfasts" on Wednesdays. Egg in toast, topped with a slice of tomato, avocado, salt and pepper. (who knows if they really are English...I once had them in England where they always served a tomato on top...). And I always flip them over since we don't like really runny eggs. The kids definitely love this version.

Cereal every Friday. Cheerios or Rice Krispies!

Pancakes or Waffles on the weekend-with real maple syrup and butter...yummmmm

And finally a treat! Biscuits and gravy. I love this easy peasy recipe from Allrecipes. I do normally use soft wheat and not all purpose (and almond milk for the kids), but keep everything else the same. Justin Loves it! We have this once in a blue moon.

I've also tried to incorporate Madame Blueberries (baked french toast-recipe in the blog archives), Raspberry breakfast bars, breakfast wraps, eggs in a pita and cinnamon rolls when I am making bread-I love all these things too.

As I look over my list it seems as if I have a lot of ideas, but I am still looking for something else special to add to the breakfast routine. After all we think breakfast is SUPER important in getting our bodies started off right. Most studies show that with breakfast people perform better in all areas-physically, emotionally....so why wouldn't you?
You are fueling your body-break the fast!

*Food for thought--Eat Good Fats in the morning, they are used all. day. long. Don't skimp on good fat and protein. Most cereal is NOT helpful and should not be eaten daily...it just won't work. If I pay close attention to K and O...they are hungry for a snack SO much earlier on Fridays.

I also read one study lately that shows if one eats breakfast then they eat less lunch=because your body already has started working earlier and not playing 'keep up' at lunchtime.

Anywho....share any recipes you love, please!
Over and out blog buddies

Journaling, More then fuel-A Biblical Theology of food

I read this short blog post on food. This stood out...

"Food is an opportunity for human creativity and generosity in the image of the Creator."

I liked it.

Read it if you have a moment. He also wrote a book that I might look into about food. :)

Food for thought!

MSG?

There are many things I am learning about food, nutrition, health....I hope I will always desire to learn what is out there and how to make better foods so my family will have energy and joy for His work. One thing I have been doing lately is some reading on MSG (monosodium glutamate). I've read for some time now and though I try to avoid it I am amazed at how prevalent it is in our foods.

From what I understand, though somebody much smarter then I could write it better, MSG is a chemical that was developed from seaweed salt in Asia. It did start off as a natural flavor enhancer. But now it is added to foods to make them more flavorful by helping to make normally untasty food tasty. It is used mostly in very processed foods. This chemical works by sending a message to our brains...yummmmy....KEEP eating, that is delicious, don't stop, don't stop! Our minds then react in a tricked sort of way thinking that what we are eating is good, therefore nutritious. But really the food is void of much nutritional value-the eat more signal is the MSG talking.

The reasons we have steered away from it are the side affects it can cause. I have learned a few of the things MSG has been linked to are: obesity, autoimmune diseases, liver issues, headaches (I am trying to observe after I eat how I feel, but I normally get a slight headache after I eat Chinese foods which are traditionally high in MSG-my mom told me that! Anyone living in Asia can help me??), flushing, poor attention-ADHD, fibromyalgia.
And as with all things there is the other side which states there is no relationship between MSG and the above symptoms. Hummm....what it believe these days!

So for us as a family I am trying to stay away from foods in which MSG is added because of the potential side affect. And this isn't to difficult if I am seeking to make foods that are real and not processed. :)

It is worth looking up if you are trying to stay more 'real' in your cooking. A few things that I make homemade now that are easy to supplement are chicken stock and seasoning packets like taco seasoning. I also try to buy a good soy sauce that is fermented and natural (Tamari brand).

*Also be aware that some MSG is created naturally in foods, but it is in a NATURAL form not chemical, that is good (for example Tomatoes have natural MSG occurring Glutamate).

For my future reference MSG can be labeled by a few different names...Some ingredients to watch out for are yeast extract, textured protein, protein isolate, and calcium caseinate. MSG may even be labeled using very vague terms such as "natural flavors" or "seasonings."

Just my thoughts on life...
Living by grace through it all!

A few things I have enjoyed

We love avocados around here (Owen is still working on them), but for the health benefits of this small fruit, what's not to love?

a few good things-

1.Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients

2.Considered to be an almost complete food – so much so that in certain parts of the world babies are weaned using mashed avocado. Native to Central America and has been cultivated for thousands of years, they are rich in potassium and vitamin A. Avocado is also used traditionally to heal skin problems. The pulp is also believed to be both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

3.Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids, potassium, vitamin E, B vitamins, and fiber.

--(taken from various websites)

Spring ahead....while the first day or so our schedules are messed up, I am SO thankful that the dark mornings encourage children that sleep in!

Journaling-allergies

This is what I feel like is happening at our house....our favorite things are giving us fits-sneezing, runny noses, coughs!

I need to post about allergies and the kids. No one probably needs to read this except me when I slowly start to forget that certain foods do effect our kids strongly!

There have been many many days over the past three years for Katie and 16 months for Owen that I have wondered, "what is going on in our kids?" I know that many children get sick and it is a way of this life. After all I know we are living in a fallen world that God will one day set right, but it's broken right now. My prayer is that they will outgrow these issues and God will heal this but until then...

But time and time again I think-"we are sick more then normal-something is wrong-what can I do to help our bodies be stronger"... I finally set to work trying to figure out what could be causing these issues in Owen and Katie. *I am sure they exist in Justin and I too, our bodies are simply able to handle them better. *

But for Katie and Owen, beside dairy to cause runny noses, I think anything that has an excess of mold triggers it too. Bah!

Here is what I want to remember:

Dairy-is not a bad thing, but it needs to be limited, used mostly of goat so the proteins digest better and have it processed as least as possible.

Mold-I have come to learn that certain foods are prone to mold easily. I knew this was the case in cheeses, breads, etc , but I have learned it is in nuts (peanuts/cashews), dried fruit, strawberries and melons too. It not that they necessarily are moldy when we eat them-that would be yuck, but in the growing process there are a lot of mold spores floating around. So we are limiting these things in our house. Bummer! Again I just want to document this so that when the kids are runny noses facets once again I will try to eliminate these foods back to sparse consumption.

Mold also flies around outside, so I guess this is a double concern if Katie and Owen don't tolerate it well. But heck, who tolerates breathing in lots of mold! Plus we live in yellow pollen country for 3 weeks out of the year and here they come...

Attitudes of the kids-this is the main thing that concerns me.

I am continually AMAZED at the change in attitude and disposition Katie has when her body is not working well.
If I am paying close attention to her and discipline starts to go up? One thing I want to ask myself, do I think she is having a allergy response? Normally the next day her cough comes and her nose runs. Teach and give extra grace! She might run a slight fever or none at all. Her eyes stay clear-which is why I don't believe she is actually sick with a cold or flu. It has almost always lasted 3-5 days and during that time she has insomnia and is aggressive. Yes, I believe that excess dairy and mold probably cause this change. Every time I see a Dr. about it for her they say, her muscles are weak in response to dairy and mold testing. I should know this by now!
I need to pray for patience and grace the most during times like these.
Then after we get her some good uninterrupted sleep-go away cough and drainage-she is back to joyful self.

Owen is normally more mild in response (runny nose and some cough), but only time will tell for other distractions in his happy self.

In conclusion...I am in need to be reminded that yes, food does make a difference in our bodies. It either gives us energy to love and live or it adds to the tearing down of our energies and joy. To avoid these foods for my kids is good for them; they don't like to be sick! Sometimes I think, they are not being given a good childhood, because they can't eat something. We all know it is better to be healthy than eating cheese dip and sick! I am not going to leave in fear of if they eat something they shouldn't, but I do want to help my kids live well. I don't want to make food more important or an idol then it should be. It is simply necessary to live and God gave us delicious foods to enjoy.

Therefore, may I think about how I am raising my family in all the areas I am called to each and everyday.

journaling- favorites-letter "F"

Here are some of our favorite foods right now. All of them have a very short ingredient list, which I love. Short ingredient lists mean they are close to 'natural'...and that's what I am going for!

Sweeeeeet-Kombucha!
These are back on the shelf. (I think they had an issue with the label) What a wonderful treat. I've blogged about these before, but they are terrific to drink. They are filled with millions of probiotics-strengthening your body! Again they are pricy-about the same as a Starbucks fuf fuf drink, but worth it. I do make this homemade, which is WAY cheaper and love it. The best way to try these is at Whole Foods/EarthFare. They do go on sale a few times a year. Our favorite right now is Trilogy and Ginger-berry...though grape comes in a close second.
*Even though Katie and Owen LOVE this, we try to save them for Justin and I to split as they are super special. A lot of times we drink them in place of soda when eating pizza...ahhhh....love the fizzles too :)


Oh wow, we eat a lot of bananas! Justin and I learned recently that bananas are good for calming anxiety and giving extra energy before a performance. We've always eaten them after road races for the potassium...but they are great before hand too! Not to mention they are yummy, peanut butter goes great on them and their cheap!


Lara Bars are our "go to" granola bar. They are a bit expensive at about $1.30 per bar, but with only dates, nuts and salt, they are a nutritious and fast to have around. (I also have a recipe for granola bars that is good!) I normally split one between the kids so as to use them well...But they are worth buying! And they taste yummy. You can buy these anywhere. I recently saw them at Target on sale, but they were sold out! Our favorites are the cashew cookie, peanut butter, and pb with chocolate. But they have a huge variety of kinds! We eat about 3 per week.


We eat A LOT of hummus around here. I have tried to make it and though it is easy, I can't find something as good as the ones at TJ's. We love just about any kind. I am glad that the kids like it as much as Justin and I. We like the original, garlic and edamame kinds at TJ's. We dip veggies, crackers, pitas and pretzels into this delicious snack.



Gouda cheese. I love the creaminess of it! Not to mention that they make a goat gouda that is good and Katie can handle! The one at TJ's right now that I crave is the Double Cream Gouda.


And then there is the always foods...coffee, dark chocolate, homemade bread and water with a squeeze of lime...

Honey Lemon Water

At our house during these winter days we have coughs periodically from drainage or colds or the flu. One thing that I have loved adding into our medicine closet is simple honey-lemon water.

Simply warm some water, add a squeeze of honey and some drops of fresh lemon juice. It sooths the throat pretty well! This works especially great when Owen, after sleeping, begins to cough from his teething runny nose. Honey Lemon water and a spoonful of PB seems to be the best trick for us!

Thought I would pass it along!

Peanut Butter Pie

I have been trying to find fun ways to eat food. It has been great for me to be intentionally thinking about what my kids eat and if it is good for them. One thing that we all love around here is peanut butter. So one morning, I got up a few minutes (or seconds :) before the kiddos and made them peanut butter pies. They each had their own glass with chopped up bananas and a spoon full of peanut butter. I think it was a hit and now I can say, "I have served pie for breakfast"!

We have also done apples and peanut butter with some ants (raisins or craisins) in there for an extra yummy treat. I have yet to add some chocolate chucks-dark chocolate from TJ's, but someday I will add them for the ultimate special treat. But maybe I won't do that at breakfast. hehe...

And if you are looking to make a healthy switch to good peanut butter, try and find a kind with only peanuts and salt. Trader Joes makes a delicious one and so does MaraNatha.

Nutritional moment by katie

We are having a snack right now. -Hummas and pretzels.
Katie just got some grapes out of the frige.
She told me, "mom you have to have some fruit because you shouldn't have just grains."
She is a mini me.
It is scaring me how much she mimics.
Oh dear and she is only 3.5 years old.

And little girl to set the record straight...one is to eat fats/protein with grains-it helps with digestion!
But terrific try, we do love fruit. :)

A Few Favorite Things.

If I had a photo of Martha and Cary I would have put them up on the blog. But alas I don't. Did you know they are my personal shoppers?? Yes! Justin kept the kids one night and fashionable Martha (Cary's sister) who has a degree in fashion marketing came and helped me with my wardrobe. I was SO thankful for her insight. Then we went to the mall and she gave me things to try on. I now, see why people have personal shoppers for them. I LOVED IT! She understood my style since we had gone through my closet and then helped me with some, post two babies, foundation items. I came back with with new jeans, two sweaters, and a shirt. It was so nice to not think, but to let her tell me what to wear together. Cary and Martha, when the weather warms up, will you come with me again for some summer clothes?? Oh and thanks for letting me use your discount too! Ahhh...wonderful!

Upate-I bought a cute hat (thanks Joy for telling me too!), one more sweater on sale and have another scarf. Anyone want to go out to lunch with me and my new clothes?? :)

Fleece. I am so thankful to my parents for another warm fleece for Christmas! I received a light blue one this year and I have worn it every other day. I am working my way through my wardrobe-getting rid of those things that are stained, mismatched, outdated, and stretched beyond repair. And it is nice to have a warm, comfy, fitted, not faded and stretched out, new fleece to welcome the new year!

Coconut milk. A great alternative to regular milk. I can substitute this for just about everything that might need milk in a recipe. *Only a little of taste changes in recipes-yippee! We have made pancakes, ice cream, oatmeal bake and others for Katie with this. This is available on the shelf at most grocery stores. Harris Teeter even carries their own brand. I normally buy the regular one and not light. The light version is simply mixed with water, so I decided to dilute mine with water at home. --a better money decision! Anyway it is great. I never knew it existed until a few years ago, and now our house always has a can! So thankful I can give this to Katie and the rest of the family!

When you have kiddos that are dairy intolerant, finding alternatives for things such as hot chocolate (coconut milk is good too, but rich!) or cereal are necessary for the kid life. :) Trader Joes sells Almond Milk and it is great. I like their brand the best, but this one is pretty good. It doesn't have the same taste as cow's milk, but then again we will opt for no coughs and runny noses any day!
A few folks have asked me about soy...and I just can't seem to bring myself to buy it. I know it is not bad. But I read this article and it at least led me to look into other things instead. Soy Alert! from: Westonaprice.org

Merry Christmas to me (and Justin, Katie and Owen!) Finally, I did my research and dove into buying a Canon SLR Digital camera. (Thanks to all our parents for Christmas money!) I am SO EXCITED. I used to own this, almost, exact one when everything was film. I can remember in college shooting roll after roll after roll with my creative roommate, Beth, and then waiting to see how well I captured everything.
But with kids now, film is just to expensive-too many missed shots. Therefore I have been using a mock SLR and point and shoots ever sense-for 8 years. But I am glad to be back into more manual operations with lens and such. I got our T1i off of Canon.com and purchased a refurbished one. So far it has been wonderful-and it was a deal of a price. We also got a 50mm 1.8f lens (thanks for the recommendations Cary and Kristin :) and LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
Justin did point out that he might become a camera widow again since I am back to reading everything I can find again on photos and the like!
-thanks also to Cary for letting me borrow her camera to get a feel for the T1i!

Our vacuum died. But this Hoover we had for a few years was worth it's money. We bought the same one this time around because it was cheap for a vacuum ($78.97), performed well-super suction, had good reviews and easy to buy off of amazon. Check it out! One draw back is that it is loud. But for me, it is hard to think of any machine being quiet...the noise is just part of it working! I think we use this at least 2x a day...it's a good product!
It is the Hoover Wide Path Tempo.

Chocolate...seriously, I eat one square everyday after lunch. It is oh so delicious. Trader Joes 72% dark chocolate is ultimate when it comes to an indulgence.

Sunscreen vs Vitamin D and all the other stuff about sun exposure

I wish I could recount all that I read about sunscreen/Vitamin D/Skin Cancer/Chemicals/SPF's and natural products...but alas I cannot!

But if you are interested in the debate about weather or not to wear sunscreen/sunblock, how much Vitamin D you need, what to avoid in ingredients, what are some good sun clothing to buy, and on and on...check out this blog.

Kitchen Stewardship has two posts that I read one titled, Natural Sunscreen reviews and then Sun, Sunscreen, Skin Cancer and Safety: How Much do You Need?

I really think she does a great job at detangling complicated and sometimes controversial topics.

And if anyone cares, I am going to try out this recommended product from Amazon for us!
-Sol Kid Care by Caribbean Solutions