The Nourishing Apron

Cheesy Pretzels

2011-12-19T14:08:00.000-08:00

It's the first Monday of Christmas break over here so we are celebrating with a special lunch...out of necessity (my husband needed to take the van today and we are low on food options). So, we took one of our favorite recipes and topped it with cheese. With a few pieces of turkey on the side, some frozen mango thawed and carrot sticks, we made a pretty decent lunch and the kids think I'm pretty cool. Well, actually, my son says I'm "hot". When asked what it means for me to be "hot" he said, "You're pretty cool." I can handle that. Here's what we did:

Take THIS PRETZEL RECIPE. After dunking them in the baking soda water and shaping them on the cookie sheet (make sure to generously grease the cookie sheet), top with cheese (we used mozzarella), a bit of grated Parmesan cheese, and Himilayan pink salt.

Bake at 450 for 12 or so minutes, or until the pretzel is golden and the cheese is nice and bubbly.

These would also be great with some marinara dipping sauce! Or ranch? Add some garlic powder, bacon bits, herbs.....oh, the options!

Happy Christmas break! Enjoy those sweet munchkins running amok!

March to the Manger

2011-12-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, my husband and I will be celebrating our 12th anniversary. As I was thinking back to 12 years ago, I was reminded of how one of my favorite Christmas traditions started. We were married on December 18th, 1999, then in July of 2000 we packed a moving truck and headed to Colorado where we had both accepted teaching positions at a small private school. He taught Bible to Jr. high students, I taught kindergarten. Looking back, it was one of our favorite years together.

Teaching kindergarten was such a delight! Sharing holidays with my students was always a highlight. As the Christmas season was approaching, I got an idea to do a "March to the Manger". From December 1st until the children were off for Christmas break (because yes, we could call it that), the children would come into the class and look for a figure from the nativity set. Every day, a new one would appear, while the one from the day before would be closer to the stable. The day the kids left for break, baby Jesus appeared and all the figures were gathered around. This was met with such great delight by my students I knew it would be something that would continue with my own children. And it has.

We start with an empty stable. My father-in-law made this. Isn't it enchanting? I love the pine cone roof.

We don't always start on December 1st. I think this year it may have been December 7th. There's nothing magical about December 7th, it just happens to have been when I finally got around to decorating. But the kids noticed with excitement the next morning when a sheep appeared on the left side of the mantle. That's where they all start.

The figures begin on the left side....

then they travel to the right side.

You may notice along the way that we don't worry about being historically accurate. We all giggled when Alainna pointed out that the donkey appeared without Mary....and I don't wait 3 years for the kings to come, nor do they travel with their camel. We're looking to create anticipation of our Savior more than anything.

Next stop is the console table by the front door.

The shepherd and sheep appear on different days, but by the time they hit the console table, they continue the journey together.

The final stop is the top of the plant shelf where they can visit with the snowmen.

I've never been able to figure out why there is a beggar in this nativity set, but we let him journey just the same.

Then they wait at the manger. First one, then another, and by Christmas Eve, they are all there. All but One. The One who came to save the world. The One who spoke light into the darkness. The One who is God with us. We all look, watch, and wait. Then, on Christmas morning, I hear my children pitter-patter into the family room, squeal in surprise at the gifts and stockings that have magically appeared, then turn to the stable and proclaim, "Jesus is here!" Because He is.

Fudge

2011-12-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

I posted this fudge recipe last year but thought I'd post it again, just in case you missed it. This is such an amazingly easy way to prepare fudge. Better than that, though....this fudge tastes amazing! It is of course free of refined sugar, but it is also void of gluten and dairy. A perfect holiday treat.

This year when I went to make my fudge, I was already using my food processor for something else and I didn't feel like washing it right away to make fudge. So I just chopped the nuts by hand and mixed everything together with a whisk. I thought it was even easier that way. It could just be my imagination, but I also think it tastes better.

So here it is one more time:

1 cup coconut oil
1 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
chopped pecans (optional)

In a double boiler, melt coconut oil, honey, sugar and salt until completely melted. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Pour into an 8x8 inch pan and place it in the refrigerator until it's solid. Store in the refrigerator. That's it!

(Every time I eat some, I keep thinking how much better it tastes this year. I'm beginning to wonder if I replaced some of the honey with maple syrup. I seriously can't remember! If I did, I would have used 1/2 cup honey and 1/4 cup maple syrup instead of 3/4 cups honey (keeping the coconut sugar the same). My hunch is that I probably did...or I have just forgotten how delicious it is. Either way it's outstanding.)

Lemon Bars

2011-12-12T01:32:00.000-08:00

I have always loved lemon desserts. There's something about the tartness of the lemon combined with a subtle sweetness that just does it for me. In fact, if I needed to choose between chocolate and lemon, I'd probably go for lemon. Shocking, isn't it?

I tried making a lemon-type bar about a year ago using a recipe from another blog that has quite a few recipes free of refine sugar. I wasn't that impressed. It was okay but not repeatable. Since then, I've been hesitant to try again because it's hard to get the perfect blend of sweet and sour without using refined sugar.

Yesterday, however, I was feeling bold and confident. My oldest daughter was having a friend over to play after school so I figured they'd be great guinea pigs. If this recipe were to get thumbs up from two 9-year-old girls, I figured I've done pretty well. Not only did they each give it two thumbs up, but my 8-year-old son wanted seconds. If that wasn't enough, my husband came back for seconds. Let's just say that if he had to choose between chocolate and lemon, he'd always go for chocolate. In fact, if lemon was the only dessert in the room, he'd probably go for water. But he loves me and loves trying my new recipes, so he braved the lemon, found it divine (okay, perhaps my word choice there) and decided that when life hands him lemons, he wants me to make him lemon bars. I can handle that.

Crust

2 1/2 cups flour (I used part spelt & part millet; for gluten-free see the bottom of the post)
1 cup cold butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut (or palm) sugar
1/4 cup honey

Lemon Filling

1/2 cup arrowroot
(Regular flour should work if you don't have arrowroot...although I haven't tried it!)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 lemons, juiced (just under 1 cup juice)
zest of 1 lemon
4 eggs
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
Sucanat for sprinkling (about 2-3 tablespoons)

For crust, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter. Drizzle honey into flour mixture while stirring until the dough comes together. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before pouring the topping over it.

For the lemon filling, combine arrowroot, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. In another bowl, combine eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, coconut sugar and maple syrup. Add the lemon mixture to the arrowroot mixture and combine (I used a whisk) until arrowroot is completely dissolved. Pour over slightly cooled crust and return to oven. Bake 20 minutes then remove from oven and sprinkle with Sucanat. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes more. Make sure you the custard is set but don't over-bake or the custard will be more firm than you might want.

Remove from oven and cool. Store in refrigerator.

For a gluten-free crust, use 1 1/4 cups almond meal and 1/4 cup arrowroot in place of the flour. You can buy it at most health food stores, or make your own by finely grinding almonds. Just make sure to stop the grinding before it turns into almond butter! But even if it did, it would still probably work. Almonds are amazing nuts. It may need to bake for a different length of time than when using flour, so watch it closely toward the end of baking.

Enjoy!

And the winner is......

2011-12-09T00:54:00.000-08:00

Jill

Congratulations!

I will email you soon to get your shipping info! Hooray!!!

And a big THANK YOU to all of you who left comments for the giveaway. Your comments are what keep me blogging! I always love reading them.

Coming soon....a yummy new recipe.

Stay tuned!

My 9x13 pan of this delicious treat is vanishing far too quickly.

Leather Flower Clip Tutorial

2011-12-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

Here it is. My first attempt at a craft tutorial. Ready, steady, go!

These clips are a lot of fun to make and are a lot of fun to give as gifts. They combine my two favorite things: playing with fire and playing with a hot glue gun. I know. I like living on the edge.

Here's what you'll need:

leather

leather needle

upholstery thread

hot glue gun

small wood beads

broach pin

hair clip

sharp scissors

First go HERE to print out the free flower pattern. This pattern came from a post on Make It And Love It, one of my favorite craft blogs.

Cut out the three largest of the top flower pattern and arrange them on your leather. Tape the edges of the pattern to the leather. You don't want to pin them or you'll have holes in your leather!

You should have three flowers total.

Very carefully put the edges of the leather next to the flame of the candle. Please be careful! It is very easy to burn yourself! You want to hold the leather close enough to let it curve but not too close so that it burns. I have found that different leather requires different distances from the heat, so just fiddle around with what works best for your material.

Next, sew the beads to the center of the smallest flower. As a general rule of thumb, when you are doing anything artistic, it's best to do an odd number of whatever it is you're doing. I did three in the center of this flower. Sew from the back side of the leather to the front side then put the bead on the needle.

Repeat with remaining beads.

Tie a regular double knot on the back of the leather once all the beads are attached.

Hot glue all three pieces together then glue the broach pin and/or hair clip on. I hold the hair clip open with my finger so it doesn't get glued shut.

Cut a small rectangle piece of leather and glue that over the pin and clip. The leather will make the clip non-slip.

That's it! Now you have a beautiful and unique gift to give or a fun hair accessory for yourself!

For the silk flower tutorial found in my last post, go HERE.

For those of you not into the crafting thing, never fear! I'll keep posting recipes. I'm also hoping to have my Clara June etsy shop open soon so if you aren't into crafting but are into buying, you'll be set! :)

And just a reminder that tonight is your last chance to enter the giveaway. Go HERE if you want a chance to win! Winner will be announced tomorrow.

Happy crafting!

Giveaway Clarification

2011-12-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

I love seeing all your comments on the giveaway! Thank you!

Just one clarification: Please, please, please make sure to leave a comment on the giveaway page (found HERE). You see, I have 4 children. They are all smart and bright with great memories. The downside to that is that they got all of my smart, bright, great memory brain cells leaving me with none. That means even though I get occasional email notifications of the comments you are leaving on facebook, I know when it comes time to draw a name I will miss someone....and I don't want that to happen!

So, if you have clicked that "like" button at the top of my blog or mentioned the giveaway on facebook (or your own blog if you aren't on facebook), please go HERE right now and let me know! If you aren't on facebook and don't have a blog, that's okay! Leave a comment HERE (click on the word "HERE") and I'll put you in the drawing.

In case you missed it, to be entered in the drawing, click HERE and leave a comment on THIS page.

Thank you!!!

Thank You! Giveaway! Tutorial on it's way.......

2011-12-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for all your kind comments and messages about the bazaar. Your encouragement touched me so much. I felt like you were selling baby shoes right along with me. It was a wonderful day! It was a small bazaar as far as bazaars go, but I sold some shoes, some bags of caramel corn, and quite a few clips that I decided to crank out at the last minute. Mostly, though, it was fun being a part of what is going on at my kids' school. We have an awesome PTA who pulled off a great event and it was encouraging to see the support of the school staff. Lots of teachers, staff members, parents and students spent part or all of their day at the school. My kids loved it!

So in honor of a great weekend and the upcoming holiday, how about a giveaway? I've never done one before, but I thought this would be a great time to give it a try. I would like to send one of you one of my hair clips. Would you like one? They make great gifts or stocking stuffers. Here are the choices:

Lavender

Crimson

Leopard

(real silk)

Leather

Each clip is attached with a strip of leather or suede to prevent slipping. This clip stays put even in my daughter's baby-fine hair.

If the tag says "clip & broach" it is like the picture above. I sold out of the leopard print in the combo, so that one is just a clip.

To enter the giveaway, do one or more of the following:

1) Like The Nourishing Apron on Facebook.

2) Mention this giveaway on Facebook.

If you do both, you'll be entered twice!

That's it! Leave a comment below with your email address telling me which one you did, which clip you would want if you won and who the clip would be for. Would you give it away? Keep it for yourself? Put it in your daughter's hair? Clip it on a jacket?

The giveaway will end Thursday night. I'll announce the winner on Friday.

Within the next couple of days I'm hoping to put up a tutorial sharing how I made the clips. The bulk of this blog will still be devoted to yummy recipes, but every once in a while I'd like to start posting some craft ideas. Are you game? Any other bakers and crafters out there?

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome to My Sewing Room (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can......)

2011-11-29T15:46:00.000-08:00

I told you a couple weeks ago that you probably wouldn't hear much from me until after December 3rd. I wanted to stop in for a few minutes to let you peek in on my progress. The bazaar is on Saturday and so far I have 28 shoes completed. It sounds more impressive to state the number in total shoes, doesn't it? Twenty-eight shoes breaks down like this: 14 pairs total (7 Mary Janes, 7 moccasins). I have a few more to complete then I'm on to leather flower clips. I'm having fun! Saturday, here I come!!!

Here's where the creating happens. You can see the shoes lined up on the window sill. Charlie likes to be in on the action. Actually, Charlie smells my mocha:

I love this particular leather. I still need to add the elastic. My hope is to dye the elastic to match the leather. I've never dyed elastic. Nothing like trying something new the week of the event, right?

Such a cute little Mary Jane. My daughter lives in them. They are the only shoe she'll leave on her foot all day. If you want to make your own, check out THIS etsy shop. She sells the pattern. Or come by on Saturday and buy the actual shoe ;)

There's something so cute about seeing a bunch of baby shoes lined up on the window sill.

I'd love your opinion. I'm thinking about selling them for $20. Does that seem reasonable? They are made from genuine leather and lined with real suede. What do you think?

And hopefully next week I'll have a new recipe for you. But no promises. I might be sleeping all of next week. But if you do need a new recipe to get you through, try this winner.

This is a cranberry orange scone. To die for. I took my regular chocolate chip scone recipe (found HERE), left out the chocolate chips and added the zest of one orange and 3/4 cup fresh chopped cranberries. Happiness during the holidays, is what they are! Enjoy!

I'm thankful for.....

2011-11-22T19:19:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for this man. For his thoughtfulness, his selfless heart, his smile. I'm thankful for the love we share.

I'm thankful for this girl. For her giggle, her love for life, her compassion for others.

I'm thankful for this boy. For his passion for life, his inquisitive mind, the freckles on his nose.

I'm thankful for this boy. For his infectious smile, his piercing blue eyes, his joy in new discoveries.

I'm thankful for this girl. For her sweet, gentle spirit, her bursts of love, her happy sprout.

I'm thankful for my family. For laughter, love, life.

I'm thankful for the One who loves us and gave us Jesus. Oh, how he loves us!

Shout for Joy to the LORD all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is He who made us, and we are His.

We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving;

And his courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the LORD is good and His love endures forever;

His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100

Photos by Tim Denison Photography

Pumpkin Streusel Pie

2011-11-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

I saw this yummy-looking grain & dairy-free pie on Nourishing Gourmet and knew I needed to give it a try. One of my favorite dessert combinations at Thanksgiving is a slice of pumpkin pie with a small slice of pecan pie next to it. This combines the two and has the added benefit of being completely grain free...and completely delicious! I only made two small changes. For the filling, instead of 1/2 cup honey, I used 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and 1/4 cup coconut sugar. For the topping, I used 1 tablespoon maple syrup instead of honey and replaced the flax seeds with arrowroot powder (I was out of flax seeds). Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. Well, except for separating the eggs and whipping the whites. I just put the eggs in and stirred them with a whisk. Because I don't like whipping whites. We had some the same night I made it when it was room temperature and were a bit disappointed. The next day we had a cold slice from the fridge. Oh, my! All the difference in the world. A highly recommended recipe!

And just a head's up. You may not hear from me for a bit. The holiday bazaar at my kids' school is 14 days away and I'm busy making baby shoes:

I'm also working on a pair of little moccasins so the baby boys can have stylin' toes, too. The pattern still needs a bit more tweaking. Which reminds me....I better scoot!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! See you again in 14 days. ;)

Pumpkin Muffins & Bread

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

This is a nice, large recipe. It made 48 mini muffins and one small loaf of bread for us on Sunday morning. If just using it for bread, it would make 3 loaves. For an extra-special treat, try dipping the tops of the muffins in melted butter, then in coconut sugar & cinnamon (we did some of each, as you can see from the picture). November yumminess!

4 cups flour (I do part spelt & millet)
1 cup melted butter or coconut oil (I did 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup coconut oil)
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups pumpkin
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Grease muffin or bread pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk. Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Fill prepared pans and bake mini-muffins 10-15 minutes, loaves 35-45 minutes. Cover for the last 5-10 minutes if they brown. Check with a cake tester. If doing regular size muffins, I'd cook for 15-20 minutes, although I'm yet to try that size.

Green Smoothie

2011-11-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

Some of you have probably been making green smoothies for years. I only recently jumped on the green smoothie band wagon. I'm not sure why it took me so long. I think that part of the reason was believing I needed a high-tech blender to make it work. You know the demos they do at Costco for Vitamix or Blentec? I always leave thinking I can't do a thing on my cheap-o blender. But guess what? You can! I have a bottom-of-the-line Oster and it works great. (I'll share my opinion on blenders at the end of this post.)

As we've been trying to get my husband's health back (he was diagnosed with Lyme disease in April), I started making him a green smoothie every day a few weeks ago. Since I was making one for him, I just made it huge and now we all drink them every morning. I love sending my sweet family out the door in the morning knowing they have started their day with spinach. Lots of spinach.

I don't use my smoothies as an entire meal. We don't do milk or yogurt products and I don't like buying protein powder, so I make our smoothies to go along with whatever else we're eating. It's important to get really good protein in the morning so I usually do our farm-fresh eggs or pancakes/waffles made with freshly ground grain and farm fresh eggs to go with our smoothie. It's a fantastic way to start the day.

I have tried a lot of different fruits to go along with the spinach and we landed on the one we all love the most. It's so simple: spinach, banana, mango & pineapple. Here's what I do....

1 banana
4 cups of fresh, washed packed spinach (don't use frozen; the flavor is too strong!)
frozen mango (Trader Joe's*)
frozen pineapple (Trader Joe's*)
water
stevia (optional; also Trader Joe's*)

First put the banana & spinach in the blender. Add water about 3/4 of the way up the spinach. Does that make sense? You don't want to cover it all the way but you need enough water to get a good blend. Blend until smooth (add more water if necessary). Add the mango & pineapple. I do about 1/2 cup of each, but you'll want to add it according to your taste and blender. I usually add a bit more pineapple than mango since that flavor in particular hides the spinach well. Add water just below fruit line and blend. Add more water if you can't get a good vortex. I like to add stevia when I do spinach, usually 1 scoop per person (I get the pure powder form from Trader Joe's that comes with a teeny-beanie scoop.

Can you taste the spinach? Ever so slightly. It's there, but it's not overpowering. My kids won't drink smoothies unless they love them. They don't like spinach, but they love this smoothie.

*If you don't have a TJ's in your area, other stores will sell these. I have found TJ's to be the best price & quality in our area. Just make sure there is no added sugar!

As for blenders, my opinion is that it is unnecessary to spend $400. Mine cost $19 and works great. I have even read some controversial arguments that some blenders (including Vitamix & Blendtec) grind foods at too high of a speed and that it actually loses more nutrients (Mercola has some things to say on this). Both sides are obviously adamant about their positions, but it's food for thought, anyway.

If you are going to spend your money on anything, and you enjoy baking, save your money for a mill. Milling your own grain for your family is one of the best gifts you can give them. Yes, the fancy blenders claim to do that, but according to a friend who tried flour from a blender vs. flour from a mill, it was like comparing "sand to real flour". The mill I have is a WonderMill. I have had it for 7 years and have never had any problems with it.

Does it work for gluten free grains? You bet! I do both. I have ground spelt, wheat, millet, oat groats, beans, sorghum, rice, Kamut, amaranth, tapioca and barley through mine and it makes a perfect flour. You do not want to put seeds in it. It will ruin the mill! (No flax seeds, sesame seeds, etc.) Us a coffee grinder for those. If you are not able to eat gluten grains, you want to make sure you never put them through your mill as the gluten stays in it. Technically when I do gluten free grains, they are not truly gluten free because I put spelt through it all the time so the gluten from that remains in the machine.

I don't mean for this to be a controversial post on blenders. If you have a VitaMix or Blendtec and love it, that's wonderful! I simply share this information for people like me who have debated the benefits of getting one but just aren't able justify the high price tag. Everything I do in my kitchen happens without an impressive blender....and we never go hungry. But I'm sure for some of you out there, you would be lost without your high-tech wonder, and I'm so glad you love it!

Pumpkin Waffles

2011-11-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

I don't get incredibly excited when Halloween rolls around. I don't know why, it's just way down at the bottom of my 'happy holidays' list. So when October 31st was suddenly upon us, I realized I hadn't done anything festive with my kids. They didn't seem to mind; they get about as excited as I do for that particular day. Halloween came and went and made but a small ripple on the radar (okay, okay....we did dress up, went trick-or-treating, and even made caramel apples, but it was all very last minute).

And then November was upon us. November 1st dawned sunny and clear, a rarity here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. The kids had a half day at school so we made a rather spontaneous decision to head to the pumpkin patch. It was a great decision. Did you know that nobody goes to the pumpkin patch the day after Halloween? We decided to make a road trip out of it so I picked them up from school, we ate lunches as we drove, and meandered down Highway 14, across the Bridge of the Gods (or "Bridge of the Angels" as Alainna accidentally called it), and down to Hood River. Talk about a beautiful drive this time of year!

Our pilgrimage ended at Rasmussen's Farms, a place I heard about from my husband's cousins. Apparently they have gone there since they were little. What a quaint place! Pumpkin bowling, fairy tales with pumpkins, a corn maze, and of course pumpkins. Lots of pumpkins. Lots and lots of pumpkins.

I believe we also walked away with what may be a new November 1st tradition:

I have spent the last two days in my kitchen cooking and freezing pumpkins. We got a little carried away. We got a lot carried away. Fifty cups of pumpkin later, I am finished. We will be having pumpkin everything over the course of the next 12 months. I told my husband last night that it's a good thing I'm not pregnant and in my first trimester or by now I would loathe pumpkins. But I don't. I love them. And I love these pumpkin waffles. I hope you do, too!

(This is the amount I do for my family. You could easily cut it in half, although they re-heat so nicely, I recommend doing the entire batch and freezing the leftovers.)

3 cups flour (I use spelt & millet)

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1/4 cup honey

2 cups fresh or canned pumpkin

3 cups milk or water

1/2 cup butter, melted

(A note on spices: When I'm in a hurry, I do 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.)

Combine dry ingredients with a whisk in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and whisk to combine. Add more water if it's too thick. Cook as you normally would waffles. Works for both Belgian or regular size waffles.

Tulsi Tea

2011-11-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

I recently read about the health benefits of Tulsi Tea from Dr. Mercola (click on his name for a thorough explanation of the health benefits). I'm always looking for a yummy, good-for-you tea so I decided to give it a try. I found it on Vitamin Shoppe's online store for $3.99 per box. I get pretty much all of our supplements through Vitamin Shoppe and had an order ready to go, so I added a few boxes. I'm so glad I did!

I had the India Breakfast this morning with my Pumpkin Waffles (recipe coming soon....) and it was pretty close to the best cup of tea I've ever had. Think Earl Grey meets English Breakfast meets organic and good for you. I also picked up Sweet Rose, Jasmine and Vanilla Creme. Heavenly! India Breakfast contains caffeine, but the others are caffeine-free.

Just a few of the health benefits listed on the box: Tulsi Tea can help reduce stress, supports the immune system, is abundant in antioxidants, builds stamina, is a powerful adaptogen, aids digestion, is anti aging, balances metabolism, balances energy levels and uplifts moods. With my cup this morning, you better watch out. Accoriding to the box, I will be Super Woman, down 5 pounds, cheerful, 25 again, and running a marathon today. Well....maybe not, but the flavor was enough this morning to get me smiling so I can at least vouch for the 'uplifts moods' claim. But if you see me flying overhead, you'll know the rest of the claims are true as well.

Happy Wednesday!

I'll share some of the supplements we get on another post. I am in no way connected with Vitamin Shoppe, Dr. Mercola or Organic India.

Caramel Apples (gluten & dairy free)

2011-11-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

Well, we did it. We made caramel apples. We did it on Halloween day. And we had fun.

We had fun pushing the disproportionately large Popsicle sticks into the apples.

We had fun stirring the caramel mixture....

...and we had fun kissing while stirring the caramel mixture. It takes a long time to stir a caramel mixture. Evan is my affectionate boy. This fun kissing game, invented by him, turned into a final blow which Alainna happened to capture on camera. Gotta love kissing games with a 6-year-old boy!

We had fun dipping the apples into the caramel mixture.

We even had fun when we dipped the apples in and learned that it really is true that you don't want to take the caramel off the stove too soon. It doesn't stick to the apples. It does a very interesting glunking thing.

And then we had fun dressing up for Halloween and doing a bit of trick-or-treating at an assisted living home, at the shops along Main Street, and in our country neighborhood. Can you tell what the kids are? We have a soccer player, an 80's girl, Calvin (minus Hobbes) and a lady bug. I love those kids. And I love that they are okay with my lack of enthusiasm over elaborate costumes.

When the trick-or-treating was over, we had fun eating the caramel apples. Boy, did we have fun!

I followed the recipe on 101 Cookbooks with just two minor changes in ingredients:

1 cup full fat coconut milk (canned)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

Use these amounts and follow the directions on 101 Cookbooks and you'll be set for fun, fun, fun!

Caramel Apples

2011-10-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

The other day a friend asked if I had a caramel apple recipe I like. Can you believe that I never thought to experiment with caramel apples? At first I directed her to my Almond Roca recipe, thinking it might work, but then I started searching and found THIS recipe. I'm hoping to try it over the weekend, but with Halloween just around the corner, I wanted to share it with you before I try it in case you want to try it, too! Her ingredients are simple: honey, heavy cream, salt, and of course, apples. I'd imagine it's heavenly, although I plan on making one simple change. I'll use half honey, half maple syrup. Or perhaps 3/4 honey and 1/4 syrup. I like the flavor of honey, but I find that if it is used alone in a recipe, the flavor is too strong. Paired with maple syrup, I think it's smooth and perfect. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it goes! If I end up trying it, I'll let you know. To find the recipe and some beautiful pictures, clink on this link: 101 Cookbooks: Caramel Apple Recipe.

Pumpkin Scones

2011-10-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

Are you sick of pumpkin recipes yet? No? Oh, good. Because neither am I. I can't seem to stop with the pumpkin craze happening in my kitchen.

I found this recipe on a site I had never seen before while looking for a pumpkin scone recipe. Great pictures and yummy looking (sugary) recipes. This recipe, however, required very few changes to make it healthy. I used coconut sugar instead of turbinado (which is still a refined sugar), and I sprinkled them with a bit of Sucanat instead of all the sugary drizzles and glazes. They were lightly sweet and perfectly delicious.

2 cups flour (I used spelt & millet)
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoon cold butter
1/2 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
3 tablespoons half and half plus more for brushing
1 egg
Sucanat for sprinkling on top

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter (I use my Cuisinart). In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, half and half and egg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined.

Pat onto a floured surface and shape into a circle about 1 inch thick and 8 inches wide.

Cut into triangles. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with half and half and sprinkle with Sucanat.

Bake at 425 for 8-15 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges and cooked through.

If you are looking for a great holiday tea to go with your scones, try this one:

I found it in the health food section of Fred Meyer last year and have been looking forward to October so I could get it again. If you can't find it at your local market, you can get it online at iherb.com. (Use my code (WIG983) to get $5 off your first order. They always offer free shipping with orders over $40. I get my hair products, nail polish, mascara, toothpaste, gum, coconut sugar, coconut oil, lip balm, kamut pasta, etc. from here. Great customer service, super-competitive prices, fast shipping. It's the best online health food store out there, with more than just food.)

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

My parents graciously took our children for the weekend so my husband and I could have some time to reconnect and relax. My hubby is still struggling with his health so daily life is a bit crazy at times. We were thankful for a time to slow down, gaze into each other's eyes and actually finish every conversation we started. We talked, watched movies, talked some more, drew pencil sketches, talked again, snuggled on the couch, smooched on the couch, made a cozy fire in the wood stove, read, and talked some more. And we ate. We ate by candlelight. And we lingered. It was divine.

What did we eat? We started with a flank steak dinner on Saturday night, followed by eggs, green smoothie, and this super-yummy, super-moist coffee cake on Sunday morning. We both thought it was the perfect fall treat, especially with a hot cup of coffee.

Now all we are missing are some children to share it with. We can't wait to smooch those sweet faces again and get this house once again bursting with life. We had a delightful weekend alone, but we sure do love having our tribe around us.

Whether you enjoy this cake in peace and solitude or share it with a passel of munchkins, I hope it makes your happy fall kitchen a place of joy.

Topping

3 tablespoons soft butter
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup flour (I used spelt & millet)

Cake

2 1/3 cups flour (I used spelt & millet)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup soft salted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients until crumbly. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, powder, salt and pumpkin spice.

In another bowl combine sour cream, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.

In a large mixing bowl, blend butter, sugar, honey and syrup until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half the flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture. Mix to combine. Add half the sour cream/pumpkin mixture. Mix to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and pumpkin.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle with topping (you will need to use your fingers to sprinkle the topping and separate the chunks).

Bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes, or until cake tester inserted comes out clean. You may want to lightly cover with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.

Pumpkin Bars

2011-10-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

I got a serious craving for pumpkin bars on Monday while making my pumpkin puree. I hopped online and found the two highest rated recipes. Turns out they are the same recipe, but both highly rated on each site (go HERE and HERE for the original recipe). As a general rule, something that starts out amazing will also be amazing when the recipe is tweaked. Such is the case with this recipe. Do I dare admit that we finished off the entire 10x13 pan in two days? No, I don't think I'll admit it. Just believe me when I tell you it was super moist, perfectly sweetened, and tantalizingly pumpkin-y and cinnamon-y.

We ate them plain for a snack one day and for breakfast with eggs and smoothie the next morning, but they would be delicious topped with cinnamon whipped cream (whipping cream, maple syrup, vanilla extract & cinnamon) for dessert.

I anticipate making this recipe many times this holiday season! Enjoy!

4 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut sugar (palm sugar)
1/4 cup maple syrup (I use grade B)
1 cup melted butter or coconut oil (I used salted butter)
2 cups pumpkin (if using canned, one 15 oz can should work)
2 1/2 cups flour (I used part spelt & part millet)
1/2 teaspoon salt (1 teaspoon if not using salted butter)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk. In a large mixing bowl, mix remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.

Pour into a greased 10x13 glass pan. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cover lightly with foil if it starts getting dark before the middle is cooked through.

If you don't have a 10x13 pan, I'm sure other sizes would work. You could try a large jelly-roll pan or even a 9x13. It will be much thicker in a 9x13 and will probably require additional baking time. This would also be an easy recipe to cut in half.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

2011-10-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law got me hooked on real pumpkin puree when I was pregnant with my oldest child. I always get excited when I see pumpkins in the store in the fall knowing I can re-stock my freezer. Last year we were in the midst of moving when pumpkin season hit and I never got around to baking some. For some reason once Halloween is over, the pumpkins disappear. Have you noticed that? I missed my window last year. If you have ever wanted to try making your own puree, now's the time!

It's very simple and well worth it. I'll share my technique below. If you want more pictures and a different technique, go here: How to Roast Pumpkin I think it's hard to mess up when roasting a pumpkin.

1) Wash the pumpkin to remove dirt.
2) Cut in half from the stem down.

3) Scoop out the seeds & pulp with a metal serving spoon.

4) Place face-down in a large glass pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. If the pumpkin is too large to fit, cut it. (If you end up needing to cut it, cover the pumpkin tightly with foil to keep the juices in.) You can add water to the pan if you like, although I don't.

5) Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 90 minutes depending on the size of the pumpkin. Make sure it's tender when poked with a fork. I have tried all sizes from nice and big to small and sweet. They are all great. My preference is to find one that will fit my pan without needing to cut it. Apparently my eye-balling technique was off today because as you can see, it didn't fit.

6) Once it is tender when poked with a fork, remove it from the oven and turn over the pumpkin pieces to cool.

7) Scoop out the flesh of the pumpkin and puree in a food processor until smooth. (Note: Don't add water! You may be tempted to, but if it's not processing, stop the processor, rearrange the pieces of pumpkin with a fork or spoon, and try pulsing again. I've had seemingly dry pumpkins still end up smooth and moist without adding water. You will want a food processor for this. A blender won't work unless you add water...or have an amazing blender.)

8) Store by 1 cup measurements in zip-lock baggies in the freezer until ready to use. (Some people store them in 2 cup amounts, but I have found that unless I'm making a pie, I usually only need a cup for pancakes, bread, muffins, bars, etc.) If you will be using the pumpkin within five days, you can store it in the fridge.

9) Enjoy! Hopefully I will have some new pumpkin recipes coming soon! Until then, check out the "pumpkin" tab by either clicking HERE or on the pumpkin label on the left. Happy Autumn!

Hummus

2011-10-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

When I was tested for food allergies, sesame seeds came up as one thing I should avoid. Unfortunately, tahini, or sesame paste, is a major ingredient in hummus. It makes the hummus. And I love hummus. So I came up with my own variation. Perhaps it's not authentic without the tahini, but it works for us and it's easy. I had to try it several times before we all decided it was perfect. My favorite way to serve it is with homemade tortillas made with spelt and flax seeds, cooked then brushed with olive oil and toasted, then cut into triangles. Sprinkle the triangles with Himilayan pink salt crystals from Trader Joe's and it's the perfect snack or light lunch. Yum!

Please adjust the seasoning if you like more or less of anything. I recently discovered the South African Smoke seasoning from Trader Joe's. It's pretty amazing! And pretty sprinkled on top. It's not necessary, but if you live near a Trader Joe's and see it on the shelf, grab one...or two! You'll be glad you did.

1 can garbonzo beans (chick peas)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon cumin
2-3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (I get mine at Costco)
South African Smoke from Trader Joe's on top

Put it all in the blender or Cuisinart and blend until smooth. I do it all in my Magic Bullet. Sprinkle with South African Smoke or additional paprika for color. That's it! Easy.

Family Movie and Pizza Night

2011-09-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

For the last four months, our family has been having a Friday Family Movie Night. We knew once the school year started that we would want something the kids could look forward to doing as a family that was consistent each week. The plan in the beginning wasn't to have pizza every Friday night, but after the first few weeks that, too, became a tradition. We love ending the work and school week together as a family with our time together watching fun and silly movies like Gus, Summer Magic, Homeward Bound and The Apple Dumpling Gang. My kids are really sensitive to anything even mildly scary, so most contemporary movies are out (anything with scenes involving fire or bad guys...which pretty much rules out everything ; they request we not watch those). Our favorite thing to watch are reruns of The Andy Griffith Show (hooray for Netflix instant!). We just can't get enough of Andy, Barney and Opie.

So today, in honor of our Family Movie Night, I thought I'd share with you my pizza sauce and crust recipe. Four months and 32 pizzas later (this recipe makes 2 pizzas), I have finally perfected it. I try to keep it fairly simple so I usually just do pepperoni from Trader Joe's (it does contain nitrates, but it isn't greasy like most pepperoni) and Italian chicken sausage (I also get that at TJ's). I use the Trader Joe's pre-shredded mozzerella cheese. Served with a green salad and fruit juice soda (in a can!!!), it's a night we all look forward to. In fact, as the kids were heading out the door to catch the bus this morning, Ethan excitedly said, "Tonight's movie night! With soda!"

The sauce is one I came up with, but the crust came from a friend out of a cookbook, so I can't take credit for it (nor can I give credit where credit is due, because I don't know what cookbook it came out of...so please don't sell the recipe or the crust ;) But I've tried several different recipes over the years and this is by far the best homemade pizza crust I've had. I use organic white flour for the crust. This is the one thing in my kitchen that I still make with all white flour. I've tried it whole grain and even gluten-free, but it just isn't the same and I believe something as culturally important as pizza should be as close to the real thing as possible. ;)

Pizza Sauce

1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Pizza Crust

1/2 cup warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/4 cup room temperature water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

In a mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid), dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water for about 5 minutes. Add remaining water, oil and flour (in that order). Add salt on top of the flour, making sure it doesn't touch the water. Mix well. Knead until smooth and elastic. Again, I do all this in my KitchenAid, but you can easily do it by hand.

Let rise until double, about 30-45 minutes. Or, place in the refrigerator until ready to use. I like making mine up earlier in the day, covering the bowl with plastic wrap, and it's ready to go when I'm ready to go.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees (I use a pizza stone, but you don't need to).

Divide in half. Roll into a 12-inch circle and top with sauce and remaining ingredients. My favorite order is sauce, a bit of cheese, pepperoni, a bit more cheese, sausage and the rest of the cheese. The little bit of cheese over each layer acts as a glue and having the pepperoni on the bottom keeps it from flipping up when you cut the pizza.

Bake for 6-12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

This makes 2 pizzas. We eat one on Friday night and reheat the other for lunch on Saturday. It works for us now, but I know in the very near future, we won't have any left over for Saturday.

Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy your family time!

Cheesy Sticks

2011-09-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

The weather was quite fall-ish a couple weeks ago and all of me was longing for soup. I know there are people out there who aren't 'soup' people, and I genuinely feel sorry for them. Life is better because of soup, don't you think? Maybe it's because my mom made it often growing up, so it is the comfort food of all comfort foods as far as I'm concerned. Or........perhaps it's because with a good bowl of soup is always a yummy bread. Really, I don't know whether it's the soup or the bread that does it for me, but whatever the reason, we are all about soup and bread in this country house in Battle Ground.

When I was feeling soup-ish and fall-ish last week, I failed to plan ahead for the 'feeling' so I didn't have enough time to make up a yeast loaf of bread. Once again, necessity is the mother of invention (and yes, bread IS a necessity!! ;) These yummy little sticks were outstanding! We finished most of them off with our soup and had a few left-over to pack for school lunch snacks the next day. These will be a staple this fall, I'm sure!!

Cheesy Sticks

3 cups flour (I used freshly ground spelt)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup water

Combine flour, salt, garlic powder, baking powder, pepper and cheese in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine butter and water. Add to flour mixture and mix until it forms a dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Roll into a large rectangle and cut into strips. (I leave all edges raw; I don't like re-rolling dough or having scraps. You could cut these any way you like. I like easy. I use my pizza cutter.)

Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 8-12 minutes, or until light brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Scones

2011-09-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty convinced that this is the best scone recipe in the world. I'm throwing all humility out the window; this recipe is it. What I have found among scone makers, however, is that we all think our recipes are the recipe. We don't really entertain any other options. There's something about how to brew a proper cup of tea that goes right along with how to make a proper scone...or perhaps I should say my proper scone. I once heard my friend refer to herself as a tea snob. Well, I'm a scone snob. Something makes me think that there may be a few more of you out there. Am I right? And you probably use a different recipe. I'm aghast.

Well, for all you innocent souls out there still searching for the perfect scone recipe so you, too, can join the elite group of scone-makers, here you go. You will find it no where else on the internet or in any other book. This is it. Look no further. This is your recipe. (I'll post a recipe for humble pie tomorrow. Maybe.)

A note on the flour: When making this recipe for my family, I do all whole grain flour. When I make it for company, I do 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole grain, just in case they aren't used to a heartier scone.

2 cups flour
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
1/2 cup sour cream (not light or fat-free)
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips (can do more or less to suit your taste)
milk for brushing on top (optional)
Sucanat for sprinkling on top (optional)

In a food processor (or by hand), combine flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Cut butter into 1 tablespoon chunks and add, pulsing until it resembles coarse grain.

In a larger mixing bowl, combine sour cream, egg and vanilla extract. Add flour/butter mixture and chocolate chips and combine with a wooden spoon just until dough comes together.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and press together, then flatten into a 9-inch circle. Cut into pie-shaped pieces and place on a cookie sheet (I line mine with parchment paper). Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with Sucanat.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes, or until light brown.

Blackberry Pie

2011-09-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday The Pie turned two. I can hardly believe it. Two years ago, I was nine days late and thinking she would never come.

(You see that smile on my face? This was back when I thought maybe she'd be early like two of my other babies. She was due on September 12th, my sister's birthday, whom she was named after. I'm pretty sure I wasn't smiling on September 20th.)

But you know what? Eventually she came. Apparently the numbers were just backwards. I was due on the 12th and she came on the 21st.

All nine pounds four ounces of her. And now she's two. Our life has been filled with Clara sunshine for 720 days. And we sometimes call her The Pie.

So it seemed only fitting that we celebrate her birthday with blackberry pie. The blackberries here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest are abundant so yesterday she and I headed down by our creek to pick 5 cups of berries....in 20 minutes. That's how prolific they are (and that included the walk from our house down to the berries).

I must admit, though, that it got a tad confusing as we were loading up to head to my parents' house for the party:

"Do you have the pie?"
"Do you mean Clara or the blackberry pie?"
"I have the pie in the van."
"Clara?"
"No, the blackberry pie."
"I smell The Pie!"
"The blackberry pie?"
"No, Clara's diaper."

But even with the confusion, we made it with bells on ready to party! Happy birthday, Sweet Pie!

And now for the recipe.

For the filling:

4-5 cups blackberries (I had a 5-cup container that was almost full)
1/3 cup frozen apple-raspberry juice concentrate
1/2 cup coconut sugar
scant 1/2 cup tapioca flour

Combine in a medium bowl and let sit while making the crust. Make sure it sits long enough for the juice concentrate to melt.

For the crust:

2 cups flour (I used freshly ground spelt and millet)
1 cup cold butter
1/2 teaspoon salt (I thought it was a bit salty; perhaps cut it down or use unsalted butter. I used salted.)
1-2 tablespoons ice water
milk
Sucanat (raw cane sugar; optional)

In a food processor (or by hand) combine flour and salt. Cut in butter. Add water a little at a time just until dough comes together. Divide in half.

Roll out half of the crust and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Pour in filling. Add the top. I did a lattice top which I think is beautiful with dark berry pies. (I'll add some images at the end of this post on how to do a lattice if you've never done it before.) Brush crust with milk and sprinkle with a bit of Sucanat.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 350 and bake an additional 25-30 minutes.

Delicious served with homemade vanilla ice cream! I have made ice cream more times this summer than I should probably admit. Once I was forced to make it without an ice cream maker, I realized it was so much simpler! Enjoy!

For a lattice top, roll out the top pie crust and cut into 1 1/2 inch strips. Lay strips across in one direction.

Add one strip at a time, alternating which row you put it under. Lift the strips carefully so they don't tear.

Once they are all on, roll the edges. I prefer rolling towards the inside of the pie, rather than tucking it under. Does that make sense? Then I crimp it with my fingers. I use my thumb and pointer from one hand and push gently with the pointer from the other hand. I couldn't show that part very well, though, since one hand was holding the camera. But the part where the imprint is shows where my finger was.

Brush with milk and Sucanat for a beautiful finish!

A good rule with pie is to always bake it until it's a nice dark golden brown. Don't burn it, but you don't want to underbake it or you could end up with soggy crust.

Onion Rings

2011-09-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

Some recipes nourish both body and soul. Some just nourish the body. Others just nourish the soul. As I was dipping battered onions into hot oil, I turned off the voice that was telling me "run from the oil!" and instead listened to the voice that said, "enjoy!". And we did enjoy them.

I believe that while it is important to nourish your body on a daily basis, it's also important to not put added stress on your body while trying to nourish it. Does that make sense? For instance, many have asked me if I buy all my food organically. No, I don't. It would be too stressful. I would either have to go way over our food budget to do it or drive all over the greater Vancouver and Portland area to make it happen, and I believe the stress that would be added to my life in trying to accomplish that would cancel out the benefits of 100% organic. So, I buy organically what I can, and that varies from week to week based on where I'm shopping and what great deals I can find.

The same plays in with things like onion rings. Do I eat fried food often? No. I don't. But there are times when I believe the joy that comes from eating a yummy treat like this is good for the soul. Obviously, if there is a serious allergy to certain foods, or an illness, the joy doesn't outweigh the harm it can have on a person's body. But for those of us wanting to teach our children how to eat well and wanting to nourish our own bodies, I believe these treats are important every once in a while.

Okay, now I'll get off my soap box and share with you my recipe. Because that's why you're here, right?

1 quart oil for frying
2 cups flour
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
12 oz. beer
2-3 onions, depending on size

Cut onions into 1/2 rings. Soak in a bowl of water while preparing batter.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and beer until smooth. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.

Drain water off onions. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Dip onions in batter then set in the hot oil. After a couple of minutes, turn and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side. Remove to a plate lined with a couple paper towels.

Yummy dipped in ketchup and Ranch dressing. I put them side-by-side on my plate so I get a taste of both. Enjoy!

I don't like my house smelling like oil so I cooked them outside on the BBQ. I put my deepest cast iron skillet on the grill then turned the heat to high. I closed the lid, let it heat and cooked away. Worked great! Here are a couple pictures of my frying station:

Some Happy Things

2011-09-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

We love camping! We had plans to take a few trips this summer but because of my husband's health, we weren't able to make it happen. The kids were pretty disappointed (as were we), so I tried to come up with a few things to make it feel like we were camping. We called it Pseudo Camping. We have a lovely fire pit outside so on several occasions, My Man stoked the flames and I prepared the food. Did you know that if you blend fire smoke and food, you can feel camping? Similar to Anne Shirley wanting to climb into a tree and "just feel a prayer". It's not the same, but it satisfies many of the camping desires. And the dishes are easier!

Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes and a campfire does the trick!

We had a campfire every morning and evening over this long holiday weekend. It was divine.

Today was Labor Day. It was also our last weekend before the kids start school, so I wanted to make it extra-special. When I came home from Fred Meyer yesterday, the squeals of delight could be heard throughout our neighborhood as I pulled item after item out of my shopping bags. Our oldest exclaimed, "You're spoiling us!!!" The menu consisted of chocolate milk, soda, hot dogs over the fire, onion rings and ice cream. Perhaps not the well-rounded rainbow of colors that should adorn a normal dinner plate, but I think it's important to make things fun for the kids every once in a while. Lest you think I completely lost it, I still had to avoid "sugar & chemicals". It's just in me to avoid them. I can't help myself.

Did you know Organic Valley's chocolate milk is sweetened with unrefined cane sugar? Score! I'm now a cool mom. We don't usually do milk, but sometimes it's important to be 'normal'.

And did you know that if your children have never tasted real soda, you can get a carbonated beverage in a can, call it soda, and they are happy? Score again! Still a cool mom; bordering on super-cool. (Even if they have tasted real soda, you can get away with it with this particular spritzer. My son went to camp this summer and the one snack he wanted to get from the Snack Shack was Dr. Pepper & Root Beer...because we don't drink soda. Ever. I kept my agony over his choice to myself and let him enjoy his little moment of rapture, but danced an inner jig when tonight he said, "Mommy, this is even better than Root Beer! Dr. Pepper is pretty good, but I might even like this better!")

There are several flavors to choose from, but we all think it's hard to beat the mango fandango.

I'll share with you on Wednesday my beer batter onion rings. Rumor has it they are better than Burgerville's Walla-Walla Sweets. But then again, we were smelling the campfire while we ate them. Everything tastes better with that aroma in the air.

What are your favorite store-bought treats to spoil your children with that are still free of sugar & chemicals? I'd love to add to my list and sneak an occasional treat into my kids' lunch boxes throughout the year and would love your ideas. My kids would think you are cool, too....and I would, too (although I already do).

Maple Pecan Spinach & Peach Salad

2011-09-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week at our house. We had a birthday party at the beach, the beginning of soccer season (a first for us), and an open house at our local elementary school (also a first; we've homeschooled up until this year). My laundry is piled high, I can't seem to find my kitchen table, and my husband's health problems have been officially diagnosed as Lyme Disease. I'm tired.

This afternoon when lunch-time hit, I decided to spend a little extra time making a special lunch for me. I think I forgot to eat lunch a couple times this week so I was craving something nourishing and fresh. I happened to have all these ingredients on hand so I added a bit of this and a bit of that and came up with this fresh and yummy summer salad.

As I sat out in the sun eating it, I tried to pretend I was in a little cabin in the woods all by myself. It lasted for about 2 minutes before the bees wanted to share my salad and the boys started to squabble, but it was a glorious 2 minutes. Perhaps I'll try again next week when school begins........

Salad Dressing:

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Salad Fixin's:

3-4 cups fresh spinach
1/2 avocado, cut
1/2 peach, cut (make sure it's sweet & juicy!)
1/2 cup caramelized pecans

Caramelized Pecans:

1/2 cup pecans
1 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup

To caramelize the pecans, combine pecans and syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring syrup to a boil and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a glass pie plate sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Cool completely. (I can't take the credit for this yummy salad topping; my brilliant mother came up with the idea.)

For the dressing, combine the vinegar, olive oil, syrup, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Place the spinach in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing. Add the remaining ingredients to the top. Enjoy! (It's best served without the bees..... ;)

Serves one as a main dish, two as a side.

Here are a few pictures from our day at the beach. If you've ever been to the Oregon coast, you know that a perfect day is pretty hard to come by. It's usually either cold or windy. Most often it's both. But this day was absolutely perfect.

From left to right: me, my mom, my sister and my grandmother

Miss Moppet. Don't you love the saggy bum? I made those longies to fit a cloth diaper and she was in a disposable on this particular day. It made for lots of waist-band rolling. This was her first time at the beach.

The last time we went to the beach, this one was a baby. I hardly talked to him all day, he was having so much fun!

I think he was hoping the tide would come and wash away the log....while he was on it. It didn't happen, but he did come home with a jar full of jelly fish. They appear to now be dead. Like our fish. Which reminds me: It's time to flush Sparkie.

Bestest Cousins

We missed nap time at the beach, but it made for some pretty sweet snuggles!

Welcome to My Kitchen

2011-08-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

I thought I would give you a tour of my kitchen. Don't you love peeking into other people's lives? This is where all the creating of new recipes happens.

I thought about cleaning it up so you would be really impressed, but then thought I'd give you the uncensored version....which is also the realistic version. We live here. We eat here. We play here. We create here. We love here. We pray here. We live here. Life happens in this kitchen. I love it. I love signs of life.

Have you ever noticed that your kitchen tells a story? Let me show you the story of my kitchen on this particular day.

I love a messy high chair. It means there's a baby in the house. I will cry on the day this piece of equipment heads up to the attic awaiting grandchildren because that will mean my baby is no longer a baby. This is a clip-on chair. It's been through all four kids and I absolutely love it. Miss Moppet loves it, too, because it holds all her yummy food. On this particular day it held chocolate cake and watermelon. What's not to love?

The water glass on the left is my son's. I have soda bands that the kids put on their glasses so we remember whose is whose. It's a great system, but only works when they actually think to put a band on or I actually think to remind them. My oldest daughter always remembers. I love that about her. It's so unlike me.

I was cleaning on this particular day. There is a container of Bon Ami and a microfiber cloth on the counter. I'll share more about that on another day.

I made fish for dinner. You can see it thawing on the counter. I'm such a rebel.

The green semi-shiny fabric on the counter? That's the back of a bib. A John Deere bib. My sweet, darling, pixie daughter wears it. My mother-in-law made it for my son. Miss Moppet is number four so she gets a few hand-me-downs. But it's a great bib and we are now proud owners of a John Deere mower, so we're all happy and it suits us well. This is us, happy in the back of the mower, which has absolutely nothing to do with my kitchen apart from the fact that Moppet happened to wear the John Deere bib that day.

This is section number two of my kitchen:

A pot of French press that needs to be cleaned. It should have been cleaned the day prior to this picture being taken. My husband loves a good cup of French press coffee. I love my husband. I don't love coffee, nor do I love cleaning the French press. I have no idea why. It's quite simple really. Perhaps it's the grounds in the sink. They seem to take over a sink. Kind of like carrot peels.

Pile number three:

This is the container that holds the dice for a game of backgammon. I have no idea why it's on the counter. Probably so the puppy doesn't chew on it, which means it was on the floor prior to being on the counter. I have no idea why it was on the floor. We haven't played backgammon in years.

Section number four:

While I can blame most piles on my children, this one I take full responsibility for.

The pencil is for my grocery list. Where is my list, you ask? I have no idea.

The soda band is one that I took off my oldest daughter's glass so I could wash the glass that it was on. If I was an organized woman, I would have put the band right away. I am not an organized woman. I will never show you the inside of my fridge.

The salve is out because my son got a heat rash on his back. This salve is amazing. You can get it HERE. We use it for bug bites, bee stings, rashes, burns, dry skin, etc. It's a life saver. (I am in no way connected to Shoshanna Gardens.)

My jewelry is out because it was a hot day and my neck started to feel sticky. So I took it off and put it on the counter. Did I mention I'm not an organized woman?

I painted my toes black.

My daughter likes fun-smelling lotion.

We subscribe to Netlix.

I had no idea one little picture could say so much.

The final section:

We had Dutch Babies for breakfast with peaches on the top. I washed up one too many peaches so the extra sat on the counter all day because the fridge was on the opposite side of the kitchen. When I woke up the next morning, it was still on the opposite side, so I ate the peach instead.

My oldest daughter has a little glass tea set. Miss Moppet likes to play with said tea set but once broke one of the plates. When Miss Allie saw that Miss Moppet had the pitcher, she shrieked. It went on the counter. Because that's where everything goes.

Miss Moppet has a thing for toothbrushes. She could brush her teeth all day long. The only problem is that when she's done with the toothbrush, she puts it on the floor. The only problem with that is that we have a puppy. He has a thing for toothbrushes as well. After a stern, "Drop it, Charlie, drop it!" I retrieved the toothbrush and quite naturally put it here. I mean really? Where else would I put it to remind me to sanitize it like crazy? I know 'they' say dog's mouths are actually quite sanitary, but when I see some of the things Charlie does with his mouth, I beg to differ.

So there you have it. A day in the life of my kitchen. Do I dare comment on the mud room?

No. I don't think I will, except to say life happens in there, too. Life can be messy. It usually is. But I wouldn't want it any other way.

Because life means this.......

And this....

And this.....

And this.......

And that is all that really matters. Wouldn't you agree?

Easy Chocolate Cake

2011-08-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

My grandparents are visiting from California for a couple of weeks and for our first family dinner, my mom asked if I could bring a dessert. Dessert? Me? Oh, I suppose.

The blackberries weren't quite ripe, the peaches were almost gone, and the apples were gone. That left me with one option: chocolate. Rats.

Here is the super-yummy, light-as-a-feather result.

I used part freshly ground spelt, kamut and millet. Even with all whole grain, it was light and fluffy. I think the millet is the key to fluffy if doing whole grain. I didn't measure exactly since I just pour a bit of this and a bit of that into my mill, but it was probably 2 parts spelt to 1 part kamut & millet. If you aren't freshly milling your grain, you will want to sift the flour before measuring it or it may be more dense, or use part white flour.

2 cups flour (any kind)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
1 cup half & half
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee or water
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a glass 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (but not the nuts & chocolate chips).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (but not the coffee).

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk like crazy for about 30 seconds. Add hot coffee and whisk like crazy again (batter will be very runny).

Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with pecans first, then chocolate chips (the pecans will keep the chips from sinking to the bottom).

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.

Natural Cleaning 101: Windows

2011-08-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

After reading yesterday's post, one of my friends commented that she uses vinegar to clean windows with sparkling results. I figured my windows were a pretty good test to see if it works. You see, I have windows with:

sliding hand prints

darts

(darts leave lots of little circles; if you have boys, you know what I'm talking about)

bird prints

(I live out in the country; this is all that remains of a beautiful pigeon)

Suffice it to say, my windows show signs of life. Lots of life. Or perhaps a lack there of in the case of the pigeon. Did I mention that crash caused me to jump out of my skin?

So as dinner was cooking in the oven, I went to the windows armed with my spray bottle of vinegar, one damp micro-fiber cloth and one dry micro-fiber cloth. Spray, spray. Wet wipe. Dry wipe. The results? Beautiful. I am a believer.

Thank you, Beth!

Now to get the remaining nose smudges, dry-erase targets, finger prints, dog licks, frog prints (did you know they stick to windows?) and rain splatters from the rest of the windows. Did I mention my house has lots of windows? Bring on the smudges! I am ready for battle!

And don't worry. I'll have a chocolate cake recipe for you tomorrow.

Natural Cleaning 101: Vinegar

2011-08-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

I realize cleaning doesn't fit with the subheading of "A collection of yummy recipes...with no refined sugar". But I thought it might be fun to do an occasional post on how I clean my home. I'm banking on the fact that if you have a passion for eating well, you also have a passion for cleaning well and in ways that won't harm your family or the environment.

The idea to blog about it came to me today as I was cleaning my house. I've tried all sorts of cleaners over the years, from harsh chemicals to expensive home-party-only natural products, but as I was cleaning today I found myself thinking how much I love my current system. It's inexpensive and it works. It's natural and the ingredients are easy to come by. What's not to love? (Besides the fact that there will not be chocolate in this post......)

So to begin, I'll share my all time favorite cleaner: vinegar.

Just plain white vinegar. From Costco.

I don't know what I love more: how effectively it cleans or the fact that I can get two huge jugs of it for $3 at Costco. Talk about economical! Yes, there is a definite vinegar smell in the house while I'm cleaning, but it doesn't last long and when I'm done, the house smells clean. Naturally clean. I've actually become fond of the smell while cleaning....should I admit that? (I didn't like it at first so if that's you, there's hope!)

I have a spray bottle of undiluted vinegar in the kitchen, mud room, and both bathrooms. I don't dilute it because in our house, we have big messes. Often, unsanitary messes. Gross messes. Messy messes.

Here is a sampling of what I use it for:

Meet Charlie. He's the newest addition to our family. We've had him for about 3 months. He's pretty cute. And sweet. And he pees. And he poops. And he does both.....inside on occasion. Did I mention he's a puppy? He is 5 months old and discovered it's fun to pee while lifting his leg. He tried it out on the fan in the kids' room. Yep. It works. We encourage the bushes outside. But since he didn't get the memo until after there was urine on the fan and carpet, we had a mess. One of many over the last 3 months.

Every time, whether the mess has been on a fan, the carpet, the wood floors, tile floors, vinyl floors or floor rug, I get out my spray bottle of vinegar. I first blot the urine dry, then I spray with the vinegar. I rub with a wet cloth, spray a bit more if it seems like it needs it, then wipe it again. It works! No after smell! I plan on doing the same thing when we start potty training this cutie:

Which brings me to another use: laundry. Our Pie wears cloth diapers and I add a nice big glug of vinegar to her diaper loads of laundry. I also add it to any other load that needs extra sanitizing. I am not a fan of using toxic chlorine bleach, so I use vinegar in it's place (only for the sanitizing purpose, not for whitening).

(Note: Our Pie has sensitive skin and is prone to yeast rashes, so I do use a tablespoon of bleach on occasion for her diapers to kill the yeast, but never with the same loads that use vinegar because the combination of the two is even more toxic than chlorine bleach. Yes, I could stand over a boiling cauldron of water and kill the yeast in her diapers that way, but I'm yet to discover what time of day (and with what hours of my day) that's practical. If I use bleach, I do it at night when the kids are sleeping so they don't breath the fumes and I turn on the fan in the mud room.)

What else do I use vinegar for?

The bathroom toilets and floor around the toilets.....

(Did you know I have boys? Two boys? They are 6 and 8. They pee like they are 6 and 8. Those of you with boys know how quickly a toilet can become gross. I won't go into detail, but trust me when I say vinegar takes care of it!)

.....sinks, and mirrors.

I also use it on my stainless steel fridge. Amazing.

I have several different grades of stainless steel in my kitchen between the fridge, microwave and dishwasher, and they all clean up beautifully with vinegar.

Just for the record, I didn't clean the fridge for this picture so if you look closely, you may see some finger prints. I have 60 fingers in my home. They all gravitate toward the fridge.

One final comment before I wrap up this too long post: I do most of my cleaning with these microfiber cloths from Costco. I have yellow for the kitchen and counters, and blue for toilets and potty messes. (The blue came from Home Depot; they are thinner and smaller which I prefer for the toilets.) They are a life-saver! They absorb like crazy and don't leave any lint behind (just don't wash them with cotton or you'll have lint). I find that a 24-pack is just about the right amount. Did I mention how messy we are over here?

And if you stayed with me to the very end of this post, either you are my mother, sister, a very dear friend....or you, too, make messes. Vive la messes! Thanks for sticking with me to the end! What do you like to use vinegar for?

Chocolate Coconut Bars

2011-08-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Would you believe me if I told you my husband's doctor actually prescribed this for him? Here's the story:

For the last five months, my husband has been battling what we now believe to be Lyme Disease. At our last doctor's appointment, it was recommended that he cut back on carbohydrates and increase good fats, "like coconut oil". So, I timidly piped in, "So, if I were to make a bar out of coconut oil, nuts and maple syrup, would that do it?" Haven't you always wanted to impress a doctor? Well, he seemed a bit surprised that I was so on the ball. Dare I say even impressed? Sure. I'll believe it if you do. ;)

Anyway, after making these, I almost wished I had Lyme Disease. Okay, not really. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I've had a front row seat to its invasive nature and I'm ready to say goodbye to it forever. But until we do, eating these bars is a retreat for us both.

They are basically the same as the Almond Joy! Joy! Joy! that I make at Christmastime, but with more almonds and put into bar form, which makes them a breeze to make. Seriously, I whipped these up in about 10 minutes. They took about another 30 to harden, and were ready to go.

Coconut Layer:

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup or raw honey (I use syrup)
1 teaspoon almond extract

Chocolate Layer:

3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey (I use syrup)
1 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped almonds

For the coconut base, melt coconut oil in saucepan over low heat. Once melted, add almonds, oil and extract. Pat into 8x8 inch glass pan and put in the freezer while you make the topping.

For the chocolate layer, melt coconut oil in double boiler. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until combined and smooth. Poor over coconut base and put in the freezer for a quick hardening, or in the fridge. Store in the refrigerator.

And in case you have those who aren't into coconut, a happy ice cream cone on a summer day is a perfect replacement (you can find organic cones at your local health food store). Homemade ice cream on a cone makes for a happy mama and happy kiddos.

As I type this, the one with freckles and no teeth is trying to suck his through a straw. It's loud.

Here's to the final weeks of summer vacation!

My children don't really need an education, do they?

Can't we just stay home and play all the time?

And eat ice cream?

And coconut bars?

I think so.

Peach Crisp

2011-08-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

It's peach season in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! There are few things in life as lovely as a sweet, juicy peach in the summer. Well, perhaps there are quite a few things, but peaches are high up on the list. This recipe could be used for all sorts of fruit/berry combinations. I've been dreaming of using blueberries ever since I first made it....YUM!

I leave the skins on when I cut the peaches up. I tell myself it's because there are added nutrients in the skins, but really it's just because I'm usually in a hurry when making dessert that I don't want to take the time to peel. (I suppose a shorter way to write that would have been: "I'm lazy.") You can definitely peel away if you feel so inclined, but we love it with the skins in tact.

(Gluten-free ingredients in parenthesis.)

For fruit filling:

5 large, ripe peaches, cut
3 tablespoons flour (tapioca flour for gf)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (I use syrup)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For topping:

1 1/4 cups flour (I use spelt & millet; for gf use oat & millet)
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup (1 cube) cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup pecans
dash of salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
2 tablespoons ice water

For fruit filling, combine all ingredients in large bowl.

For topping, pulse flour, sugar, salt and butter in food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add pecans and pulse until chopped fairly small. Add oats and briefly pulse to combine but not chop. Add maple syrup & honey and pulse to combine.

Pour filling into a 9x13 pan. Crumble topping over fruit. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until fruit is bubbling and top is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup, vanilla extract and a touch of cinnamon.

Homemade Ice Cream (with or without an ice cream maker!)

2011-07-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to make our first batch of ice cream for the summer last week when we were having a bunch of family over for a wiener roast. I put together the ingredients, pulled my machine out of the freezer, and stared at it in confusion. Covering the inside bottom of the machine was a thick, frozen gel. It didn't take long for me to realize there was a crack in the bottom of the machine and the substance that keeps the base cold had oozed out. I just wasn't sure duct tape would cut it......

You know how once you get a particular dessert in your mind, there is very little that will make it leave? Well, I was determined to make ice cream, with or without my machine. (Sniff, sniff...it was a wedding gift; who knew it had an 11 year life span?) I did a quick google search and realized the only tricky thing a machine does is stir the cream. I could do that, right??? Right! So, here's what I did (this recipe works great in a machine, too). This is such a quick and easy recipe because it requires no cooking with eggs. The whipping cream is added once it is whipped which gives a creamy, smooth texture.

Basic Vanilla Ice Cream

2 cups half & half
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut sugar, Rapadura or Sucanat
dash of salt
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

(I found 3/4 cup sweetener to be perfect. I used all Sucanat the first time and I thought the molasses taste was a bit strong, though no one else thought so. I find that mixing sweeteners gives the best sweetness without one flavor in particular standing out. Use any combination you prefer!)

Combine all the ingredients, except the whipping cream, in a blender. Blend until all the sweeteners are dissolved. In a largish bowl (I used my large glass Pyrex), pour in the mixture. Put the bowl in your freezer. Set the timer for 45 minutes and then whisk vigorously. Set the timer again for 30 minutes and whisk. After an hour and a half, whip up the cream until fairly stiff and add it to the mixture, whisking well. Continue whisking every 30 minutes until it is the consistency you like (mine takes about 5 hours).

The trick is to get those ice crystals broken up as much as you can. Make sure with each whisk that you scrape the sides of the bowl well. As it freezes, you may need to use a wooden spoon to scrape it down.

Transfer to a plastic container to store. Because the cream is whipped, the ice cream will stay somewhat soft, even after several days (unless you use coconut milk or a bunch of berries; when I combined berries with coconut milk it was pretty hard, but my chocolate and vanilla both stayed soft for days). If you do find that it is too hard, put it in the fridge for 10-30 minutes and it should be nice and easy to scoop.

There are so many great variations you can do! Here are a few to get you started:

Chocolate (my favorite!): Add1/4-1/2 cup cocoa powder to basic vanilla, depending on how strong you like the chocolate taste.

Coffee Ice Cream: Add 1 cup strong brewed coffee to the basic vanilla (make sure it's cold when you add it). Mocha? Also add cocoa powder (1/4 cup).

Maple Pecan: Add 3/4 cup maple syrup as sweetener (omit honey and coconut sugar) and 1/2 cup chopped nuts to the basic vanilla. For the best maple flavor, use grade B maple syrup. Try adding 1/4 cup maple sugar as well for an all-out maple treat!

Berry: Add 2-4 cups fresh or frozen berries to basic vanilla (the picture above is 4 cups of raspberries with 2 cans of coconut milk in place of the half & half).

Coconut: Use canned coconut milk in place of half & half and cream. Scoop the cream off the top of the can and whip that up instead of the cream. Dairy free!

Mint Chocolate Chip: Add 1/2-1 teaspoon peppermint extract and 1/2-1 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips to basic vanilla (play around with the extract; you may want to omit the vanilla). Peppermint extract packs a pretty strong punch, so add it a little bit at a time, checking the taste until it's just how you like it. Want to make it green? Blend up a bit of spinach with the milk.

What are your favorite combinations?

Coleslaw

2011-06-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

(Sorry for the crummy picture!)

This recipe took quite a bit of tweaking to get it approved by all members of the family, but we finally got it just right...for us. It's become a staple in our home and we have it at least once a week, if not more. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

1 small head cabbage

3-4 medium carrots

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I like grapeseed oil Vegenaise)

1/3 cup palm sugar

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

Shred cabbage and carrots (I use the 2mm blade on my Cuisinart for the cabbage and the shredder for the carrots). Combine remaining ingredients in a glass jar and shake to fully combine. Pour over cabbage and carrots and stir to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving to smooth out and blend the flavors.

Blender Series: Waffles (Gluten Free)

2011-05-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

I am excited to share a new 'series' of gluten free blender recipes. Do they have to be gluten-free? No. You can use any whole grain you like (wheat berries, spelt berries, hulled barley, etc.). I'm just sharing gluten free recipes because that's what we are doing right now for health reasons. I believe that even if there aren't health issues to bring about this change in diet, a break from gluten is beneficial to everyone.

The reason I'm excited about this series is that you can have all the benefits of freshly ground flour, even if you don't have a mill at home.

What are the benefits of freshly ground flour? Inside the whole grain are loads of nutrients. As soon as the grain is cracked, those nutrients start escaping and the grain begins the process of going rancid. When you freshly grind, you get the benefit of all the nutrients in a fresh flour. (If you are used to the stuff from the store, once you try fresh you won't be able to go back. You can taste the difference.)

Is whole grain flour from the grocery store fresh? Probably not. I believe Bob's Red Mill to be about as fresh as you can get, but even then depending on how long it's been on the shelf at the grocery store and how long it takes for you to use it, it has ample opportunity for turning rancid. If you do buy it from the store, make sure to store it in the freezer right away.

Is whole grain from the grocery store fresh? Probably. Before the grain is broken for flour, it can stay fresh for several months.

Making these recipes in a blender of food processor requires a bit of planning since the grains need to be soaked overnight. It's an extra step at night but makes the morning a breeze and you get the added benefits of soaking grains.

I am in the process of experimenting with several recipes, but this morning we nailed the waffles (after a failed attempt over the weekend) so I'll share this recipe first.

These amounts serve my family of 6, who eat major amounts of waffles. We usually have 2 or 3 leftover. This recipe can easily be doubled or cut in half.

1 cup whole oat groats
1 cup sweet brown rice
1 cup millet
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup coconut oil or soft butter
1/4 cup flax seeds (optional)
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthum gum* (omit if using grains that contain gluten)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

All the grains should be whole and uncooked. The night before, put the oats, rice & millet in your blender or food processor. Add buttermilk and blend for 3-4 minutes. If you have a Vita-Mix or Blentec, you can leave it in the blender overnight and stick it in the fridge. (Or leave it on the counter; cultured milk (buttermilk) is fine out all night and actually increases the digestibility of the grains. You do end up with a slightly sour flavor so I prefer to put mine in the fridge and pass on some of those added nutrients.) If you do it in a food processor (I use my Cuisinart), transfer it to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

In the morning, blend again for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, keep it blending and add the remaining ingredients (you can add more buttermilk or water if it's too thick).

Cook on your waffle iron just as you normally would, although you'll want to spray it with non-stick cooking spray each time. They will take a bit longer to cook than regular waffles.

The left-over waffles make great snacks with peanut butter and honey spread on top.

Enjoy!

*A note about xanthum gum: the initial bag is rather spendy, but you will only use 1-2 teaspoons per recipe, so it should last for a very long time.

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars (Free of Gluten, Dairy & Eggs)

2011-05-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

As part of our quest to regain my husband's health, we have chosen to cut gluten out of our diets for a time. One of our favorite treats is THIS Chocolate Torte recipe. I love how the crust holds together and the perfect blend of bitter/salty/sweet. When I was thinking through snack options, I came up with this yummy bar for snack time based off that wonderful crust. And the really great thing? It's easy. And yummy. And full of protein. And all my family members love it. Okay, so perhaps it's the four really great things.

2 cups almonds (or choice of nut)

1/2 cup arrowroot powder

1/2 cup coconut oil (butter could be used)

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup chocolate chips

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a food processor, chop nuts until they make a powder. Add arrowroot, salt and sugar. Pulse to mix. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until the mixture comes together.

Grease an 8x8 pan. Bake at 400 for 12-20 minutes, or until lightly brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemonade

2011-05-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Two summers ago, my children requested lemonade for our July 4th celebration. Making it without sugar sounded like a fun challenge, so I concocted what we all decided was a super-yummy drink. The only problem? By the time I added enough strawberries, fruit juice concentrate, and maple syrup to counter the tartness of the lemons, it ended up being a $10 drink. We haven't had lemonade since....until today.

My husband has been having some health issues and we are in the process of keeping his liver clean and happy. Lemon is great for that. Yesterday I made up a drink with lemon juice, water and maple syrup. I enjoyed it, but I could tell my husband wasn't too excited at the idea of drinking it every day. I decided I could do better.

Today while I was at Trader Joe's, I once again checked out the stevia section. I have put the little container in my hand many times while at TJ's, but have never been able to bring myself to pay almost $10 for this. One ounce? Are you serious???:

However, what I had never done was read the number of servings per container: 622. Suddenly, $10 seemed rather economical! (Beware of stevia: not all are pure! TJ's has packets as well as a larger container for about $5, but both have added ingredients that I choose to avoid. Most grocery stores will carry a form of stevia in their baking section, but again, most have additives. The only ingredient should be stevia.)

So, armed with a bag of lemons from Costco, my happy little ounce of stevia, and a bag of frozen raspberries, I made what I believe is our new happy, healthy drink. I think I may need to follow my husband's doctor's orders and drink lemons 3 times a day! Here it is:

1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh; the juice that is pre-squeezed has preservatives added)

5 raspberries

2 scoops stevia (it comes with a teeny-beanie scoop)

3/4 cup water

ice

Squeeze lemon into a cup. I use this handy Pampered Chef tool. It's great!

Add 5 raspberries (I used frozen; I think they 'dissolve' better than fresh in this drink) and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Smash the raspberries with a small whisk or fork. Add the stevia and water and mix. Add ice. Enjoy!

Note: You will have chunks in your drink. I'm fond of chunks, but if chunks gross you out, you can easily strain it.

Ice Cream Pie (Gluten & Dairy Free)

2011-05-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the post with the nail polish and chocolate tart reviews? Well, the follow up is that both are amazing. The nail polish lasted on my fingers for five days, which is longer than any polish ever has.Who knew water-based polish could trump the chemically laden labels?

As for the tart? Oh, heavens.....it's lovely. I have done a bit of tweaking and will follow up with a post dedicated to just that....as soon as I can get a picture of it before it disappears.

My children, however, aren't always crazy about chocolate and were after me to come up with a vanilla pie. I made the above pie and put it in the fridge, but it never hardened. My daughter suggested I put it in the freezer and the result? Ice cream yumminess! They can't get enough of it. Here's my version of what we call Ice Cream Pie.

Crust

1 cup almonds

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

1/3 cup soft coconut oil

1/8 cup coconut sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pie

One 13 oz. can coconut milk (whole fat, not lite (I like Whole Foods brand))

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

dash of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crust, pulse almonds in a food processor until it turns into an almost-fine meal. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until it comes together. Press into the bottom and partly up the sides of a glass 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 400 for 8-12 minutes and allow to cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk, oil, sugar, maple syrup and salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are combined. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into cooled pie crust and carefully transfer to the freezer until solid (at least an hour; it will be very runny until it's frozen).

Note: You can use butter and cream in place of the coconut milk & oil.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Coffee Cake

2011-05-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite tactics for coming up with new recipes is to take a 'normal' recipe (usually a highly-rated one from allrecipes.com) and tweak it to my liking. Well, this morning I got a hankering for Oatmeal Buttermilk Coffee Cake. I had never heard of it, but the combination of flavors in my mind was begging to come together. I hopped online hoping to find some inspiration and found....nothing.

The last time something like this happened, the end result was crumbly and messy. We called it Blueberry Crumble....and I never made it again (nor did I blog it; I like sharing recipes that work ;) Well, this time my efforts were successful! We didn't eat breakfast until 10:45, but it was well worth the wait. So here you have it....a Nourishing Apron original: Oatmeal Buttermilk Coffee Cake.

Cake:

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups flour (I used freshly ground spelt)

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoons nutmeg (if you love nutmeg, do 2)

1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, melted

2 eggs

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Topping:

1/4 cup soft butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup palm sugar

1/2 cup flour (I used spelt)

Combine oats and buttermilk and let soak at least 30 minutes. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and coconut sugar.

To the buttermilk and oats add melted butter, eggs, honey and maple syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined (don't over mix).

Spread into a greased glass 9x13 pan.

For the topping, combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix until it looks like wet sand (you may want to mix it with your fingers. Sprinkle over cake (again, use your fingers to separate it).

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (cover lightly with foil for the last 10 or so minutes; coconut sugar burns more quickly than refined sugar).

Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Sangria

2011-05-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

I like wimpy wine. The lighter and fruitier, the better. Therefore, I like sangria. Not just any sangria....my sangria. It's super light and super fruity, more like a zippy glass of strawberry lemonade. A perfect spring or summer treat.

1 large bottle of table wine (I use Livingston Cellars White Zinfandel)
1 container of frozen concentrate apple raspberry 100% juice
1 small container of strawberries
2 lemons

In a glass pitcher, combine wine and fruit juice concentrate (do not add water). Slice strawberries and lemon and add to the wine mixture. Let sit for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge before serving. Enjoy!

Kale Salad

2011-05-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

My aunt shared a super-yummy salad with my mom who then shared it with me. I asked my aunt for the recipe and she left the recipe on my cell phone. Of course when I got the urge to make it my battery was dead, so I came up with this. I can't recall how it's the same as hers and how it's different, but it was oh, so yummy and super healthy!

This is for a single serving:

Salad:

1/2 bunch washed kale (I cut the leaves off with my kitchen scissors and cut the pieces small then discarded the stem)
small handful raisins
small handful sunflower seeds (or other seed of your choice; I think next I'll try pumpkin)
1/2 chopped apple (I used fuji)

Dressing:

1 tablespoon oil (I used flax and couldn't taste it! It's hard to 'sneak' flax oil past my discerning pallet so I was thrilled to find a way to get in this super good for you oil)
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's)
1-2 tablespoons honey
salt (try the Himalayan pink salt from Trader Joe's...yummers!)
freshly ground pepper
juice from 1/4 lemon

Mix the dressing well then drizzle over kale. Use your hands to toss it and message into the leaves. Add remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

Nail Polish and Chocolate Tart...Two Reviews

2011-04-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

I realize I haven't strayed very far from recipes with this blog, but today I am. For those of you who might be disappointed by this, skip to the bottom of this post and you will be rewarded with a review and link for a yummy chocolate tart.

A friend of mine recently shared about a nail polish she has been using. I was excited! My nails have been bare for over a year. Not wanting to coat myself with the toxins and not wanting to spend $8 on 'natural' polish that may or may not work, I just wasn't willing to risk it. So my nails have been a lot like this Northwest spring of ours: sad. (Remember my happy muffins? Notice the rain drops on the rock under the above polish.). But I trust this friend's reviews and decided to give Suncoat, a water-based nail polish, a try. I'm so glad I did!

She reviewed it for her toes. I have yet to try it on my feet. I went straight for my hands. For me, that was the true test. My toes don't get much use. But in the last three days while I have had the above polish on, this is a sampling of what my hands have done:

dishes (with and without gloves)
bathroom cleaning (with and without gloves)
mopping
laundry
diapers
dunking poopie diapers (we use cloth)
bathing 8 children (I only have 4, but they all got scrubbed twice)
meal prep
grocery shopping
changing sheets on a bunk bed (serious wear and tear on nails!)
changing sheets on all the beds
vacuuming
am I forgetting something? probably.....
oh, that's right....making and eating chocolate tart (see below)

Anyway, I use my hands. Lots. Below, however, you will see how the polish has held up (but don't look too closely at my cuticles ). This is day three:

I am big-time impressed! If you look closely at my ring finger you can see the slightest signs of wear on the tip. All my fingers are like that, it just didn't show in the picture. I am anticipating getting another 2 days out of this stuff before it will bug me. As a mom, knowing I can go 5 days without repainting it a big deal! I'll keep you posted......(I used two coats of color and one coat of top coat.)

Where to buy? I got mine on iherb.com since I had other things to purchase. (Free shipping on orders over $40; great place for coconut oil, coconut palm sugar, toothpaste (I use Spry), gum (also Spry), Kamut pasta, hair spray, mousse & styling wax...and a ton of other things! If you use my code you can get $5 off your first order. WIG983 ). Lucky Vitamin also carries it. Whole Foods does not and I forgot to check New Seasons and Chuck's when I was there last.

(Note: I am in no way associated with Suncoat.)

Now for the chocolate!

We had some friends over for dinner last night. To meet all our dietary restrictions, I needed to find a dessert that was: gluten free, egg free, sugar free, fruit free, coconut free...and I think that's it. I found THIS recipe on The Nourishing Gourmet. Her version is with coconut oil and coconut cream, but because my friend can't do coconut, I used butter and cream. It was fantastic....though next time I will make it a bit differently. It was a bit too rich for me. If rich chocolate is your thing, this recipe is a must!!! If you prefer more of a milk chocolate, stay tuned. I don't know for how long, but stay tuned. I will definitely be doing a bit of t-w-e-a-k-i-n-g (You've Got Mail, anyone?) to make it perfect for my taste. And when I do.....you will find it here.

Have a great weekend! Happy Easter!

He is risen!!!

Easy Blueberry Muffins

2011-04-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

This is a super-yummy, super-easy recipe. It is also a great base-muffin recipe if you omit the blueberries and orange zest.

And do you see??? That's SUN shining on the muffins!!!! I suppose only one native to the Pacific Northwest would point that out, but boy, oh boy have we enjoyed seeing that big ball of fire these last couple of days! My 18-month-old discovered that she has a shadow and my son informed me that it was so warm, it was a hundred zillion degrees outside. It was only about 55, but when you're used to 40 and rain, today was a hundred zillion. I think we'll melt when it reaches 70.

1 egg
3/4 cup milk, coconut milk, or water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter, coconut oil or canola oil (canola oil isn't a good-for-you oil and should be avoided, but I confess: when in a hurry, I use it)
2 cups flour (see note below)
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen; I like the wild blueberries from Trader Joe's for their small size)
zest of 1/2 a large orange (optional but highly recommended)

Grease 6-8 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently stir with a wooden spoon, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the blueberries.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

A note about flour: I use freshly ground spelt in pretty much all my recipes. You can use white flour and follow the recipe exactly and the outcome should be the same. If, however, you use store-bought whole grain flour (wheat or spelt), you may need to adjust the recipe. Freshly ground spelt is much lighter than wheat or spelt from the store. You may want to look for pastry whole wheat flour, sift it before adding it to the recipe, or adjust the recipe if it seems "heavy". If you are looking to grind your own grain, I use the Wonder Mill and absolutely love it. I've used it for 6 years and have never had any trouble. It is definitely worth every penny!

Taco Seasoning

2011-04-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not having a picture to go along with this. Taco night at our house is everyone's favorite so the food goes fast. This seasoning, however, is so easy and yummy, I wanted to make sure you didn't have to wait for a picture. I have used it for the past few years and will never go back to a taco seasoning packet again! It's great to season beef for taco salad or to fill homemade flour tortillas.

This is the correct amount for 1 pound of ground beef:

3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (Costco carries this)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup water

Brown ground beef. Add all the ingredients and simmer, covered, 10 or so minutes. Time for a fiesta! If you really want to get into it, try the "Mariachi Fiesta" station on Pandora for fun music to go along with your dinner. You'll feel like you're at a Mexican restaurant!

German Chocolate Cake

2011-04-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

Wow....it's been a long time since I've posted a recipe! I'm still here! The problem has been that I have an 18-month-old. She's not a problem. The problem is that she's cute. And fun to play with. And fun to dress. And fun to sew for. There's something about a toddling 18-month-old that inspires creativity, and not in the kitchen. Rather, at my sewing machine.

When else in life will she let me dress her in this?

Or this?

Or wear moccasins like this around the house?

And with it being the month of easter, I felt obligated to do a craft with the big kids. So we decoupaged.

But before all the creating happened, I made a German Chocolate Cake. It was yummy. I've been wanting to share it with you, but the lure of the sewing machine was stronger than the call of the sirens (or perhaps I just needed someone to tie me up to keep me away).

I realize all that has nothing to do with German Chocolate Cake, so for those of you who follow this blog for recipes, here you go:

Cake:

1/2 cup coconut oil or melted butter (I used coconut oil)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup palm sugar

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sour cream

2 1/2 cups flour (I used freshly ground spelt; see note below)

1 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips (Sunspire grain-sweetened)

Topping:

1 cup coconut milk (not lite)

1/4 cup palm sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup honey

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon water

1/2 cup butter or coconut oil (I used coconut oil)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut

For the cake, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, blend coconut oil, vanilla, honey, maple syrup, palm sugar, eggs, buttermilk and sour cream until well blended. Add the flour mixture and blend. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

For the topping, combine everything but the pecans and coconut in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens a bit. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on cake while still warm.

Enjoy!

A note about flour: I use freshly ground spelt in pretty much all my recipes. You can use white flour and follow the recipe exactly and the outcome should be the same. If, however, you use store-bought whole grain flour (wheat or spelt), you may need to adjust the recipe. Freshly ground spelt is much lighter than wheat or spelt from the store. You may want to look for pastry whole wheat flour, sift it before adding it to the recipe, or adjust the recipe if it seems "heavy". If you are looking to grind your own grain, I use the Wonder Mill and absolutely love it. I've used it for 6 years and have never had any trouble. It is definitely worth every penny!

Elephant Ears

2011-03-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

This is not your traditional deep-fried elephant ear that you might find at the county fair, but rather a quick cinnamon roll made with a biscuit-type dough. I used my STANDARD BISCUIT RECIPE with a few minor changes, and glazed them with my CINNAMON ROLL ICING with added maple sugar. The result: yumminess. We measure the goodness of food around here based off of whether or not it is birthday worthy. My second-born decided that this is going to be on the menu for his birthday breakfast; it's that good.

I served it with eggs and melon for a well-rounded, happy-day breakfast.

Dough

3 cups flour (I used freshly ground spelt)
6 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons maple sugar
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup to 1 cup ice water

Filling

cinnamon
palm sugar
soft butter

Icing

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons maple sugar
1 tablespoon sour cream
3 tablespoons whipping cream
2 oz cream cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (I convected at 425).

For the dough, combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugars. I do this in my Cuisinart. If you don't have one, you can always do it by hand. Add raisins and pulse until raisins are chopped smallish. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly add ice water until dough comes together, pulsing until it forms a slightly moist ball.

Turn onto a well-floured surface and turn dough to coat with flour. Roll into a rectangle roughly18 inches by 12 inches (if you don't have a sock to cover your rolling pin with, you may need to dust the surface of the dough while you roll). Spread soft butter over dough, sprinkle with a thin layer of palm sugar and dust with cinnamon. Beginning at the long end, gently roll dough as you would cinnamon rolls. The dough will be quite soft, so work gently.

USING FLOSS, cut rolls into 1 inch circles, transfer to ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until light brown (I convected for 6 minutes).

While the dough is baking, combine butter, honey, syrup and sugars in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Blend together until all the cream cheese lumps are gone (you may see in my picture that I had a few small lumps; if you want it completely smooth, use an immersion blender).

Enjoy!

Bread Pudding With Sprouted Spelt Bread

2011-03-09T21:44:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who used THIS recipe to make sprouted wheat bread. I was intrigued, but thought I'd wait to try it until I found out how hers turned out. She said it was delicious, so I gave it a go with spelt. I, too, thought it was delicious and turned the remaining several slices into this yummy bread pudding. I'll tell you at the end of the post how I turned THIS sprouted wheat recipe into sprouted spelt bread, but for now, let's focus on the bread pudding.

I thought the extra texture and nutty flavor of the sprouted bread added such a richness to this pudding, besides giving all the added benefits of soaked grain. Even my pudding-avoiding husband was surprised at how much he liked this pudding. It was quite tasty! You can make your own sprouted bread, purchase it, or just use whatever kind of bread you normally would or have on hand. I also like making the 5-minute loaf to go with our meals and think that it would be tasty in this pudding recipe (I'll share my recipe for that soon, too!). So many options!

4-6 slices of bread (mine was thickly sliced so I used 4)
4 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup raisins
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk (I used rice milk; coconut would also be divine)
1/4 cup palm sugar
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut bread into cubes and place in a lightly greased 8x8 inch pan. Drizzle butter or coconut oil over bread and sprinkle with raisins.

In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over bread & raisins and gently squish the bread to soak in the mixture.

Bake for 34 minutes or until top springs back.

Enjoy!

If you want to try making your own sprouted bread, follow THIS link. It is a great recipe with detailed steps and pictures.

If using wheat, follow her steps exactly.

When using spelt, I followed most of her steps, but with a few variations. I found that it took a full 24 hours to sprout, and even then the sprouts were tiny (my kids were a little disappointed...I think they were hoping for a garden in our sprouting bowl!). After 24 hours, I drained the water (again!), covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. After two days in the fridge, I finally had time to make the bread. I found the spelt didn't puree quite as smoothly as I thought it would, so I added a tiny bit of water to the blending step. This, in turn, made the mix more moist, so I added 4 tablespoons of gluten and 4 tablespoons of freshly ground spelt (not sprouted) once I had all the spelt blended and in a large bowl. Otherwise, I followed her steps to a tee.

If you decide to sprout, I'd love to hear how it goes for you!

Potato & Broccoli Soup

2011-03-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

I consider myself a spontaneous cook. I have tried several times in life to be good about making meal plans for the week and even spent about 4 consecutive months cooking once a month (about 4 years ago...), but I have finally come to the realization that I like spontaneity in the kitchen. I found that when I plan my meals out, I spend more money at the grocery store and when Wednesday rolls around, I don't want Chicken Dijon. When Saturday evening comes, I want tacos instead of roast chicken. I don't like to be told what to cook....even though I'm the one who told me! ;)

Once I realized that there really isn't anything wrong with 'my way' of cooking, I found great freedom in my kitchen. There are still times when making a list for the week (or two!) is necessary. If it's a super-busy week, company is coming, or we're moving (which happened 4 months ago...all of them at once!), a meal plan is a must! But most of our weeks are pretty low-key so this spontaneous cooking method works for us.

What is 'spontaneous cooking'? Basically, I stock my kitchen with the staples (are you ready for a peak at my grocery list???), and I come up with my meals the afternoon before I start cooking them. I'm a simple cook, so the staples are usually:

butter, onion (both fresh & dried), potatoes, rice, whole grain pasta, Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella cheese, sour cream, butter, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, turkey bacon, chicken breakfast sausage, chicken thighs, lunch meat, Better Than Bullion (both chicken & beef), tomato sauce (on occasion), canned tuna, canned salmon, frozen mango, frozen green beans, frozen peas, canned peaches (Trader Joe's are the BEST!), condiments, tortilla chips, salsa, farm-fresh eggs, buttermilk, fresh fruits and veggies

Everything else I make myself or we do without. We purchase 1/4 of a grass-fed cow twice a year so I always have beef on hand. I get a few other things from Azure Standard or Amazon (like lentils, beans, rice, coconut oil, syrup and palm sugar), but other than that, that's my grocery list. Often supplies spill over from week to week, so I don't always need to purchase, but if I have these items in my kitchen, I can pretty much come up with anything that suits my fancy.

That means that at about 3:00, I start thinking about dinner, and about 4:00 (or 5:30 if I'm crafting during nap time.....), I start making it. We eat anywhere between 6:30 and 7:30 (yes, 7:30....I like to sew during nap time and I have a wonderful hubby who supports it and children who are used to a light snack at 5:00 if dinner hasn't been started. There's my confession ;)

Tonight, I wanted to combine a couple of soups that my children enjoy and we all decided that it is our new favorite soup. Seriously. We all loved it. As a mom, you know how huge that is! I'm wishing I had doubled it so we could have left-overs tomorrow, but as it is there was just enough to feed our family and one extra bowl for The Hubs to take to work, which means it was about 8 servings. So here you have it. My spontaneous meal for the night:

(I'm going to start making the recipe portion larger so it's easier to spot among all my ramblings.)

Combine in a medium sauce pan:

4 cups water
4 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked pepper

Cook until potatoes are soft, about 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, saute until cooked through:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 chicken thighs; boneless, skinless and cubed
3/4-1 lb turkey bacon

When potatoes are done cooking, drain half the liquid into the large saucepan with the chicken mixture.

Add to the potatoes and blend until smooth & creamy:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sour cream

Add to the chicken.

In the same saucepan that you cooked the potatoes, combine and boil for 5 minutes:

4 cups fresh broccoli
4 cups water.

Reserve 1 cup of the water and add it to the chicken & potato mixture.

Remove broccoli and chop into small pieces. Add to the soup pot along with:

1 1/2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry dill weed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons Chicken Better Than Bullion

Heat through and you're done! Hooray for yummy soup!

I served this with salad and PRETZELS (Have you tried these yet? If not, you must.) I have discovered this is a great way to quickly rise a yeast dough:

This is a great way to catch potato peels for easy clean-up:

This is how I chop my bacon before cooking it:

And now I shall adjourn to do the dishes and bathe the children...since I'm a spontaneous blogger as well ;) Cheerio!

Ranch Dressing & Dip

2011-03-01T21:51:00.001-08:00

I have tried several times over the years to make my own ranch dressing, but was never happy with the flavor or consistency. We all love Lighthouse Organic Ranch Dressing, so I just figured that would be one of several things I'd be okay not making for my family. Until the snow came this last week.

We knew it was coming so I ran to the market to make sure we had enough eggs and produce to last through the storm, but forgot the Ranch. So, when I had salad ready for the family, I realized if I wanted the kids to eat it without comment, I would need to come up with something. I'm not sure why I never tried THIS recipe before, but with a few minor changes, we now have a dressing that we all think is better than Lighthouse! And it is so simple.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (optional)

Mix all the ingredients well and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to serving. This is important or you will have a strong mayonnaise taste. Once it sits, the flavors meld together so nicely! Delicious on salads or for dipping veggies, chicken nuggets, chips, etc. Enjoy!

Rice Pudding

2011-02-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

I have learned over the years that things like rice pudding and bread pudding can bring much controversy into a home. Since the following is a recipe for rice pudding, we'll use that as our example:

In my home, I love rice pudding, my husband does not. Three of my children love it, one does not.

In my parent's home, my dad loves it, my mom doesn't.

In my sister's home....I don't think any of them would touch the stuff. Well, my sister probably would to be gracious, because that's just how she is, but I don't think my brother-in-law has ever eaten anything I have made containing cinnamon. Especially if it contains cinnamon and raisins. But just to set the record straight, he does decline quite graciously. My sister's children are much more inclined to request chocolate. I actually think chocolate is a food group in their house. Her older three would probably, if offered rice pudding, say something like, "No thanks, Auntie Krissie." Her youngest.....hmmmm....I'm picturing a wrinkled nose. Possibly one of the cutest wrinkled noses in Vancouver, but wrinkled none-the-less.

My brother would probably eat it, because he eats anything cheerfully, as would my sister-in-law, because she likes cinnamon.

That said, I'm assuming there are some of you out there who love rice pudding and some of you who can't stand the stuff. My husband says it's a texture issue. Perhaps. But for those of us who do enjoy that pudding flavor with rice texture mixed in...hooray for a healthy recipe!

After seeing a recipe for rice pudding on one of my favorite craft blogs, I found I couldn't get the stuff out of my mind. So the other day I finally went to work to come up with a healthy alternative. All I had in the pantry was organic brown basmati rice from Costco. I love basmati rice......in a savory dish. But still, I was determined to have rice pudding without making a trip to the store. That said, if you use a non-aromatic rice, you may be able to get away with less sweetener. By the time I was done with the recipe, there was no hint of the classic basmati left. Just yummy, sweet goodness.

Here's what I did:

Cook 3/4 cup brown rice in 1 1/2 cups water. I like to soak my rice for a few hours before cooking to make it more of a creamy pudding. It's not necessary, but makes for a softer grain and decreases the starch (drain the rice before cooking).

Once cooked, add:

1 1/2 cups milk (I have tried both rice & coconut milk; coconut is my favorite!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon maple sugar
1/4 cup raisins

(Note: The sweeteners listed are just a guideline. I'm sure any combination would be great! Personally, I have found that if I mix a couple together rather than relying on one, I am not distracted by a particular flavor. For example, I enjoy the flavor of honey, but if all I use to sweeten a recipe is honey, it overpowers the other flavors. Mixing sweeteners will be your best bet in just about any sugar-free recipe!)

Cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until it thickens a bit, stirring occasionally with a whisk (it didn't thicken much because of the brown rice and rice milk, but it did enough to make it pudding-like after adding the eggs later). Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and 1/2 cup milk (again, I used rice). Slowly add to the rice mixture, whisking well as you do to avoid egg clumps. Return to medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer while stirring for 2 minutes, until it thickens a bit.

Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and a dash of ground cloves. Mix well and allow to cool. We preferred the finished product cold, so I put it in the freezer to speed up the process.

(I think this recipe would be delicious with coconut milk and coconut oil in place of the rice milk and butter.)

Enjoy!

And if you happen to have a teething toddler in your home, a healthy rice pudding may come in very handy some evening when everything else you have prepared for your usual eager-eater is refused...nose wrinkled. Hooray for rice pudding!

Cabbage & Lentil Ground Beef Stew

2011-02-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

I realize following a post highlighting Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies by a super-nutritious soup may be less than exciting for some, but with a week of cold, cold, cold in our forecast (cold is relative here....it might actually snow here this week!), I thought there may be a few of you out there who could find it useful...especially if you have Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies waiting for you when you are done.

I don't consider myself a cook. Baking is definitely much more my thing, but I do find that I need to feed my family things other than what can be made with flour on an alarmingly regular basis. Like, every day. Like, a few times every day. I am so thankful we all love soup! It is such a great way to stretch a bit of meat and pack a healthy punch with the remaining ingredients.

Cabbage soups are among our favorites. So are lentil soups. So are beef soups. So, the other night I combined them all into this delicious soup. Even The Pie (that would be #4) gobbled it up...for three days in a row (I love how long soup lasts! This big pot lasted our family of 6 through a dinner and two lunches. Feel free to tailor it down if you are a smaller family and don't want to be eating the same thing for over a week...although I'm sure it would freeze well.)

Note: I use Better Than Bouillon. Costco has the best price in town!

1 lb ground beef (grass-fed is best!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
2 quarts water
3 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon (Beef Base)
4 medium potatoes (we love Yukon Gold)
1 small head of cabbage (chopped small--I used my 2mm blade on my Cuisinart)
3/4 cup lentils (rinsed)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/3 cup butter
additional water
salt & pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in olive oil. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add water, bouillon, potatoes, cabbage, lentils and seasonings. Add more water to make the consistency you like for your soup. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least 45 minutes. Add butter. Heat until butter is melted. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-02-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, my husband heated up his coffee and went to the pantry to retrieve the jar of chocolate chip cookies that I had made on Wednesday. He was like a little kid. He was excited.

I hid.

The cookies were gone.

I tried to blame it all on the kids, but he knows me better than that. Feeling rather guilty, I went to work in the kitchen trying to make up for the empty cookie jar. I came up with these.

He reheated his coffee, ate a couple cookies (he shows much more self-control than I in these situations) and forgave me.

"Mommy, can I take your picture while you scoop out the cookies? And can you put it on your blog?!?"

(Picture twinkling eyes, hands clasped together, and a smile that melts your heart...how could I say no? Apparently for a nine-year-old girl whose mother has a blog, this is the ultimate privilege.)

Photo credit: Alainna

For a mother with a blog, coming up with a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate treat is the ultimate.

For those of you who like to see how I tweak recipes, HERE is the original recipe.

From my happy kitchen to yours, here is our new favorite cookie:

2 1/3 cups flour (I use spelt, oat and millet...whole grain was delish! Any flour will do.)

2/3 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup soft salted butter

1/2 cup palm sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt with a whisk.

In a large bowl, blend butter, palm sugar, honey, maple syrup, vanilla extract and eggs until well combined.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix with a wooden spoon just to combined. Add chocolate chips and nuts and mix gently.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Chill cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. You will want to under-bake them (the edges will be cooked but the inside still soft), then allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes. They will continue to bake and set as they cool.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve to your husband with a smile and a kiss.

Crackers

2011-02-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

I felt like creating something new for snack time today. Perhaps because grocery shopping day is drawing near and the kitchen is looking bare, but whatever the reason, we were all thankful for this bit of inspiration as we crunched on these yummy treats and sipped our tea and mocha. My Evan came into the kitchen after smelling the yummies coming from the oven and said, "I'll be the taster to see if they are good enough for your blog." Yes, he is always willing to sacrifice for the greater good of society. After a couple of bites, I received an enthusiastic two thumbs up.

This recipe is ever-so-slightly sweet and is a wonderful base for all sorts of flavors. I can imagine vanilla or almond extract, a bit of lemon zest, more cinnamon with some ground cloves....or perhaps Parmesan cheese, garlic, more salt and pepper (after omitting the cinnamon, of course :). So many options....so many snack times.

The idea for these crackers came from a bound cookbook I found at a garage sale several years back. It's a fun one for kids: Kinder-Krunchies. We have made several of the recipes and they are all simple and quite tasty.

This recipe is very easy to cut in half, especially if you want to fiddle with flavors.

2 1/4 cups oat flour

1/4 cup white flour

3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup soft butter

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup buttermilk

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl and whisk to combine. In a small bowl, combine soft butter and honey. Add butter and honey to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. Add buttermilk and mix to combine. If the dough looks too moist, and a bit more oat flour. It should be moist but still easy to work with on a lightly floured surface.

Lightly flour your counter or turn dough onto a floured pasty board. (THIS is the one I have. I use it all the time, along with a little 'sock' on my rolling pin. Makes roll-out cookies, pie crusts, pizza crusts and biscuits a breeze!) Roll until very thin. Mine was 1/8" thick.

If you are a super-mom, you can cut them out with cookie cutters into all sorts of fun shapes. But if you're just a regular mom like me, use a pizza cutter and cut into squares. This is such a quick and easy way to cut them out with no left-over dough.

Arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet, prick with a fork, and bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to plate or cooling rack. Store in glass jars with air-tight lids. Happy munching!

Day Two: We had leftovers today (only because I made the children restrain yesterday) and topped them with almond butter and honey. Delicious!!!!

The Maple Bear

2011-02-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

I have a brilliant friend. She shares with me her brilliant ideas. Like this one: putting maple syrup in a honey bear. Simple....but oh, so brilliant. Do you know what happens when you put maple syrup in a honey bear? The syrup drizzles out at an amazingly perfect rate. This means that even very young children can syrup their own goods and not end up with big puddles of syrup left on their plate. Have you checked the price of maple syrup lately? Like I said, this is a brilliant idea. Most places that sell honey in bulk will also carry this cute little bear. If you live in the Vancouver, WA area, Chuck's Produce lets you walk away with one of these for free if you fill him with maple syrup (or honey). Their price on maple syrup is also the best in town (thank you for letting me in on this secret as well, Brilliant Friend...you know who you are ;)

Do you know what else happens when you use this little bear? You smile. You can't help it. He's cute, and your children will be cute when they use it. Cute at breakfast is fun. Cute at breakfast is good. Here's to the start of a good day.

Homemade Hamburger & Hot Dog Buns

2011-01-31T10:57:00.000-08:00

About four months ago we moved out to the 'country'. I realize that 'country' is somewhat of a relative term. I view it in relation to how far a home is from the nearest Trader Joe's, Fred Meyer and Target. Where we were once a mere two minutes from Fred Meyer, eight minutes from Target and eighteen minutes from Trader Joe's, it now takes us at least a half hour to get to TJ's and Target. Thankfully, Battle Ground has a Fred Meyer and we're only eight minutes from there. They have a health food section so in a pinch, we're covered.

This move, however, has simplified our life quite a bit. We only leave home when absolutely necessary and my husband often does grocery runs on his lunch break for me, or I get them on Wednesdays when my kids take their art class 'in town'. We love living 'out' and hunkering down at home.

What does this have to do with hamburger buns, you ask? Well, the other day I had hamburgers on my list for dinner and guess what I forgot to pick up at Trader Joe's the Wednesday prior? Yes, I did. So, rather than loading up all the kids for a trip into town for mere buns, I pulled out my bread machine and came up with what I believe will be our new standard bun. It was simple, yummy, and so much better for us than anything I can find at the health food store.

I used THIS recipe as my base and tweaked it to make it work for us. Because of the all-natural, basic ingredients, I found that on day one they were light and fluffy, but the leftovers for sandwiches were a bit dry. Toasted with butter, however, was just as good as day one. Here's what I did:

1 cup milk or water (I used water)

1 cup water (if you used water above you'll have 2 cups total)

2 tablespoons soft butter

1 tablespoon honey

5 1/2 cups flour (I did 4 cups spelt and 1 1/2 cups white)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (or 1 packet)

Combine all ingredients in bread machine * in the order listed. Set to dough cycle. Once cycle is complete, turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 portions. Form each portion into a ball. To do this, I push my thumbs into the center of the dough and bring the 'corners' up around it, then squeeze them together. I place the squeezed part face down on the cookie sheet. Place all balls on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Let rest for 3 or 4 minutes, then lightly press down with your hand to flatten slightly. Allow to rise until double, 20-30 minutes. Brush with 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 or so minutes. If you put all of them in the oven at the same time (you will have 2 cookie sheets), rotate them about 10 minutes through the baking time. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

*If you don't have a bread machine, follow the directions as listed HERE.

Apple Pie

2011-01-21T16:18:00.000-08:00

As part of my son's homeschool curriculum, we are using the delightful program called Five in a Row. Do you know it? It's fun. We've read gems like The Glorious Flight, The Story About Ping, The Rag Coat, and Madeline, to name a few. This week it was How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman.

After a quick visit to Italy for the wheat harvest, France for a hen, and Sri Lanka for cinnamon where we tip-toed past the sleeping cheetah, we decided we needed to make an apple pie. And so, we did.

Apple pie was probably one of the first recipes I ever attempted to make sugar free. I love apple pie. I think it was probably also the first dessert I ever made when I was first married. I love apple pie. My daughter requested it for her birthday dessert when she turned five. She is so my daughter. I love her. I love apple pie. But this was the first time I attempted a crust using freshly ground spelt. It was heavenly. I don't know why I never did it before. I love spelt. I love apple pie. But you knew that.

If you grind your own grain, make sure to grind the flour on the smallest setting to get the finest flour. If you purchase your whole grain flour, make sure it's pastry flour. You may even want to sift it before you use it to make sure it's not too dense. Here's what we did:

Crust

2 cups flour (any pastry flour will do)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold butter

1/2 cup ice water

1 egg yolk (for brushing on the top)

Pie Filling

5-7 apples (use sweet apples, like Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady, etc.)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

2-4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

Preheat oven to 425 (I used my convection oven at 400).

Combine filling first. I don't enjoy the process of peeling apples, so I cut mine up, peels and all. Then you also get the added nutrition and zip of color. Chop apples into 1 inch cubes. Combine with remaining ingredients (but not butter).

For crust, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter (I use my Cuisinart). Add water, a bit at a time, until crust comes together (I do this in my Cuisinart, too). Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide dough in half. If you have a pastry board, this works the best. If you don't, roll dough between two pieces of wax paper. Lay one crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Pour filling into crust and place 2 tablespoons of butter dotted on top. You may notice I like butter. There's probably a bit more than 2 tablespoons here....

Top with remaining crust and seal edges. Poke holes in the top for air vents. Combine egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and lightly brush over the top. This makes it pretty and shiny. Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

Coconut Oil Popcorn

2011-01-18T18:08:00.000-08:00

My apologies if this is something you have been doing for years and you were hoping for a brilliant new recipe, but we all had such a delightful discovery over at our house during snack time today that the kids insisted I post. So delightful, in fact, that our Ethan said this was the best day ever because of it. Popcorn. Wow. I love how little it takes to make kids happy. Well, I suppose I did pair it with a side of cantaloupe....

The delightful discovery was popcorn cooked in coconut oil. I had heard it was possible, but just wasn't convinced the flavors would be complimentary. Today, however, I felt adventuresome. Wow. It doesn't take much. (My kids come by it honestly.....)

The amounts? I think the key is lots of oil. It seems to make the popcorn extra light and fluffy. There was even a hint of theater popcorn flavor to it. I'd imagine if you add a little butter to the finished product, you might think you were actually there.

The method for cooking? I am personally of the mindset that there are few things in life that beat popcorn cooked on the stove top. My sister got me hooked before I married my wonderful husband and then my in-laws cemented it when they got a Whirley Pop for us for our first Christmas. After 11 years, we're still popping! If you don't have a Whirley Pop, you can use a stainless steel pot, but if popcorn is your thing, I say invest in a Whirley Pop. You'll be glad you did!

Here's what I did:

3-4 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup popcorn

Heat stove to just below high. Let it heat up for about a minute. Put coconut oil in your popping container of choice and melt over high heat. Once melted, add popcorn. Cover and start stirring, shaking, swishing....whatever you need to do to keep the corn moving. Pop until you hear it stop, sprinkle generously with salt and eat away! (If you use a pot, make sure you wear oven mitts so you can shake and keep the lid on at the same time without burning yourself!)

Even those of us going incognito loved it!

Zucchini Bread, Muffins, Mini-Muffins & Cupcakes

2011-01-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Exclamations of, "Yum!", "These are so good!", "I can't stop eating these!", and, "These taste like cupcakes!" went up from around the breakfast table this morning. Finally our Evan proclaimed, "Are you going to put these on your blog? You should." And so I am.

As a side note, I made blueberry muffins last week that crumbled to pieces when I took them out of the pan. As the kids graciously ate them, our Ethan asked, "Mommy, are you going to put these on your blog?" to which I replied, "Well, I usually like to put things on my blog that don't fall apart." We all giggled, and named the muffins 'Blueberry Crumble'. I won't post the recipe.

The original recipe I came up with here is for zucchini bread, which I have made many times and we all love (and it doesn't fall apart :). This morning I put to work the mini-muffin pans my husband gave me for Christmas (being able to bake 48 mini-muffins at once makes it much more efficient in the morning than the 12 I used to be able to do prior to December 25th). It was our Ethan who said, "These taste like cupcakes!" Top them with frosting and you're set for a birthday or other special occasion. Such a versatile recipe!

4 cups flour (I use spelt; any will do)

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

1 cup oil (I did 1/2 cup coconut oil & 1/2 cup melted butter...divine!)

3/4 cup honey

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup applesauce

2 cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix wet ingredients, including zucchini. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon, just until combined (do not over-mix).

For zucchini bread: pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake 1 hour.

For regular muffins: scoop into 20 greased muffin cups and bake for 18-22 minutes

For mini-muffins: scoop into 58 mini-muffin cups and bake for 10-12 minutes.

For an extra-yummy treat, dip the tops of the muffins in melted butter and roll in palm sugar and cinnamon. A little too yummy!

For cupcakes: scoop into 20 paper-lined muffin cups lightly coated with cooking spray and bake for 18-22 minutes. Frost with this frosting:

1 cup whipping cream
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Whip cream until fairly stiff. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Store cupcakes in refrigerator.

For all, check with a toothpick to make sure they are cooked all the way through. You may need to put foil on top of the loaves for the final 10 or so minutes.

Raw Apple Cake

2011-01-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

This super-yummy, extra-moist cake is very dear to me. Every time I make it, I think of my grandma. I look at her beautiful handwriting that penned the recipe for me. I picture her in her kitchen. I picture her on the beach. I picture her in gold shoes. I picture how she used to flip her reading glasses that were on a cord around her neck to her back so she could give us a hug without poking us. I picture her graceful fingers and her pretty French manicure. I see her waiting for the perfect bubbles before flipping pancakes. I picture long walks on the beach, listening to stories only she can capture, and dreams of watermelon at the finish line....which ended up being nothing more than a few piddly seeds floating in watermelon juice. And I hear her recounting the story as if it was yesterday. I hear her laugh, I watch her grace, I sense her love....and I make my Nanee's apple cake. Sometimes I think she's in the kitchen with me.

Isn't she beautiful?

Now, I share it with you, so you can have a piece of my Nanee, too, which is something everyone must have at some point in their life. This is my sugar-free version, which she tasted and confirms tastes very much like the original. Eat it at breakfast. Eat it for a snack. Eat it for dessert. Eat it any time of day. You'll be glad you did...and you might even catch a vision of gold shoes while you do.

As for me, I will count down the months until summer when she comes to visit and I can share a slice of cake with her and Grandpa in person, because sometimes, California is a bit too far away.

For the cake:

4 cups diced apples (skins on; I chop in my Cuisinart)

1/2 cup butter or coconut oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup palm sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup honey

2 1/2 cups flour (I use spelt)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

For the icing:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons milk or cream (optional, but it does add a nice smooth taste to the icing)

Combine apples, butter, eggs, water, palm sugar, applesauce, maple syrup, and honey in a medium bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Prepare icing either during the final minutes of baking or once it comes out of the oven. Put butter, honey and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add milk and boil 1 minute more. Pour over hot cake.

Cool to warm before slicing. Enjoy!

Honey Cookies

2011-01-10T14:20:00.001-08:00

I made these cookies for our full house on New Year's Eve and they were a hit! I love telling my kids they can have three....or even sometimes four cookies. They think it's such a treat! And I feel good about it when they are made with such nourishing ingredients.

I use all spelt flour. I believe the whole grain really enhances the flavor and adds to the texture (whole wheat would be good, too, as well as a number of other flour combinations). Children and adults alike enjoy this cookie....so do sisters. This post is for mine. Love you, Sis!

Can you tell we're related? We're not twins, although we used to wish we were (I think I might at times still wish that). We even tried swapping pajamas once when we were younger to see if we could trick our parents. It didn't work.

1 cup soft butter

1/4 cup palm sugar (you can omit this if you don't have it and add extra honey instead)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup honey

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a large bowl, soften butter and add palm sugar, maple syrup, honey and eggs. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend with a wooden spoon just until combined (dough will be very soft).

Drop tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes then bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes on baking sheet before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Fabulous Fudge

2011-01-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

I found THIS recipe during the holidays and it immediately became a staple in our goodie array.

Now that the holidays are behind us, I can't seem to part with it. I was okay taking down the tree, packing up the decorations, and even starting our homeschool schedule back up, but the fudge? I think it will be around for a while....a long while. Perhaps a year-long while.

This is such a great way to get all the health benefits of coconut oil, which is what I use (you can also use butter, it just wouldn't be quite as healthy...depending on the butter you use). There is a subtle coconut flavor in them that I have come to love. And if 'chocolate', 'fudge', and 'healthy' aren't enough to convince you that this one's worth trying, here's one final plug: They are easy. Super easy.

So without further ado, I introduce you to my new best friend:

1 cup coconut oil

1 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cup granulated palm sugar, Sucanat or Rapadura*

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

chopped pecans (I do a couple handfuls of finely chopped pecans...the amount is up to you)

*If you don't have any of these, you can do an additional 1/4 cup honey (making it 1 cup total) or 1/4 cup maple syrup. I'd recommend maple syrup so you don't have an overwhelming honey flavor...unless you like an overwhelming honey flavor.

Put oil, honey and palm sugar in a double boiler until oil and honey are melted but not hot. Stir to combine. Put in Cuisinart and add remaining ingredients. Blend just until combined. Spread into a glass 8x8 inch pan and store in the refrigerator. Once hard, cut apart and either store in the glass pan or transfer to glass air-tight jars.

Note: The first time I made these, I over-blended them and the oil separated from the other ingredients. I put them in the pan anyway and had a layer of oil on the top, but they were still yummy. Now I am careful to not over mix. Enjoy!

Maple Pecan Scones

2011-01-05T16:23:00.001-08:00

This has become our standard scone recipe. The Pioneer Woman has a maple pecan scone recipe in her cookbook which inspired me to make this one, though it's not really like hers...except for the pairing of maple and pecans. This also makes a great cinnamon raisin scone (which I think might be what the picture is; I took it a while ago (the sun was shining...) and I can't remember!). I use maple sugar as the sweetener, though I'm sure palm sugar would probably work, too....although I suppose they would no longer be 'maple pecan'....perhaps 'palm pecan'? That has a fun ring to it! :)

I get my maple sugar HERE. It's a more expensive sweetener, but Azure's price is the best I've seen. I keep my bag in the freezer and use it oh-so-sparingly, so one bag lasts me quite a few months. Definitely worth investing in! Especially for this, this, and this.

For the scones:

2 cups flour (I use all spelt)

6 tablespoons maple sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg

a couple handfuls of pecans

For the glaze:

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons maple syrup

For the scones, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine egg and sour cream. Cut butter into wet ingredients (I do mine in my Cuisinart). Add whole pecans and chop until they are the size you like. (I like mine small. I don't usually measure, I just toss in a couple of handfuls.)

Add sour cream/egg mixture to flour mixture and combine with a wooden spoon just until moistened. Use your hands to combine the rest of the way.

Transfer to a well-floured surface and shape into a circle, about 8"x1 1/2". Cut into triangles and transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 15-17 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

While scones are baking, combine butter, honey and maple syrup in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir constantly for 3 minutes. Brush over hot scones.

Steep a cup of tea, find a cozy chair by a window and enjoy!

Pigs in a Blanket

2011-01-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

I have heard these tasty little dogs called many things over the years: Pigs in a Blanket, Babes in Swaddling Clothes (at Christmastime), Legs in a Cast (Super Bowl Sunday)....any that I missed? They are a fun treat for kids of all ages (I'm still a kid when it comes to them!), so I was excited when I discovered Trader Joe's carried an uncured, nitrate-free version...in cute packaging, no less.

(These do have a bit of cane sugar in them, but only 1 gram per 6 pups, which I don't mind.)

On New Year's Day, my husband and I had a Wii party in our loft with the kids and brought these up with melon, carrots & cucumbers, organic fries and caramel corn. Such fun!

I use my go-to biscuit recipe to wrap the pups. I used to go to the trouble of cutting the biscuit dough out with a round cookie cutter until I realized it was much easier to cut it into strips with my pizza cutter. No re-rolling scraps of dough!

Here is my biscuit recipe (great as a wrap and wonderful as regular biscuits). I do it all in my Cuisinart so it's fast and easy:

2 cups flour (I usually us a combination of organic white and spelt)

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold butter

1 cup ice water

Preheat oven to 450. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into 1 tablespoon cubes and cut into flour mixture. Add ice water until dough holds together. Roll onto floured surface and cut into strips (mine were about 1 1/2" x 4") . Wrap the strips around the dogs and seal edges with a bit of water. Arrange on cookie sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes. Happy 2011!

Chocolate Praline Crunch

2010-12-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

This tasty treat came as a result of having a bit of Russian Tea Cake batter left and a bit of chocolate topping from my Almond Joy! Joy! Joy!. The two together? A divine holiday combination.

To make:

Mix up the batter for Russian Tea Cakes. Butter a 9x13 pan and press batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 15-25 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges and done in the center. Let cool for 10 minutes.

While baking, make up the chocolate sauce from the Almond Joy! Joy! Joy! recipe. Once the crust is cooled slightly and the chocolate sauce is smooth, pour over the top of the crust. Sprinkle with additional chopped pecans. Let cool completely and store in refrigerator.

Note: When I made this I only had a bit of each left. Mine filled a 9-inch pie plate and I probably had about 2/3 cup chocolate sauce left. I'm guessing a 9x13 pan should work, but if it seems like the proportions are off, adjust accordingly. The crust is between about 1/4" thick and the chocolate sauce is probably about 1/8" thick.

If you prefer a more true candy praline, try using Almond Roca as the base.

Almond Joy! Joy! Joy!

2010-12-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

I heard about this recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet a year or so ago but never gave it a shot...until this past week. Why didn't I try it sooner? It is divine! My kids aren't crazy about chocolate so I leave theirs plain with just the coconut, which leaves more chocolate for me so we're all happy! You can do it with almonds, whole or chopped, or do it nut-free, because let's face it: sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't, right? Or at least, that's what 'they' always told us. :)

These are delicious...and good for you. A wonderful holiday treat!

For coconut base:

1 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup of coconut oil

1/4 cup of honey
1 teaspoon almond extract
almonds, chopped or whole

For chocolate topping:

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup of honey

1 cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Melt the coconut oil and honey over low heat and mix until combined. Remove from heat and add the coconut. Mix well (the oil separates so just do your best to mix it; you'll need to mix it as yo work with it, too). Drop by teaspoonfuls into mini-muffin tins and press into the bottom of the pan making sure to get oil and coconut with each scoop (the pressing is a great job for kids!). Store in freezer as you prepare chocolate topping.

For the topping, melt honey, coconut oil, cocoa and vanilla in a double boiler. I use a 2-cup glass pyrex in a pan of hot water. Whisk until melted and combined.

Remove muffin tins from the freezer. Sprinkle almonds on top of the coconut then top with 1/2 tablespoon of chocolate. Sprinkle with additional almonds if you like.

Return to freezer until solid. Pop treats out with a knife and store in freezer. They are pretty hard with they just come out of the freezer, but if you let them sit for about a minute, they are the perfect biting temperature. The first tray I made popped out of the pan quite easily. They had been in the freezer for about 30 minutes. The second tray was in overnight and I couldn't pop them out with my knife, so I set the tray in hot water for a few seconds and they slid right out.

Enjoy!!!

Almond Roca

2010-12-17T11:11:00.000-08:00

This is a yummy Christmas treat that we all love. It was brought to one of my husband's company dinners several years back and after taking one bite, I knew I needed the recipe! I usually make it quite hard, but this year I was impatient and took it off before it candied to the soft cracking stage. We actually prefer it softer (easier on the teeth :) It's kind of a cross between roca and soft toffee. Whether you like it hard and crackly or soft and pliable, it is a super-yummy holiday treat. Enjoy!

Almond Roca

1 1/2 cups butter

1 cup honey

chopped almonds

In a medium saucepan, combine butter and honey over medium heat. Once the mixture is melted and begins to boil, stir constantly until it reaches the candy stage you like best. HERE is a great guide to the different stages of candy and how to check it. The original recipe said to cook to the soft cracking stage which yields a hard, cracking candy. This year mine was around 245 degrees, between the soft ball and hard ball stage (I used the cold water method to check mine).

Add chopped almonds (or any other nut...would make great peanut brittle!) and continue cooking one minute more. I like my almonds chopped fairly small, but it's yummy with bigger chunks, too. The amount you use is up to you.

Once cooked, spread candy mixture onto a buttered jelly roll pan. The pan will get very hot, so make sure it's on top of a pot holder and don't handle it until it has a chance to cool. Once cool, put in refrigerator to firm up all the way. If you cooked it to the soft cracking stage, break the pieces off. If you did it softer, you will need a butter knife to cut through the pieces and to help pop them off the tray. Store in the refrigerator. It's a merry, merry treat!

If you crave the combination of toffee and chocolate (!!!) try a thin layer of the chocolate sauce from Almond Joy! Joy! Joy! on the top with a few extra almonds sprinkled on top. Store these in the fridge or freezer. Oh, joy!

Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

2010-12-09T17:22:00.001-08:00

We love pancakes for breakfast.....and for dinner....and for snacks.....and with peanut butter and jelly sandwiched in between for lunch. Basically, give any one of us a yummy pancake any time of day and we are happy! This recipe has quickly made it to the top of our all-time-favorite pancake list. It makes a nice large batch, enough for breakfast and leftovers during the week. Store them in the fridge and reheat or eat cold (which my kids often prefer!) We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Note: They require overnight soaking, so make sure you plan a 2-minute slot before bed to mix the oats and buttermilk!

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

3 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup honey

3 eggs

1/3 cup melted butter, coconut oil or canola oil (we prefer butter)

2 cups flour (any type...our favorite is part spelt and part oat flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons baking powder

Combine oats and buttermilk and let soak overnight in fridge. In the morning, combine dry ingredients well. Add honey, butter, and eggs to the buttermilk mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Cook by 1/4 cup fulls on hot griddle (I set mine to 350). Enjoy!

Banana Coffee Cake

2010-11-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on For the Love of Cooking and thought it looked divine and easy to make sugar-free. Breakfast was a little later than usual this morning because I was determined to use up the brown bananas on my counter, but the wait was well worth it as exclamations of, "This is awesome!" and "Can you make this for my birthday breakfast?" went up from around the table. The only negative reaction was from my 13-month-old who, when asked if she liked the banana cake, shook her head emphatically...as she stuffed bite after bite into her mouth. Seems as if she hasn't quite figured out the up and down for 'yes' and the side to side for 'no'. So we took her plea for more and her chipmunk cheeks as a better indicator of her enjoyment of the cake.

Whether served for breakfast, as a mid-morning or afternoon snack or an after-dinner dessert (I'm envisioning a heap of whipped cream on the top...mmmmmm.....), it has been voted as one of the new top treats in our home.

For the cake:

1 2/3 cup flour (I used freshly ground spelt)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 large ripe bananas

3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons palm sugar, rapadura or sucanat

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (I use Grade B)

For the frosting:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons maple sugar*

2 tablespoons copped pecans

2 tablespoons unsweetend coconut

*If you don't have maple sugar, add an extra tablespoon of honey or maple syrup, or use palm sugar, rapadura or sucanat instead.

For the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a glass pie plate or cake dish with cooking spray.

Combine the dry ingredients (but not the palm sugar) and whisk until combined. In a separate bowl, blend remaining ingredients until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend until combined.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. You may need to cover it lightly with foil for the last 5 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan and place on serving plate.

For the frosting, combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Spoon over cake and spread to the edges. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Apple Cake Variation!

The banana cake was so yummy that we decided to try a variation so we could have cake for breakfast two times this week! To transform this cake into an equally yummy apple cake, in place of banana add 2/3 cup applesauce and 1 finely chopped apple (I put peels and all in my Cuisinart). Add 1/4 cup ground cloves to the dry ingredients and keep everything else the same. Yummy!