Cougie Approved meals:

Cabbage Salad (cabbage, carrots, apples shredded and grated, real lemon juice for dressing, mixed with mandarin oranges

Fries (pototoes cut into fries, rubbed with olive oil and salt, baked at 350 for 15 minutes, stirred, 15 more minutes)
and Fry Sauce
Homemade Catsup (http://www.instructables.com/id/Ketchup-Catsup-Recipe/) mixed with mayo

Kale Chips (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips/)

Mom and Dad approved:
Strawberry Spinach Salad (http://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/2012/06/spinach-strawberry-salad.html)

Chocolate coconut pudding (http://detoxinista.com/creamy-chocolate-coconut-pudding/)

Everyone approved:
Chocolate beet cake from GSG.com

Maverick's pictures

Chore Chart

Jed and I created this chore chart. It has worked so well for us. Enjoy!

Tiffany christensen chore chart

View more presentations from Tiffany Christensen.

Pasta Salad

1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti noodles

Instructions for Dressing:

1/2 packet of Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing

1/8 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 TBSP. water

Shake

Add 1/8 cup olive oil

1/8 cup water

Shake again

Add dressing to cooked noodles; add olives, drained and rinsed kidney beans, cucumber pieces, and top with Suddenly Salad seasoning.

Chill.

Aunt Margaret's Fruit Dressing

I don't know how to healthify this-maybe it's just a once a year thing!

1 egg

1 Tbsp flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp orange juice

1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped.

1. Mix flour and sugar together.

2. Beat egg and combine with flour and sugar.

3. Add fruit juices and cook in double boiler (we just did it in pan-depends on elevation) until thick, stirring constantly (it will thicken more as it cools.)

4. Chill sauce.

5. Add whipped cream when ready to serve.

6. Serve on top of jell-o salad.

Cheese Sauce

We made this in culinary arts today and it was really good-I'm not going to lie. I have a lot of issues with this though.. first of all, margarine? Is that even food? Butter would be better, but still... I'm thinking olive oil, rice milk, and nutritional yeast. We'll see how it goes because this is a really good dip. Any other ideas?

Thick White Sauce/Medium/Thin

3 tablespoons margarine/2/1

3 tablespoons flour/2/1

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan and whisk in flour and salt until smooth.

2. Gradually stir in cold milk, cooking over direct heat and stirring constantly until sauce boils; reduce heat slightly and continue to stir until sauce becomes smooth and thick.

3. When sauce thickens, simmer for an additional 10 minutes over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir carefully to avoid lumps.

4. If sauce becomes lumpy, use a stick blender or rotary beater to blend out lumps, or press through a sieve.

Cheese Sauce

3/4 cup water

1/3 pound fresh broccoli, chopped

1-2 stalks celery, chopped (3/4 cup)

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1/3 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

2 tablespoons jalapeno peppers

1. Saute onions.

2. Make 1 cup thick white sauce

3. Stir in 1/3 cup cheese until it melts.

4. Stir in jalapenos. Serve with tortilla chips.

We served it over toast. Big hit!

Tuesday Night Dinner

Last night I made sweet potato fries. We love them, but we had never made them before. I got my recipe here. They were way good. Not crispy like the ones at the store, but super tasty! I made some brown rice seasoned with cardamom and cumin. I like it, but my kids didn't. Then I made Kale Salad. I ripped it into small pieces and seasoned it with olive oil, lemon juice, chili pepper, and sea salt that I rubbed into it. Everyone like it but Emmett so that's another meal we can add to our list! Yay.

Monday Night Dinner

Tonight I learned how to correctly make pasta. You start with lots of cold water, get it boiling, whisk in 2 TBSP. sea salt to the water, and add noodles. You let it cook until you can see a white dot in the middle of the pasta if you cut it open. If the whole thing is white, it's not finished. If there is no white, it's soggy. Take out a cup of water so you can season your sauce with it if you need, or cook your peas in it. I also perfectly steamed (thanks to Rouxbe.com again) some asparagas, carrots, and broccoli and added it to our pasta sauce. I got the pasta sauce at Costco and it is amazing! It's called Dave's Gourmet Butternut Squash Sauce.

Perfect Sunday Dinner

Today for dinner I made Tortilla de Tapas (recipe from Rouxbe.com), which is sort of like an omelet, but mostly potatoes. I served it with a spinach salad. I added pomegranate berries, a small thing of peaches with juice, and roasted pecans. It was a hit! We also had some leftover pumpkin and cream cheese frosting so I made my first pumpkin roll. We hid it from the kids!

How to cook oatmeal

Days that I am feeling way ambitious I pull out the oat groats and Marga Mill (pictured above) and roll my own. Days I am in a hurry, I use quick oats. Supposedly it is more nutritious to mill your own because once the oat groats are broken open, the nutrient content goes down just like wheat flour. You can read about it rolling your own oats and purchase a Marga Mill here.

1 3/4 cup water

dash of salt

1 cup oatmeal

Boil water and salt. Add oats and bring to boil. Once it is boiling, turn heat to low, put a lid on it and set your timer for 5 minutes. It is done when the water is absorbed and it is chewy.

P.S. Has anybody had success soaking their oatmeal for 24 hours? I tried with kefir and it tasted like.. well, let's just say we threw it away! I read about it here.

Naturally Sweetened Oatmeal (well, with raisins :)

I'm not a huge fan of oatmeal without some sort of sweetener, but I am trying to find alternates to concentrated sweeteners. Here's what a I came up with. First bite is a far cry from sweet, BUT once you bite into a raisin the rest is delicious!

1 cup cooked oatmeal (click here for directions)

1/4 cup original almond milk

1/4 cup raisins (any dried fruit would be good)

1 teaspoon flax seed

4 or 5 chopped pecans ( I just crack 'em with my fingers right then)

cinnamon

nutmeg

cardamom if you like it

Kefir blender pancakes

1 cup sprouted, dehydrated wheat kernels
1 cup kefir (could use buttermilk if you do dairy)
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1/4 cup sunflower oil (preferably coconut oil.. unless your son is allergic to coconut!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar (could use sucanat)

Mix kefir with water. You should have 1 1/4 cups total. Mix 1 cup of kefir/water mixture with wheat kernels in blender until you can see that the wheat is ground down. Add the rest of the kefir/water mixture, and all other ingredients on high for one minute. Pour onto griddle and flip just before you see the bubbles popping.

Top with whatever, but we love pumpkin maple butter spread from Costco and if they stop making it we might die!

Eat so many pancakes that you make yourself sick but you don't care because they are the best freakin' pancakes you've ever had.

Help for a research paper

I am currently taken English 2010 and am in the middle of writing a persuasive essay. I chose to write about dairy. My stance is that it should not be included in the food pyramid. What are some questions any of you have about this so I can be sure to include them in my paper. My target audience is mostly young mothers so we can teach our children there is another way to get calcium, but includes everyone.

Please please please let me know your thoughts.

Also, I am reading The China Study. I've wanted to read it for over a year now and am loving it. Totally enthralled/mesmerized/horrified/gladified (I made that one up) at the studies that link dairy consumption to so MANY diseases...

Ha!

Can I just say I hate gluten? No longer am I a wheatgeek. I am a wheat-sucks-why-have-i-never-thought-you-could-be-the-whole-problem-geek.

Seriously though, I have learned an important lesson. I don't think our health problems are ever caused by just one thing. It's always a combination, which is why I think it's important to treat it in more than one way. I've seen an iridologist where I learned I had candida, I have gone to Dr. Skagg's who practices N.A.E.T. and learned what I am intolerant to, I have gotten blood tests from my OB which I learned all my thyroid levels and insulin levels are just fine so I can rule out polycystic ovarian syndrome, and guess what? I relied on my intuition and learned that gluten is most of my problem. And my kid's.. interesting how life works. The answer was the most simple and cheapest, but I had to explore all other possibilities to recognize that. yay.. What an easy fix.

Is anybody else suffering from gluten intolerance?

Great websites

I can literally shut down my blog now. Now that it's anything amazing, but Hey I'm just sayin'.

I found this website: Simple, Healthy, Tasty. (It's always randomly that I find these websites, but to me.. it's inspired randomness :) I haven't found one thing we disagree on yet, but she says everything so much better than me. And her food actually looks like it tastes good to her family. That is my problem. I know what's healthy, I know what's not, but to make a great meal and have it taste good to almost everyone is beyond my capacity. I am way good at making things that send my children into dry heaves. This is why I'm glad I found her blog though: Getting frustrated at not knowing what to feed my kids makes me want to throw my hands up in the air and return to the Standard American Diet, but I CANNOT do that. So I make them eat stuff anyway that is healthy but maybe they don't necessarily like. Because it's food. And we should be grateful. But if there is a better way.. hey I am jumpin' on.

I liked this post a lot, and follow it almost to a T: substitutions

I hope you all like this site as much as I have so far..

Here's another goody that I have only read one post from (which is here), -It's about organizing.. but I'm excited to look into it more.

Insulin Resistant

I want to share a bit of happenings with you just in case someone else is suffering from this too. I've read on a lot of people's facebook postings that they are trying to kick the sugar habit and how hard it is. Believe me, I know. But I am so glad that I am no longer addicted to sugar. Sure there are times when I crave it, and there are times when I have it, but to not have it as a NEED anymore is an amazing feeling. But.. The reason I am saying this is because it has been 1 1/2 years since I started becoming very conscious of what I ate. And.. it has taken that long. Some people are good at cutting things cold turkey. I am not one of those couragous people, but IT'S OKAY. We all do things differently. If I think I am being deprived of something, it makes me want it more. So I tell myself this: "You can have this, but do you REALLY want it? Are you going to like how you feel after you eat this?" Sometimes I listen to that wise counsel I am giving myself and forgo the food. Other times I have a little. Sometimes I freak out and have a lot and feel like crap and start over. But it's a journey. It doesn't mean I'm a failure. It means I'm human.

That being said, my hormones are very freaked out. Aunt Flo hasn't visited since I got pregnant with Emmett (2 1/2 years now) Seems like a blessing, right? But I know it's not and I decided it's time to really get to the root of the problem. My sister was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome about 6 years ago. Basically, she is insulin resistant. I feared I had the same problem so I went to the doctor. (I love my doctor BTW) He did an ultrasound and found quite a few cysts on my ovaries and said that I most definitely had it. I haven't gotten the blood work back yet. I found this article on the internet that I am so glad I found. I liked that it said it's a syndrome so it's reversible, and it made sense that my body had basically forgotten how to metabolize carbs and I needed to retrain it. For six weeks I should be eating fats (healthy ones) because that is what my body is going to use as fuel. I didn't want to go to the doctor and act like I knew more than he did because I obviously don't, but I did ask some questions that helped me understand. He was ready to prescribe me birth control to correct my irregulation, and metformin to even out my levels. I am opposed to that because I think there's an alternative that is healthier.

So this is my battle plan:

I am trying to stay away from grains for 6 weeks, even whole grains and limiting myself to one fruit a day. Basically a lot of avacados, coconuts/coconut oil, and veggies. It sounds hard, but I feel different this time. When I think about how much better I already feel, something deep inside tells me I can do this. It's almost like I am getting a glimpse of a feeling of how my body is going to finally feel healthy and I am encouraged. I am taking one day at a time. I'm on day 3 and already I feel so much better. I'm not bloated, my stomach doesn't feel full and tender, and I have more energy. I also started on Macafem.

I feel really good about this plan. I am going to fix this. I do not want to deal with adult acne, bloating, weight gain, low energy, and generally not feeling right for the rest of my life. Our bodies are resilient if we give them what they need.

Must reads:

Macafem

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Green Goddess Dressing

I'm sorry, but I cannot get enough of this dressing! I use it as a salad dressing, dip veggies in it. At first I didn't know if I liked it, but now I'm slightly addicted!

2 avacados

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup water

salt

Blend all together.

Here's a tip for always having fresh lemon juice:

I buy a bunch of lemons when they are on sale, juice them all at the same time, and then put 2 TBSP. in each ice cube tray. When I need them, I let them thaw under warm water and then I'm set!

Kale Salad

A bunch of kale

2 TBSP. fresh lemon juice

2 TBSP. olive oil

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. chili powder

Shred kale finely. Mix the next four ingredients together and massage into kale leaves. Yum! Serve with a slice of avacado and you have a nice salad!

They sell curly kale at Kent's.. by the organic section.

Coconut Oil

Here is a link so you can read about the benefits of coconut oil. There is also a book called the Coconut Oil miracle I have heard is good. Coconut oil for me is like the lavender of essential oils. It has so many properties and uses.

Here are the things that intrigue me about it and how I use it:

As a cooking oil if I don't want to use olive oil

My 3-year old eats it by the spoonful - Hey I'm not complaining!

Lotion

Face moisturizer

Eczema

Bedroom uses :)

Hot oil treatment

To dilute essential oils

I have noticed when I bake with it, things are not as moist, but maybe I am not using quite enough. Also, when I measure a half cup solid, it is the same as liquid.

One thing to be aware of: it does change the flavors of certain things. You'll just have to try it out. I don't like to cook eggs with it because of the distinct flavor, but most everything else I like. Do not microwave it. You can put it in your hand and it will melt, or put it in a glass cup and heat it in warm water.

That being said, I think I have three gallons left if anyone is interested. $36/gallon. I think it will be here tomorrow.

Millett

I can't remember if I've posted about millet yet, but here are the directions to cook it. We use it plain with liquid aminos and olive oil, or as a breakfast with rice milk/pure maple syrup, and cinnamon. My friend cooks hers with oatmeal because her kids won't eat it plain. Great idea!

To cook millet as a grain instead of rice, just simmer 1/2 cup in 11/2 cups of liquid. If you leave it alone as it cooks, you'll get fluffy grains like rice; if you stir frequently and add a little extra liquid during cooking, you'll get a dish that resembles mashed potatoes. It takes about 25 minutes to cook millet by simmering.

P.S. Millet is alkaline.

Mormon Muffins

2 c. boiling water

5 tsp. baking soda

I have to be honest. I have not been as good as I should about no wheat/no dairy/no sugar since Halloween. And believe me my butt can tell! But I am slowly getting back on the wagon. It's funny to me that this recipe (the original one) used to seem healthy because it had bran flakes and all-bran. There is always room for improvement I guess!

1 cup coconut oil (originally 1 cup shortening)

1 1/3 cup honey (originally 2 cups sugar)

4 eggs *I used free range

5 cups whole wheat flour (originally 5 cups regular flour)

1 tsp. salt

1 qt. buttermilk * I used raw milk with 4 TBSP. lemon juice

4 cups All-bran

2 c. bran flakes

1 c. chopped walnuts

Combine water and baking soda; stir until dissolved. Cool. In a mixing bowl, cream together coconut oil and honey. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Mix well. Beat in the water mixture. Fold in cereal and nuts. Fill muffin tin 3/4 full, and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until muffins test done.

Makes 4 dozen muffins.

NOTE: Muffin batter will keep in refrigerator for 1 week.

This was adapted obviously and these are so good I wanted to make them for my family, but not with shortening/white flour/white sugar. So it was a trial and everyone loved them! I am so happy when I don't spend an hour making something just to throw it away :)

Classes

Would anybody be interested in a monthly class to get out by ourselves, learn about more natural living (cooking, body care, budgeting, exercise, laughter) and get dinner too?

These are some of the things I want to learn more about and share:

Transforming our regular meals into a healthier version

Toxin-free shampoo, soap, lotion, lip care, makeup

Things we can make ourselves (I have a great thing to replace cotton squares)

Changing our thoughts to be more positive

Better skills for mothering

How to be a better wife

Green smoothies.. why are they beneficial?

Setting up a group (co-op) so we can save money on the things we buy.

A better way to budget and keep track of our money

The power of exercising

Basically, I want to improve on all these things, and I want to learn from people that have found things that have worked. If we could get together once a month on a set date, meet, and have a little lesson, share, and eat.. I think it would be LIFE-CHANGING!

So leave me a comment if you are interested, if you have other ideas, and if you would like to help in a particular topic. What are the things you are interested in learning more about??

Candida

I got to teach a class last night about candida. I am no expert, but I have been doing a lot of research the past year and a half trying to kick it out of my family. Candida is a yeast that lives in your body, but when overgrown turns into a nasty fungus. It actually turns into rizhoids that bore holes in your intestinal wall, which allows toxins to flow into your blood stream and raise havoc. One of the best ways to combat candida is to eliminate foods that aggravate it. At the top of the list would be white flour, white SUGAR, white rice, and dairy products. There is so much more on this topic I feel like I could talk about it for hours, but we need to be giving our body all the minerals and vitamins it needs. Dark leafy green vegetables, herbs, garlic, a little non-gluten grains, beans, and lots and lots of water to flush those toxins out. It can turn into very nasty problems. The symptoms I've noticed with it for me are exhaustion.. just so tired! A sweet tooth is an indication of it, acne, eczema, food intolerance. There are many, many more, but here's just a little info!

Almond Milk

Yay! I have finally found a homemade milk alternative that we like. I would say that rice milk from Costco is the cheapest alternative that is somewhat healthy, but I have made it at home and not found success. Anyway, here is the almond milk recipe:

3/4 cup raw almonds soaked overnight

Blend together in blendtec on power 10 for 30 seconds, scrape sides, pulse until it is a paste.

Then add 3 3/4 cup purified water

3 TBSP. molasses

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

Blend on whole juice the whole cycle.

Strain through a four layer cheesecloth and voila1

I have found that almonds soaked overnight and drained, stay good in the fridge for about two weeks. You can take them out and rinse them every 3 days, but I didn't.

I am saving the almond pulp leftover from the almond milk to try and make some almond cookies..

I have been learning a lot about essential oils and am excited!

Here's a link to learn about them:

Doterra

Sickness

I decided to try an experiment this week when my kids got sick. I read a great article from Raw Mom. Here is the reference: Do You Know What To Do When Your Kids Get Sick?

It was so inspiring!

My sister-in-laws both are into essential oils and I had gone to some of their classes that they teach so I was pretty familiar with them yet my confidence wasn't 100%. It is probably just the fear in me-what if they don't work? Here is their website if you would like to learn more about essential oils: myself essentials.

Emmett was the first to get sick this week. High fever, snotty nose, etc. Maverick got sick Wednesday after school. Same.. high fever, deep cough. No sore throats though. Cougar never got sick. But I set in my mind I was not going to do Tylenol. Strictly resting, essential oils, and lots of fruits and veggies. No dairy, no sugar.. . absolutely.

So I did different oils on different kids. My friend Amber helped me muscle test my kids to see which oils their bodies needed. Sounds a little hokey, right? We set out the oils in a straight line about 3 inches from each other, and then they waved their hand over each of them, one at a time. You could see the energy in their fingers change. They would either dip down towards the oil, or their pinky would twitch. With Emmett we did his feet. So Maverick's oils were Clove and Peppermint. Emmett's were lavender, eucalyptus, melaleuca, and peppermint. Cougar's were melaleuca, clove, lavender, lemon, and eucalyptus. He wasn't sick, but I started oiling him up anyway. I made blends with Cougar and Emmetts so I wasn't opening each oil every time, and that was a saving grace! I diffused the oils in a diffuser that my awesome mother-in-law bought all her daughters and me. Here is the kind it is: Diffuser. Then ever half hour to hour I would put a few drops on each of their feet, concentrating mainly right under their middle three toes. Apparently that is our sinus pressure point?

During the time they were sick, I really tried to just have our house calm. Instead of movies which I would normally do, we read stories, talked, played legos, etc. We did pull out some home videos once.. they love that! If their fever got way hot, I got peppermint and diluted it with coconut oil and put it on their feet, back, temples, and on their tongue. Maverick liked a cool rag on his forehead. Emmett did not! So I stuck him in a lukewarm tub a couple times a day. After two days, I dropped a drop of lavender in the tub. He broke out in hives, but his fever was gone. Normally this stuff would really scare me, but I'm tired of being scared.

I basically just tried my best at watching their bodies, thinking about what the best thing would be to do, and tried it. I was pretty sure they weren't going to just up and die which is my fear. I think there would be some warning. But I've never been in that situation so I don't know. I had to trust myself as their mother, and I had to trust the oils. And I did. And I'm so glad I did. It was a very big learning experience and trust builder. Our bodies are so amazing! They do know how to heal themselves.

So I learned a great lesson about being a mother and came to appreciate it even more. I felt like I did have within me (me.. myself and the things I'd learned) the ability to care for them. I felt if I were to give them Tylenol every four hours it would keep them cool, but it would either prolong the sickness, or suppress it and it would come back. They would be active still which wouldn't give them the rest they needed. I feel good about what we did and was glad I knew a few more things for the next time.

Have a great weekend!

Great Read for healthy kids

Here is a good article to read. I love this website even though we don't eat high raw. It is written by some of the most down to earth women who are making a difference in their children's lives.

Food and Memories

Tell me what you think!

Oil

Here is a little clip about olive oil being cooked to high temperatures. I do use olive oil. It's great for dressings, dips, stuff that doesn't need to be heated high. But coconut oil is my cooking oil. It can withstand very high temperatures.

Olive Oil Clip

Coconut Oil and Almonds

I am putting together an order for coconut oil and raw unpasteurized almonds.

The oil will be $35.30 per pound including shipping.

The almonds will e $3 per pound. I'm not sure about the shipping. We have to order 100 pounds so I'm trying to get that order filled. So far, I have 60 pounds.

Is anyone interested?

Grocery Co-op

For a cool story, look here

Anti-Wheat

Hey I know the title of my blog is wheatgeek.. It's going to stay the same, but now it's pretty much going to be wheat-free. Cougar has a wheat intolerance (yay-I have 900 pounds of wheat). Holy pain! But.. I think we have experiences to learn and this will be a very learning experience for us. I know his eczema is something his body is not liking. We got rid of dairy and it helped a bit, but I know there is still something there. Now it's process of elmination. Dairy: check/ wheat: working on it.

I did make some bread completely without wheat. It's the blender bread which you can find here, but I substituted Kamut for all of it. I thought it turned out really good. Nothing beats Anitra's bread recipe that I got from Simply Living Smart, but my kids still really liked it. It's more crumbly without the dough enhancer and gluten, but I'm simple. So I simplified.

I bought my kamut from Walton Feed and it is supposedly supposed to be better for people who cannot handle wheat. So we'll see :) Wish us luck.. yuck!

chemical free products

I know some of these things are going to sound really weird, but if you know me by now, you'll know I'm a little weird about toxins, etc. I just like stuff natural. Instead of complaining about how companies put so many unecessary chemicals, etc. in our food, body products, etc. I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Here is an article if you'd like more information about chemicals in our products.

So here are some money saver tips/chemical-free hair and beauty products that I have tried.

LOTION:

I no longer use lotion at all on anything. I use coconut oil and it works great. Just like I wouldn't ingest all the chemicals in shampoo/lotion/etc. I don't want my skin absorbing them. Plus it smells so good.. So coconut oil is a huge thing at my house. You can purchase it here.

It's $37/gallon, but if you can get 5 of you together and order together, you can get it for $29/gal (not including shipping).

SHAMPOO:

1 TBSP. baking soda to 1 cup warm water

CONDITIONER:

1 TBSP. apple cider vineger mixed with water

Once a week, rub virgin coconut oil in your hair at night, and then wash in the morning. Super soft hair.

BODY SOAP:

There is a girl that lives on the highway from Crossroads to Riverside corner named Laura May Miller that sells goat milk soap. (I'm sure you've seen the sign for it) I have to be especially careful with my 3-year old's skin because he has eczema. We've really liked that soap. She has quite a variety of different scents. I also really like her lip balm.

The internet is so awesome for finding anything you want. These are things that I have on hand, that are inexpensive, and have worked for me. You can add essential oils to stuff to make them smell better, etc. I just usually don't care that much. There are a lot of companies that use only organic materials and no chemicals etc. for makeup and stuff.

Good luck! Let me know what works for you..

Spring Water

OK check this out!!! Find a Spring

This site gives you information where you can get fresh spring water straight from a .... SPRING!

I'm sure there are tons more in Utah, but the one it lists so far is only in Ogden. I can't wait to go there!

I bet we have some closer to us. Does anyone know any trusted sites where there is fresh water? No chlorine, no fluoride, just water how God made it.

Kent's Sale

2 lbs of bluberries for $1.99, and bananas are 2 lb for 79 cents.  Great time to load up on fruit and freeze it for the winter.. 

cut your bananas, freeze them on a cookie sheet, and then throw them in a ziploc bag.  

Easy peasy.. 

Coconut Millet Pudding

3/4 cup millet

3 cups milk/milk substitute

1/2 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat milk until scalded. (little bubbles around edges, and film on top). Add millet, honey, coconut, sea salt, and vanilla. Pour into an oiled oven casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours until the millet is tender. Serve hot or chilled with whipping cream and preserves.

We made this with soy milk (I personally don't think soy milk is good for our bodies, but it's all we had), and we ate it warm with no whipping cream or preserves. It was DELICIOUS!

If you don't have any millet, come to my house and get some to try. I have a 50-lb. bag of it.

Some thoughts

This is for anyone out there if you read my blog. Maybe if you leave a comment and let me know if anything is inspiring you to EAT REAL FOOD, you might get something on your doorstep..

I've been talking to a handful of people about eating whole foods - REAL FOOD, as in not processed, as in what we eat I have to prepare and make. Do you want the truth? It's a pain in the butt a lot of times. I know it will get easier. I'm still learning for sure. Other times it's super easy. Especially this time of year when there's so many fruits and veggies in season. BUT.. to me there's not a question in my mind whether it's worth it. Why? Because I don't want to be, and I don't want my children to be, part of the world that has so much knowledge and resources, yet is so unhealthy. Looking into their eyes tells me it's the most important thing to nourish our bodies with the right stuff with REAL FOOD.

You may be the very busy mother who is working full time - Or the empty nesters who don't feel like cooking and eating out is so much more convenient - or you may live alone and don't feel like cooking for one person - you may have more on your plate to handle than dinner - you may be me.. someone who is home all day and has the time to prepare fresh meals for every meal and actually enjoys it.

So here's my thought for you tonight.. make a tiny change to EAT REAL FOOD. Something you feel like you can do. Can you on Saturday morning have your kids help you make 3 batches of blender pancakes and freeze them so you don't have to buy eggos or sugar cereal for the next week? Can you switch from hormone loaded eggs for .79 per dozen to farm fresh eggs from a neighbor for $1.25 a dozen? Can you make sure you buy 100% juice instead of 5% juice/soda for you and your kids? Can you think of preparing dinner for those bodies that you love in a positive way instead of a death sentence?

YOU CAN! I know you can because I see it. I talk to you who want to do it, know it is the right thing to do and just don't know where to start. It's overwhelming, but not if you make a small step.

Here is what happened at our house:

Oct 2008, got rid of white flour for good. Substituted it with whole wheat flour in baked goods/pancakes/bread.

November 2008, significantly decreased processed sugar. Replaced with raw honey. Made my kids drink a glass of water before they could have breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. How are we going to get rid of chocolate milk?

December 2008, still working on the no processed sugar thing. Still trying new things.. honey, pure maple syrup, all fruit jam. Switched from white rice to brown rice. From now on, only natural peanut butter without rapeseed oil.

January 2009, switched from white noodles to whole wheat noodles, still working on the sugar thing.. Started incorporating a lot more vegetables and fruits. From now on, no fruit snacks at our house.. apples, bananas, oranges, celery sticks, carrot sticks.

February 2009, no more dairy. Replaced it with rice milk, or no milk.. Started reading ingredient labels more closely. Took a stand and refused to buy anything with MSG, high fructose corn syrup, TBHQ.

March 2009, Still working on all these things previously mentioned.

April 2009, incorporated green smoothies (*might have been my favorite step!). Became daily green smoothie drinkers. And love it. Became a vegetarian.

May 2009, started eating a salad every day. Not just me.. my kids too. Made them eat a salad before dinner every night. Yes.. still Atwood's dressing. Tried a lot of new grains: millet, buckwheat, kamut, quinoa.

June 2009, finally found a homemade salad dressing that they like. No more chemicals or MSG in our salad dressing!

July 2009, started using coconut oil/olive oil/butter exclusively. Firmly said no to canola oil, shortening, and vegetable oil.

August 2009, decided to chill out a little and let my kids eat "normal foods" at parties and other people's houses. Feel good about that.

September 2009, help more people make little changes to EAT REAL FOOD.

The whole purpose of this post was to give you encouragement, especially if you feel overwhelmed, and to show you it isn't going to happen overnight. It happens by little changes.. Be the change you want to see! Good luck!

Canada Oil (Canola)

Ever wonder where canola oil comes from? Read this interesting post. Well, unless you're going to keep using canola oil :)

Dangers of canola oil

I don't know if everything in this report is true. You can pretty much find whatever you want whichever way you want to, but I think there are definitely healthier alternatives that people have been using for a long time so we know the benefits of these oils.

Healthier alternatives: olive oil, coconut oil, butter

Sweet almonds

1 cup raw almonds

1 TBSP. butter

2 TBSP. pure maple syrup

Melt the butter and syrup together over medium heat, stir in almonds and coat until syrup mixture gets thicker. Let dry on cookie sheet. Eat. Enjoy. Guilt-free.

Blender Bread

I am going to start making sourdough bread so that we don't have the instant yeast in our guts multiplying, but until my start is ready, here is a good bread recipe. I like it because #1-it tastes good, and #2-it doesn't use gluten or dough enhancer. Family hit!

2 cups hard white wheat

2 cups hard red wheat

4-6 cups baker's flour (I used ground Kamut)

2 TBSP. dry yeast

4 cups warm water

1/3 cup oil (I used coconut)

1/3 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup honey)

1 TBSP. salt

Place one cup of wheat in blender with one cup of warm water and blend on high for about 2 minutes (less time if you like more cracked wheat bread). Repeat this process a cup at a time with the remaining 3 cups of wheat and 3 cups of water. Add the yeast and mix well. Cover bowl and let sponge for 15 minutes. Add oil, sugar, and salt. Turn on mixer or stir by hand. Begin adding flour 1 cup at a time, until dough forms a ball or begins to clean the side of the bowl. Knead 5-6 minutes in a bread mixer, longer by hand.

Lightly oil counter. Remove dough and divide into four equal portions. Shape into loaves, and place in greased bread pans (4"x8-1/2"). Let rise until double in bulk, 20-25 minutes. Bake in preheated oven 350* for 30-35 minutes. Take bread from oven, brush tops with melted butter and quickly remove from pan to cool on wire racks.

New Syrup!

My S-I-L taught me a great trick!

Get some jam that is pure fruit, no sugar added (Target is a good source), dilute with water until desired consistency and blend in blender, and voila! Fruit syrup...Yum!

Better than Orange Julius

1 can orange juice concentrate

2 cans water

1 can coconut cream

6 ice cubes

Blend in blender until foamy and frothy.

Take contents and go hide in closet and enjoy by yourself.

Oatmeal Pancakes

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or kamut)

1 egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 TBSP. oil (coconut preferably), or do 1 TBSP. applesauce/1 TBSP. oil

1 TBSP. sweetener (honey, brown rice syrup)

Beat with hand mixer until smooth, cook until fluffy!

Out for the day

Here's a few things I learned today..

When you don't have a bathroom at a park, thank goodness for extra diapers for your 3 year old to poop in.. (wow he totally hated that.. I wasn't a huge fan either)

Salsa and a bag of maiche (?) lettuce is totally disgusting!

The tempt to read and drive at the same time is almost overwhelming..

Going to the grocery store for lunch instead of fast food is a lot cheaper and way better!

(yogurt, chips and salsa, and whole wheat bagels.. mm!)

Extra spinach?

Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, add some minced garlic and saute for one minute. Add some sea salt, and a dash of pepper, and your beautiful SPINACH, and saute until done. Yum!

Did you know?

That it takes 16-17 pounds of grain to feed a cow to make one pound of beef?  That's a lot of grain we could be using to help the hungry, don't you think?

Yummy Breakfast

If you have leftover brown rice from dinner yesterday, here's a good breakfast.

brown rice

rice milk

maple syrup

cinnamon

raisins

Add everything to taste, heat it up, and serve.  Very yummy!

Quick lunch

brown rice, steamed broccoli, bragg's liquid aminos (health food store)... mmm!

Quinoa

I have a new fetish.. it's called quinoa *if you have never heard of that, it's pronounced keen-wah. And it's G-O-O-D! I've seen it at a few grocery stores, but it's outrageously expensive I think. I bought a 50-pound bag of it from Walton Feed for I believe $55.00. If you would like to try it, let me know and you can try some of mine before you invest in it. It's supposedly the SUPERGRAIN of the grains. It has three times as much calcium and twice as much phosphorus as wheat, and supposedly if you eat it while you are pregnant regularly, you'll have an ample supply of milk-

I love it because

A: it tastes way good

B: it cooks very quickly

C: it's nutritious.

My sister was excited to try quinoa and cooked it just like oatmeal, ate it, almost threw up, and never touched it again. Until I told her you have to rinse it until the bitter smell is gone, then cook it. Bring it to a boil in twice the amount of water as quinoa, simmer 15 minutes.. serve.

Here's a recipe:

quinoa

sweet potatoes

coconut oil

sea salt

Cube your peeled sweet potatoes into small cubes, toss until evenly coated in a couple tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil-both way good), put on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt, and roast for 20-25 minutes. Once the potatoes are done, layer the top of of a bowl of quinoa and serve. Slap this together with a fresh salad and you've got dinner folks!

Enjoy.. let me know if you like it.

Potato Parade

We love this at my house, but there is a few different ways you can make it.  

Ingredients:

sweet potatos

yams

yukon gold potatoes

carrots

You can use however much of each ingredient that you want.

I cut them into bite-size pieces, steam them (or you can roast them), put them in a bowl with a couple tbsp of butter, sea salt, and enjoy.. 

We went camping last weekend, and instead of hobo dinners, I tried this in tinfoil.  I just cut them up like usual, slabbed on a dab of butter, some Jane's Crazy Mixed up Salt (or garlic salt/sea salt would be fine), and cooked them in the fire.  The ones that weren't burnt were mighty tasty!

Yay!

Check out this article from KSL today:

Brighton High bans fried food

Produce Co-Op

Has anyone heard of a produce co-op where you get produce from a local (within 100 miles) source every two weeks?  I went to the farmer's market in Logan last week (Saturdays from 9-1 at Merlin Olsen park) and found a Logan Co-op.  I believe there is one in Brigham also.  Anyone have any information or experience?  Would anyone be interested if I found more information?

Great Education

I purchased a book called "Introducing Solids to Your Child" a couple of weeks ago. I finished reading it yesterday and can't stop thinking about all the great information it gave. If any of you know me, you know I get excited about something and then I have to share it. So I wanted to let you know that if you are interested in feeding your family more health consciously and want to know more about the benefits of whole food (food in it's natural form instead of processed), if milk really is good for us, what is in the meat we buy at the store, and how our bodies process food additives, pesticides, and other dangerous things in our food, I highly recommend it. You can buy the e-book for only $10, or the paperback book for $20. It's 182 pages, so if you're not impatient like me, I'd suggest the paperback book. If you'd rather not buy it, but are still interested in this, please let me know and I'd be happy to lend you mind. I think it's THAT important.

Some of the great things I learned were these:

Whole, natural foods are so widely available today, and cheaper than buying processed food.

MSG, a food additive to make things taste better and make us want more, is actually killing brain cells *MSG is in SO many things under so many labels: ramen noodles, almost all fast food places, chips, and about a billion other things.

Milk sold at the store comes from hormone injected cows and those things transfer to our bodies. If you do drink milk, try and know where it came from. We luckily have a family cow so our milk isn't injected with a bunch of harmful stuff and the cow is grass-fed.

Sugar is so addictive and is causing so many problems for our kids today. A teacher who banned sugar at her elementary school saw a 15% increase in test scores at her school. That is amazing!

More than anything, I love being educated. I've read these things other places also and have been practicing a lot of them for the past 6 months and have noticed a dramatic difference in my home. These things are affecting our kids and I can't help but talk about it. I believe diet has everything to do with everything. The moods we are in, concentrating, being happy and grateful, our body working correctly, sleeping...

Here is the link:

Introducing Solid Food

The key for me is this: health food seemed like something for me that I always thought about doing but it was a whole different realm. How sad is that! That whole, natural food that people have been eating for thousands of years is now WEIRD to us, and processed crap is NORMAL. OK.. that is backwards, but we just don't think about it because we have been led to believe by various organizations and good heck the grocery store aisles that chemically produced food is GOOD for our bodies. Well how is it that we have so many health problems now in our schools/homes: depression, addiction, irritability, hyperactivity, poor digestion, overweight, etc. There is a way to change, and it is not hard. We just need direction and education, and with the internet that is so widely available. I've learned to trust my instinct. I don't need to rely on other people to tell me what is true, and what is not. I can read something, think about it, even test it out.

For example, when I lost my breatmilk, formula to me was the only option, even though I felt deep down it was not good. Instead of just doing it anyway because to me that was the only option, I started researching alternatives. The more I learned, the worse I felt about formula, and the more options I saw. I learned that goat milk is the next closest thing to human milk and is so much easier to digest because the fat molecules are smaller. So I started talking to people that has used goat milk as an alternative, and step by step I got led to a lady right here in my very town that has done this. Now my baby is on raw goat milk and doing excellent! I am no longer fighting the bad feeling I had about formula, I know he is healthy, and I learned a very valuable lesson in trusting my instinct. God is aware of what is happening to the earth, and we need to make better choices if we want to feel better, and teach our children. So do you all think I'm crazy now? It just breaks my heart to see people so unhappy and irritable, when I know that the food we are eating is causing it. Believe me, I've been there. And I do NOT want to go back there. But we just don't know better until we learn. So let's learn! This is something that we can do to help our families be happier.

So tell me: What are some of the things that you have been doing in your home to be healthier? What is the thing that is holding you back from eating healthier?

What can I help you with? I'm no expert, but I've been researching a LOT of information, and would love to help direct you to some great resources. I have great friends and a great family, and live in a great valley. I would like to give back :)

What are you going to feed your engine?

Here's some food for thought that my husband came up with today.

Think of your body as an engine. And engine works well when it is given gasoline. It CAN run on alcohol, starter fluid, a number of things. But what it runs best on is gasoline. When you run it on other things, problems can arise.. clogged valves, etc.

Just like our bodies, the food in the S.A.D. (standard American diet) keep our bodies alive, but what it really wants is whole foods to run efficiently. Many problems can arise if not fed properly. So.. what are you going to feed your engine TODAY?

Here's some ideas:

a romaine and spinach salad using citrus fruits on top instead of dressing

brown rice and steamed broccoli with Bragg's liquid aminos (health food store-yum) instead of soy sauce

whole grain bread with butter and honey

cut up carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower dipped in hummus

an apple, banana, or pear

tomato sauce with whole wheat noodles

homemade corn chips with fresh salsa

watermelon and cantaloupe

NOW I'M HUNGRY!

lOVe

Homemade by Jill Quiet Book

Enough said.  Life should be this meaningful all the time, shouldn't it?  To make things with love like Jill made this quiet book personalized for her son is a lot different than me trying to hustle and bustle to finish a quiet book for Cougar for Christmas (that I never did finish).  

I'm going to make things with love from now on.  I'm going to make them because I want to-not because I have to.  I tried it at dinner last night.  Instead of just having to get food on the table to fill some bellies, I carefully prepared a meal and made it with all the best intentions in the world for my family that I LOVE-it may have not been perfect, but it sure tasted good because I made it to show my love for my family.

Baby food

I have been so stressed out about what to feed Emmett (10 1/2 months).  I read that until their eyeteeth come in you shouldn't feed them anything but raw food (mashed avacados, bananas, etc)  I fed him something else before I knew this, and I could see that he wasn't digesting it because it came out looking just like it went in.  It didn't register with me though that his little body was giving me signs that it didn't like what I gave him.  Yesterday I fed him some juice and it had citrus in it, and today he has a rash on his belly.  So I know he's not ready for that.  It's amazing that we just go through life believing what people tell us, and what is "normal", but in reality we can be our child's best doctor.  We are the ones that see them every day, give them their food, and we can assess their needs.  So I am starting to be more aware of my and my family's needs by the clues that our bodies are giving us.

I downloaded an e-book all about introducing solid foods to babies.  Not only is it a good recipe book, it contains a wealth of knowledge.  You can find it here.

I wish I would have just bought the book because it's 182 pages, but I wanted it NOW!  Patience is not my greatest quality :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cup molasses

Cream together

2 1/2 cups whole wheat (or kamut, or spelt) flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

chocolate chips or raisins or nuts-whatever

Mix together and bake at 325 for 9-10 minutes

My new best friend

Awesome whole foods cookbook

A Simple Lunch

This was a great after church lunch today.  Grab a pita-stuff it with whatever you have on hand!

Pita pockets stuff full of carrots, cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts, romaine, spinach, and dressing.

Yum!  Easy!  Perfect..

Healthy bodies

I'm trying to prepare myself and my family for sicknesses that come around.   I thought I'd jot down a few ideas in case anyone else is interested.  

First, I educated myself about an Alkaline pH in my body, here:

Alkaline Article

Just make yourself read it and understand it.  I know you can.. it just takes focus!

I am certainly not an expert at this, but I'm beginning to learn about it.  

Here is a list of acidic foods to avoid:

acidic foods

Here is a list of alkaline foods to enjoy:

alkaline foods

Now I don't think this means only eat alkaline foods, and stay away from all acidic foods.  I don't know.. but I would like to believe as long as I'm getting enough alkaline foods, and stay away from the most acidic foods, I should be okay.  Each body is different also, so you have to listen to your body.

Remember to get these also:

green veggies

green veggies 

green veggies 

water 

water 

water

So basically what I'm going to focus on for my family is to:

a. stay away from sugar, dairy, and meat products  

b. get enough water

c.  get enough green vegetables through green smoothies, salads, etc.

d.  have sprouts on hand (if you don't know how to sprout, let me help you!)

e.  offer fruits and veggies for snacks

I'm a strong believer that we are what we eat.  Our bodies are amazing gifts we have been given to house our spirits, and they can work miracles if we feed them correctly.  We are more prone to be sick and have a weakened immune system if we are giving our body an overload of sugar, dairy, meat, but if we can turn that all around by making sure we get the nutrients our bodies need.  

If you are as overwhelmed with food as I am about my 5 loads of laundry to fold and put away, just take it one step at a time ( one basket of clothes at a time for me)  Some of you may be at this point that everything is under control.  Some may be at the very far other end of it.  My biggest advice would be to use your knowledge, educate yourself, and go slowly.  You are the only one who knows you and your family.  So make it do-able!

Move over hot chocolate

So my kids love hot chocolate.  But I haven't let them have it for a few months because of Cougar's reaction to milk.  They were sick of water today though so I invented a new drink.  Thank goodness they loved it!

here it is:

1 cup water

8 strawberries (mine were frozen)

a banana

handful of spinach

It really was good!  The color was not, but if your kids struggle with color, don't let them see it before you dump it into a colored sippy cup:)

From cans to fresh

I had a GREAT idea this morning when I woke up.

If you are trying to change your family's diet, listen up!

For two weeks, write down everything you eat.  I've been told to do this before but thought it was a pain-but it was worth it.  Then you can look at it and change 1 thing.

For example:

If you eat this for lunch:

canned corn

spaghettios

Kool-aid,

make small changes one at at time.

Switch from canned corn to frozen corn (more nutrients).  Or better yet, switch to fresh corn on the cob or other fresh vegetable. 

After you've mastered that change, tackle a new one.

The next month (or week/whatever your timetable is), change your pasta:

You can go from spaghettios to white noodles and pasta sauce

Then you can go from white noodles and red pasta sauce to whole wheat noodles.

If you don't want to go whole wheat, or your kids/husband freak out because it is brown, there is a pasta called Barilla Plus.  It looks white  and is whole grain-perfect.

The next month go from kool-aid to 100% juice.

Then you can stay at juice or go to water.

See-in just 3 months you've gone from:

spaghettios

canned corn

kool-aid

TO

whole grain pasta with pasta sauce

fresh veggies

100% juice/water

You could even go a step further and make your own pasta sauce from fresh tomatoes-that would be awesome!

Doesn't it make you feel great?  Knowing your family is getting the nutrition that they need?

It's just a journey, right?  We can continually improve our diets.  I know that sometimes we buy what is cheap because money is tight, but for me and my family-nutrition is something I am not going to compromise because I know I can give them what they need.  I am raising Superman, you know?  

We have fresh fruit and veggies all the time, and I do not spend any more money now than I used to because I didn't just add to our food.  I replaced.  I don't buy fruit snacks/canned fruit/snack stuff anymore-I replaced it with an apple/an orange/a carrot, etc.  It's worth it to me to spend the extra time preparing food.  It's not hard to wash apples, or to peel a carrot-and it makes me feel like a better mom!

So good luck-let me know how it goes and some ideas that you have.  I know I don't have any comments on my blog yet-but I know you're reading-I KNOW who you are (just kidding-I really don't!)  But let me know the changes you are making and I'll keep sharing ours.

GOOD LUCK!

Ain't it perdy?

Now that is FOOD.. real, living food!

Green Smoothie Perfected

First off-Tremonton's Kent's has the best produce ever-and the best produce guy. I think the guy's name is Dennis, and I nonchanlantly asked him if they ever get collards and chard in. Well, he ordered it that day and it was here the next day. So Kent's has all this stuff now just FYI.  So thanks Dennis-I love produce!

OK I've been making green smoothies daily for about 2 weeks now, and today I finally perfected it.  The differences I've noticed so far:

1- My kids don't crave candy anymore (whoo hoo!)

2- Sometimes I make myself eat because I like food, but I'm usually filled if I drink it in the morning.

That's just two weeks-here's to more!

If you are trying the green smoothie for the first time, or giving it to your kids/husband for the first time, make it GOOD, or they will never want it again.  Do not try without fruit ::)

Here is my recipe:
                                                               1 leaf of chard

                                                          1 leaf of collard greens

1 leaf of kale
3 leafs of romaine
1 celery stick
a bunch of spinach
1 cup water
green tops of a small case of strawberries (this wouldn't be a necessity-I just had them)
I blend that all up, then I add:
1 frozen banana cut into chunks
1/2 bag of frozen mixed berries

OPTIONAL:  agave nectar (natural sweetener), honey to taste

Yummy!

My kids love their "Darth Vader Juice"

Happenings..

Container Gardening Class through USU Extension
Wednesday April 15
6:30 PM
Tremonton Public Works Building
300 East 1200 South, Tremonton
FREE

I have gone to two classes through the USU Extension and have really liked them. I wish more people came because there has been a lot of information. I hope they don't quit them.

Essential Oils and Mind Model Class
Thursday April 16
6:30 Mind Model
7:30 Dr. Mom Essential Oils Class
Heritage School
1386 S. Main Street, Garland
$5

I went to an intro class of essential oils and can't wait to learn more. Kellie is starting these classes to help us moms (or whoever) learn how to use essential oils to keep our families well so we don't have to go to the doctor all the time! I've heard good things about Katie's mind model class, but have not attended yet.

Saturday
Square Foot Gardening Class
IFA in Tremonton
9:00 AM
Free I think
I saw this in the newspaper today.

GSG Quiz

I took the quiz again as to how we ate one year ago. I flunked. Totally flunked..Like F-! flunked. And I thought we ate pretty good then :) The reason I even put that quiz on here is because I think it is a good wake up call as to how we are fueling our bodies. I think our spirits and bodies play off each other, and that's why I think it's important to give my body the best. I don't think of eating healthy food as a death sentence, but more as health insurance. I've been getting a lot of e-mails of "Getting to know You". There is one question on there that says, "What is your biggest fear?" Many people's response is.. losing my husband or family. While there are many accidents that happen, I feel like I can control whether or not I lose my family to disease. So I was hesitant to put my score that I got of how we eat now on here for fear that people may think I was bragging. While I think eating healthy is something to be excited about, I don't think of it as something to brag about. I don't judge others for how they eat, I just am glad that I have the knowledge about what is actually food (fresh veggies and fruits, legumes, grains) and what is just processed crap. So I am just glad that I could go from an F- to an A in just one year because I am being conscious. I think being educated is so very important!

So the way we get a big bang of our fruits and veggies is the green smoothie. We love it. My kids love it (darth Vader juice), my husband loves it, I love it. The con is you need a very strong blender (Blendtec is what I am saving up for - $400-ouch), and it isn't zap it in the microwave and go. The pro is: fiber, antioxidants, real food, more energy, good tasting, easy).

If you feel like you aren't in a place right now to buy a good blender and take on the whole Green Gospel-here are some other things we do to get our veggies and fruits.

1-I have a veggie tray that I use to separate toppings for our daily salads. At each meal I bring that out and the kids can grab a few carrots/celery/cucumbers, tomatoes.. easy

2-You can add spinach to smoothies and not even taste it. Don't underestimate spinach-it's very nutritious. I buy huge bags of it when they go on sale, which is a lot at my local grocery store.

3-Eat a salad every day.. maybe start with iceberg lettuce and move up to darker, leafy greens that are nutritious like Romaine, spinach when you are ready.

4-Some kids will not eat veggies and fruits. Some because we as parents aren't being good examples of that. I'm sure, absolutely sure, that you can find something your kids will eat. It takes more than one time of trying it to make a good judgment. Just keep offering! My kids know that they need to eat their veggies BEFORE the rest of their meal.

5-Remember that you can't eat the whole elephant at one sitting.. just pick one thing that you would like to improve in your family's diet, and stick with it. When you've mastered that, pick another one.

For example: if you and your kids are addicted to pop and have to have one every day, why don't you just make a family goal to have it every other day. Then once a week, then once a month, then never. That might take 6 months to achieve. But don't you think that's better than not even trying? Replace it with a healthier option, like.. are you ready for this? WATER. Guess what? It doesn't matter if you don't like water. You are made of it, it likes you, and you cannot function without it. Guess what else? IT'S free!!

Green Smoothie Girl's Quiz

Hey-take this quiz-let me know what you think (you can be anonymous-I just want to see where we are at)-Where can you improve? Where do you want to be? What did you get? I got a 94. I need to be better about my Sundays. I think of them as FREE days (I usually have a treat once a week with good old sugar), but I think it's about time to say goodbye because I just don't feel good the next day. It's just not worth it to me psychologically.

Green Smoothie Girl Quiz

I think this is a great site-even if you don't do all the steps in her 12 step program, if it is one step closer to helping us be better people, it's a step up in my book.

Healthy Trash

Let me just say this: my garbage has been a huge stress to me, until now. I always felt bad for using so much trash, but I have a new system:

Trash 1: We have a LOT of produce at our house! So my first trash is actually on my counter. Sounds gross, right? It's a bowl with a tight-fitting lid. It is where all my plant based garbage goes: peels from veggies, cores from apples, egg shells, beans, etc. I empty this (actually my 5-year old does this job) every day into my compost outside. That is saved for my garden soil.

Trash 2: This is where all my papers and washed out plastics go. We now have a recycling bin (yay) in town so once a week (or when my husband is sick of it overflowing) I take it to town.

Trash 3: This is where everything else goes. We have gone from kicking ourselves every Thursday morning for not taking the trash out the night before, to maybe MAYBE every 3 weeks we take the BIG BLACK BUG (aka big garbage) to the curb for emptying.

That's it-easy as pie

White Flour

Do you know where white flour comes from? It comes from wheat-so why is it so bad?

This is why: There are three parts to the wheat kernel. The bran (which contains lignans, antioxidants, and minerals-and most of the fiber), the germ (packed with vitamins), and the endosperm (5% of the antioxidants that the bran contains). To make white flour, the bran and the germ are removed, and the endosperm remains, but is usually bleached and heated. Therefore, making white flour basically not nutritious at all. It is said to have the same effect on your blood as white sugar.

So.. you can replace white flour with whole grain flour. It is best to grind it right before you use it. If it has been sitting on a shelf, chances are it is rancid because of the oils that are in the grain.

If you or your family have been on white flour only, don't switch to whole grain all at once. Try 1/4 whole wheat, 3/4 white flour, then go 1/2 and 1/2. Then 3/4, to 1/4, and eventually you will be able to eat all whole grains.

Here is a list of whole grains to try:

wheat and bulgur (cracked wheat)
spelt
kamut
oats
corn and popcorn
brown rice and wild rice
rye
barley
buckwheat
millet
quinoa (keen-wah)
sorghum
amaranth

Breakthrough

I am glad to say that after 9 months of trying to find alternatives to syrup for pancakes, waffles, etc. We did it! Today we had whole wheat pancakes and just to keep trying, I drizzled it with honey and chopped strawberries. I told Maverick if he would take one bite, I wouldn't make him eat the whole thing if he didn't like it. Well... HE liked it-yea! I'm ecstatic. No more refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup-that's a big step.

I have two websites I need to tell you about. There is my fave-Simply Living Smart. I signed up for a program they have called Simply Live. It has changed my life-It is amazing. There are online classes and videos about how to store your food storage, eat your food storage, and so much more! Great, healthy recipes.. Right now I am taking an online gardening class. I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned about soil and many other things just from 1 1/2 hours of classes so far. There are 8 classes. The lady's name is Jane, and she is going to guide us through the gardening process of her garden so we at home, can practice her ideas. So I'm loving that. But there is also a whole organizational class that Anitra Kerr teaches, and it's a huge help too.

The other website is Green Smoothie Girl. It is a lady that lives in Orem that has done massive amounts of research to try and cure her four children of asthma and allergies. Her results are astonishing. It's right up my alley. The thing I love most though is on her home page there is a link that says "12 Myths". It was insightful to read. Her whole thing is to try to get people to eat whole foods from plant sources, but I love the fact that she does it slowly. She says, "You can't eat the whole elephant at one sitting"-and that is important for me. I get all extreme sometimes and then fail, so she has you practice one thing every month, and the goal is in 12 months to be on whole foods. Great sight-thrilled with it! I've tried the green powder that she sells on her site-not bad!

I think it's important to listen to what our bodies are telling us. I've definitely become more aware of mine. Now I know certain signs to look for when I feel a certain way, and it always has to do with what I am fueling my body with.

Let's not forget that we can't be perfect all the time (at least I don't want to!)-I highly recommend the peanut butter chocolate cup dream tart from Divinely Sweets in Logan by ShopKo. It's everything I've ever wanted in a treat-and I didn't feel one bit guilty eating it! My body got the shakes from sugar overload-but I knew what it was from :) See.. listening to my body..

The Honey Issue

I knew I could get honey cheaper than this (I paid $35 for 12 lbs.), but I also was interested in pure, raw, natural honey. Is there really a difference? Yes there is. I bought my honey from a place called Country Meadow's Wildflower Honey in Hooper, Utah. I have read that pure, raw, natural honey is not filtered. Which means that it contains small amounts of pollen-but don't be scared, that's supposed to be good. Pollen contains a lot of nutrients, such as: twenty-two amino acids, twenty-five minerals, and twelve vitamins. Also, this honey is organic so there's no pesticides. So.. I feel good about my purchase. Speaking of pesticides-I just haven't dove over to the EVERYTHING organic phase. I think I actually am getting there slowly, and I would love to do that, but inch by inch, right? A man that grows grins told me that he would never buy organic grains because since they don't have pesticides, there is animal poop and gross stuff in it, but I think I would rather have that (and not know about it :) instead of toxic pesticides. I don't know. I haven't died yet, so I just have to be content with what I have right now, and then maybe switch over in the future.

So here is a reference for you when substituting honey in sugar for baking:

Honey has a greater sweeting power than sugar. Twelve ounces (Weight) of Honey equals one standard measuring cup. In baked goods, reduce the amount of liquid by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used; add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of honey used; reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent overbrowning. For easy removal spray the measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray or oil before adding honey.

Next post:
Why white sugar and white flour are so NOT good for us-

Sprouted Wheat Bread

I'm going to try this:

Sprouted Wheat Bread Recipe

Supposedly if you sprout your wheat, then dry it, then grind it, your body is supposed to digest it as a vegetable. I'm still pondering that, but I thought I'd try it!

Have you ever sprouted your grain before making bread?

Camel's Eye

A few months ago I was really excited to make these for Jed. I was trying to surprise him by making him breakfast before work :) So I made it waiting for an enthusiastic "You're the best wife ever!" I got: nothing. So I had to do what I hate to do: pry it out of him of him how much he loves it. To which he said: I ate these every morning when I was on my mission. Oh well!

From wikipedia:
This dish is made by covering the bottom of a heavy sauté pan with a few tablespoons of some sort of fat (cooking oil, margarine, butter, bacon fat, etc.). While the oil is heating, a drinking glass is used to ream a circle out of a slice of plain bread with a good crust. When the oil is hot, the bread is added and the heat lowered. The bread is browned and flipped and an egg is broken into the center and sprinkled with salt, fresh black pepper and dried herbs. The pan is then covered and the egg is cooked until the white is just set.

What I got from this:

make hole in bread
butter both sides of bread
butter bottom of pan on "low"
crack egg into hole in bread
salt, pepper, season egg
let cook
flip over
eat
ENJOY


Here is a recipe with pics from my favorite: Pioneer Woman

3 tips:

1. whole wheat bread (you were wondering what this had to do with wheat, right? It's not an egg blog-
2. cook on low. I always burn these :)
3. The best part is when you butter both sides of the bread hole and fry that on your pan too!

Thought this was funny to read (also from wikipedia)
In the American South and other parts of the English-speaking world, this concoction is often known as "egg in a basket", "egg in a window", "egg in a frame", "egg in a fram" or "toad in the hole", not to be confused with the sausage and Yorkshire pudding dish of the same name. In Australia it is sometimes known as a "square egg". It is often a breakfast favorite among children. In New Jersey and South Philadelphia, this may be known simply as "Alabama eggs" or "Alabama-Style Eggs" (despite not actually being commonly eaten in Alabama). In parts of Texas it is sometimes known as a "Popeye" or a "one-eyed Egyptian sandwich". In parts of Pennsylvania it is called "spit in the eye." In parts of Utah it is sometimes known as a "camel's eye". In parts of Alaska it is sometimes known as "midnight sun." In parts of Massachusetts it is sometimes known as "gas house eggs" or "egg in toast." In parts of Russia it is sometimes known as "Australian toast". This style is also referred to as a "nest egg", "nested egg", "framed egg", "egg in the hole" or "egg in the hat". Another variation is to stack two slices of bread and then cut a square out of the center of both and drop two eggs in, cooking thoroughly.

HEALTHY but TASTY Banana Nut Bread

Wow! I am eating a piece of this as we speak, and all I can say is.. ROCK ON!
I have recently been diagnosed with candida, which has put me on a no white flour, no white rice, no sugar diet. Plus I am lactose intolerant, and I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to eggs. Anyone else have these issues? So I have been finding recipes that will suit this, and this has been my favorite so far!

I modified a recipe from allrecipes.com, and this is what I came up with:

1/3 cup applesauce (100% natural, unsweetened of course :)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs (I substituted 1 tsp. of ground flax seed + 1/4 cup water blended in blender for each egg)
1 cup mashed bananas
1 3/4 cup WHOLE WHEAT flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. In a large bowl, beat applesauce and honey together. Add eggs/flax mix and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter. Blend in chopped nuts. Put in loaf pan. I always have issues making banana bread cook in the middle and not burn on the outside, so I put it in two small loaf pans and it worked great.
3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing (if you can!)

Walton Feed

There is a place in Montpelier, Idaho that sells a lot of food in bulk. They have a lot of options for grains, beans, freeze dried food, etc. You can have them deliver your items UPS, OR this is the great part: A truck comes down once a month or so to Old Grist Mill in Logan and you can pay .04/lb. for the driver to bring it there. All you have to do is meet the truck-sweet!

Powdered Milk

How to use your powdered milk you say? Well.. my kids'll drink it - but they don't love it. But we're supposed to rotate it, right? Well.. cook with it! Just keep it in your fridge and keep it for recipes. I put it in brownies today and it was great-couldn't even tell one bit!

I have tried Morning Moo-Western Family-and I just bought some from the cannery. I have heard really good things about Country Cream brand because it is 100% dairy, not whey. More on that to come later...

What have you tried?

Husband's Review - Honey Wheat Cornbread

I have to say I love cornbread. If you make a 9" round pan of it and I have some butter and honey I can eat the whole thing without remorse. In fact, I find it a pain that I have to share with my family. Usually, they each get a piece and I get what's left. It's not as good as eating the whole pan, but it does leave room for more butter and honey on what I do get to eat.
When my wife introduced this new recipe I was skeptical. She once put too much salt in the cornbread and it ruined my day, so she was nervous as well. (You cannot saturate a piece of cornbread with enough honey to hide the taste of salt.) But, being too lazy to make my own cornbread, I have no other choice then to eat what she puts before me. I took the first piece and, like everything else wheatey that she has been feeding me, I wonder if my esophagus can handle the abrasive texture. After covering with honey I took a bite. It didn't have that welcome eat-me-as-fast-as-possible taste that good yellow cornbread has, but it was good. And it felt healthy. The true test was if I would go for another bite, which I did. Soon, I had eaten two pieces and it was growing on me. I didn't finish the pan, but I did finish it the next morning for breakfast. I would definitely eat it again.

Taste - 7

Appearance - 6

Bowel Ripping Side Effects - 8