I am forever looking for ways to get extra nutrition into my hubby and 5 kids. This could not be any easier, okay? Power up that peanut butter....and power up your kids!
Ingredients:
~Peanut butter (crunchy works best here, any variety...natural or otherwise.)
~ Ground flax seed (grind your own for the best nutrients, or buy pre-ground)
~ Ground or shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
When you have used a bit of the peanut butter, ( you need a bit of room in the jar to do this), just stir in ground flax and/or ground coconut.
This really boosts the nutritional value of the age old PB and J sandwich, and if it's crunchy peanut butter, the kids will never know!
My baby has now turned 2. As my hands have been busy mixing and stirring....he has been busy sleeping away the afternoon in the arms of his daddy.
As I busily prepare his birthday cake, I can't help but let my mind wander over and about the last couple of years.
So very much happens, that if you dare to blink, the first two years have already gone by. Learning how to talk, walk, and get along with his sisters and brother. His siblings are his biggest cheerleaders, rejoicing in all his new accomplishments.
Not a day goes by as of late, when I don't hear someone say, "Mom, did you hear what he did? He can say 'milk' now! Wow!" And, the other day his big brother came up to me and told me how proud he was that his little brother had learned how to really play trucks now, and not just mess up his playing or throw them around.
A little daily celebration happens when you have a two year old in the house.
He loves playing trucks....he points his little hand out the window when his daddy's home...and says "dat daddy's vroom-vroom", speaking of his semi, so very proudly. Growing more independent by the day, I noticed how he got his own velcro "work boots" on yesterday without any help from mama.
He knows what he does and doesn't like...of this he will let you know. You can be sure a shrill scream will be coming from those little lungs if he disagrees about something! Oh, but there is so much more good than bad!
~dimpled hands
~soft, white swedish skin
~blue eyes with the longest lashes
~laying with him on the bed before naptime holding a book in the air and reading together
-snuggles with his "banket", as he calls it
My ears will be quite lonesome when there are no longer any truck noises being made by little mouths while I am baking in the kitchen.
And, to celebrate this special milestone? A simple cake....truly a coffee cake style recipe, that is neither too sweet or too dry. Just right for little hands.
A Simple Birthday Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar (we like organic cane juice crystals)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla (homemade, if you have some)
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3-5 tsp. milk (add more to get the consistency you like)
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar (or cane juice crystals), baking powder, and salt. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in butter. Add milk, eggs and vanilla. Stir well. Pour batter into greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Blend icing ingredients, and drizzle over warm cake.
What is it about those convenient little packages of sweets most of us love so much? I'm sure it isn't the 1,000+ ingredients on the label, nor the fact that they are so loaded with preservatives they won't rot for years!
No, I think it's because convenience food is often sweet or salty (tastes most of us crave daily).....and, because convenience food is....well....convenient! Grab 'n go is a motto many live by when it comes to eating food.
Even as a stay-at-home mom, I find myself munching food down quickly between helping my littlest eat, and running to and fro in the kitchen. Last night, half of us didn't take the time to sit in chairs to eat. We talked with each other as we quickly gobbled our dinners, and off we went. (Thankfully, this is the exception, rather than the norm....but some weeks are worse than others.)
How about we give sweet AND convenient a try here...without the 1,000+ ingredient label? Something you could stick in the freezer, and pull out whenever you are craving one of those sweet treats? And, if your hubby likes hostess apple pies, like mine does, then you are in for a treat.
Homemade 'Hostess' Apple Pies
For the crust:
*2 1/2 cups flour ( any type of flour..sprouted flour is best.)
In a bowl, whisk together flour, sweetener and salt. In mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together well, scraping sides of bowl once or twice. Add flour mixture to butter/cheese mixture in mixer bowl. Combine at medium low until crumbly, like coarse cornmeal. Scrape down bowl amd mix at medium high about 30 seconds. Roll into a ball and if not using directly, regrigerate until ready to use.
Apple pie filling:
* 2 apples, diced
*1 Tbsp. butter
*1 tsp. lemon juice
* 1/2 cup sucanat
* 1/2 tsp. vanilla
* 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
* 3 Tbsp. tapioca flour (as a thickener)
In saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add apples, and cook until soft, 6-10 minutes. Add the rest of the filling ingredients, and keep stirring over medium-high heat until thickened (4-5 minutes.) Remove from heat and allow to cool.
After preparing the dough, if you think it will be a while before you will work with it (longer than 20 minutes), then wrap with saran wrap, and refrigerate until ready. (If it has been in the refrigerator a while, then let it warm up to room temp. again before you use it, or it will be stiff and hard to work with.)
When you have prepared the filling, grab a portion of dough and roll out onto a floured surface with a floured rolling pin (to about 1/4" in thickness). I used a cereal bowl as a "cookie cutter", to get the right size circle I wanted for my pies.
After cutting out the circle, I placed about a Tablespoon or two of filling in the middle. I then folded the circle in half towards me (looking like a taco), and pressed the sides gentle onto one another. I used a fork just for looks. No need to if you don't want to, but it only takes a moment.
Be aware, if you use too much filling, it will cause splitting of the sides.
Place on a baking sheet. 400 degree oven....12-15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown.
Optional glaze:
* 2 cups powdered sucanat (just place in coffee grinder to powder!)
*2-4 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
*1 tsp. vanilla
Mix ingredients together, and use a pastry brush to glaze the pies.
(* Using powdered sucanat in the glaze, will cause it to be very dark...although tasty! You might want to use a store bought organic powdered sugar, if you are making these for guests or to give.)
Enoy!
And, Nina...thank you for your constant inspiration!
It's been fun in the last year, to try out new foods with our family we had never before. In our western world, I think the cheesy-doodles and their fun commercialized friends such as sugar pop, get much more attention then what me might call the "lowly" veggie hanging out with all his cruciferous buddies.
Come on, I mean, who wants to eat something that's (whisper now so the kids won't hear you)....green.
With 5 kids in the house ranging in age from 1 to almost 16...believe me. I know rejection at the table.
Like a few months ago.
I thought the kids might enjoy being enlightened in the area of clams. After all, I had only recently read One Morning in Maine to the little ones. (And, please, if you have little ones, read all the Robert McCloskey books you can get in your hands. You won't regret it. ) The characters in the story are digging up clams in lovely seaside Maine, and are thrilled about the fact that they are going to have clam chowder for lunch!
Wouldn't that be fun, I thought...to suprise my kids and make them clam chowder as well?
Ummmmm.....no.
They didn't find it fun at all.
In fact, when I lovingly brought a large bubbling pot of chowder to the table, and my six loved ones who were hungry and looking at me so lovingly found out what was in it---well, let's just say they were making plans under their breath to each other about the fastest way to escape the table, grab their coats, and drive to the local pizza hut.
Thankfully they love me enough, that they took some painful looking bites. Along with some words about clams and how they are not fit for human consumption.
All that to say, my family doesn't just shovel food mindlessly into their little mouths, and thank me at the end of each meal.
So, onto my little project of trying new foods---in tasty ways that the whole family can enjoy.
Kale is something that was not even gracing our refrigerator shelves until a few months ago. Now, I purchase it almost every time I walk the lanes of our local grocery store.
Why is it so good for you? Kale is high in beta carotene, vitamin C and K, lutein and also reasonably high in calcium.
Kale is one of several dark green leafy vegetables of the cabbage family, related to collards and mustard greens. All of these greens provide calcium, iron, and carotenoids in abundance, as well as many anticancer factors. Kale and related greens should always be eaten cooked--but not overcooked-- so that the oxalic acid they contain is neutralized.
Now, how to get your family to enjoy kale? We are in love with this Zuppa Tuscana soup recipe. The first time I made it, my teen girls hugged and kissed me they loved it so much. After the clam chowder recipe...well, let's just say I'm glad they enjoy it!
I made a few changes to it for our family....
1 pound of bacon (prefer nitrate free...when it's on sale we stock up.)
1 pound of ground turkey
7-8 red potatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
8-9 cups chicken stock (homemade, or use natural bouillon...or part water/part stock) 3+ cups whole milk or raw cream--(we have omitted this without any problem) 1 head of kale (5-6 leaves, as desired), chopped
In a small pan, cook the bacon. Save bacon grease, if desired. Cool and finely chop. In a large pot, cook the ground turkey (sprinkled liberally with spike seasoning, onions, and garlic (in bacon grease, if desired) until the turkey has browned. Crumble turkey as you cook it. Add the potatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, turn it down to low and simmer for 20 minutes or so, just until the potatoes are tender. Add the milk, kale, and bacon and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes. Season to taste. Top with parmesan cheese for extra flavor! Enjoy! Makes 6-8 servings. Freezes well.
Here is another tasty way that we love to eat more kale:
--Another way we enjoy kale is in smoothies! However, how do we get around the fact that they it should be cooked when you eat it? I purchase some kale....lightly wilt it with a bit of water in a pan, then blend it in the blender, and stick the blended concoction into my ice cube tray and freeze.
It only takes a few minutes to do, and anytime I want to add kale to a smoothie....I just grab a little cube or two, and plop it in.
I hope you enjoy discovering some new foods with your family, and send me a note or a shout out, if this was helpful for you. I love hearing from you all.
Keep checking the God's bounty :: Opening up our children's world to new foods category to the right, for more additions.
Have you tried any new foods or recipes with your family lately? Leave a comment or leave a link for us all to discover what you've done in your home....
With the holidays ahead of us, comes the challenge of trying to maintain a healthy, whole foods diet. A few days ago I was researching information for my healthy families class, and came across this inspiring article about fruit-based desserts. Wonderful!
As Kimi Harris wrote in her article, "What I see in a lot of traditional recipes is a large use of fruit to help sweeten desserts, or to act as dessert by themselves. Fruit based desserts are delicious, and are also full of wonderful nutrients and anti-oxidants. They are naturally sweet so that we don’t have to use as much sweetener."
Thinking about fruit and history, I am taken back to the book I am enjoying with my 7 year old son, Little House in the Big Woods. They used maple sugar and honey as their main sweeteners....while the "store bought" sugar, (white sugar), that Pa comes home with from the general store, was only used when company came over. I also recall oranges being a wonderful gift for them at Christmastime. An indulgent and special treat.
If only we can see fruit as the gift God intended it to be. Nourishing, wonderful and satisfying.
Yes, even in the late fall, you can be making beautiful, (and beautifying), fruit based desserts. Obviously, in the middle of summer's bounty, it is easier to think of all the wonderful berry and fruit desserts. But, how about in late November? Do you know what fruits are in season now?
cranberries
lemons
oranges
pears
pomegranate
apples
avocado
-these are just a few of the wonderful life-giving fruits that are in season, even in the cold of the year.
Imagine some lovely almond-cranberry scones for a late brunch over a holiday weekend, adding dices of orange to an orange julius smoothie for a refreshing breakfast, or how about a scrumptious pear, apple or peach crisp for a nourishing after dinner dessert? Also, a beautifying treat anytime, is this chocolate pudding, based on bananas and avocados....you'll be coming back to this one, time and time again! And, don't forget this light coconut whipped cream, that tastes like Cool Whip, but is so good for you. Put on top of seasonal pies, crisps, and/or fruit, everyone at your table will be impressed!
These would be a lovely addition to any holiday table, or anytime in between. Here is to nourishing our bodies' all through the year.
Do you need a bit of brilliance today? This recipe is sooooo very simple, and yet so brilliant at the same time. It's not mine...but a very close friend's. I'm so glad she shared it with me, and I am so happy to pass it along to you as well.
This chicken is FULL of flavor, and is so moist. Everyone raves about it, and loves it. Something healthy, quick and great to do when guests are over.
How-to:
Place chicken breasts in crock-pot or a corningware type pan with a lid. (This helps to seal in all the yummy juices!)
Add 1/2" or a bit more of water. Obviously, the more chicken used, a bit more water is needed. The point is to have a little water to keep everything moist, and not let it go dry.
Now be very generous with garlic and onion powder, and also some salt and pepper. Add a bit more garlic and onion powder than you normally would.
For the crockpot, let it cook on high for 5-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. In the oven, do a lower heat setting, around 250 degrees, and let it cook for a couple of hours.
**Pay attention here: For extra moist chicken, shred the chicken in the pan with the water. Let it sit just for a bit, and it will soak up that very flavorful juice. This is what takes it to the next level, and rewards you with that wonderful taste!
Enjoy on top of brown rice, homemade bread, and a side veggie or salad...supper is complete!
Greens are such an important food to add to our diet. The varitey of greens is simply amazing, and I think the supermarket doesn't even touch on the variety and types of greens there are, not to mention greens from sprouting seeds!
The benefits and rewards of adding greens to our diet is profound. More energy (yes, please!), a more alkiline body (always a good thing), detoxing (we all gotta lot of junk in us), not to mention the boost to our immune systems (and who doesn't need that this time of year?)
Sprouting
One way I like to add greens to our diet this time of year...well, any time of year actually...but it's so nice to have something "green" growing this time of the year....is by growing sprouts. It's also the perfect activity to have the kids help you with. An amazing lesson on how God takes the little seed, and helps it to grow! Life! For growing sprouts in the kitchen, I like to use a sprouting jar with a metal mesh lid. I believe you can even find them on amazon. Different seeds will have different soaking lengths and sprouting times. Easy to google and find out for the seeds you have obtained. This week, we are growing red and crimson clover seeds.
It really is just child's play---soak, rinse, drain, rinse, drain, ...rain, drinse, oh, sorry, make that drain, rinse....you get the picture! I usually place about 2 Tablespoons of seeds into the jar, cover with the mesh lid, and then add about half a jar of water, and let them soak for a good 8 hours. After that, begins the drain and rinse part. Drain out the water, and rinse well. I tip my jar at an angle in a bowl, so any water dripping out will be caught by the bowl. Some people may like to place them on a dish dryer. (You know, the metal or plastic rack that dishes dry on after being hand washed.)
You will see the little sprouts starting to grow. When they are to a length you like, put them in a sunny window for a bit, and you'll see them green up as benificial chlorophyll is being added! Greens that are easy to grow, a great lesson for children, and cost pennies...gotta love that!
Powdered greens
No, I'm not making a bit of money for recommending Garden of life products, but I do love them. I have their Perfect Food raw organic green supor food powder. Now, this is something that is more expensive. I don't feed this to my whole family...usually just myself. Mama needs energy to raise 5 (very!) energetic kiddos, and be the wife and everything else I need to be. I will put a scoop of this in a glass of good juice....shake it up....gulp it down. You don't really taste the green at all, just the juice....but it definitely has green color! And, there is no "crash" later. Keeps me runnin' like a top!
Adding greens to smoothies
This morning we just finished our blueberry yogurt smoothies....with kale! Some folks are more hard-core than me, and add TONS of greens to their smoothies. My kiddos are not big on green colored smoothies....however, I can add quite a bit without changing the taste or color of the smoothie. Especially if there is a little sweetener in it. Using orange juice concentrate as the sweetener in place of honey or something else, really masks the "green" taste, and is a great natural way to a great tasting smoothie!
You can use all sorts of greens or sprouts, to add a nutritional punch to your smoothies. Kale, romaine, lettuces, endive, the list goes on and on.
Add spinach to cooked dishes:
I always have a ton of spinach in my fridge. The beauty of spinach, is that you can throw some into almost any dish. Most of the dishes in my home have quite a bit of flavor, since I love using herbs and spices. Not just for flavor, but for their nutritional value as well. Many, many dishes can have spinach added to them, without anyone ever noticing. I just grab a handul or two, tear them up, and throw them in before the dish bakes, or at the end of sauteing my veggies. Just a minute or two in the pan, and they'll be wilted, so wait til the end.
Meatloaf, spaghetti, lasagna, meat casseroles, are just a few of the dishes that spinach is easily added to.
I have been teaching healthy living classes on Tuesdays for moms (and some young girls have joined us as well, (which I love!). Having a couple of young ladies of my own, girls have a special place in my heart.
Yesterday in class, we went over ways to save money on food...and I demonstrated how to make the peach crisp pictured above. If you have ever struggled with whether or not to feed your company the same healthy food you are trying to afford for your own family...or struggled with not coming up with a quick dessert when people unexpectedly stop by, well, struggle no more! Mix a big batch of the dry ingredients together, (minus the butter or oil), and store them in the fridge. Also, we try to keep canned peaches on hand, and usually we already have apples, if we want to do an apple crisp.
How simple is that? And, you'll blow your guests away with how yummy something healthy can be....with no white sugar!
Okay, here's the recipe:
Topping for the apple, peach or any fruit crisp bakeover dessert:
2/3 cup whole grain flour 1 1/3 cup rolled oats or 7-grain oats ½ cup sucanat (rapadura), date sugar, etc. ½ t. sea salt ½ c. melted butter and/or coconut oil
Optional: Cinnamon, ¼ c. ground flaxseed, ¼ c. dried coconut, ¼ c. chopped nuts (pecans are lovely!)
Mix dry ingredients, and then add butter/oil. Spread on top of fruit of your choice, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
This recipe was given to me, by me friend Nina...thank you!
Lunch: Cheesy nachos ( from deceptively delicious cookbook)
Supper: Breakfast burritos--sometimes it's fun to have breakfast for supper! (These will include sausage, egg, and sauteed veggies on a corn tortilla with cheese.)
Snack: Men's smoothie...not just for men, but this is my husband's favorite, he told me yesterday!
Friday:
Breakfast: Blueberry morning--blueberry smoothie using oats as the base; or yogurt with ezekiel bread toast
My kiddos have been feeling a bit under the weather during the past week, and it's a good thing I was stocked up on all of our favorite natural sickness remedies. My absolute favorite thing to have on hand, is elderberry syrup....it helps lessen the severity and length of colds and flu. Plus, it is so easy to make! I try to always have dried elderberries on hand to make it, and do so in small batches when needed.
We also have a cupboard full of different kinds of tea--many are medicinal in their properties, and are such a wonderful benefit to children when they are feeling sick. Traditional Medicinals makes some teas that are made just for kids....they have ones just for colds, sore throats, and a sweet nighty-night tea that is chammomile based for easing the trasition into bed.
I have to admit, sometimes my kiddos don't like the flavor of teas. Even when I put raw honey in them, which has throat soothing and immune boosting properties of it's own, they sometimes don't want to drink them. My solution?
Well, I make a strong tea...which just means I steep it longer. About 10 minutes is sufficient. (While it's steeping, I have the mug of tea covered with a plate or bowl, to keep all the good properties in it.) Then, I pour half of that mug of tea, into a new mug or into whatever my kiddos will drink it out of, and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of juice.
If they like the taste, they are much more likely to drink up their tea, and it also helps them to stay hydrated, which lowers fevers and is just a good thing in general when you aren't feeling your best.
