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Pot Roast

There is something wonderful about the smell of a cooking for hours on a cool autumn day. The spices and juices from the meat fill the house with a lovely inspiring smell. This wafting scent will lure even your pickiest child to the table, to taste of the labors of your hard working oven. I was excited to see that this recipe from All Recipes called to use a because I had not used one before. I used mine for the first time a few days ago, and I was extremely impressed with how well it worked. A worthy investment if you don’t have one.

 

Click to continue reading Pot Roast with Vegetables Recipe


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Salad

My husband Andru has come to the realization that a lot of the food we eat on a daily basis contains a lot of sodium. Not because I have chosen to dash everything we consume with a bit of salt here and there, but because some foods come into our home with so much added salt through processing. He was fuming about how he had chosen to purchase some soup simply because the label said “Organic” because in our mind set “organic” is supposed to mean good for you, but that is not necessarily true so he went off in a tirade after reading the label and seeing that in a one cup serving of this “good” soup there was 980 mg. of sodium, 41% of the sodium we need for the day in one cup of delicious death. He was very concerned that this percentage was in relation to an adult’s body mass, not a 3 year-olds tiny frame. How much sodium can a toddler take before a salt-induced coma? Anyway, to alleviate his worries, he is on a mission to eat more foods that are “living”, meaning less meat and processed foods and more fruits and vegetables.

In order to support his new found revelation, I decided one night to come up with a raw fruit and vegetable salad that is delicious despite not being smothered in dressing—and I aptly named it Rainbow Fruit & Veggie salad because after all was said and done, I threw in so many different colors of fruits and veggies, it became a taste sensation for the eyes. I was very tempted to add a touch of sugar to the natural dressing mixed in, but then thought, well that defeats the whole purpose, so instead added some strawberries for that touch of sweetness. Voila…a new recipe was born, and Andru loved it and the kids seemed to like it also, thank you strawberries. It is a great side dish and the recipe can be varied in so many ways, I added raw zucchini when I made it a second time and it was a hit at our Fellowship meal after church. I hope it pleases your taste buds also!

Click to continue reading Recipe: Diced Rainbow Fruit & Veggie Salad


Whole Wheat Cornbread

We love in our household. I liked that this recipe called for flour. I think it makes the cornbread turn out a little less moist, and more crumbly. But definitely still wonderful - especially slathered with butter! I got the recipe right from the back of the Bob’s Red Mill cornmeal package. We ate this with some delectable Lentil Curry Vegetable Soup, yum!

Click to continue reading Whole Wheat Cornbread Recipe


Lentil Curry Soup

Last year my husband and I were on a raw food kick. We bought a great book called, “The Raw Food Detox Diet” by Natalia Rose - that is where I got this recipe. My husband and I have begun a slow journey of becoming healthier people. We are trying to regain ground for ourselves at the same time as we teach our children the many benefits of eating healthy. One of the main points in this book, “The Raw Food Detox Diet,” is that we need to eat in such a way that our meals will exit our bodies in a timely manner. But equally important, we want our food to give our bodies the maximum amount of nutrients possible. One of the ways we can do this is by not eating starchy foods and meats together as they take much longer to digest when eaten together. This recipe is a great, “quick exit meal,” not raw, but definitely a great source of nutrition and it tastes great. I will be sharing more thoughts about this book in later entries, so look forward to hearing more from me on the subject of the .

 

Click to continue reading Lentil Curry Vegetable Soup Recipe


Chicken Enchilada

After eating these enchiladas tonight my husband said, “I wouldn’t mind eating these twice a month!” My kids loved them too. Anyone who prepares meals for other people, knows that it’s a huge plus when the consumers like what you’ve prepared. I’ve tried several different recipes and this one was one of my favorites, nice flavor and great texture. The sauce in this recipe is more of a cream sauce, we like the red enchilada sauce so I cooked the meat in the red sauce and then just went ahead and poured a little enchilada sauce over the top before I baked it. Yum! I got this recipe from All Recipes, and of course, it’s been altered a bit. Hope you like this recipe as much as we did.

Click to continue reading Shredded Beef or Chicken Enchiladas Recipe


Tofu

This recipe was passed to me from a friend who has been a all her life. So, needless to say, she has an arsenal of delicious veggie recipes that I have gleaned to add to the eclectic bunch that I rotate throughout the week. I love this particular recipe for because everyone (including my kids) who has tried it, loves it. And it makes tofu taste like you would never believe. It has a few ingredients that one might seem would not be paired together but all of the flavors blend so well and it is a recipe to be tried on the naysayers of tofu. It is a meal that needs an extra day to prep, but it is so easy and foolproof. It is a healthy, protein packed meal that you will feel good about feeding to your kids. Serve it on top of white or better yet, brown rice; I like to add a green vegetable on the side to add that bit of color to please the eyes as well as the palate. I usually go with broccoli or green beans, but also love asparagus lightly sauteed with some olive oil and kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Click to continue reading BBQ Tofu Recipe


Crockpot Applesauce

I love this time of the year, when the weather starts to turn a little colder, and forces us indoors. I love the changing of seasons - it makes me feel creative, as there are so many different fresh food options with each season. In Washington, August through October is the season of bountiful , pears, plums, peaches, nectarines, and many other tree ripening fruits. I think that many people buy applesauce because, it’s less expensive at the stores, but even more than that, they don’t realize how easy it can be to make yourself. If you have apple farmers in your area, take a family trip and buy a box or two of apples, I think you will be surprised how much you will spend. The farmers in this area charge around $.40 a pound for seconds (perfectly edible apples that don’t look perfect so they can’t sell them in the stores, which are perfect for saucing). I love making because it makes the house smell delicious all day long. When I first started making applesauce a few years ago I had tried different recipes that all called for sugar. Every time I made the sauce I added less sugar until I realized, it doesn’t need any! This is such a simple recipe and such great apple flavor. I try to make it a fun event for the kids as well, they get to help me the cooked apples and of course they get to taste the of our labor!

CROCKPOT APPLESAUCE

Ingredients:

  • As many apples as you can fit in your Crockpot, quartered (the best sauce is made of 2-3 different kinds of apples, varying in sweetness)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Dash of cinnamon to taste

Directions:

  1. Wash and quarter apples, place in Crockpot.
  2. Add water and cinnamon. Cover and let cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
  3. Towards the end I lift the lid and mash up a bit with a potato masher, that way I can see if it’s ready or not. It’s ready when the apples are very soft and mash easily with the masher, if there are still big chunks you need to cook the apples longer.
  4. When the apples are ready, ladle the cooked apples into a food mill and sauce the apples, leaving behind the apple peels and seeds. If you don’t have a food mill you can peel and core the apples and mash with a potato masher for a little chunkier sauce, but very pretty. Be creative with this, if you like more seasoning you can add some allspice or nutmeg, some people like to add sugar and lemon juice, I prefer less sugar.
  5. I always freeze my applesauce, it’s so easy. I just ladle the applesauce into quart freezer Ziplock bags and label, that’s it! You can thaw in the refrigerator or in warm water if you need it to thaw more quickly, then place the sauce in a jar (or freeze it right in the jar, leaving a 1/2 inch of room at the top for expansion.

 


Crispy Almonds

This is a recipe I got from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook. This is an amazing resource for traditional food preparations, I’ve gained a wealth of information on how the foods we eat break down in our system to provide us with the nutrients we need to be healthy. I love this simple recipe because while are a very they are even better for you when prepared this way. When nuts are soaked overnight in a salt water brine then dried in a warm oven or , they are easier to digest, and their nutrients more readily available. When the temperature is kept low for drying the nuts, the enzymes that are activated through the soaking stay in tact providing more nutrients than if they were roasted in a hot oven.

My whole family loves it when we make these, they are a yummy treat. The kids love helping me make them as well! As you can see from the photo, my little girl Guenna is being quite the little helper, moving the Crispy Almonds from the dehydrator tray to the airtight container. Check out the recipe after the break.

Click to continue reading Crispy Dehydrated Almonds Recipe


Burns kids washing dishes

I have four children, four and under. Yes I typed that right, and no, I’m not crazy. Okay, maybe a little - but not completely. The six of us live in a 750 square foot house, two bedrooms, one bathroom. You are probably wondering by now what all of that has to do with food. Actually, quite a bit!  With so many little mouths to feed, several times a day, together we create a lot of dishes. I think I ask my husband at least once a week, “Who made all this mess? And who’s going to clean it up?!?” Me. I am the human dish washer. Not that my husband doesn’t help, he does, but he can only do so much.

Click to continue reading Meal Time: Clean Up


Caesar Salad Wrap

This is a great one for when it’s hot and all you can think about it staying away from the hot oven, and yet you still have to feed your family. The best way to prepare this recipe is to cook the ahead of time before it gets hot!

CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD WRAP


Makes 4 Wraps
Ingredients:

  • 2 Chicken breasts, cubed and grilled or fried
  • 2 Heads Romaine lettuce, chopped
  • Johnny’s Caesar Dressing
  • 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  • Dash of pepper
  • 4 flour tortillas, whole wheat, spinach, plain, mulitgrain, you choose!

Directions:

  1. Cook the chicken however you desire and set aside to cool.
  2. Toss together chopped lettuce, dressing, pepper, and cheese. Add chicken to the lettuce mixture and stir lightly.
  3. Warm tortillas and serve up the wraps at the table as the warmth from the tortilla will cause the lettuce to wilt if left to sit. Enjoy!

For some variety you can mix things up a bit. The other night we made the wraps with spinach and blue cheese dressing. Be creative, you can put any kind of in a wrap to add a little excitement to your salad! Try BBQ sauce on your chicken without dressing on the salad just use extra BBQ sauce. Hey McDonald’s is doing it, but I’m sure it’s much better homemade!


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