A Mom Just Like You.....My Journey through Life with 8 Children....
• Mar. 6, 2008 - Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies....
Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies....
2 Cups of Freshly Milled Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp of cinnamon (freshly ground if you have some sticks to grind)
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup of organic unsalted butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of (healthy) sugar cane unrefined crystals (such as florida crystals) NOT the white stuff!
1/2 cup of healthy peanut butter the ones without sugar even the freshly made one is great
1-1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 cup of healthy chocolate chips
1 egg free range (preferably organic)
Mill your wheat or just use store bought whole wheat flour. Combine all your ingredients into a bowl. Mix it well but do not over mix. I mix mine up in a Kitchen Aid. When your have your mixture roll the dough into approx 24 balls. Then roll each ball in some sugar (just pour some onto a plate) Place the balls on a tray and then slightly press them with a fork to leave lines on top of the cookie or just use the palm of your hand if you prefer. Do not flatten the balls of dough out too much. You can double this recipe if you wish and then freeze your dough balls in baggies for later use. It is a quick and fast snack when you want. Bake them at 375 for approx 9 min.
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• Mar. 6, 2008 - Chicken Thai Curry in a Hurry......
Chicken Thai Curry in a Hurry.....
This was a very quick and easy recipe to make! Hi Lee I hope you enjoy this one too!
5 Tbsp of organic butter
3 Tbsp of Whole Wheat flour soaked
2 Tbsp of Curry Powder
2-3 Cups of Coconut Milk
1 tsp minced onion flakes
2 Cups of Cooked Chicken (cooked in garlic)
3 Cloves of Garlic minced
Celtic Sea Salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste
Lemon Wedges approx 3
1 Med Bag of Frozen sweet peas and
grated carrots
4 medium sized potatoes cubed into very small bites (cook them halfway in a pot of water then remove the water and add it to your mixture) or you can just add it to your pot and cover the pot so the potatoes cook. Be sure they are cut small so they cook quickly.
4 Cups of Brown Rice Cooked in Chicken Broth
Chicken broth (enough to cook rice in or add powdered chicken broth the healthy kind one WITHOUT MSG)
1 small package of organic chicken breasts
3-4 Tbsps of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Take your brown rice add it to a pot or to your rice cooker. Instead of cooking my brown rice in just water I always cook it in chicken broth or I just add water and add enough healthy powdered chicken broth to give it good flavor. Once your rice is cooked put it aside then proceed to the rest of this recipe.
Wash then cut your chicken into cubes. Put your olive oil in a pot heat and add your minced garlic. Add your cubed chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through. When it is cooked take it off the heat. Now in another pot melt your butter then add the flour and curry powder, cook and stir for about 5 min. Now add your coconut milk. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring. Add your small pieces of potatoes and cook for approx 5 min. Now add your onion and the cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for approx 5-7 min covered. Now add your peas and carrots cooking a bit longer until they are warmed through. Squeeze in the juice from your lemon wedges. Cook until your mixture is thick, bubbly and heated through. (If the mixture gets too thick just thin it out a little bit with chicken broth)
Serve this over the brown rice. This was a huge hit with my family. I love Thai food so I was so excited to come up with this dish. If you do not eat chicken you can use tofu instead it also tastes great. Feel free to change the seasoning according to your own tastes.
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• Nov. 21, 2007 - Taco Salad....
Taco Salad....
I love to make my own creations as well as experiment with new things. This recipe is super simple and making your own taco shells is even easier.
Taco Salad
1 Package of Whole wheat large flour tortillas
1 pound of ground beef or ground buffalo (organic)
1 medium sweet yellow organic onion chopped small
4 large cloves of garlic pressed
1- 8oz package of raw milk sharp cheddar cheese grated
1 small bag or package of baby spinach shredded (usually pre-washed and organic) You may also use organic lettuce for this recipe
5 medium Roma tomatoes (chopped)
1 small container of organic sour cream
1 small jar of organic salsa or homemade salsa
2 packet of taco seasoning (healthy kind ones without bad stuff in it or make your own) (I like to double up on the seasoning it adds more flavor that is why I use two packets)
1 Handful of fresh cilantro leaves
Brown your meat along with the garlic and onion and be sure to break up the meat good. Add the taco seasoning into your meat and then cook as directed. Grate your cheese, chop your tomatoes and shred your spinach/lettuce. Making your taco salad bowls are very easy. I learned this trick several years ago from a food magazine although I don't remember the name of the magazine, sorry. All you need to do is to take a few small soup bowls. The kind of soup bowls I use are ones like restaurants use to make and serve their french onion soup in. I start by lightly spraying the bowls with olive oil. I also lightly spray the tortillas on each side with the olive oil. Then I gently press the tortillas into the bowl with my fingers (don't push too far and be sure not to poke holes into the tortilla) and I try to shape it into the form I want. I do about 5 bowls at a time, place the bowls onto a cookie sheet and then place the cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 5-7 minutes or until I see the edges browned like you see in this picture. After the shells are ready I take them out of the oven and let them sit for a few minutes. After they are cooled down a bit I remove them from the soup bowls. If you remove them too soon they have a tendency to lose their shape so be sure they feel firm before removing them from the bowl. Once your shells are all made place some of the seasoned meat inside, then add your sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and garnish with a few cilantro leaves. That is all there is to it.
Tacos are always a big hit in my home whether it is a taco salad like this, taco dip, hard shell taco or soft shell taco. I can never make enough! I hope you all enjoy this recipe! It is simple and fun!
Dearest Lord, I thank you for the blessing of food! In Jesus name I pray, Amen~
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• Nov. 20, 2007 - Feta Sundried topped Crackers and Chocolate Dipped Mint Leaves....
Feta Sundried topped Crackers and Chocolate Dipped Mint Leaves....
These recipes are so fast easy and delicious!!! Enjoy
Feta Sundried topped Crackers
Feta Cheese
1 large container of Feta Cheese crumbles (or you can get a block and crumble yourself)
3-4 large garlic cloves pressed (more or less to taste)
Freshly cracked pepper
Salt to taste
4 long sprigs of fresh Thyme (chopped fine)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil enough to moisten coat and marinade your feta cheese in
1 box of crisp thin flat bread crackers (paper thin and crisp) You can use any crackers but the thinner the better
A handful of fresh basil leaves
Marinade your feta cheese in the olive oil, garlic, pepper, salt, thyme be sure to mix it up well then put it aside. While it absorbs the flavors.
Sundried Tomatoes
1/4 pound of Sundried tomatoes
2 large cloves of garlic pressed
1 sprig of fresh thyme
Extra Virgin olive oil (enough to marinade and soften up the tomatoes)
Marinade the tomatoes in the olive oil along with the 2 large cloves of pressed garlic and 1 sprig of fresh thyme. Let them soak together for approx 3-4 hours until the tomatoes are reconstituted and softened up. When the tomatoes are softened up remove the thyme sprig. Then place the softened tomatoes into a small chopper and chop them until they are in small pieces.
When all your marinades are ready, take your crackers smear some feta cheese on top of them. Then take your tomatoes and put a small dollop on top of the feta cheese. Now tear a small piece off your basil leaves and place it on top of the tomatoes. This is only if you want to add some more taste. Try it with and without the basil leaf to see which you like better.
Chocolate Dipped Mint Leaves
2 small clam shell containers of mint leaves
1-1/2 pounds of chocolate chips
Take your chocolate chips and place them inside of a double boiler. If you do not have one take one pot and fill it with water. Then take another empty pot and place it on top of the pot with water. Bring your water to a boil. You can now add your chocolate chips into the empty pot and put the heat on low. Once the chips are melted take your mint leaves. First be sure you wash them and pat them dry. Now dip them into the chocolate on both side. Place them onto a big pan that is lined with wax paper. Once you have done this with all your leaves put them in the fridge to harden. Once they are hardened you can eat them. These are a great snack. Store them in a Ziploc baggie or a container if you have any left over.
If you decide you want chocolate balls instead, like the ones in these pictures. Add a small amount of half and half to your hot melted chocolate. Mix it well until the mixture thickens up like frosting. Turn the heat off and create little balls, place it on a plate and place a small mint leaf on top. Let them cool for a few minutes then enjoy.
I hope you enjoy these recipes! If you do please share and let me know!
Dearest Lord, Thank you for the amazing tastes found in the foods that you bless us with! Always so enjoyable! In Jesus name I pray, Amen~ |
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• Oct. 11, 2007 -
Home Made Microwave Popcorn....
Here is my recipe for making home made microwave popcorn. By making your own you are not getting all the bad stuff they put in the ones you buy prepackaged from the store. You can also save a lot of money by making your own.
Be creative you can put whatever toppings you like on it. In this post I show you how to use a brown paper lunch bag to make the popcorn. If you own a Tupperware bowl that has a lid with a vent on it you can also use something like that if you prefer. I have made it both ways and they both turned out great. Enjoy!!
Home Made Microwave Popcorn
1/4 cup of popcorn kernels, white or yellow
1 brown lunch size paper bag
1 pat of butter (optional)
2 small pieces of tape
Season after it is popped. I listed some seasonings below you can use whatever you like....
Put the popcorn kernels in the lunch bag. Roll the top over 2 times then seal it down with your tape. Put the bag in the microwave as shown in the picture above. The flap on the bag should face up. Every microwave is different so cooking time may vary between 2-5 minutes. Mine was perfect after 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
After it was popped we seasoned it with the following....
I did pour the popcorn into a bowl to season it up and then I mixed it well when I was done we put it back into the bag. See which way you prefer.....
Braggs Amino Acids (gives it a salty and soy sauce type of flavor) I sprayed this on the popcorn first so that the seasonings would stick to the moist popcorn better. If you prefer butter or oil put that on your popcorn first after melting it so that the seasonings stick to yours also....
2 heaping Tbsp of Nutritional Yeast (this gives it a cheesy taste without using cheese)
1 heaping Tbsp of Frontier Cheese powder or Parmesan cheese
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of onion powder
2 Dashes of cayenne pepper
Sea Salt to taste
You can try some Cajun seasoning or melt some butter and add it to the popcorn. You can also melt some Extra Virgin Coconut oil and pour it over the popcorn and add melted caramel or whatever you like on your popcorn. There are so many ways to eat popcorn. Make your favorite then share the recipe with us all! Get creative and have some fun with your children! Your children will have great fun making their own home made microwave popcorn! I had great fun watching mine make it then eat it!
Dearest Lord, Thank you for the enjoyable snack of popcorn. There are so many yummy ways to flavor it and it is also full of fiber which of course is wonderful for the body! It was also a fun, easy and healthy way to build memories with my children. Thank you for the creative idea and also thank you as always for food! In Jesus name I pray, Amen~
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• Sep. 27, 2007 - Oven Roasted Broccoli with Roasted Garlic Chicken Gravy....
Oven Roasted Broccoli with Roasted Garlic Chicken Gravy....
Here is a delicious quick healthy snack or a side dish for your dinner. However you eat it you will absolutely love it! Even if you don't like broccoli you have to at least try it this way! Enjoy!
Roasted Garlic
1 entire bulb of garlic
Olive Oil
Take your garlic bulb and slice off the top of it
Place the bulb into a piece of tinfoil or better yet use a terracotta garlic baker
Drizzle olive oil all over the top
Wrap it up in the tinfoil or put the cover on your terracotta baker
Place in the oven and cook for approx 1 hour. Set your oven at 350-400 degrees
Take it out when the garlic is soft
Set aside to cool
(Many times I make a bunch of this up ahead of time and freeze. I take it out of the paper after it cools and freeze it loose in a baggie.)
Oven Roasted Broccoli
2 Large bundles of organic broccoli
Olive oil
Grilling seasoning
5 Pepper mix seasoning
Sea salt
Wash your broccoli and cut it down the middle into two halves. Drizzle oil onto a cookie sheet or onto a jelly roll pan. Place your broccoli cut side down. Drizzle more olive oil over the top of it. Now sprinkle your seasonings over the top. Place in the oven and cook it for approx 20 minutes. Set your oven at 425 degrees. Broil for a minute or so at the end to add some extra crunch.
While the broccoli is cooking make your gravy recipe below.
Roasted Garlic Chicken Gravy
1 whole bulb of roasted garlic (do this ahead of time, directions above).
3/4-1 stick of butter
4-6 heaping Tbsp of whole wheat flour
4 cups of chicken broth stock
Sea Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 bulb of roasted garlic (mashed)
Melt your butter in a saucepan. Add your whole wheat flour to the pan and whisk it into the melted butter. Now add your chicken stock, salt and pepper. Take the garlic that has cooled off and squeeze out your roasted cloves into a bowl. Mash them with a fork then add it to the gravy. Cook it on low until your gravy is to the desired consistency you want. You may need to add more flour or more chicken broth stock depending on how you like it. Once the broccoli is done place it onto a dish and pour your gravy over it. Ta-da it is done Now go and enjoy!!
Dearest Lord, Thank you for the amazing foods you have created for us to eat and enjoy, in so many ways! In Jesus name I pray, Amen~
This recipe originally comes from Rachel Ray but I adapted it a bit. |
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• Sep. 25, 2007 - Yummy, Nummy Sunburgers....
Yummy, Nummy Sunburgers....
2 Large sweet yellow onions
2-4 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups of whole raw pecans
1 cup of raw sunflower seeds
1 cup of raw walnuts
7 Heaping Tbsp whole wheat flour (if you need a little more flour to thicken up your mixture some feel free to add a little bit more.)
2- 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
2 tsp Celtic sea salt or real salt
4 cups of finely grated carrots
3 cups of tomato juice
Simmer onion in the olive oil until it is tender. Process the next 4 ingredients in a food processor or blender until well ground. Toss the mixture with the onions and grated carrots. Add the tomato juice and then mix it all together well. Form into burgers ( approx. 1/3 cup of mixture per burger) and place them on a well greased cookie sheet. Or line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Then turn over and bake an additional 20-25 minutes until the burgers are golden brown and slightly crisp on each side. If necessary flip and cook a bit longer on whichever side may still be somewhat soft. Serves 22
This recipe may be cut in half.
This recipe is absolutely yummy. Give it a try it may just dazzle your taste buds. The original recipe comes from the Newstart cook book. Yet as always I have adapted this recipe somewhat. Enjoy!!!
Dearest Lord, Thank you for the gift of creativity especially when it comes to food! In Jesus name I pray, Amen~
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• Sep. 24, 2007 - Making your own Vanilla Extract....
Making your own Vanilla Extract....
6 vanilla beans
1 pint of vodka (16 oz)
You may also use Rum or Brandy for this recipe.
If you want you can cut this recipe in half. Or you can double it if you want to have more to give as gifts. This will last forever on your shelves too so make as much as you like.
First cut the vanilla beans lengthwise with a knife or scissors. Leave the last inch intact so the bean doesn't fall apart on you.
The extract will begin to develop immediately. You can use it as early as 8 weeks for the extract will already have a nice amber color to it.
I always leave my vanilla beans in the bottles because this allows it to keep gaining in flavor. You can also top off the bottle of extract with more vodka after it is half way used up. This will quickly replenish your supply. Even though it causes the extract to be diluted for a short while, it will regain it's strength rather quickly.
Some people will add some simple sugar syrup to the extract in order to sweeten it. This is how most commercial brands are made. If you want that sweet after flavor you can add a little dark rum to your mixture. This will accomplish the same outcome as it would of if you had added the simple sugar syrup to it.
When making your mixture you can either add your vanilla beans directly to your vodka bottle or you can use a mason jar as shown in these pictures. (These pictures were taken off the Internet. I never took pictures of the steps I took when I made mine. But I have been making my own vanilla extract for over 3 years now.) If you use a mason jar you will need to push the beans down into the vodka until they are completely covered. They don't usually go down completely on their own. Cover the vanilla extract, shake it vigorously and let it sit in a cool dark cupboard. Be sure to shake it vigorously on a daily basis until it has reached the potency you desire. So that means keep it out of the light. You will be able to taste some vanilla flavor even after a few days. How long you let it sit will determine just how potent your vanilla extract will be.
By using a clear glass jar you can see how well your extract is coming along. The darker the better. The longer it sits the darker it gets. You can then pour the extract into little dark bottles and give them as gifts if you choose to do so. It is as simple as that. So save yourself some money and make your own Vanilla Extract. It is also a nice gift for the holidays!! It is quick, easy and economical. Let me know how it turns out. Below are the pictures I got off the Internet. You can follow them step by step.
Dearest Lord, thank you for the opportunity to learn how to make our own things of all sorts. Not only do we have the opportunity to bless someone else with what we make, but we also have the opportunity to be good stewards of our money. Thank you for the gift of knowledge. In Jesus name I pray, Amen~
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• Sep. 21, 2007 - Strawberry, Peach, Banana Treat....
Strawberry, Peach, Banana Treat Recipe....
This is a great healthy treat before berry season completely ends.
Strawberry, Peach Banana Treat Recipe
3-1 pound packages of organic strawberries
8 ripe organic bananas
6 ripe organic peaches
2 packages of 6 count of sponge cake tarts
1-1/2-2 cups of cane crystals (like Florida crystals) (add more or less depending on how sweet you like it)
shaker of organic confectionate sugar
Peel and slice up the bananas thinly. Wash the strawberries and peaches. Remove the hulls from 2 containers of the strawberries then chop them into medium chunks in food processor. Put them aside. Now take 2 of the peaches peel the skin off and remove the pit then chop them into medium size chunks also. Also put them aside. Take the last container of strawberries hull them and then put them into the food processor along with the last 4 peaches. After you peel them and remove the pits from the peaches of course. Blend them until smooth. Scrape the mixture out into a bowl then add the chopped strawberries, peaches and bananas along with the cane crystals. Mix it all well. Add more sugar if necessary.
After mixing it up well spoon it into a tart shell and shake some confectionate sugar on top. Enjoy! My children love this!!!
Here is the crew enjoying it!
Dearest Lord, Thank you for such yummy berries that we enjoyed so very much! In Jesus name I pray, Amen~
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• Sep. 21, 2007 - Brenda's 7 Layer Dip....
Brenda's 7 Layer Dip Recipe....
My sweet little helper. She sure is a big helper!!!
Here is the recipe for my 7 Layer Dip!! I cannot ever make enough! Yummy!!!
1 large can of Re fried Beans (season with garlic powder and onion powder)
2 large Avocados (add some lemon or lime juice and add a large clove of fresh garlic) Cream in a food processor until garlic is chopped and avocado is creamy.
1/2 container of Sour Cream
1 small jar of Salsa
4-6 oz Raw Cheddar Cheese (grated)
4 Scallions (chopped)
1/2 cup of Dried Chives
2 large Roma Tomatoes (chopped finely)
1 small can of Black Olives (Chopped finely)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion Powder
1/2 lemon juiced
dash of sea salt
Take your re fried beans and add the garlic powder and onion powder to it. Mix it well then spread evenly on the bottom of a pie tin or an 8x8 glass dish. Take your avocados and scrape them out into a food processor. Add your garlic clove, lemon juice and salt. Blend well until it is creamy. Now spread your beans out evenly into your dish. Now spread your avocados on top evenly. Then add your sour cream and spread it evenly also. Now take your salsa and spread it over that. Grate your cheese and spread it out over the salsa. Now chop your olives and spread those over the top. Next chop your tomatoes and do the same. Lastly chop your scallions and add those as the last layer. Now sprinkle with your dried chives.
That is all there is to it. Serve and eat with corn chips. This is filling and makes a great quick meal. Enjoy!!! |
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• Sep. 19, 2007 - Making Yummy Homemade Pasta and Pizza Sauce....
Homemade Pasta and Pizza Sauce....
I love making homemade pasta and pizza sauce. Here is the recipe for both....
(As always use organic products whenever possible)
Fresh Pasta Sauce
12-14 large Roma tomatoes
5-6 cloves of fresh garlic chopped finely
1/4 cup of organic cane sugar (like Florida Crystals)
1 cup of distilled water (more or less to thin sauce to your preference)
6 large fresh basil leaves whole
4 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt or Real Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Fresh Pizza Sauce
12-14 large Roma tomatoes
5-6 cloves of fresh garlic chopped finely
1/4 cup of organic cane sugar (like Florida Crystals)
1 cup of distilled water (more or less to thin sauce to your preference)
2 fresh sprigs of oregano leaves chopped finely
1/8 cup of pizza seasoning
4 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt or Real Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Wash and blend tomatoes in a blender. Blend until it becomes liquid. If you want to remove the seeds of your tomatoes do this first. I never remove my seeds and my sauces, salsas and soups turn out fine. Add your water, olive oil swirl in blender. Pour liquid tomatoes into a pot, add your chopped garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes on low. Then add sugar, and basil, salt and pepper and simmer on low for a couple of hours. Be sure to watch it so it doesn't burn on the bottom. Add more water throughout cooking if sauce gets too thick. When it is done cooking remove basil leaves and discard them. Pour over your favorite pasta.
When making pizza sauce follow all the same directions except instead of the basil leaves add your oregano and your pizza seasoning. There is nothing to remove and discard when it is ready. Use to make your best homemade pizza. Both these sauces freeze well!
Bon Appetite!!!
Dearest Lord thank you for providing us with so many amazing veggies. I absolutely love and enjoy making homemade delicious meals with them! In Jesus name I pray, Amen~
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• Sep. 13, 2007 - Blueberry Muffins and Birthdays....
Blueberry Muffins.....
Recipe:
Note: I always use organic products whenever possible
2 cups flour- (I use fresh and finely ground whole wheat pastry flour or spelt or any whole wheat berries)
1/3 cup of melted coconut oil (virgin)
1/2 cup raw unfiltered honey (if you add it to the oil measuring cup it will pour right out)
1/2 tsp sea salt or real salt
1 egg (fertilized are the best)
1 cup of milk (raw is the best or soy milk will work too)
2 tsp Baking Powder (one without aluminum)
1 cup organic raisins (optional)
2 cups of fresh or frozen whole blueberries (I always use frozen)
Mix all your dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then add your wet ingredients to the dry. Mix well and then fold in your raisins and blueberries. Be sure not to over mix. This mixture is very moist.
Fill your muffin pan about 1/3 full of the mixture. If you do not have a silicone muffin pan like mine be sure to well grease your pan. I use a mixture of 1/2 liquid lethicin and olive oil. It works great. Silicone is great if you can afford it. It also offers health benefits.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until cooked. Be sure to not overcook them.
Birthdays....
When we became health conscious I stopped making a big deal over birthday cakes. I have made some really fun cakes over the years and there are some years I have not. There have been some birthdays where we have used ice cream sandwiches from the health food store as the cake. It totally depends on the child or what theme for birthdays we are following that year. I will explain that more in another post on what we do for birthdays. I remember when I was a young girl my mom always made me a heart shaped cake. That's because my birthday falls on Valentines Day. I have fond birthday memories of my childhood and I have carried on that tradition in my own family. We just do it in different ways.
Many times I will ask my children if they want a fancy store bought cake for that years birthday or do they want me to make them something healthy. They always choose me making them something healthy.
I like to make this one recipe for blueberry muffins. Sometimes I make it in cake form sometimes in a loaf form, sometimes in muffin form it all depends on my mood. LOL They are so delicious and the fun part is that the children get to eat leftover cake for breakfast. Not only is it a healthy breakfast but it sure leaves a fond memory with them. They never forget that they got to eat birthday cake the next morning. Everyone loves it!
How many times does that happen with us and God? When we make a conscious choice to choose what is best for us the outcome is enjoyed more than ever. We reap so much more than we had ever imagined or hoped for. I want my children to learn to always choose what is best for them. What they do in the flesh effects them in the spirit. If they learn to indulge in the flesh their spirits will suffer. When they learn to choose making healthy choices of all kinds in their flesh their spirit will reap the benefits. Those wise decisions always pay off if not here they will certainly payoff in eternity!
Dearest Lord, Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to build memories in the lives of these precious children. Thank you for allowing me to teach them the importance of making wise decisions in all areas of their lives. In Jesus name I pray, Amen~
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• Aug. 24, 2007 - Fixed Cheeseburgers.....
 Fixed Cheeseburgers.....
(This burger picture is from off the internet)
Fixed Cheeseburgers are one of my favorites. Here is a recipe that I made up that my family just loves. Enjoy!
Note: Remember I always use all organic and all natural foods whenever possible....I always avoid foods that have bad ingredients in them something very important to me. The shorter the ingredient list the better!!!
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef or ground buffalo (free range from a local farm)
2 eggs (farm fresh fertile eggs are always better for you)
2 cups of Italian bread crumbs (whole grain if possible)
1 pressed/crushed clove of elephant garlic (remember this is the very large garlic so if you don't have the elephant garlic use 4 large cloves of regular garlic to equal one clove of the elephant garlic)
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1 sweet walla walla onion chopped very finely
1-2 tsp of onion powder
2 Tbsp of dried parsley
Dash of ground cayenne pepper
Purified water as needed to keep mixture soft
Whole grain hamburger buns (or make your own)
Slices of American cheese (buy the white kind do not use the orange dyed kind)
Several leaves of romaine lettuce washed
1Roma tomato sliced thinly
1 Sweet walla walla onion sliced thinly
Beat your eggs well in a bowl. Then add your garlic, onion, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, and bread crumbs. Mix well and add water until it is loose, not watery but not pasty either. After it is all mixed well and the mixture is the right consistency add your ground meat. After it is mixed well form your patties. Cook them in a grill like a George Foremen grill or if you prefer fry them in a cast iron pan. After you have flipped them and they are almost completely cooked place your cheese on top to melt it a little. Place the burger on your bun, add some sliced onion, a leaf of lettuce, 1 slice of tomato. Put some mayo on your bun, mustard and ketchup. Serve with organic baby peeled carrots and some potato chips. Enjoy!
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• Aug. 23, 2007 - Green Eggs and no Ham.....Yummy Egg Recipe
Garlicky Sauteed Mustard Greens in Eggs....
 
While I was growing up my Italian Nana always made the very best eggs. She added everything and anything to them.
Following is the recipe of one of her creations. I slightly adapted the original recipe.....I hope you enjoy it!!!
Serves 12
2 Dozen large brown fertile eggs (fertile eggs are better for you)
2 bunches of mustard greens or you can use any kinds of bitter greens such as Broccoli Rabi, dandelion greens or any other bitter greens. You can even use spinach if you desire.
3-4 large cloves of Elephant garlic (elephant garlic is much larger than regular garlic so be sure to use it if you want the full flavor )
1 cup of milk
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
Sea Salt to taste
Black coarse pepper to taste
4 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil
1 cup of finely shredded Reggiano Parmesan cheese
2 loaves of whole grain rustic/crusty bread
Directions:
Crack all your eggs into a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Then add your red pepper flakes, milk and Parmesan cheese, whisk it all together. Wash up your mustard greens then dry. Slice or tear them into strips then place them aside. Heat your olive oil in a frying pan. Crush your garlic or chop it very finely then add it to the olive oil. Brown the garlic slightly then add your mustard greens to the pan. Saute them in the garlic until the are soft. Once the greens are cooked add your eggs. Cook until your eggs are cooked but be sure not to dry them out by over cooking. Be sure to be moving the eggs around as they cook so they stay loose. This makes it so much better.
Once the eggs are done serve them with some of your whole grain bread. Crusty bread is always the best to serve with this dish. If you want to spice it up a bit add some home made salsa to the top of it. Or if you don't have any home made salsa on hand top it off with any of your favorite salsa that you do have on hand. Enjoy!! This dish is just as delicious warm but can also be served cold.
NOTE on HERBS:
As a side note bitter herbs like dandelion, chicory and mustard greens are very good for you. They have medicinal properties to them which in turn bring health benefits to your body! Bitter herbs/greens are not only high in nutritional value but they are very helpful in toning the liver. Do some reading on your own to find out all the benefits of bitter herbs.
Thank you Jesus for all the food you provide for us. Thank you also for all the herbs you create to flavor the food with and to also nourish our bodies with.! In Jesus name I pray, Amen~
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• Aug. 12, 2007 - Making Freezer Jam....and Overcoming Fears...
Making Freezer Strawberry Jam....
 
I have never canned in my life. Although I have sincerely wanted to and have all the supplies to do so, I have never been brave enough to attempt it. Sadly I have allowed my fears and worries, of the what ifs of canning, to overtake my desire to do it. I was always fearful that if I did something wrong I would poison my family with botulism or something else.
It reminded me of back when I was afraid to use my pressure cooker, I had one for many years before I became brave enough to try it. I was always afraid if I used it wrong it would explode and we would all get burned lol. I am thankful that I overcame that fear for I love to use my pressure cooker now! Can you tell just how much I worry about things? lol
Funny how when we allow fear to rule over us we will fail before we even try. I want to be able to face my fears and overcome them so that is why I choose to do those things that I am afraid to do. I don't want my children to learn to be fearful! I want them to learn to always lean on God and trust Him to guide them in all things! I am only willing to face my fears with the Lord by my side. If I attempt to face them on my own I know I can and will easily fail. For the enemy is always looking for an open door in order to attack.
But one of my favorite verses is this...
I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me.
Philippians 4:13
This is also a verse I teach to my children early on so they know it well.
Because fear is something I have battled all my life, long before I became a christian. Too many times it will try to rear its ugly head in my life. It is during those times I find myself running to the Lord with much frequency. I ask for Him to help me overcome my temptation to fall prey to that fear and worry and to not allow it to rule over me. I remind myself that the enemy is a liar and he is just playing on my fears. I know this is just his way of trying to rule over my thoughts and get me to fail and lose faith in myself.
I also felt that by learning to can I was imparting a good skill in my children as well as myself. I wanted my children to know how to can and to do it with confidence.
I figured the best place to start was to ask many people many questions. Then the time came to squash those canning fears. I was going to give water bath canning the fair shake it deserved. I got everything all ready to start. I decided to make strawberry jam. Unfortunately by the time I was ready to start it was already starting to get very late. It was important to me to take my time and do this the right way and not rush through it. I decided I should wait. I knew that this could of been the enemy trying to discourage me by telling me see you are never going to accomplish this so you might as well give up. Even though I was somewhat disappointed I was not going to allow the enemy to defeat me or discourage me. I told myself it is not over I am still going to can as soon as I have more time to do it. I plan on following through with my word to myself!!
While I was going through my supplies to put them away I came across a package that said pectin for making freezer jam. I figured why not? I still wanted to make some homemade jam and although I wouldn't be able to do the actual canning that I was wanting to do, it was still homemade jam. Something good was still going to come out of it.
Being I am very health conscious raw jam was sounding pretty good at the moment. Whenever possible I prefer raw food for family and myself. There are just so many benefits to eating raw food! So I attempted to make my first batch of raw freezer jam. Here were the results. It came out great. The following is all I used...
4-1 pound containers of fresh fruit
1-1/2 cups of raw sugar cane
1 pkg. of the freezer pectin shown in the picture. I am unsure if the ingredients are all healthy so I am looking into it. If they are if not I want to see if there is a healthy alternative.
We ate some of the jam this morning and it sure was yummy.
Even though I didn't get to can last night at least I can finally say I have made homemade jam. I am going to can jam with the next batch of fruit I buy. Wish me luck lol!
Dearest Lord, thank you for the opportunity to learn new things. Thank you for the blessings you bestow upon us! I know I can do all things through you! You are my truth and my safe place! When I attempt to can I will be leaning on you through the whole process! In Jesus name I pray, Amen~ |
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