Agave vs. Sugar Substiutuions

I get emails from Xagave every twice in a while, and I thought you might find this reference helpful.

Food Category	Amount of Xagave vs. Sugar	Calories Saved (per cup basis)
Beverages (lemonade, powdered beverages such as Kool-Aid, etc.)	Use 1/2 to 2/3 cup of Xagave for each cup of sugar (or 50% to 66% of the amount called for)	180 to 330 calories per cup savings (23% to 42%)
Cooking (sauces, salad dressings, etc.)	Use 1/2 cup of Xagave for each cup of sugar (or 50% of the amount called for)	330 calories per cup savings (42%)
Baking (cakes, brownies, cookies, etc.)	Use 2/3 cup of Xagave for each cup of sugar (or 66% of the amount called for)	180 calories per cup savings (23%)
Canning (canned fruits, jams, jellies, etc.	Use 1/2 cup of Xagave for each cup of sugar (or 50% of the amount called for)	330 calories per cup savings (42%)

 

New Recipe!

I know, I have been off-the-ball about new recipes for a long time. Sorry. Pregnancy, bedrest...excuses, excuses.
But that bedrest gave me lots of time on Pinterest and looking for new recipes for when I could cook again. :) Zucchini season has been on and we've had lots to use. I have really been wanting to make this recipe, but my energy and ability by the time dinner starts rolling around has been low. I told my mom about the recipe and she actually ended up making it, and we loved it! Thanks. Mom.

One word of warning, if you don't like thyme, maybe you should try a different spice in its place. I am thinking about trying a few different ones. If you do, please post back and let us know how it goes.  We served this over rice (and made more of it) and it was good for a main dish for our family.

This recipe comes from Budget Bytes. Lovely, Isn't it? The formatting won't be as pretty, I'm afraid. I'm going to copy and paste the recipe. Here you go!

Summer Vegetable Tian

 

I like to enjoy vegetables and their natural subtle flavors. I'm not all for frying or smothering with thick, rich sauces... but sometimes, I want something a little more. This vegetable tian lands half way between both worlds. The vegetables are sliced thin, seasoned only with a little salt, pepper, and thyme and then topped with just a small amount of flavorful cheese. Roasting the vegetables magnifies their flavor and gives them just a hint of sweetness. It's veggie-tastic.

Creamy cheeses work really well with this dish but I happened to have a four cheese Italian blend on hand so I used that.

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp	olive oil
1 medium	yellow onion
1 tsp	minced garlic
1 medium	zucchini
1 medium	yellow squash
1 medium	potato
1 medium	tomato
1 tsp	dried thyme
to taste	salt & pepper
1 cup	shredded Italian cheese

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

STEP 2: While the onion and garlic are sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
 

On Picky Eaters...(No matter the age)

I liked this article from Nourished Kitchen.

How do you transform a picky eater?

How do you transform a picky eater? First, you have to change their mindset.  The mindset has to become I’m capable of learning to like new foods, instead of I’m a picky eater.  Once the mindset shift has occurred, thoughts will change.
Your child may start thinking, I don’t really like scrambled eggs, but hardboiled eggs are okay.  Once their thoughts about the hated food start changing, their actions change too, scrambled eggs are for breakfast, I’ll try them. Then as they are eating those eggs they’ve consistently rejected they think, huh, these eggs are actually not so bad, I could eat another bite.  After experimentation with eggs prepared in different ways, plus a mindset shift, this leads to a change in results.  Your child used to avoid scrambled eggs, but now (s)he’s found a way to like them.
This shift in mindset takes place over time.  My picky eating recovery took over a decade.  That makes sense to me because my picky eating mindset took nearly two decades to cement in my brain.  Only it wasn’t really cemented, because in less than a decade I completely reversed it, without a how-to manual.  I figured it out for myself because I liked the way I felt when I ate real, nourishing food. As I began to learn that food made in a factory (some of my favorites were Cheetos in the red bag, M&Ms, Mrs Baird’s white bread and Ritz crackers) made me feel gross, I had a strong motivation to kick my food aversions to the curb.

Picky eaters come in all shapes and sizes.

As the granddaughter of a farmer, garden grown vegetables were normal at dinner table, so I ate (most) of them.  Yes, you can still be a picky eater, even if you eat a dozen different vegetables.  Textures and combinations were the things I was averse to.  I hated the dry crumbly mouth-feel of raw carrots and nuts. They made me gag.  I didn’t like sauces or anything with sauces on them, including spaghetti!  To appease me, my mom served spaghetti like a salad bar: noodles, meat, sauce, Parmesan all in separate bowls.  I liked the red sauce, but only a little of it.  I needed control to “mix” my own food using my own ratio preferences.
I grew up thinking I didn’t like nuts.  False.  My favorite food was PB&J sandwich or even better, peanut butter on Ritz crackers (with cheese or bananas, I could eat the whole roll of Ritz).  When I think back on it, it doesn’t even make sense.  How did my parents believe or convince me that I didn’t like nuts?  I just didn’t like raw or whole nuts, but smooth creamy nut butter was yummy.
For texture and combination adverse kids it’s important to distinguish the rejection of the preparation versus the rejection of the ingredient.  A raw broccoli hater may love cooked broccoli.  I will not eat raw broccoli (read: crumbly mouth-feel.)  However, blanch it for one minute, toss it in an ice-bath, and give me a tasty dip like this avocado chevre recipe and I could eat the whole bunch.
Studies show that dietary habits formed in childhood are likely to persist into adulthood.  But I’m a good case in point that it’s never too late to overcome picky eating.  Of course it’s optimal to form good eating habits in early childhood.  Learning from the get-go is a far more elegant solution than unlearning and retraining.  We’ve all heard of people who have lost their ability to walk due to an accident and then learn to walk again.  Our minds are plastic. Assuming healthy brain function, older children and adults are capable of learning as young children do.

Learning feeding skills is a process not an event.

Just like reading, good eating skills develop over time, with daily practice. Why do our kids learn to read?  Because they are read to at an early age, then practice daily at school for years, moving up level by level.  Finally as competent readers they maintain their skills by daily practice.  Even if you don’t pick up a book every day, you still see signage with language on it that you must read.  So it is with food. We fuel our body daily with food.  There are ample opportunities to practice good eating skills throughout childhood.  Once kids are literate at proper food fueling, they can maintain their daily practice throughout life to maintain wellness.
So picky moms and dads, I challenge you to learn good eating habits right along with your kids.  Change your mindset, and help your children change theirs.  Think of them as good eaters, call them good eaters, expect them to be good eaters, and they will eventually grow into their new label.

Idolatry

My good friend sent me this blog article. It is about how things, even healthy eating, can become idols in our lives. I thought it was very nice. Here's my favorite quote:

"Eating healthy will not guarantee my family a more peaceful longer life. It will not add a single day to my life than God has already determined. Only God knows the number of my days. (Psalms 139:16) He calls me to be faithful to care for my physical body, and this includes being wise in what I put into my body, knowing that it will affect my ability to serve the Lord; but when I raise that to a god-level, it is no longer a good thing. My security must only be found in Christ. He controls my family’s health and wellness."

Here's the link to the whole thing, if you like.

On Gardening

I really can't recommend this video highly enough. Even if you don't have a garden. WATCH IT! It's amazing.

3 minute trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGZ1Wy0WES0

Promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CjptUYhEdU&feature=related

1:43 Full movie: http://backtoedenfilm.com/

Very Good movie on Food.

Check it out.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/24/hungry-for-change.aspx?fb_ref=fbLike&fb_source=profile_multiline

Thanks, Mom.

My mom sent this to me. Test-tube hamburger. coming to your table soon!

AAAAck!

http://www.naturalnews.com/035020_artificial_meat_test_tube_hamburger.html

Valentines Day Treats

Try going white sugar free this year!

Chocolates

Fudge

CocoNutties

Speaking of Water...

I had a question about drinking water and it reminded me of an article my mom sent me a long time ago. Just look at the profound influence for good or ill our thoughts, prayers and words (even labels!) have on what we eat and drink!

And as you read, I want you to consider: What do I think and say about my food? What about other areas of my life and myself? Our "spiritual creations" really do precede our physical ones.

I believe we should do the best we can when finding and preparing food and drink for our families. But after all is said and done, and even if there is some catastrophe that leaves one without the "best" things, prayer to a loving God makes a big difference. We cannot save ourselves. God is the One who blesses our food and bodies and makes them healthy despite the poor circumstances at times. Our faith takes action as we do our best in whatever situation we are placed.

Sermon for the day concluded.

How water reflects our consciousness

Water has a very important
message for us. Water is telling us
to take a much deeper look at our
selves. When we do look at our
selves through the mirror of water,
the message becomes amazingly,
crystal, clear. We know that human
life is directly connected to the
quality of our water, both within and
all around us.

The photographs and information in
this article reflect the work of
Masaru Emoto, a creative and visionary Japanese researcher. Mr. Emoto has published an important book, "The Message from
Water," from the findings of his worldwide research If you have any
doubt that your thoughts affect everything in, and around you, the information and photographs that are presented here, taken from the
book of his published results, will change your mind and alter your
beliefs, profoundly.

From Mr. Emotos work we are provided with factual evidence, that
human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music, affect the molecular structure of water, the very same water that comprises over
seventy percent of a mature human body and covers the same amount
of our planet. Water is the very source of all life on this planet, its
quality and integrity are vitally important to all forms of life. The body is very much like a sponge and is composed of trillions of chambers
called cells that hold liquid. The quality of our life is directly connected
to the quality of our water.

Water is a very malleable substance. Its physical shape easily adapts
to whatever environment is present. But its physical appearance is not
the only thing that changes; its molecular shape also changes. The
energy or vibrations of the environment will change the molecular
shape of water. In this sense water not only has the ability to visually
reflect the environment but it also molecularly reflects the environment.

Mr. Emoto has been visually documenting these molecular changes in water by means of his photographic techniques. He freezes droplets of water and then examines them under a dark field microscope that has
photographic capabilities. His work clearly demonstrates the diversity
of the molecular structure of water and the effect of the environment
upon the structure of the water.

Snow has been falling on the earth for more than a few million years.
Each snowflake, as we have been told, has a very unique shape and structure. By freezing water and taking a photograph of the structure, as
Mr. Emoto has done, you get incredible information about the water.

Mr. Emoto has discovered many fascinating differences in the
crystalline structures of water from many different sources and different
conditions around the planet. Water from pristine mountain streams
and springs show the beautifully formed geometric designs in their
crystalline patterns. Polluted and toxic water from industrial and
populated areas and stagnated water from water pipes and storage
dams show definitively distorted and randomly formed crystalline structures.

Spring Water of Saijo, Japan

Spring Water of Sanbuichi Yusui, Japan

Antarctic Ice

Fountain in Lourdes, France

Biwako Lake, the largest lake at the center of Japan
and the water pool of the Kinki Region. Pollution is getting worse.

Yodo River, Japan, pours into the Bay of Osaka.
The river passes through most of the major cities in Kasai.

Fujiwara Dam, before offering a prayer

Fujiwara Dam, after offering a prayer

With the recent popularity in music therapy, Mr. Emoto decided to see what effects music has on the structuring of water. He placed distilled water between two speakers for several hours and then photographed the crystals that formed after the water was frozen.

Beethoven's Pastorale

Bach's " Air for the G string "

Tibet Sutra

Kawachi Folk Dance

Heavy Metal Music

After seeing water react to different environmental conditions, pollution and music, Mr. Emoto and colleagues decided to see how thoughts and words affected the formation of untreated, distilled, water crystals, using words typed onto paper by a word processor and taped on glass bottles overnight. The same procedure was performed using the names of deceased persons. The waters were then frozen and photographed.

Untreated Distilled Water

Love and Appreciation

Thank You

You Make Me Sick . I Will Kill You

Adolph Hitler

Mother Teresa

These photographs show the incredible reflections of water, as alive and highly responsive to every one of our emotions and thoughts. It is quite clear that water easily takes on the vibrations and energy of its environment, whether toxic and polluted or naturally pristine.

Masaru Emotos extraordinary work is an awesome display, and powerful tool, that can change our perceptions of ourselves and the world we live in, forever. We now have profound evidence that we can positively heal and transform ourselves and our planet by the thoughts we choose to think and the ways in which we put those thoughts into action.

Vitamin Water?

Disclaimer: Not actually good for you or your kids. Just well-marketed sugar water.
Just drink good, clean water.

http://www.naturalnews.com/033390_Vitamin_Water_deception.html

A great way to use up those garden veggies:

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille...

This is delicious served atop creamy garlic mashed potatoes. Use skin-on red potatoes, russets, or whatever. In my opinion it's most important to use plenty of butter and cream. :) The potatoes are essential. Thanks to Anitra for this recipe. Summer Vegetable Ratatouille 2 onion, sliced into thin rings 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium eggplant, cubed 2 zucchini, cubed 2 medium yellow squash, cubed 2 green bell peppers, seeded and cubed 1 yellow bell pepper, diced 1 chopped red bell pepper 4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped 1/2 cup olive oil 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 4 sprigs fresh thyme salt and pepper to taste Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the zucchini in batches until slightly browned on all sides. Remove the zucchini and place in the pot with the onions and garlic. Saute all the remaining vegetables one batch at a time, adding 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet each time you add a new set of vegetables. Once each batch has been sauteed add them to the large pot as was done in step 2. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and thyme and cover the pot. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley to the large pot, cook another 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the bay leaf and adjust seasoning.

Not the best picture, but it'll work.

If you don't have an ingredient or two, use some extra zucchini or squash to replace it. We always have more of those, eh?

Saving a Buck

My mom sent this to me a while back, and I thought some of you might find it helpful. In my menu planning, I usually have a beans and rice night (I have several recipes I rotate), fish and potatoes of some kind night, Friday pizza night, and some kind of different ethnic food night. Sunday is usually some kind of prepare ahead casserole, and that leaves only a leftovers night or some other dish of choice. It makes it easy and economical.

How to Cut Back Without Sacrificing Nutrition

by Leanne Ely, C.N.C

Dear Friends,

According to the USDA, the average American family of four is spending $80 a month more on groceries than they did a mere 3 years ago. For a lot of families, the upturn in grocery spending does not reflect an upturn on family income. Clearly something has got to give!

We've all noticed how much food has gone up--I can't think of one thing that hasn't. And while I cannot control food prices, I can control my own budget and as it becomes necessary, cut back to keep my food expenses in line. Here are 10 ways to cut back without sacrificing nutrition:

1) Eat vegetarian one night a week (rice and beans is a favorite with my kids).

2) Eat breakfast for dinner one night a week (pancakes and eggs are way cheap). Light candles and serve juice in wine glasses for fun.

3) Eat greens and beans one night a week (I use frozen collards, turnip greens etc. on sale to keep the cost down). Give your big guys Tabasco sauce to bump it up!

4) Eat homemade soup one night a week (try the one below!).

5) Cook with your crockpot one night a week (utilizing inexpensive cuts of meat and poultry).

6) Only buy meat and produce on sale and/or marked down.

7) Eat from your freezer one night a week (you'd be surprised at how many meals are in there just waiting to be thrown together!).

8) Buy dried beans and make your own instead of buying canned (instructions on how to cook them are right on the bag).

9) Make your own chicken broth from your leftover roast chicken (throw the carcass, an onion, carrots and celery into a pot, cover with water, simmer for an hour or so).

10) Pack PB & J's, some carrot sticks and waters for dinner the night you're all running all over the place (nixing the drive thru). No one will die from not having a "proper meal".

This is all easy stuff and doesn't require a lot of thought. Eating vegetarian for example, could be combined with eating greens and beans for dinner or eating soup, or breakfast for dinner. The point is the thought process of cutting back, making do and using up what you have. You can live on less than you think, that includes food.

Try some of these suggestions. Go shopping in your freezer and fridge before you even begin to plan your menu this week. Likewise, check out that pantry for anything that might turn into dinner this week.

Keeping clutter at bay requires cutting back on unnecessary purchases. This includes food!

Crock Bean Soup with Kale
Serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium onions, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 bunch kale, trimmed and sliced (or use 2 cups frozen greens)
1 pound cannellini beans, soaked overnight (you can also use white beans)
4 cups low sodium chicken broth (make your own or buy canned)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Add kale and cook till wilted, about 3 minutes. In a crock pot, place soaked, drained beans; add crushed red pepper flakes and the contents of the skillet; cover with broth (add a little water if necessary, but crock pot should be 3/4 full).

Cook on high for 8 hours, or until beans are tender. Once beans are tender, add the tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Some whole grain rolls and a big salad.

Rhubarb

I grew up with a couple of big plants of rhubarb around, but was under the impression that I din't like it. Well, let's be honest, paired with strawberries and plenty of sweetener (a treat, for sure), this stuff is good.

Here's a little snippet from Anitra from simplylivingsmart.com:

Rhubarb's in Season...

bright and gorgeous, rhubarb is in...

Rhubarb is often dubbed the "pie plant," and the stalks, though tart by themselves, do make a divine pie filling when paired with berries. But pie is by no means the only way to experience rhubarb. This tart vegetable is as delicious in a savory dish as it is in a sweet one.

In Season: Rhubarb can be found from late winter to early spring with a peak season from April to June.

What to Look For: Thin, red, crisp stalks have the best texture. If stalks are floppy, it indicates they were picked too long ago.

How to Store: Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

And here's a whole foods version of a classic rhubarb recipe:

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rhubarb, cut into small pieces
• 3 cups strawberries, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup unrefined sugar (or agave-- if you use agave, don't be shy to do a bit less. I did, and it was still plenty sweet.)
• 1 1/3 cups spelt flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup sucanat
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter (or coconut oil), melted

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

1. In large bowl combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, 1/3 cup flour and cinnamon. Put into to greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
2. In another bowl combine remaining 1 cup flour with sucanat, oats and nutmeg. Add butter and blend well. Sprinkle over rhubarb/strawberry mixture pat gently.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes in preheated oven.

Serve this with some real vanilla ice cream. It's good. And really easy.

And if you want a more savory use, you can give this a try. Thanks, Anitra.

Oh, my goodness...oh my goodness

enjoy!

Be careful, this could get addicting!

This tangy condiment is delicious on top of sharp cheese and crusty bread. It's also great over roast chicken and pork, which benefit from the sour fruitiness.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Rhubarb Chutney
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger (from one 1-inch piece)
Sea salt
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sugar or 1/3 cup Xagave
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, trimmed and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and add wine and raisins.

Return to heat, and bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute. Add sugar, and stir until it dissolves. Stir in half the rhubarb. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, until rhubarb breaks down, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining rhubarb. Raise heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until second batch of rhubarb just begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Let cool completely.

OLE!

Tomorrow being Cinco de Mayo, I thought I'd post these recipes for beans and rice that we've really been enjoying lately. Easy. Delicious. Great food storage recipe too. I got and modified these from allrecipes.com.

This makes a lot of beans, and I love having the leftovers. I like the beans unmashed as well. Great for use in huevos rancheros, tacos, or even just beans and rice plain. So yummy.

Refried Beans Without the Refry

Original Recipe Yield 15 servings

Ingredients

• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded (if desired) and chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 5 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
• 9 cups water/ chicken stock

Directions

1. Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.
2. Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.
3. Or leave whole and eat with Mexican rice as a meal. Works in huevos rancheros, anything really.
4. Optionally also, mash and refry with cheese, etc.

Mexican Rice

I have started doubling this recipe to have enough leftover to use with all the beans. This has lots of flavor.

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2/3 cup diced onion
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (or a mixture of colored peppers)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon powdered saffron (optional)
• 3 cups water

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil over a medium-low heat. Place the onions in the pan, and saute until golden.
2. Add rice to pan, and stir to coat grains with oil. Mix in green bell pepper, cumin, chili powder, tomato sauce, salt, garlic, saffron, and water. Cover, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir occasionally.
3. OR, cook and combine ingredients and cook in pressure cooker with suggested amount of water for the cooker.

Oops.

Way back when I posted the pictures and recipes for granola bars from the Healthy Snacks eBook by Katie from Kitchen Stewardship, I didn't realize that I posted the wrong recipe--or at least not the one I made. My brother went to make them the other day and they were totally different!

Here's the soaked version that I make and love. You don't have to soak and dry the oats, you can just use regular rolled (old fashioned, not quick, if you please) oats, and if your walnuts are soaked like mine, that's great! I do the unbaked ending, and we LOVE these.

½ or ¾ c.butter

2/3 or 1 c. honey

2 tsp. vanilla

4 ½ c. soaked and dried oats

½ c. whole wheat flour

1 c.walnuts

1 cup add-ins: mini chocolate chips, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, coconut, etc

In a small saucepan, melt butter, honey and vanilla over medium low heat. Once butter is melted and bubbly, cook and stir for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Mix the liquid with the oats. Incorporate add-ins at this point (mini-chocolate chips melt, so you may want to cool first).

Choose Your Own Ending

Unbaked (Use the 2/3 cup honey and ¾ cup butter) Line a container of any kind with waxed paper (I’ve used glass dishes and plastic storage containers.) Press into a pan with waxed paper. Allow to harden up (the refrigerator ensures this) and then cut into bars.

Baked (Use 1 cup honey and ½ c. butter, or use less honey but have more crumbly results. Add 1 tsp. baking soda and mix in thoroughly.) Press mixture hard into a greased pan; use wax paper on your fingers to apply pressure. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes. Allow to sit in pan until completely cool and then cut into bars.

Taste difference? Believe it or not, 10 minutes in the oven does something considerable. The baked bars have a mouthfeel related to a cookie (but not quite) and are less sweet. Unbaked bars are more like a sticky Quaker chewy granola bar, but with the 1 cup honey are much too sweet (and more expensive anyway). You could try half and half in 8x8” pans to see which you prefer!

Makes at least 20 bars, equivalent to about 3 boxes processed bars

Cost: $3.00, varies widely based on honey and butter prices

HOW TO: soak and dehydrate oats! (adapted from Katie at Kitchen Stewardship)

Start by soaking the oats overnight in water at the ratio of 3 cups oats to 1 cup water with one tbsp whey in the cup. Add 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (or spelt or buckwheat flour) in order to have some phytase available to break down the phytic acid. Without it, this process is worthless.

Drain any excess liquid off (if there is any, the oats aren't that moist).

Spread as thinly as possible on cookie sheets or a silicone baking mat.

Toast in a 250 degree oven for as long as it takes for them to completely dry out, usually about 2-4 hours. You want the oats to be very crunchy. You can accomplish this in a dehydrator at any temperature as well. Use parchment paper or teflon sheets to keep the oats from falling through the racks.

Allow to cool slightly, then break apart and whiz briefly in a food processor until the oats are in little chunks.

Store in a tightly closed container at room temperature, or if you have access to freezer space, cold storage isn't a bad idea.

Added bonus: If you want soaked oatmeal for the morning, you can cook these up as hot cereal just as if they were "quick oats!"

Coconut Banana Pancakes

I posted on my family blog about some pancakes we had for breakfast the other day (which we eat pretty regularly, actually), and I had such a good response and requests for recipes, I thought I'd oblige here.

The pancakes are pretty much the recipe from my Vitamix cookbook for buttermilk pancakes, but I change the grains up regularly. I have used oat, barley, kamut, spelt, hard red wheat, hard white wheat flours, and others I'm sure. In the picture above I used a mixture of kamut and spelt, just what I had on hand already ground. The actual recipe just calls for whole wheat flour.


Here's the recipe for the pancakes:

Place in blender:

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 egg
2 Tbsp. light olive oil (I've used several kinds, all with success)
1/2 tsp (sea) salt
a little squirt of agave or other natural sweetener, if desired. (about a tsp.)

Blend well.

Then add:

1 1/4 cups whole-grain flour or mixture of flours of choice
1 tsp. baking soda

Blend, pulsing to combine. If it doesn't all combine, give it a stir or two with a spoon.

Cook on griddle.

I usually at least double this to have a few pancakes left for the next day.

Now, for the syrup! Oh yes. Delicioso.

The original recipe comes from Kara, and you can find it here.

I have modified it to suit my taste and needs. The original was just too thin for me.

Place in saucepan over medium heat:
1/2 cup sucanat
1/2 cup honey
1/4 tsp (sea) salt

Melt those all together. Once the sucanat is all dissolved, add in:

1 can of coconut milk
(Kara's cans are bigger than mine, I guess. I just use my 13.66 oz can, and it works great. A little more or less won't hurt.)

Mix in well. Then, I add in:

about a tablespoon of corn starch and a smidgen of water to mix it beforehand, add the mixture into your syrup and bring to a boil to thicken.

Once the desired thickness is achieved, remove from heat. Add in:

a tsp of vanilla.

Place on pancakes and inhale. So good.

For a special treat, and as pictured above, layer on some banana slices and come unsweetened coconut. Wow. What a breakfast. No white flour or sugar. No HFCS. Just goodness. And man, it's SO GOOD.

Green Day

How about, instead of food coloring to make foods green for today, you just eat some real green foods? Salads are great, fruits and veggies are great. Green smoothies are great.
Try mashing some spinach into your mashed potatoes, or make twice-baked green potatoes, like these from GreenSmoothieGirl.

Twice-Baked Green Potatoes

My sister-in-law Kelli makes this recipe, and even her vegetable-hating 3-year-old will eat it, even though she won’t eat broccoli. Of course, I’ve added even more greens.

8 large potatoes
1 large head broccoli
4 C spinach
8 green onions, diced (including the long green part)
¼ C grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1½ tsp. sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Bake foil-wrapped potatoes at 350° for one hour, then let cool enough to handle the potatoes. Chop the broccoli into small pieces and steam for 15 minutes, adding the spinach for the last 5 minutes of steaming. Cut each potato in half and scoop out the potato “guts,” being careful to leave the skin intact with about ¼” of potato all the way around, to keep it firm to use later. Set the skins aside.

Use a hand mixer to blend until smooth the potato “guts,” steamed broccoli, onions, spinach, Parmesan, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Add a bit of water if the mixture is too thick to blend.

Scoop the mixture back into the potato skins. Optionally sprinkle with additional Parmesan, then bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.

As for salads, try mixing it up from your usual if you are feeling salad burnout. Add some fruit, seeds, artichoke hearts, sprouts, different colors of peppers...make it beautiful and interesting! And to top it off (literally. ha.), make your own salad dressing. Ranch is a favorite, but if you want something else, try this:

Maple Syrup Dressing

¾ C extra virgin olive oil
¾ C red wine vinegar
6 Tbsp. maple syrup
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ C brown mustard
¼ yellow or white onion
½ tsp. garlic powder
Blend in a high-power blender until smooth.

(Feel free to cut the amounts in half. This makes quite a bit.)

Here's one more GSG recipe. A fun party salad that would really enliven your usual dinner salad and it's green, of course.

Spinach-Orzo Ensalata

This is my duplication of my favorite salad at Macaroni Grill, but nutritious and vegetarian—and I think it even tastes better. It’s a hit everywhere I take it.

1 C uncooked whole-wheat orzo pasta (boil it approx. 6-7 minutes and rinse well to keep grains
separate, then cool)
10+ C spinach (about 2 10-oz. bags), chopped
1 pkg. fresh basil, cut into ribbons
2 tomatoes, diced small
1 can black olives, sliced
2 oz. capers (half a 4-oz. jar), drained
½ C raw pine nuts
optional: shaved Parmesan to taste
Toss all ingredients except optional Parmesan. Add dressing to taste (the Tangy Dill Dressing on page 63 is perfect) and toss. Top each plate with shaved Parmesan if desired.

And here's the dressing for this one:

Tangy Dill Dressing

¼ C fresh lemon juice
¼ C fresh orange juice
½ C extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (page 238)
¼ C apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. dried (or ¼ C fresh) dill weed

Blend all ingredients in a high-power blender.

Green not only has a lot of fabulous nutrition, it's essential for true health and cleansing our bodies of toxins. Eat up!

Asparagus

When foods are in season they are at their peak of nutrition and are less expensive, to name only two bonuses. Here's one that you can enjoy right now:



Asparagus is at its peak from February through June. Eat it up!

Coco-Nutties

I know I use this word a lot, but these are YUM. They are a great treat with no cooking time--quick and easy to make, whole food ingredients, and you can freeze them for those sweet tooth moments, or serve them for everyone to gobble up right away.

My little boy calls them "nuddies." I found the recipe on a blog a while ago and printed it off to try sometime. I'm so glad I got around to it.

Coco-Nutties

2 C. pecans
(I didn't have a full 2 c.of pecans so I added in brazil nuts that I had on hand to fill the gap and they worked great.)
1/4 C. coconut oil
(It helps if this is in liquid form beforehand)
3 Tb. agave
3 Tb honey
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 C unsweetened shredded coconut
1 C chopped chocolate
(I just used some good chocolate chips and processed them up a bit in my food processor)

Pulse nuts in blender.
Take out and add everything to a bowl.
Make into balls and chill or freeze until ready to serve.

Makes about 30 golf-sized balls



I cooled some of them in the fridge to eat for a treat that night and froze thr rest, first seperately on a cookie sheet, and then condensed them into a Ziplock bag for longer-term storage.



I'm not kidding. They are so good. And easy.

Thai Food, Anyone?

I have really grown a taste for Thai and Indian cuisine. This is another Green Smoothie Girl recipe from her 12 Steps to Whole Foods book. It is not just a recipe book, but it contains a lot of recipes to help you implement the things she teaches. Some of the recipes are winners, others not so much. This was a winner--not just a "we could eat it again."

Be warned that it has a kick (one my two year old could handle though. Take care if your kids are wary of spicy foods). It must be the red curry paste. But you can do yellow or green curry paste as well. To find good deals on curry paste and other Asian products go to your local Asian market. The prices are WAY better there and the stuff is probably more authentic. Gluten intolerance? Asian markets have lots of rice and yam noodles for cheap. Really, give them a try. It's one of my new favorite places to shop. :)

I made this with brown basmati rice and would highly recommend the same for you, unless you are really wanting it with noodles.

Whole-Grain Pasta with Thai Coconut Sauce

My teenaged son calls this dish “Asia Meets Europe.” You can serve it with 4 C of cooked brown rice instead of pasta, if you prefer to keep it truly Asian.

16 oz. whole-wheat or spelt pasta, cooked according to package directions
3 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 onions, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
2 red bell peppers, sliced
3 carrots, chopped
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. red curry paste (or green or yellow, if you prefer)
1 can lychee fruit, drained (pronounced “LEE-chee”) --I left this out--
1 can baby corn, drained
¼ tsp. sea salt

Heat the coconut oil in a wok or skillet and sauté vegetables until tender-crisp. Blend the coconut milk,cornstarch, fish sauce, curry paste, and salt in a blender. Add to the vegetables, along with the lycees and baby corn. Heat and stir until sauce thickens. Toss vegetables/sauce with pasta and serve.

Of course, I always recommend serving dinner with a big green salad.