Pumpkin Pie----old style!

I was watching Good Eats the other day and Alton Brown made pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin.  I have always wanted to do that....soooo....I was in Safeway today and they had organic sugar pumpkins! Score!

I brought it home, cut it in half, scooped out the seeds,  put the halves face down on a parchment lined baking sheet, and baked them until they were super tender. I was unsure of what the taste and texture would be like.....taste: very sweet...texture, suprisingly smooth!  I scooped out the flesh from the skin and threw it in the food processor until it was super finely pureed.  Then I put the puree in a saucepan on medium heat and let it cook for a few minutes to evaporate the extra liquid from it.  It was now ready to make the filling.

I dumped the filling ingredients into the food processor (No...I didn't wash it in between) mixed them up and poured the filling into a Trader Joe's pie crust....already made! They are pretty dang good for a store-bought crust....actually the best I've ever had!  Baked it up and voila!  Pumpkin Pie....old style.

Now...what to do with the extra pumpkin puree I have left over.....cookies, bread, pancakes?

Pumpkin Pie a la Alton Brown

16 oz. pumpkin puree-freshly made

1 c. half and half     * I used 1 c. evaporated milk

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

3/4 c. brown sugar  * I used 1 cup brown sugar

1 t. nutmeg-freshly grated

1/2 t. kosher salt

* I added 1 t. cinnamon and 1 t. pumpkin pie spice.

Pour into an unbaked 9 inch pie shell. Bake @ 425 for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the center is just barely jiggly!

Let cool completely.

Inspiration Plantation-A fresh chicken field trip!

The other day I was reading a couple of blogs that I keep track of and noticed a link to a place near my house called Inspiration Plantation.  The reason it caught my eye was because they raise and process their own chickens for meat......AND they were processing chickens that VERY day! Being the ever adventurous girl that I am...I set out for the farm..with the husband at the wheel. Happy chickens were outside in a field...being chickens! Happy Chickens!
 I have wanted to see the difference in the taste of a freshly processed chicken and how it compares to store bought.  Inspiration Plantation raises 2 kinds of meat chickens...Cornish Cross-which are like the chickens you buy in the store....bred to have more white meat~~~And Heritage chickens-which are like the old-time chickens our grandparents used to raise.  They take longer to finish and have a smaller breast.
 We met the owners, Jen and Matt Schwab. They were so nice and explained the whole process to me!  I should have taken my camera to show you the set-up.  I decided to buy 2 of the Heritage chickens...$5.50 a pound and worth every penny!
They also have pork, turkey and eggs to sell. They are sold-out of pork and turkeys for 2010.


For Sunday dinner I made fried chicken.  What a great way to see the difference! And what a difference it was. When I opened the bags of raw chicken....there was NO YUCKY CHICKEN SMELL!  In fact, there was NO SMELL! WooHoo! I cut it up and fried it like my Grandma Kelin would have done it......It was delicious!!!!  The meat had texture...and that is a good thing! The flavor was fantastic!  I loved it and will buy more!


Check out their site and try some "REAL" chicken! http://www.inspirationplantation.com/

Creamed Corn-my Mom's way!

August is one of my favorite months. It is usually the best month  here in the Pacific Northwest for summer weather. It is also my anniversary and birthday month!  It is also the month for fresh, sweet corn.  I love corn in any preparation. Corn on the cob is so good simply prepared and eaten with butter, salt, and pepper.  If you want to go a little fancy-schmancy try the California Seasoned Pepper and Shallot Salt from Penzey's.  www.penzeys.com  It is a yummy variation.  My all-time favorite recipe is one that my mom made for me on my birthday at least 10 years ago.  I don't remember where she got the recipe..but it is divine.  It isn't low-calorie....but it's my birthday, right?  It combines fresh sweet corn with bacon and onions. Sauteed in a frying pan with a secret ingredient.....cream cheese!  Yum! I am making it tonight for dinner!

Creamed Corn-My Mom's way!

8 ears of fresh corn-sliced off the cob
1/2 pkg of bacon-cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion-chopped
1-2 T. sugar
1 brick Cream cheese
1-2 T. milk or half and half
Fry the bacon until crisp. Take out of pan and drain. Reserve the fat in the pan and add the onion and corn. Saute until the corn is done but still crisp. Add the sugar if needed. I usually taste it and then judge how much sugar to add...if any! Lower the heat and add the cream cheese. Stir until it is melted and incorporated. You may need to add a little milk/half and half to thin it down. Now.....add in the bacon. OMGsh! Nirvana.
Try to have some restraint and wait until it is cool to eat it! 
This should serve 4 people easy...or 1 girl on her birthday!

Blackberry Cream Pie

This pie is sooo good! Sour cream, sugar, blackberries. A yummy combo for sure!   Blackberries, marionberries, loganberries, blueberries...even peaches,  could all be used in this recipe.  I made it once and it was gone....they ate it all.   I even ate it and I am not especially fond of cooked blackberries.  Pretty easy to make....uncooked pie shell..add berries and the delicious sour cream mixture over the top. Bake and cool before eating!

Blackberry Cream Pie
1 unbaked pie shell
2 c. blackberries  *or the others mentioned
1 1/2 c. cugar
2 eggs
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. vanilla
Pour the blackberries in the pie shell.  Mix the remaining ingredients and pour into the pie shell over the blackberries.  Add topping on the top.
Topping
In the bowl of a food processor place 1/2 c. of each of the following: sugar, flour, butter. Add a pinch of salt and pulse until there are nice crumbs. Sprinkle on the pie and bake.

 Bake @ 400 degrees for 15 minute. Turn oven down to 350 degrees for 20 minutes more.

Fresh Blueberry Pie

July is National Blueberry Month and in honor of it...I made a fresh blueberry pie. 
Blueberries have never been my favorite....I always have eaten them cooked in muffins or pie. I didn't like the taste or texture. BUT...I have decided that I LOVE THEM FRESH!  I can eat quite a few pounds if I am not careful. Which really isn't a bad thing because they are so good for you. Low in calories and high in antioxidants.  Anyway...back to the pie!
When we were in Idaho my Mom made a "FRESH" blueberry pie....not cooked. It had a graham cracker crust and was delicious.  I came home and tried to replicate it...and it was a delicious soupy-graham crackery mess.  I didn't thicken the glaze enough....so today I made it again and I think I've got it!  I made a good old-fashioned crust with LARD! (Gasp...Lard?) Yes..Lard! Try it out. The crusts are flaky and brown....recipe from an old "Farm Journal" canning and freezing book.
I used Instant Clear-Jel  as the thickener. It is a modified food starch that instantly thickens cold liquids.  You can buy it at the Wilco Farm Store, Decorette Shop or online.

Old-Fashioned Pie Crust

2 c. sifted flour
1 T. salt
2/3 c. cold lard * I put it in the freezer for 30 minutes or so
5-6 T. cold water  *may use more or less depending on the humidity in the air
Sift flour and measure out 2 cups. Add salt and mix. Cut in the lard till it looks like peas. Add water a little at a time and mix with a fork till combined. Roll into 2 8 inch rounds.  Dock the crust with a fork and bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 9-11 minutes. Take out and cool on rack.

Fresh Blueberry Pie Filling
6 C. fresh blueberries  *Stemmed and all leaves taken out
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
1 c. sugar
2 T. INSTANT Clear-Jel
**IMPORTANT!  Mix the sugar and Clear-jel together. 
Put 2 c. of the blueberries in a saucepan with the fresh lemon juice. Heat the mixture until the berries are heated and then mash them with a potato masher. Add the sugar/Clear-Jel mixture and stir well.  Pour over the rest of the berries and mix till all the berries are coated. Pour the berries into the 2 cooled pie crusts. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Sticky Coconut Chicken

I LOVE Coconut! Sweet, creamy, yummy coconut! So, when I saw a post from MY KITCHEN CAFE I knew I had to try it. You marinate the chicken thighs in coconut milk with ginger and jalapeno. You also make a glaze for the chicken to make it sticky. It was yummy! I adapted the recipe slightly because I didn't have any red pepper flakes. I DID have some jalapenos and I grated them in to replace the pepper flakes. Next time, I will just slice them to get a little more zip! The chicken thighs are great because they don't dry out on the grill. The glaze I could have eaten out of the pan. I will double it the next time I make it so I have extra to pour over the chicken at serving time. I served it with what else....coconut rice and sliced pineapple.

Sticky Coconut Chicken

slightly adapted from http://www.mykitchencafe.com/

1 family pack of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12-14)

1 can of coconut milk

1 T. freshly grated ginger....don't use the powdered stuff...real stuff only!

1 t. red pepper flakes (i used the jalapeno here....slice in a few rounds)

fresh ground pepper

Put the thighs in a ziploc bag and pour the other ingredients over. Put in the fridge and marinate. I let mine work for about 5 hours. Grill the chicken till almost done and glaze it with the following glaze until it is yummy and sticky! Serve with coconut rice.

While my chicken was working in the fridge I made the glaze.

Glaze

3/4 c. rice vinegar

1/2 c. sugar

3 T. soy sauce

1 t. red pepper flakes (again, I used a jalapeno round)

Mix all together is a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook down until the mixture is syrupy. Glaze the chicken the last few minutes of cooking.

Coconut Rice

I use a rice cooker to cook my rice.

4 c. dry rice

1 can coconut milk

3 c. water

That's it...let the rice cooker do it's work!

Grilled pineapple would be a great addition to this meal.

Idaho, Utah and Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here we are @ The Conference Center...my sister, Jana, Monte, Me, Brennan and my friend Melanie...taken by a nice tour guide. The big building behind messes up the shot for sure!

Whew....vacation is over. It was super fun. We went to southern Idaho and visited my parents....ate yummy food....fresh blueberry pie (I had never eaten fresh blueberry pie)....watch for the post on that one....Lava Hot Springs...Chesterfield...UTAH....warm and sunny...American Fork Harley Davidson, Grandma's Foods, Cabella's....cards ( I suck @ 5 Crowns....but it was fun)..Ryan and Ashley...SLC Farmers Market.....Caputos....Conference Center, Temple Square, Church History Museum....Deseret Book Flagship store ( Where I saw the Pretzel cookies)Lone Star Taqueria....wish I had some of their Pico.....fireworks...Hunter 16th Ward....can you say SUPER SMALL WARD! 26 ladies in RS and 4 of us were visitors! More cards....I REALLY suck @ Shanghai! Pack up...go home!

The cookies are my basic recipe below.....Melanie and I decided to add about 3/4 cup of crushed salted pretzels to the dough with the chocolate chips. Actually....Brennan did the mixing! MMMM!

Free E-book today only!

Hey....free e-book from the Urban Homemaker called "Sensational Summer Salads"! Marilyn Moll has lots of great ideas for salads using whole, nutritious food! And besides, who doesn't need another good salad recipe! Free today only by using this link: http://tinyurl.com/urbanhomemaker

26 pages of yum!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I told you I would post the recipe for my chocolate chip cookies and so I shall! I decided to try the Eagle Mills flour and the cookies are the perfect test! You can tell if the flour is different with your favorite cookie recipe! Well! I LOVE THIS FLOUR! It works just like all-purpose flour but has the added benefit of the white whole wheat! The consistency of the dough was perfect. I was concerned because with whole wheat, sometimes you need to add extra liquid. Not so with this flour! It is a dream! So final product tasting....YUMMM! Just like the "normal" ones.

What a great way to get the "healthy" into your family's diet! I am sold!

I will be going to Costco today to stock up with more...it is $6.55 for 2-10 pound packages and they are going to keep stocking it. (Yes....I checked)

The other thing that I love is from Bob's Red Mill. It is Old Fashioned "Yellow D" Brown Sugar. It is a boiled dark brown sugar with an extra rich molasses flavor and small uniform crystals.

The small crytals are great...it creams perfectly without the gritty texture you get from some brown sugars. The taste is delicious. Very molasses-y without being way to strong. I use it in all my recipes that call for brown sugar.

I have also changed from using Crisco to Spectrum Non-Hydrogenated Shortening. WHY? Well...I have been doing some research about "good" fats and oils and learned how they process and hydrogenate fats and oils like canola, vegetable shortening. It is all a chemical process that I don't really want to have to deal with. For example, canola oil is pretty much poisonous until they refine it, bleach it and deodorize it...all chemically done. No thanks! The Spectrum shortening is better for your body because it is non-hydrogenated, has zero trans-fat and is made from Palm oil, which is naturally cholesterol free and a good source of monosaturated fat. It is vegan, kosher, gluten free and has less saturated fat than butter....and it doesn't go rancid like regular shortening. Oh, and did I tell you it's organic. It costs more but to me it's totally worth the price. You use it just like regular shortening!

Here is MY cookie recipe.

Shelley's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. shortening

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

2 1/4 c. flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 pkg. chocolate chips-whatever kind you like..I use Ghirardelli.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the shortening and sugars till smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix up until it is fluffy. Scrape the sides down to make sure the whole mixture is smooth.

Mix the dry ingredients together and combine with the creamed mixture till smooth. Add the chocolate chips. Bake for 9-11 minutes depending on the size cookies. I used my smallest cookie scoop and did 9 minutes. My bigger scoop takes about 12 minutes.

Eagle Mills All-Natural Flour

I went in to Costco yesterday to get some flour and grabbed the All Purpose Unbleached flour that they had there. When I went to pour it in my canister today I noticed a difference. It is "a wholesome blend of White and Ultragrain flours".......so what exactly does that mean?

It is a mixture of white whole wheat and refined flour. So you get the benefits of whole wheat and the texture and grind of regular unbleached flour. It has double the fiber, increased antioxidants and phytonutrients, more vitamins and minerals, and a nice smooth texture. What's not to like?

I am going to try it out on my standard chocolate chip cookie recipe and I will post the results.

Food Buzz!

I am now a "featured publisher" for Foodbuzz! Cool, huh? Check it out!

Strawberries!

I love strawberries! I wish we could get them fresh and local all year long..sadly not the case!

I thought these berries were beee-u-tee-fulll! My camera skills aren't great, but the subject makes up for my lack of skill!

Now...what to do with these red gems! Strawberry pancakes, waffles, shortcake, jam, cake? Wait and see what I come up with...And as always, I will share the love and recipes with you!

And yes...it totally bugs me that the corner of my window frame is schmutzy! Pardon my dirt!

I actually won something!

I am so excited! I actually won the Foodie Blogroll contest for a comment that I made. I have followed the Nourishing Gourmet for a while and one of her e-courses was offered as a contest prize. A Peasant's Feast: Nourishing Foods on a Budget is the e-course and I won! It is a $120.00 value ! I love the Nourishing Gourmet. I have been changing the way my family eats....slowly but surely. More whole grains, shopping locally for our food, raising our own hens for eggs, making bread, using good fats, etc. I am excited to follow the course and learn more about soaking grains, sourdough and other great things! WooHoo! Thanks to Foodie Blogroll and Kimi Harris of Nourishing Gourmet! I will keep you posted on my progress!

Chicken Taco Meat

I taught our Food Storage Fun class the other night and made this Taco meat in my electric pressure cooker! They are fast, economical and they taste super! I have a Cuisinart Electric pressure cooker and I use it all the time! It's not scary and works perfectly!

Chicken Taco Meat

1 family pack boneless,skinless chicken thighs

1 c. salsa

1/4 c. taco seasoning mix

1 small can diced green chilis

1/2 small onion chopped**

1/2 green pepper**

1/2 red pepper**

salt and pepper

garlic powder to taste

Put everything in the pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Wait until you can open the lid...aka natural pressure release. Shred and use for tacos, burritos, taco salad.

*** I used freeze-dried onions, red and green peppers.

Pink Cheesecake Fruit Salad

Can I just say....this salad is fabuloso! I had to make something to take for a potluck after my last Master Food Preservers class. So, in a pinch, I found this recipes on a bunch of sites. Allrecipes, Changeable Table. Made it..love it! Super easy and really adaptable to the fruit in season, yogurt flavors, do whatever!

Pink Cheesecake Fruit Salad

2 small pkgs. cheesecake pudding mix
1 8 oz. container of cool whip (or equivalent amount of sweetened whipped cream) *I used cream.
1 32 oz. container of strawberry yogurt
Fresh fruit- cut into bite-size pieces * I used strawberries

Mix the yogurt and cool whip (whipped cream) together in a large bowl. Add the DRY pudding powder and combine together. Chill for about 1 hour. Add the cut up fruit and serve.

I think you could use raspberry or peach yogurt with the corresponding fruit and it would be yum!

Blender Wheat Waffles

I used to hate making waffles. I had a waffle iron with the little holes. It took forever to heat it up and clean it . So...I made pancakes on the nice electric griddle. The fam likes them waffles! My kids got me a Belgian waffle maker...bigger holes, easier clean-up! Now...since I have been making pancakes/waffles I have always used Bisquick...mmmmm, I love Bisquick, light and fluffy pancakes/waffles. Lots of good preservatives as well!

I have been trying to get whole grains in my family's diet without them knowing....sneaky, huh? This recipe fit the bill perfectly! I was a little worried about putting the wheat in the blender....but it works great! The waffles are light and delicious....and are 100% whole white wheat! I got this recipe from Crystal Godfrey's book, I Can't Believe It's Food Storage.

Whole Wheat Blender Waffles

*There are instructions by each ingredient that will help you use your food storage items. i.e. powdered milk or eggs. Feel free to use those substitutions...they work great!

1 c. milk (3 T. powdered milk + 1 c. water)

1 c. + 1 T. wheat kernels, whole and uncooked

2 eggs (2 T. dry powdered eggs + 1/4 c. water)

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. oil

2 T. sugar

Put milk and wheat kernels in blender. Blend on highest speed for 4 or 5 minutes or until batter is smooth. Add eggs, oil, baking powder, salt and sugar. Blend on low. Pour straight from the blender jar into a hot, prepared waffle iron. Close and cook. (These waffles take slightly longer to cook than regular waffles.)

Yum! Can be frozen and reheated for later. This recipes makes about 3 Big waffles....when seperated it is 12 little waffles!

Homemade Yellow Cake from My Kitchen Cafe

I made the yellow cake from my previously posted link....you know...the homemade yellow cake mix post! It went together perfectly....and it came out of the oven looking FAB! I give all the cheers/credit to http://www.melskitchencafe.com/.

Now....I am going to make her Tres Leche...3 milk cake from the yummy yellow cake.

Homemade Make-Ahead Yellow Cake Mix from My Kitchen Cafe

2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 c. cake flour ***See note below
1/2 c. nonfat dry milk powder
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
16 T. butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
1 T. vanilla extract
Process sugar, flours (or flour and cornstarch if making the substitution for the cake flour), milk powder, and salt in a food processor for 15 seconds to combine. Add butter and vanilla and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. At this point you can freeze the dry mixture in a zip-loc bag for up to 2 months or use immediately.

***NOTE*** the recipe calls for cake flour, which I never have on hand so I substituted 2 3/4 cups plus 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour and 3 Tablespoons cornstarch for the three cups of flour called for in the recipe. It worked beautifully.

To make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your pan of choice.

With an electric mixer, beat the prepared cake mix, 1 1/4 c. warm water and 2 large room-temperature eggs until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape the batter into prepared cake pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean.
Two 9-inch layers 25-27 minutes
One 9x13 pan 35-40 minutes
12 cup Bundt pan 40-45 minutes
24 cupcakes 18-20 minutes

Now for the Tres Leche part of the recipe.
Bake the cake in the 9x13 pan and let it cool for 1 hour. Poke with the tines of a fork or a wooden skewer....all over...a lot. More holes=more syrup that will soak into the cake.

Milk Syrup
1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut Look for it in the "mixer" aisle at the store.
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 t. vanilla extract...the good stuff please.
Combine all in a blender and process until smooth.

When the cake is cooled, spoon some of the syrup over the cake. Let it soak in and then continue spooning the syrup on top of the cake until it has all been used up. Not all of the syrup will soak in right away. That is ok...put it into the fridge covered with plastic wrap for 2 hours until the syrup is absorbed.
Slice the cake and serve with sweetened whipped cream, banana slices and toasted coconut, if desired.
MMMM! Heavenly!

Foodie Blogroll

Hey everbody...my blog was approved and accepted by Foodie Blogroll! I am official...thus the cool widget! It is a great site to follow if your a foodie like me!

Homemade Yellow Cake Mix

I love the blog "My Kitchen Cafe" and I follow it religiously. Alot of my favorite recipes/ideas come from this super blog. So today,I opened up the blog to find a post for homemade yellow cake mix! I am so excited to try it...today is the day! After work, I am gonna bake a cake! And then I will post the picture of it.....should I use the Mango jam in it or should I do the Tres Leche cake with the coconut cream and sweetened condensed milk....so many choices.

Here is the link: http://www.melskitchencafe.com

Homemade Laundry Soap

I got a recipe from a friend, April, for homemade liquid laundry soap a few months back. I decided to try it yesterday....it only takes about 10 minutes to make 5 gallons of the liquid concentrate!

Liquid Laundry Soap

You will need:
A clean 5 gallon bucket with a lid
4 c. hot water
1 bar of Fels Naptha, Ivory or Zote soap-grated with a cheese grater
1 c. washing soda
1/2 c. borax

Put the grated soap and hot water in saucepan. Heat on Med. heat until the soap melts.
Fill your 5 Gallon bucket 1/2 full with hot water. Add the melted soap and stir. Add the washing soda and borax. Mix until all is dissolved. Fill the bucket almost to the top with hot water and stir again. (I filled mine to about 2 inches from the top.) Cover with a lid and let cool overnight. The soap will gel when it is done.

At this point you could add some essential oils, like lavendar or Tea tree. I left mine plain. 10-15 drops per 2 gallons of soap concentrate.

To Use: Use an empty liquid laundry detergent bottle...rinse it out well. Fill the container 1/2 full of laundry gel and then top it off with water. Voila~liquid laundry soap.
Shake the container before you use it.

This soap is safe for HE washers...it is low-suds and that is what you want. Use 1/4 c. per load for HE washers.
Top-loaders use just over 1/2 c. per load.

Use white vinegar in your fabric softener dispenser for a natural softener. It works great!

Try it! You'll Love it!

Change is difficult!

Today our Ward boundaries changed. A part of our Ward has been re-assigned to another ward. We knew last Sunday that something was on the horizon....but it just seems so final now. We have been in this ward for quite a few years. I will miss seeing those who are in First Ward....you are my friends and I love you! But we have not died and will have to make the effort to see each other.
We also gained some families from Salmon Creek Ward...and that is a good thing too! I hope their transition is easy...I will try my hardest to "make it so". (I love Jean Luc Picard)

Come What May and Love it! We will try for sure!

Rhubarb Crumble

Today was a warm and cloudy day. My little rhubarb plant has been sending out rhubarb pretty well. I made a rhubarb strawberry pie last week and it was yummy....but....no one eats the crust but me..and the dog! So...when they asked me to make a pie again I thought...nope! I'm not gonna do it! I made rhubarb crumble instead and it turned out great. I made this up...so my measurements are probably not exact enough for some.

Rhubarb Crumble

Strawberries-washed and cut into chunks. (I used 2 of the plastic clamshells from Winco)

Rhubarb-5 good sized stalks of rhubarb. I peeled the skin and strings off.

1 1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. Minute tapioca

1/2 t. salt

Mix that all well and let it sit for 30-40 minutes to juice up and start getting the tapioca plumped up.

Pour into a pie dish and top with the following crumble.

1 1/2 c. flour

1 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter

1 t. salt

Mix dry in food processor and mix till blended. Add butter and pulse until it make crumbly stuff.

Put on pie and bake @ 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes or till the pie bubbles and makes a mess in the oven!

Book GIVEAWAY!

Book GIVEAWAY!

I love the book, I Can't Believe It's Food Storage and she's having a book give-away!
This is the greatest little book for newbies and veteran food storage lovers alike. Information about and recipes for food storage items! I recommend it 100% and I love it. If you need a food storage guide..this is it!

OMGsh! I think I am gonna try it again!

Well.....I decided last night in that place between wakefulness and blissful slumber...you know when you are trying to get your mind organized before you sleep, that I would try and ride my bike around "the Loop. In my mind it didn't really seem that far....heck it only takes a couple of minutes in the car! So I got up this morning, got Brennan to his Scout activity @ 8AM. On the way home I went around the loop in the car to see how many miles it would be....maybe 2 or 3. WRONG !!! 4.1 miles. OK...So i came in the house, put on semi-warm clothes; i figured I would have a hot-flash or something on the road. Keys? check. Cellphone? check. Helmet...nope, don't have one....living on the edge, I tell ya! Get out bike....cuss because it is pushed between 2 motorcycles, tangled in brake cables and unable to move because of a bucket of pipe fittings. GRRR! Untangled, moved and Who put the gross, oily rag on my seat? READY!!! Nope....I need gloves and they are in the locked house. OK! Gloves? check! Go..around the corner...this is gonna be a piece of....OMGsh....did you know that it is basically uphill to Wilding Park....downhill a little...uphill till past the church....and then it was pretty good sailing, or pedaling as it were, until that little short, semi-steep hill @ Costco. My legs were like jell-o and I had to get off the bike.....to...push...it..up..! Heavenly Father hears the pleas of His children....even the out-of shape ones. All I could think of were 2 things. 1. Please don't let me fall off my bike and 2. please don't let me faint and fall off in front of a bunch of cars! I was a little lightheaded....but I have been called dizzy before..no big! No cars were around, so I got off, huffed and puffed my way up the hill all the time smelling delectable Costco muffins baking. Got to the top...waited to catch what breath I had left and rode down the wonderful little hill towards home. I got home and couldn't get off my bike! HA HA HA I was too close to the car and basically peeled myself off. A Lucille Ball moment for sure.
I was able to think between gasps for oxygen. Maybe this will be when I receive inspiration from the Lord instead of when I dry my hair. I don't know...I was breathing pretty loud!
I saw lots of birds, a creepy cat, 3 little pygmy goats, a really mangy lookin Llama, all kinds of flowers and BTW...it was raining a little when I left, but the sun was shining when I got home! The Lord knows I hate rain! I feel pretty good....and tomorrow is another day!

Sucanat!

Still trying to be "unrefined" sugar free. It is a challenge to say the least. Weekends are difficult because I am "off" schedule. I have been eating more protein, which is good. I have also been researching unrefined sugars...like Sucanat. Sucanat is dehydrated sugar cane juice. It is sugar cane crushed daily, juice heated to a thick syrup. The syrup is stirred by hand to create the granules. It is a nice brown color and the granules remind me of yeast. The sugar cane's molasses is locked in....very yummy taste. It can be used cup-for-cup the same as refined sugar.

I made Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sucanat and they were good. Just darker in color than those made with white sugar. I also used Spectrum Non-hydrogenated shortening instead of Crisco....a healthier alternative to the chemically processed fat!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. Spectrum or shortening

1 1/2 c. Sucanat

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

1 T. water

Cream together. It doesn't cream like refined sugar. Not as fluffy! That is normal.

Combine together and add to creamed mixture:

2 1/4 c. soft white wheat flour-I grind my own....pastry flour...good for cookies etc. that don't need the structure that gluten gives.

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

Mix well. Add:

1 pkg. chocolate chips

Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

They will be really dark brown and a very soft cookie. Yum!

"Refined" Sugar free

Today is day one of my quest to become healthier! I am not happy with my current state of "brain fog" You know, not being able to to a simple math problem, not able to concentrate, lack of motivation, sleepy, just meh! So..I am going to try and cut out refined sugar and all of his glorious, delicious, minions. I say minions because it is like the Devil and his army trying to beat me into submission! I love sugar in all it's wonderful forms....but it is not working for me anymore! Junk food, fast food, crap food! Who needs it? The food companies and they are out to get me and my money! So no more junk...fast food, garbage-y empty calories, POP!!!!!, white sugar.
So what am i going to eat? I ask myself! Good wholesome grains, fruits and vegetables, good fats..like coconut oil, olive oil and butter!; good healthy proteins...meat, fish, chicken; Drink water, milk..not that low-fat crap, either!
I am also doing a nutritional cleanse with Isagenix. It makes me feel so good and gets rid of all the junky toxins in my body.
I have been reading "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. The subtitle tells the real "jist" of the book...The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats.
Meaning, it is good to eat fats....they are beneficial for good health! They are NOT bad for you!
It has a lot of great information about nutrition....and recipes etc.

I am trying to be better....isn't that the goal for this life?
Day one-we shall see!

Alfredo---ala Ryan with changes by me!

Ryan told me his recipe for Alfredo...and I perfected it. He will vocally disagree! Is there any more perfect food than pasta....any kind....with alfredo? We had the Chicken Ravioli with Rosemary, mozzarella and parmesan from Costco. I made the Alfredo to go with and I found some super FAT asparagus at Whole Foods today. Here is the recipe!

Alfredo

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 stick of butter

1 minced garlic clove

pinch of grated nutmeg..fresh is best!

1-1 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

pepper

cayenne pepper

Melt the butter, add the garlic and cream. Bring it to a low simmer. Add the cheese, nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Mix well and keep on low heat till all is incorporated. Taste....adjust seasoning. I didn't need to add any salt. But I love black pepper! Let it cool and pour over pasta. It looks thin, but it thickens as it cools!

Yum! It is NOT low-fat! BUT...you don't EAT THE WHOLE BATCH! Moderation!

I put it over the Chicken with mozzarella, parmesan and rosemary ravioli from Costco. It fed us all dinner and I have leftovers for Monte's lunch tomorrow. Sweet!