Make your own Cough Drops with Coconut Oil, Honey, and Cinnamon

I know my pic isn't fancy, but this is my day off and I've got it packed with stuff to do to catch up with life. So, this is what you get. :)

Here is the link to The Coconut Mama recipe I used.

The ingredients are super simple - raw coconut oil, raw honey, and cinnamon!

Some folks had issues with their recipe not hardening up. I had  no issues. My CO was solidified when I started (pantry runs 68*-72* or thereabouts).

I don't have tiny ice cube trays, so I used my Tupperware ice cube trays and a small Pampered Chef scoop and put a scant scoop in each compartment. Then I pounded them on the counter top to make them settle in and flatten and stashed them in the freezer for the afternoon.

When I took them out of the freezer, they were solidified. They popped easily out of the ice cube tray (over a cookie sheet, I twisted the ice cube tray, turned it upside-down, and most of them came out. For the remainder, I pounded the ice cube tray upside down on the cookie sheet a couple times.)

I put them in baggies and they are in my kitchen freezer door for easy fighting-illness pick-me-ups.

I'm thinking these will be good to add to my morning tea, as well as a soothing throat drop!

After a long hiatus.....I am back! Here's a recipe I made today for Homemade Cough Drops!

I know I've been gone for awhile. Life sort of got in the way and I've been pulled away to other things.  But this month I've been working a bit on writing a very-much-in-the-beginning-stages novel for National Novel Writing Month and the writing bug has bit me in the hind end and I wanted to get back to writing here on the blog again.  So maybe this blog post is part procrastination, but it just seemed so much easier than figuring where to go next with the novel. It's still writing....right? ;-)

After this whole election thing and finally finding out the results, I was feeling the need to do something....to make something with my hands.  I've been dabbling a bit in some make-your-own type stuff and I know winter's on its way.... I was having a gluten-free cinnamon roll(been a long time since I had one - it was yummy) and I swear by my Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice (decaf) tea to keep me healthy through the sick season.

(Yeah, I know that was a long, crazy sentence up there...)

Anyway, I looked around a bit and decided to try my hand at making my own cough drops/throat drops. I'm not too thrilled by the ones with all the extra junk I wouldn't otherwise consume.

I found 2 recipes, and this is the one I decided to make today: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/11/diy-homemade-cough-drops.html

It was super easy - no need to heat anything up. And my little handmade cinnamon and honey cough drop balls look a lot like the ones on the The Prairie Homestead's site, so I must have done it right!

Now I need to let them sit a day or so to dry and then either wrap them up in wax paper pieces or put them in a container to keep them safe until I need them!

I was able to find Slippery Elm Bark and organic cinnamon at my local health food store (I believe it was from Frontier). I had the raw honey in my pantry already - purchased from the farmer's market.

I found a cookbook! Wow! This is Allergy Free and Sugarfree

First off---we've had a day or two of really warm weather and our lilac bushes have budding leaves!

 

My husband and I went to Lehman's General Store last weekend, as we are accustomed to doing about this time most years.

While I was there, I picked up a book that I had regretted not picking up last year: a spiral bound cookbook with the title Wow! This is Allergy Free and Sugarfree by Mary Yoder and Deborah Steiner.  From the looks of the family picture on the back of the book, I'd guess the authors are Mennonite or Amish. 

When I first picked this book up, I was skeptical. I've been eating Gluten-free (with a cheat here and there) for a couple years now, and truly did not expect to find anything non-wheaty as far as cookbooks go in an Amish store.  The fact that it was about allergies surprised me as well.  I may go into my lunch-and-dinner ventures in Amish country in a different post...

This book is based on the use of a "Four Day Rotation Diet", something that I have read about a lot in my allergy journey, but  have not embraced.  Part of the reason I have not taken to the four day rotation of foods was that, in the past, I did not have a wide enough variety of foods I could eat to break them up into eating once every four days.  Another reason was that I couldn't figure out how to do it; how to sub properly. I didn't have reliable recipes to use--it would have meant more hours scouring the internet for usable recipes.

I feel like I've been regressing a bit with my health/allergies lately.  I am sure part of it is stress with adding a paying job to my schedule and trying(and failing) to balance everything, part of it is that spring allergy season is gearing up, and part of it is because I have been eating more junk (read: Easter candy, chips, etc) and not so healthy meals due to a real lack of time to cook said meals when I am at work during the dinner-prep hour.  The family only wants so much roast and veggies or stew...

So....I am thinking about incorporating some of these recipes into my repertoire.  I'm not sure I want to do it completely, one reason being that I would have to give up my ritual of tea drinking in the morning.... I love my tea...I did pick up some different flours from the health food store and hopefully that will give me a good start.

I like the fact that the authors are at least aware of the corn allergy issue and the gluten issue, and I can adapt the days they have gluten-containing ingredients with the other alternative non-gluten ingredients.  I like that, when they use a "gum" in breads, it is guar gum and not (corn-derived) xanthan gum.  That, to me, is promising.  And I didn't see a whole lot of "gums", which I prefer as well.

So, we'll see how it goes, once I get a handle on it and try some of the recipes out!

A GF Aldi Lunch Salad

Thought I would share my GF lunch using Aldi ingredients.  I was tired of the same ol' leftovers and sandwiches and wanted something fresh to eat, so I made this up from my fridge ingredients from my last Aldi run. You can make it with ingredients from any ol' store (or your garden!).

For this salad, I used:

1 1/2 heads of the Artisan Lettuce. I picked one of the reddish heads and half of one of the green heads.
Chopped onion
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
12 or so Pepperoni slices (yep, these are GF!)
Some jarred Marinated Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic Cloves and Olive Oil
Olive oil from the jar of peppers
Pepper and salt ground from my pepper and salt mills

This made for a tasty, spicy lunch. I will probably having something a little more substantial later this afternoon, but this hit the spot for a light lunch!

Thanks for reading!

Honey Lemon - Good for What Ails Ya!

I saw this idea a few months ago on Pinterest and promptly forgot about it. I was reminded when at the local health food store talking with one of the ladies there and made it the next day!

Our household has been fighting a cold/cough virus, and I plan to be using this a lot!

It's incredibly easy to make this concoction. Some people add Ginger to the mix, but since I am not certain whether Ginger is in the mix of spices I have been having some problems with lately, I left it out.  I am told and have read that over time, the concoction turns into a gel-like consistency. For now, two days after making it, it's made a lovely lemon-infused honey to put into my tea!

How to Make Honey Lemon
Gather:
Raw honey
Lemons
Fresh ginger, sliced thin(optional)
Clean jar with lid

Slice your lemons as thin as you can and place in jar. If you're using ginger, place that in as well, mixing with lemons.

Pour honey over the top until covered. The honey will draw out the juices and help fill the jar, so pour slowly! (I kind of made a sticky mess when I poured too much in at a time...)

Place closed jar in fridge to do its thing. If you feel like it, you can turn the jar on its top to help the honey move around and through the whole lemon stack.

When you need some honey-lemon goodness, simply spoon out what you need and replace jar to fridge. I have been adding this to my daily tea regimen, adding it to my black or white tea(you can use green, if you want).  For kids(and adults) who may not want true tea, you can just put a dollop of honey lemon in a cup and pour hot water over it for a yummy drink.

Yummy and good for you!

This should keep for months, as honey doesn't go bad, and lemon has plenty of acid in it to help fend off ickies.  As an extra precaution, don't go dipping dirty spoons into your jar. ;)

Keepin' it Real!

A Forgotten Favorite: Soft Boiled Eggs

Hubby and I went to Lehman's last weekend for our annual anniversary trip. I love this place---it is an Amish General Store and has all things non-electric, and inspires/challenges me to live a more simple life. The tons of things to check out around every corner is nice, too. It's like a giant bookstore/candy store/kitchen store/Amish crockery store/etc. in one!

While I was perusing the kitchen wares (of which there are many, and much of it modern---thanks to the tourist demand, lol) I came across some porcelain egg cups.  Holding one in my hand, I remembered my mom making us soft boiled eggs many mornings, and I decided I wanted to make some for my kids.  But I'm cheap, and rather practical, and didn't want a bunch of cups that had only one use cluttering up my cupboards...especially if the kids declare they hate soft boiled eggs after one go at it.

So, I looked around some more and found Pinch Bowls(which apparently aren't on the Lehman's website, on which I think they try to keep only the very simple things).  I had never seen these before, and had a lively discussion with a fellow shopper about their virtues.  I picked out a set of silicone ones, figuring I can use them to gather my spices before I start a recipe AND I can use them to hold the freshly soft boiled eggs to crack and eat them without burning fingers AND they nest AND I can freeze/bake/microwave and throw them in the dishwasher! Quadruple win! (and there's 4 of them for less than buying 4 of the actual egg cups)

Last night I had to Google how to cook a soft boiled egg (bring pot of water to boil, lower refrigerated egg into water, gently boil 5 minutes, remove) and tried it for myself this morning.

Yum! 

I think I will make some for the kids tomorrow morning (though I might let them cook a minute or so longer-still soft boiled, but the yolk will be more cooked).

Here's to Real Food!

GF "RECIPE": Chocolate Mint Coffee

Life's a Little Sweeter with (Mint) Chocolate

I've been faithfully avoiding the beloved Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies of my past. There are 2 boxes lurking about in my house, but since they are not Gluten-free, I am staying away.  But don't think they aren't calling me.

I have been wanting chocolatey-mint *something* these days---seeing the lovely green color all around me as St. Patrick's Day approaches doesn't help either....nor is walking through the candy aisle.

So, my splurge yesterday at the local health food store was a bar of Equal Exchange Mint Chocolate, 67% cacao content(so I think that means it's dark enough to consume without guilt, right?), Organic and Fairly Traded (more of the "no guilt factor" ;) ) It cost $4.49. (Oh, there's the guilt!)

In our Life Before Kids, hubby and I would regularly go to the local coffee shop and my order would often be a Grasshopper Coffee....Chocolate and Mint coffee with the token steamed milk added.

Do you sense a theme here?

This morning, I brewed up a pot of Sumatran coffee (easier on the stomach, for those looking for that, and no, hubby, I didn't use the Decaf!).

Once the coffee was finished brewing, I poured a cup and then shredded a square of chocolate with a fine shredder and stirred it up and added a splash of milk. Mmmmmm.....

Oh, and seeing the bits of chocolate melting on the shredder and realizing it wasn't a good idea to lick a shredder clean like one would a spoon, no matter how desperate, I dipped it into my cup and stirred so as to melt all the chocolate off and not let any of it go to waste.

So, not really a Recipe, per se....but a little idea I thought I'd share, in case anyone else is looking for a Chocolate Mint Coffee Fix. :)

GF Chocolate Mint Coffee

1 cup hot coffee
1 square(more or less, to taste) Equal Exchange Mint Chocolate, shredded or finely chopped
milk or cream, to taste

Add shredded chocolate to hot coffee, stir to melt and combine, add milk or cream to taste and enjoy!


(Or....merely munch away on the chocolate bar whilst drinking your cup of coffee!)

GF RECIPE: One-Pan Beef Stroganoff with Rice

During my hiatus from blogging, the idea of making beef stroganoff using rice (instead of noodles) was presented to me.  I found this idea intriguing and couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it myself! I have a recipe for One-Pan Beef Stroganoff that I have used for about 10 years (and don't remember the source, or I'd tell you), but due to the higher cost of GF noodles, I have avoided making it for the whole family.


So, I tried making my recipe using rice instead of noodles, and it was a hit! In fact, I think I like it with rice even better than with noodles!

Here's the recipe, with my substitutions:

GF One-Pan Beef Stroganoff with Rice

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (I just chop a whole onion and throw it in)
1 clove of garlic, chopped


1 tsp salt
1 TB lemon juice (I used lime juice), optional
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp pepper
1.5 cups brown rice
3-3 1/2 cups water or broth(more if you like your rice cooked longer)


2 TB parsley (I use about 2 tsp dry)
1 cup sour cream (I use Daisy brand--less fillers)


Brown meat, onion, and garlic.
Stir in remaining ingredients, except parsley and sour cream.
Cover and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until rice is done and most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
Add parsley and sour cream, stir well and heat through.
Serve!

I served with a salad/veggie tray. Next time, I may add a veggie of some sort to the pan. This fed our family of 5 for one meal (might have to double it as the kids grow!)

This is a good "pantry staples" recipe. :)
Pic to come when I make it again--kids were starving and I didn't get to take a pic! :)

RECIPE: GF Tortilla Pizza

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, so I thought I would share what I am having for lunch today. :)

I generally eat leftovers for lunch, but didn't want that today. I wanted pizza.

So, here's what I did with what I had in the house to make a tasty GF lunch.

GF Tortilla Pizza

• 1 Food for Life Brown Rice Tortilla

I put this in my biggest cast iron skillet and put it in a 425* oven to thaw and crisp up a bit (watch it closely!).


Meanwhile, I put a bit of olive oil in another cast iron pan and added the following:

• 1 sliced onion

• 3 or so sliced mushrooms

• a clove or two of garlic, sliced thin

• Some frozen bell pepper slices

• some leftover cut up pork loin that was seasoned w/garlic, rosemary, etc.

• A bit of salt

I took out 2 basil cubes from the freezer and thawed them in the microwave.


When my tortilla was sufficiently warmed/crisped, I spread the basil on it, then put some shredded cheese, the sauteed veggies (you may not want to put all the oil/liquid from the pan onto the pizza, or it might get too soggy), and topped with a bit more cheese and a sprinkling of salt.


I returned it to the oven and let it cook, checking often, until it looked done enough to eat. Cool, cut, and devour.

Yum!

REVIEW: Better Batter Gluten Free Flour and GF Snickerdoodle Recipe

I recently got some Better Batter Gluten Free Flour from a friend. At first I tried using it 1:1 in my regular recipes that called for wheat flour, but that didn't work well for me. Not sure why.

So, tonight, after depriving myself of holiday cookie cheer on a few fronts this week, I decided to try making some GF cookies.

I decided on the recipe for Snickerdoodles on the Better Batter website.

I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of using Spectrum palm shortening instead of "regular" (GMO soy) shortening.

They are delicious! I seriously just ate about 6 of them! They will be perfect for having with tea a couple times a day! (hehe) :)


I look forward to trying the Better Batter Gluten Free Flour in other recipes. :)

Yum!

GF RECIPE: GF Oatmeal Buckwheat Pancakes

In my quest for nutritious GF breakfast fare, I found a recipe online that fits my needs, plus it follows the concept of soaking grains: Gluten Freely Frugal's Favorite Gluten Free Pancakes/Waffles. (By the way, I have been finding Gluten Freely Frugal to be very helpful in my endeavor to eat Gluten Free on the cheap.)

I pretty much followed the instructions, with the exception of substituting a heaping 1/2 cup Buckwheat Flour for the 1/2 cup Buckwheat Groats the recipe calls for and subbing butter for oil. I adjusted my liquid as needed and followed other instructions as listed.

Here's the recipe with my alterations:

GF Oatmeal Buckwheat Pancakes

• 1 cup yogurt

• 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats

• heaping 1/2 cup buckwheat flour

• 1TB butter or oil (I used butter this time)

Put the above in your blender and blend for 2-3 minutes, adding a bit of water if needed to keep a vortex going. Leave on your counter at room temperature overnight. (The yogurt makes the grains more digestible and nutrients more accessible to the body.)


In the morning, add the following:

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Blend for a minute or two until combined thoroughly, adding water as needed to keep a vortex going in the blender.
Heat your griddle and cook.
Serve with maple syrup and butter or your choice of toppings.
Enjoy!

The kids ate without complaint until I asked how they were, and of course they said that their aunt's pancakes were better (from a mix). I need to learn to quit asking and assume that if they are eating it, it's acceptable!

This recipe was enough to feed myself and the three kids breakfast before school, but if it was a Saturday morning and my hubby was eating them too, it wouldn't have been enough by itself. Still, it worked great and I can very easily double the recipe! I'm thinking next time I will see how well it works for waffles!

Here's to Real Food!

RECIPE: GF Cereal Snack Mix

This mix has been a staple for me since the weather has cooled (and the cereal has gone on sale and I've had coupons).  I altered the Kellogg's Crispix Mix recipe to make it Gluten Free.

Here's how I make it:

GF Cereal Snack Mix

• 7-8 cups Rice or Corn Chex (or other suitable GF cereal--Corn Chex is likely GMO but I haven't found a substitute for it other than to use only Rice Chex)

• 1 cup Gluten-Free Pretzels (I have used Glutino's, but am open to trying other options)

• 3 TB butter, melted

• 4 tsp GF Worchestershire Sauce (Meijer brand is GF, as is Lea and Perrin's)

• 2 tsp Lemon Juice (I used Lime juice today)

• 1/4 tsp garlic salt

• 1/4 tsp onion salt (I only  have garlic and onion powder so I use 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp each garlic and onion pwd)

1. Heat oven to 250*.

2. Put cereal and pretzels in a 9x13 pan.

3. Mix remaining ingredients, pour over cereal and stir.

4. Place in oven for 20 mins, stir, then put back in for about 30 mins, stirring after about 15mins. 

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

6. Store in airtight container.

Munch!

RECIPE: GF Crockpot Beef Stew

Tis the season for a bowl of comfort food. For me, that means Beef Stew.

Here is the way I make it in the crockpot (spice blend curtesy of my mom's recipe).

GF Crockpot Beef Stew

1. Fill crockpot about 3/4 full with about a pound of beef stew meat(ground beef works in a pinch--brown it first) and a mixture of potatoes, carrots, onion, celery and garlic.

2. Add the following ingredients/spices and stir into veggies/meat:

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

• 1 tsp GF Worchestershire Sauce (Meijer brand is Gluten-free, as is Lea & Perrins)

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (I want to try smoked paprika sometime!)

• dash of cloves or allspice

3. Cover with water or GF broth--I used chicken or turkey bone broth from the freezer (or, depending on how much liquid you like, don't cover completely with water--but do add at least a cup or so of liquid), put lid on and cook on high for 4 hours or so(or longer on low). 

4. If you would like to thicken your stew, mix about 1/4 cup gluten-free flour mix (the more starchy ones come in handy here) with a bit of cold water and stir into stew and let cook a bit longer until it thickens up. A different starch would work too (such as corn starch)--just be sure you don't use wheat flour or another gluten-y flour.

Serve and Enjoy!

Pic to come!

RECIPE: GF French Fried Onions

Growing up, I remember always having the classic Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  I decided to bring it to Thanksgiving if I could figure out how to do it Gluten-Free.

I was directed to Gluten Free Mommy's Green Bean Casserole, which looks very promising.  I think I will use it to work off of, using my Pacific Foods Cream of Mushroom Soup that is gluten-free instead of making soup from scratch. I think I will still saute some mushrooms to add to the green beans though. And I'll use a gluten-free soy sauce...maybe...not sure I will need it really.

The other problem I had to solve was the substitute for French's Fried Onions (man, I loved those things!), since they have gluten in them.

I read the instructions by Gluten Free Mommy as to how she makes French Fried Onions and went from there.  I refuse to go to the store for more oil, so I was stuck using Ghee (expensive, but I've been wanting to use it up this month anyway...). I got out my smallest skillet and only did one onion, sliced thin. The flour I used was the end of the package of Bob's All Purpose Flour Mix and Better Batter Flour Mix, salt and pepper.

Let me tell you, these things are delicious! It's all I can do to NOT to eat them before making the casserole tomorrow! I better hide them from the hubby and kids!

Here's some pics:

Sizzling in the Ghee:

 Final Product: French Fried Onions!

Voila!

RECIPES: Gluten-Free Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

With the cooler temperatures and fall weather, I have been craving comfort food. I have heard rave reviews recently on Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti, and decided to try making a gluten-free version.

Since this is an experiment, and it's only me and my little girl here for dinner tonight, I halved Pioneer Woman's recipe.  Here is what I did:

Gluten-Free Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

~1 1/2-2 cups of cooked chicken (I used what I had taken off of the chicken last week and frozen in some homemade broth made from the same chicken)

~half a package of Tinkyada brown rice pasta, broken into 2-3 inch pieces

~1 box Pacific Foods Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup(you could use Cream of Chicken instead)

~1 8oz block of cheese, shredded (reserve enough to top off the casserole)

~1/4 cup + diced green pepper

~1/4 cup diced onion

~1 cup or so of chicken broth

~1/2 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt 

~1/16-1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste

~Salt and Pepper to taste

~A sprinkling of paprika (because I don't stock pimentos in the house, and thought I needed some red color to add pizzaz)

1. Boil your spaghetti until a little al dente (because you will be cooking it further in the oven), preferably in homemade chicken broth (unsalted or lightly salted) or in a mix of commercial stock cut with water to reduce salt content in your cooked noodles.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except for reserved cheese for the top). 

3. Add spaghetti noodles once they are cooked, and add enough water to allow the mixture to stir easily.

4. Pour into greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.

5. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is a bit browned.

Enjoy!

RECIPE: Crustless Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

I don't particularly like to make regular pie crust, much less try to figure out how to make one Gluten-free.  At least not at this stage in the game.  For me, pumpkin pie is all about the pumpkin flavor mingling with all those spices.The following recipe satisfies that craving.

I was going to type out the recipe I've been using, but then realized that I am using it exactly as I found it. I don't want to plagiarize/steal someone's recipe, so...

Here's the link to the Crustless, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie.  Many thanks to Shirley Braden for sharing her recipe and her awesome blog! :)

RECIPE: GF Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Last year, a dear friend brought over a pot of Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup, a recipe from Taste of Home's Quick Cooking. I decided to try re-vamping it and making it Gluten-Free and see how it turns out.

I think it is a success! (many thanks to my local Food Store ordering the Pacific Foods Condensed soups for me!)


GF Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
1-2 TB oil
Chopped 1/2 onion, stalk celery, clove of garlic

1 cup or so carrots and peas
1 quart homemade chicken broth or stock
1 quart water
2 teaspoons sea salt (because I don't always use a lot of salt in my homemade chicken broth)


2 cups of your GF noodle of choice (I used Tinkyada shells - the 6 1/2 cups of egg noodles in the original recipe seemed a bit much and the 2 cups of Tinkyada was plenty)

2 boxes Pacific Foods GF condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, undiluted
3 cups cubed chicken (I used most of a 28oz can of canned chicken)

1 cup Daisy full-fat Sour Cream
A sprinkling of dried parsley


In soup pan, pour in oil and saute veggies.
Add chicken stock, water, and peas and carrots and bring to a boil. 
Add noodles and cook, uncovered, until tender. Do not drain.
Add soup and chicken. Heat through.
Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.
Sprinkle with parsley.

Enjoy!

RECIPE: Gluten-Free MuShu Beef with Cabbage and Carrots

Having a head of cabbage hanging out in my fridge, and a bunch of ground beef in my freezer, I pored through my cookbooks yesterday to come up with a new-to-us recipe that sounded good.  In my Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes, there is a One-Dish Dinners section that has the recipe for Mu Shu-Style Beef & Cabbage Wraps. This was my starting point and inspiration.

GF MuShu Beef with Cabbage and Carrots
~1-2 TB oil (depending on how lean your beef is)

~1 pound ground beef
~1/2 cup of chopped onion (more or less to taste)
~1 clove chopped garlic
~1 medium head of cabbage, shredded or cut otherwise according to preference
~2 carrots, peeled and shredded
~1/4 cup GF Hoisin Sauce (more or less to taste) From what I read online, Dynasty brand is GF, as is Kame brand. Or you could make your own, but I haven't tried yet. 
~brown rice


1. Start your brown rice to cooking (quantity will depend on your family size-we currently use 1 1/2 cups brown rice:3 cups water and it takes 30-40mins depending on rice variety)
2. Pour oil into pan, along with beef, onion and garlic and brown.
3. Add shredded cabbage and carrots and cook, stirring ever so often, until tender.
4. Pour Hoisin Sauce over meat/veggie mixture and stir to combine. Heat through.
5. Serve over Brown Rice.

Here's my bowl with the rice mixed in!

Everyone but my suspicious-of-new-and-different-foods second child ate this with no complaint. Hubby even had seconds and is taking leftovers for lunch today, and there's enough for lunch for two later this week!

I think this one is a keeper.

RECIPE: Healing Dahl Soup

It's that time of year again! The weather  is cooling, and I am starting to crave hot bowls of yummy goodness.

Late last week, I was feeling like I was coming down with something.  I made Turkey Veggie Soup, but I also made up a pot of what I have dubbed Healing Dahl Soup.  It's thicker than soup, but has a warming spiciness to it--and it contains many ingredients that are known for helping the immune system to fight illness.  Thankfully, my cold only lasted a few days this time!

Here's the recipe:

Healing Dahl Soup
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ginger, freshly grated (fresh ginger can be hard to come by here, so I tend to get Organic Minced Ginger from The Ginger People--less waste, and it's not very expensive!)

2 TB veg oil (I used extra light olive oil)

1 cup red lentils, rinsed (other types will work)

4 cups water

3 TB lemon juice (I use Santa Cruz brand, since it's corn free)


1 tsp sea salt


1. Heat oil over medium heat in large frying or sauce pan.
2. Saute onion, garlic and spices together.
3. Add water and lentils and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir ever so often.
5. Remove cover, add lemon juice and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes or until lentils are mushy and thick. Add the salt.
6. Serve over rice, if desired. I generally serve it over brown rice.

Enjoy!

Here's to Real Food!

Fried Okra, Fresh From the Garden

Fall is in the air. Mornings are chilly, and the garden has been beckoning me to come see what needs taking care of before the Big Freeze.

I am impressed this year with how big the Okra has gotten. With a freeze around the corner, I didn't want to put off eating some and regret it. So I picked what was ready...

...and decided that I was going to have Fried Okra for part of my lunch today!
I suppose this isn't a true recipe, with exact amounts and such. It's how I "just do it" though, so thought I'd share.

First I rinsed them off and patted them dry with a towel.
Then, I sliced them up like so:

Dipped them in egg and put them in a baggie with about 1/2 cup organic corn meal, salt and pepper, to coat.

I heated up a small frying pan with about 1/4 deep of extra light olive oil, and put one in to test. It sizzled up pretty good, so I put the rest of them in...

turning when the underside was browned.

I took them out to a bowl with a paper towel in the bottom to catch excess oil.

Voila!

 

Here's to Real Food!