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!

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!

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!

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: Another Healthy Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Last year, I posted a recipe for Healthier Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix.
Today, I am posting another recipe that I think I like even better--especially since I can't find the Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa Mix now.

In my experience, most homemade cocoa mixes seem to not mix up very well in the cup, and little bits of stuff end up floating around and leaving a mess in the cup when you are finished drinking.

I have been making this particular recipe for hubby since January, using regular cocoa and Splenda instead of sugar for his low-carbness (I know, *sigh*).  When I made it the last two times I used the Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa (more antioxidants and all that jazz). Hubby informed me that his cocoa no longer had clumps--I am glad he informed me, or I would have never known to share!

This morning, I made myself an experimental cup using sugar instead of Splenda and it came out wonderfully!

So here it is:

Another Healthy Homemade Hot Cocoa
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup sugar (I use cane sugar)
1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder

Measure the above into a suitable storage container (I used an old cocoa container). Put the lid on and shake to combine. 
Use about 3 TB per 12 oz. cup, or to taste.

I like to measure my dry mix into my cup, fill the cup just over halfway with hot water and stir it up, then top off with milk to make it creamier.




Alternative recipe--If you want to try it before you commit to making a full container:
Combine 4 teaspoons powdered milk, 2 teaspoons Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, and 2 teaspoons of sugar in your cup, add hot water (and milk, if desired). Stir and enjoy!

YUM!

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!

RECIPE: Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I went on a baking frenzy yesterday and as I was baking for the whole rest of the family, I really kind of wanted some sort of yummy treat for myself.

Awhile back, I made Chocolate Chip Cookies for the kids, only I didn't want to deal with all the making-of-the-cookies. I pressed the Dough in my Pampered Chef 11 x 17 baking sheet and baked it 20-25 minutes or so. This went over well with the kids, and it took a lot less time/trouble to make.

So....I figured I would try this same basic recipe out and sub the GF flour I've had on hand.

Here's what I did:

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2 1/4 cups of GF Flour Mix (I used Bob's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

2 cups or so of chocolate chips

Set oven to 375*.


Mix dry ingredients (minus the chocolate chips) and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars. Add the vanilla and 2 eggs and continue to mix. Add your flour mixture and mix until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.


Press/Smooth into a pan. I used a 9 x 13 pan this time, but I think the 11 x 17 would have baked up even better. Experiment and see which way you like it best!


Bake 20-25 minutes if you are using the larger pan. If you use the 9 X 13 pan, you will need to add additional minutes due to the thicker cookies.


Remove from oven when browned on the top and not wobbly in the center. 

Cool, and cut into squares.


Enjoy!

Note:  Mine turned out a little more crumbly than regular cookies, but they are oh-so-yummy!

Recipe: Gluten-Free Granola

I decided to make some Gluten-Free Granola.

For the record, most Oats are NOT Gluten-free due to cross-contamination issues in the field, on farm equipment, and in the grain storage and processing facilities.  To make truly gluten-free oatmeal and granola, you really do need to seek out oats labeled Gluten-Free.  I figured the cost of standard Walmart-brand Old-Fashioned Oats to be about $0.95/lb. Gluten-free Oats from The Food Store are currently $2.19/lb. I am not sure this is a fair comparison; maybe I should have compared to the cost of Quaker Oats for a more fair comparison. I will have to look next time I am in the store and report back.

I adapted a recipe from a cookbook my husband picked up from a semi-local coffee shop. It's called The Basics and More Cookbook and my copy was printed in 1999. The recipe I adapted mine from was called, simply, Granola I.

Following is my changed-up version:

Gluten-Free Granola (real creative, huh?)

~5 cups Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Oats
~1 1/2 cups Coconut (I got the kind from the health food store without the added sugar, sulfites and propylene glycol)
~1 cup seeds (I used pumpkin and sesame, but find I prefer all pumpkin. Sunflower seeds would be good too.)
~1 teaspoon cinnamon


~1/2 cup honey or 3/4 cup brown sugar
~1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
~1/2 cup water
~1 TB Gluten-free Vanilla


~1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit, optional
~1 cup nuts, optional


Preheat oven to 350*. Set out 2 9x13 pans or rimmed cookie sheets.

• Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.

• Mix wet ingredients (include the brown suger here if that's your sweetener of choice) in small bowl, then pour over dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated.

• Spread out onto pans and bake about 30 minutes, checking for doneness and stirring every 10 minutes or so.

• When the granola looks nice and toasted (hubby would even venture to say "just a little burnty" because that's how he likes it, lol), take it out of the oven to cool.

 

• Throw your dried fruit in and mix it up. 

• Add the nuts, if you choose.

• Cool thoroughly and store in airtight container.

Enjoy!

Here's to Real Food!

Dehydrating More Vegetables

Today is another day for using my Excalibur Dehydrator. We have lots of veggies in the garden waiting to be eaten or preserved somehow for later on.

Today I am drying:

1. 3 trays of Sweet Corn (hopefully non-GMO, though I'm not 100% certain. It came from a generous relative.)

2. 1 1/3 trays of sliced Cucumbers, and

3. 2/3 of a tray of my Royal Burgundy Bush Beans

I've never dried any of these before, so this is new territory for me. Still, it's pretty easy. :)

For the corn, I had my oldest son shuck it, then I cooked it in hot water for a bit like you would do for corn on the cob. I let it cool, cut it off of the cobs, and spread it on the trays. I sort of like the chunks of corn you get when you cut it off the cob, so I left it like that for now. I will need to stir the corn a bit while it's drying, so we'll see how that goes. I'm not sure it will stay together once dried.

For the cucumbers, I just washed, peeled, and thinly sliced them. Then, I put them on the trays. According to some sites, they are good to incorporate into veggie soups(though I admit I have never knowingly  had cucumbers in a veggie soup!), as snacks, and to blend up into powder and make some sort of dip with them.

For the beans, the books I have do not say to blanch the beans. I simply washed the beans, snapped off the ends, broke them into pieces and spread them out on the tray.

I set the timer for about 10 hours. I will check on them once or twice in between to see how it's going and maybe rearrange the trays. 

Here's to Real Food!

Dehydrating Vegetables: An Update

I love my Excalibur 5-tray Dehydrator!
I thought I would update on how the veggies came out that I posted about here.

BEETS - just over 2 Trays




I had hoped the beets would turn out crispy like chips. Instead, they came out more like fruit leather. I even put them in for 12 hours longer or so to see if that would crisp them up, and it didn't.

Still, they are dried and will keep for awhile.  I have yet to reconstitute them and see if I like the texture of them cooked.

SUMMER SQUASH (Yellow Squash and Zucchini) - 1 Tray each

These also came out leathery, rather than crispy. They kept their color beautifully and I am hoping the kids will munch on them for a snack. I am also looking for soup mix recipe ideas in which to incorporate them.

ONION (just one) - about half a tray

The onion is also leathery, even after extended drying time. It should be pretty easy to use kitchen shears and chop it up into soups and such.

I think a higher temperature might yield crispier veggie chips, but then I think I sacrifice some of the nutrition due to the heat. I'll have to play around with it a little and see what happens.

So here is what I ended up with in the end for those 5 trays of veggies:

Dehydrating Fruits and Veggies

Fall is coming, and that puts me in the mood to use my wonderful Excalibur Food Dehydrator.  I absolutely love this method of food preservation! It appeals to me because it's not as hot to work around as a canner is, and the end product takes up less space to store equivalent amounts of food.

So far this fall, I've done about 8 pounds of apples, since hubby requested them to snack on at work.  8 pounds apples turned into about a gallon and a half of dried apple rings.

Today, I went outside to see what what in the garden to play around with today.

I came in with about 8 beets, some cucumbers (there's more out there of both, still) and some  more elderberries.

I've not been thrilled with freezing beets in the past (they are mushy), and tire of pickled beets all the time, so I've been toying with the idea of dehydrating beets.

Some online friends have been singing the virtues of vegetable chips, as in crispy dried REAL vegetables. Not those "Vegetable Chips" you see in the stores that are mostly corn with some veggie juice sprinkled in. And their kids apparently like them.

So, I decided to try drying my beets and some summer squash (not pictured).

How to Dehydrate Beets:

I removed the leaves of the beets in the garden (too far gone to eat for greens), scrubbed the beets well, and put them into my pressure cooker with 2 cups of water, and cooked on high (15 pounds) for about 15 minutes. I released the pressure and let them cool, then peeled the skins off and ran the beets through my food processor to slice them (about 1/8 to 1/4" thick). Here's a pic of how I put them on the trays:

I sprinkled them with regular ol' salt. My online friend recommended rubbing them with oil, but I have concerns as to whether the oil might go rancid if I keep them around for a few months. We'll see how we do without the oil this time. I still have lots more beets in the garden to experiment with.

I set my timer for about 12 hours and have the temperature set at 125*.

Since I still had room, I also sliced up some zucchini and yellow squash in the food processor, and an onion for good measure. I salted the squashes, but not the onion.

Now, all I do is wait and see how they turn out...and if the kids and hubby will eat them. 

I'm thinking about making some jarred soup mixes for easy meals this winter.  We'll see what I can put together.



Here's to Real Food!

RECIPE UPDATE: Healthier Morning Orange Drink!

I mentioned in my other recipe post about Morning Orange Drink that I was looking for a way to make it healthier.

Well, today I found one way! And it turns out it's a good way to get food-based probiotics into my kids!

I had let my previous Homemade Kefir die after one of our Colorado trips awhile back, and gotten out of the habit. However, I was recently able to acquire some kefir grains from a friend and got started with it again.  This strain isn't as tart as my other strain, and it grows a lot more quickly. I had a jar that was basically 1 cup whey and 1 cup of ricotta-consistency kefir from one of the days last week. I kept it in the fridge for a few days until I could figure out what to do with it, and came up with the idea of incorporating it into the recipe I'm sharing today.

Here's the recipe with the alterations:

Healthier Morning Orange Drink 
2 cups kefir
1/3 cup sugar
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp vanilla extract (check for gluten)
10 ice cubes


Put all of the above into your blender and blend until smooth. Serves 4.

All of my kids had some, and I put what was left into popsicle molds. Goodbye dyes and artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup!

Made with kefir, this recipe has a slight bit of effervescence. I told  my kids "It's sort of like a soda, sort of like a milk shake." 

I might even let the kids have one of these popsicles with their breakfasts. :)

RECIPE: Making Kale Chips

I have been seeing Kale Chips being talked about on many different sites on the internet.

So, seeing as I have a huge Kale plant in my garden that I am not entirely sure how to get into my family's stomach, I decided to try making them.

Here's the steps:
1. Pick your kale, either from the grocery store or your garden. I liked the crinkle-leafed variety better than the flat-leafed variety for this recipe.
2. Wash/rinse the Kale leaves, then dry with a clean kitchen towel.
3. Tear off chip-sized pieces, leaving the hard stem to put in the compost bin or give to the chickens.
4. Using oiled hands (I used Extra-Light-Tasting Olive Oil this time), rub oil into each piece and place on a cookie pan that has a sheet of foil on top of it.
5. Sprinkle with salt.
6. Bake at 375* for 10-15 minutes.
Watch closely--you want the edges browned and when you shake the pan they should slide around. You don't want limp kale chips, but you don't want charred kale dust either.


The verdict:
I thought they were pretty tasty. My oldest child thought they were "weirdly good/kinda bad", my second oldest ate one but made it clear he did not want another (my picky boy-give him points for at least trying one), and my daughter keeps going back for more. Hubby wasn't home to try them, and I ate what the kids didn't eat.

For some reason, my camera was on the fritz when I tried taking pics. This is as good as it gets until I try making them again:

RECIPE: Gluten-Free Zucchini Brownies

Thankfully, my Zucchini plants aren't going bonkers this year, AND they are still alive. They usually succumb to the inevitable squash bug by this time of year. I'm thinking the one month delay in planting might have been a good thing!

So, since I can't get the kids to eat zucchini any other way, I decided to try my mom's Zucchini Brownie Recipe and make it Gluten-Free.

I chose to use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour for this recipe. This is the first mix I saw at the local health food store, and it doesn't contain the gums (xanthan, guar, etc) that I don't particularly care for. So far, I am pretty happy with it in the 3 recipes I have used it in. (See Elderberry Adventures post from yesterday for the other two recipes I experimented with.)

The only thing I changed from the original recipe was the flour: rather than regular flour, I subbed the Bob's Gluten-free flour 1:1. I think it was just fine, and filled my chocolate need.

This makes more of a cake-like brownie, for you brownie conoisseurs. 

Mom's Zucchini Brownies
2 c grated zucchini
2 c flour
1 1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c cocoa
1/2 cup nuts(I don't usually add these)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c oil
2 beaten eggs

Mix all of the ingredients together and spread in a greased 9 by 13 pan. Bake at 350* for 20 min or until done (my glass pan takes a bit longer).




Yum!