Organic on a Budget

Muffins–a variation

2011-03-20T18:47:00.001-07:00

We wanted blueberry muffins this morning. I had a “Forest Berry” or something mix of dark berries in the freezer, so we used those. My original muffin recipe is here. I had to change things up a little.

~~1 1/2 Cups~~ whole wheat flour 2 Cups
~~1 1/2 Cup raw sugar~~ 3/4 Cup honey
1 Cup old fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (Real Salt ®)
~~1 teaspoon ground cinnamon~~ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 Cups applesauce (no sugar added)
~~3/4 Cup melted butter~~ 3/4 Cup coconut oil, melted
2 Cups frozen (or fresh) berries – I soaked mine in some warm water and then strained them.

These came out delicious. Because I was using a liquid sweetener I figured I would need to increase the dry ingredients to compensate. I used the eggs as written instead of substituting flax + water (as noted in the original recipe) to give the muffins more substance.

Those big berries were so sweet and wonderful. It was a terrific way to spend my Sunday morning. Yum!

No pictures. They were too good.

Baked Oatmeal

2011-02-27T08:02:00.001-08:00

Adapted from the recipe found here.

Baked Oatmeal has a soft, chewy consistency, similar to a fluffy oatmeal cookie. Recipe has been adjusted to add in more beneficial fats and reduce sugar. Our kids love this. Next time I make this I will try to prep it the night before with a little vinegar to soak. You can substitute quite a lot in here and could even grind some flax seed to sprinkle on top after it has been baked.

This version of baked oatmeal comes out more like a breakfast cake. It’s fluffy with a great consistency. Oh! And this is a gluten-free and potentially dairy-free recipe. (I used olive oil today.) I’d be interested to see how it comes out with leaving out the eggs.

1/2 Cup very warm water
1/2 Cup demerera sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 can coconut milk
1 Cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
1/2 Cup butter (melted)/coconut oil/olive oil
2 eggs
3 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 Cup raisins or other un-sweetened dried fruit

Mix ingredients in order, pour into 9x9 baking dish and bake for 50-60 minutes. Middle should spring back when touched to indicate that it is done. Serve hot with warmed milk on top, or plain.

Cream of Chicken Soup

2010-10-13T09:46:00.001-07:00

2 Cups homemade chicken stock
2 Cups cream or whole milk
2 Tablespoons white flour
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cloves (~1 teaspoon) roasted garlic
2 Cups finely chopped chicken
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Real salt

1. Make a white sauce of milk or cream, flour, and butter. Add chicken. Add salt, pepper, and garlic (may use more or less as desired). Mix well and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.

2. If soup is not as thick as desired, mix a small amount of cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) with a small amount of water and add to soup. Simmer for 10 minutes.

A new mouth to feed

2010-09-20T12:19:00.001-07:00

Little brother got here on Labor Day.

I’ll be back in the swing of things soon, but I thought I’d share that I found a local source for Organic Soft White Wheat, Raw Sugar, and Redmond Real Salt in bulk – PCC Natural Market. There’s one in Kirkland, not too far from me. If you check around major cities in your area, you can find bulk suppliers too. I’ll site some online sources soon.

For your viewing pleasure:

Fresh Apricot Crisp

2010-08-17T19:36:00.001-07:00

Sorry if I’m a little late on this, but we had a box of apricots a couple of weeks ago. They were fantastic in this:

(Original recipe found here.)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup ww flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup raw sugar
2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/3 cup chopped pecans (or other nuts you like)
5 cups pitted and halved fresh apricots
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup raw sugar OR a little less of agave or honey

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease an 8- by 8-in. baking pan with cold butter (because it’s easier that way). Melt butter and let cool. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and sugar. Stir in oats, raisins (if using), and pecans, then stir in melted butter.

2. Toss apricots with lemon juice and sugar and spread in baking pan. Squeeze topping into shaggy chunks and scatter over apricots. Bake until bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes; cool at least 30 minutes, and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Oozy goodness required. Mmm…

Banana Coconut Almond Bread / Muffins

2010-07-31T21:02:00.001-07:00

(Original recipe found here.)

2 2/3 Cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (or allspice)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 Cups raw sugar
2 large eggs (or 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed & 6 Tablespoons water)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 Cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (or sour milk)
4 ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)
1 Cup shredded coconut (I use unsweetened)
3/4 Cup coarsely chopped almonds (I substitute almond meal or almond pulp.)

Preheat oven to 350*.

If you are mixing this by hand, mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl, mix the butter, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla and almond extract in another, mix together, add everything else.

I use a stand mixer: Mix butter, sugar, eggs, milk and extracts until creamy, dump in everything else (I don’t even smash my bananas) and mix until it looks consistent.

This makes 2 loaves or 24 muffins. I’m a muffin fan.

Almond Milk

2010-07-31T21:01:00.001-07:00

(Recipe source.)

(I thought that I had posted how to do this, but I couldn’t find it.)

1 Cup raw almonds

Cover by a few inches with water, soak overnight. In the morning, rinse and drain the almonds. They will be fat and a little squishy. Put almonds in blender with:

3 Cups cold water

Puree until the almonds are very fine. Strain the mixture through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth. The solids (almond meal/ almond pulp) can be saved for later use in recipes. The liquid is your almond milk. Additionally, you can add:

3-5 soft pitted dates
vanilla extract or scooped seeds from a vanilla bean

Blend well. This last 3-5 days refrigerated. Shake well before using.

Whole Wheat Biscuits

2010-07-31T08:51:00.001-07:00

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour – fresh ground
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Real Salt
1/3 – 1/2 Cup cold butter
3/4 Cup milk + 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400*. Stir ac vinegar into milk to clabber. Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry cutter until they are all pea-size chunks. Stir in sour milk until all is moist. Smash into about 1 1/2 inch thick. Cut into squares or use biscuit cutter. Makes 6 three-inch biscuits.

Bake 8-9 minutes.

These are tender and delicious – and a regular breakfast at our house. These can also be made ahead so that all you have to do is pop the tray in the oven in the morning. Just make them, cover them, and put them in the fridge so that the butter stays cold.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

2010-07-23T21:32:00.001-07:00

1 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Cup raw sugar
1 Cup old fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (Real Salt ®)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs*
1 1/2 Cups applesauce (no sugar added)
3/4 Cup melted butter**

*I substitute fresh ground flax seed and water for my muffins. They come out much fluffier.

1 Tablespoon fresh ground flax seed + 3 Tablespoons water = 1 egg

**This recipe can be made vegan by substituting another fat for the butter (coconut oil, vegetable oil).

Mix together all dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, stir until combined. Fill muffin tins to a rounded top. Bake at 400*F for 20-25 minutes. Yield: 15 muffins.

Works in Progress

2010-07-12T16:16:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the long absence (if anyone is actually missing me here). Between home construction, remodeling, pregnancy, and vacations it’s been pretty crazy here.

I’ll be back soon.

Extras to plan on for Smoothies

2010-03-17T21:01:00.001-07:00

Here are some of our favorite seasonal items that we process to extend their enjoyment in our smoothies:

fresh peaches, sliced and frozen
blackberry juice, de-seeded and bottled
strawberries, hulled and frozen (I find great ones in a box at Cash & Carry)
Blueberries, picked and frozen

Current favorites to flavor (and add nutrition!):

fresh pears
natural peanut butter (try this with the pear!)
fresh pineapple

Orange Green Smoothies

2010-03-17T20:56:00.001-07:00

This is one of the basic recipes that my family (2yo & 5yo included) have regularly. (Usually with our vitamin supplement powder.)

one can coconut water (or liquid from one young Thai coconut)
2-3 large carrots, peeled
1/2 avocado
1 banana (optional – I often do these smoothies when I don’t have bananas)
1 Cup spinach (optional – definitely takes away from the orange)
1/3 Cup (roughly) orange juice concentrate
1 cup ice

Blend well and enjoy! Try adding supplements that you want to get into your diet, like flax seed oil, coconut oil and other vitamins.

Green Smoothies

2010-03-17T20:52:00.001-07:00

This is one of the basic recipes that my family (2yo & 5yo included) have regularly.

1 can Coconut water (or water from one young Thai coconut) – preferably chilled
3 Cups spinach
1/2 avocado
1 large carrot, peeled
2 large frozen bananas

I’ve been blending this with about a cup of ice because my bananas aren’t frozen, and then I put in our powder vitamin supplement. The kids’ version has a vanilla flavor, so you could just add a little vanilla to the mix as well. I’m fine without it.

Add water as you think it is needed. When first starting green smoothies, it is often easier to have them runnier rather than thick. Per Green Smoothie Girl, the basic recipe for beginners is 1/3 veggies, 1/3 fruit, 1/3 liquid.

If you need to sweeten it a bit still, add some agave syrup. It’s quite sweet, but doesn’t hit your blood as fast as sugar.

Hummus Among Us

2010-03-03T15:28:00.001-08:00

We have a new regular on our menu rotation. You might have known that had I actually been posting my menu plans.

Hummus, surrounded by several dishes of raw fruits and veggies. You can find my regular hummus recipe here. (I didn’t write it.) I don’t have a food processor, so I just make mine in my blender. I save some of the bean-water from the cans of garbanzos to dilute it down so that it is the consistency I prefer.

What we’re eating: “Menu” February 7 - 13

2010-02-11T21:14:00.001-08:00

Sunday: quinoa, cauliflower, shredded chicken, and homemade bbq sauce

Monday: Store bought fresh ravioli and store bought pasta sauce. Broccoli with a bit of mild cheddar shredded on top.

Tuesday: Quinoa and shredded chicken with carrots and optional bbq sauce.

Wednesday: Greek Salad with romaine. Green smoothies (kale, spinach, coconut milk, pear, …maple syrup.)

Thursday: day of INDULGANCE. Fresh loaf from The French Bakery turned into very eggily-delicious french toast, homemade jams, home bottled peaches and pears.

Friday: Veggie casserole: quinoa, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, carrots, sweet potato and CHEESE.

Saturday: Biscuits, bottled fruit, green smoothies.

Changing the plan

2010-02-08T19:18:00.001-08:00

I have found that $75 is do-able, but not quite comfortable for my little family. We eat a lot of fruits & veggies, and the fresh stuff is definitely more expensive (though quite better for you). I probably buy about 25 apples/week.

So, I’m increasing to $85/week, plus $15 for pantry items. Pantry items include canned good for longer-term and emergency storage, as well as quick foods and extras – like olives, ketchup, bbq sauce, mustard, etc.

Speaking of pantry foods, I just cleared out four full paper bags of stuff from my pantry and gave it to my sister. She has no problem with the MSG and HFCS that I am clearing out of my house. Although she did pass on the beef broth. Any takers? I’ve probably got 15 cans of that. So, my cupboards are looking kind of bare. I’m trying to stock up on “clean foods”, so this means no more Cream of Chicken/Mushroom/Celery/MSG. I do want to be able to make a variety of yummy, comforting food even when I don’t have electricity, so here are some of the things that are in my pantry:

canned beans – low sodium usually means no sugar too. Crazy, huh? I buy kidney, mostly, but black and garbanzos too.
artichoke hearts
olives
pureed pumpkin
bbq sauce – Bone Suckin’ Sauce is HFCS-free and SO GOOD! You can buy it at Whole Foods on the west coast, or regular stores in the mid-Atlantic states. Or online.
mustard – plain and Bone Suckin’! BEST EVAHH!! Serious. Travis and I have had more toasted cheese sandwiches than usual lately, just to use the sweet hot mustard! Yum!
corn (low sodium again = no sugar)
tomatoes – stewed and sauced, (again, watching out for additives)
tomato paste – from which I make tomato soup now
salsa! I like Newman’s Own (but I just realized it has sugar. wah. But … not that much.) Travis prefers the Albertson’s brand Essencia – Chipotle Salsa. It’s pretty good.

Anyhow. We’ve been eating more vegetarian meals lately too. Sometimes I will pull some chicken out and let the rest of the family choose to put chicken on their meal, but lately it’s been un-appealing to me. I have felt much better since I have been eating less meat. It may have to do with my being pregnant, but I’ve been leaning this way for a while. (I still eat a lot of eggs and dairy, though, and am a BIG fan of good chicken stock.)

What do you like to have on hand for quick-prep food items? Have you changed your diet from what you grew up with?

January 17-23

2010-01-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

Sunday: Whole Wheat Pancakes - the bacteria in the buttermilk/kefir/yogurt/vinegar water actually pre-digests the flour to make it easier (and better) to digest and also creates wonderful fluffy pancakes. Eggs & Bacon on the side.

Monday: Apple Spiced Collard Greens with salmon and quinoa.

Tuesday: Squash Soup and cornbread

Wednesday: Winter Tater Casserole (um...I just made that up: Fingerling Potatoes or Small Reds, mushrooms, onions, apples, cheese, seasonings.)

Thursday: Open-Face Tuna Melts (tuna, cheese, spinach, avocado on ww bread) and blackberry juice.

Friday: Sprouted Bean Salad (kidneys, whites, with sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper)

Saturday: Sprouted Baked Beans, bag salad and homemade biscuits. I'm thinking I will supplement this with a smoothie.

Shopping List:
milk, apples, pears, carrots, collard greens, apple cider, raw apple cider vinegar, small potatoes, avocados, sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, bbq sauce, bacon, buttermilk, yogurt.

January 10-16, 2010, How it really happened

2010-01-16T13:24:00.001-08:00

Sunday: Veggie Casserole

Monday: Sprouted White Bean & Kale soup (huge hit, by the way)

Tuesday: Mexican - a little too much meat for me. I had mine salad style on a pile of spinach. Also, I failed to prep the beans the night before, so it was "quick soak" and cook for me.

Wednesday: Homemade Tomato Soup - chicken stock & tomato paste base, onions, garlic, seasons, and some ww cornbread.

Thursday: Baked Pasta - Not from a can! I cooked two chicken livers, chopped them up and let them simmer in some stewed tomatoes, plus some sautéed onions & garlic, tossed in a container of artichoke hearts and thickened with some tomato paste. Beverly chose large elbow macaroni, so I cooked it, combined it with the sauce in a 9x13 pan and was generous with the cheese. Baked at 325* for about 30 minutes. It's a nice dish to stick in the oven and just hang out with the girls until Travis walks in the door.

Friday: Salmon patties are one of my favorite things. I had some breadcrumbs in my cupboard still, so I used those. Normally, I save the heels of my bread and dry them out for breadcrumbs, but it's been a while since I made bread. The girls devoured the broccoli, brussel sprouts and carrots.

Saturday: I didn't get around to starting the pancake batter yet today, so we'll enjoy those tomorrow. :) Tonight will be fresh WW Bread with fruit. I prefer to keep some meals light and easy. Yum.

Eating in Season

2010-01-15T20:28:00.001-08:00

Another item I’ve been wanting to attach to my meal planning is eating what should be available to your area. I happen to subscribe to a newsletter that conveniently supplies this information for me:

What's in Season? In early January the following foods are “in-season” in Washington State: Apples, Carrots, Collard Greens, Mushrooms, Onions, Pears, Potatoes, Rhubarb, and Winter Squash.

I also found a useful list through this page. It lists all of the US States. There are a variety of sites available about eating locally in season. They do leave out a few items that can be found locally in cold storage – like pears. My list (above) left off beets and broccoli, which I did find on another list as available through January through cold storage.

Apples, Carrots, Collard Greens, Onions and Winter Squash are regulars at our house. Mushrooms are occasional, potatoes rare, and rhubarb has only showed up this past year in the form of Rhubarb Cream Pie from my neighbor. (Yum!)

Now, bananas are never in season here. I will still buy a few, but not as much. (On sale at Fred Meyer this week, the organic bananas are only $.49/pound, while the conventional are still $.59/pound. Sure beats Whole Foods regular price of $.99/pound.)

We will still buy dried fruit as a snack and supplemental food. As far as I’m concerned, dried/bottled/preserved fruits and vegetables are in season by default.

What are your thoughts or concerns on buying local, in season fruits and vegetables? Do you think that your family would be able to adapt to the new recipes and lack of familiar items? Do you really have to have strawberries at Valentine’s?

January 10-16, 2010

2010-01-11T17:58:00.000-08:00

After spending 90 minutes at the pool with the girls Saturday afternoon, they were starving. Beverly wanted "That store with the girl on the front." and I told her that we don't eat at Wendy's anymore. I did tell her that she could have a burger, though. It's been some time since I've served up red meat at our house.

I was told that a butcher shop close by in town is all from local and natural farmers. While that is not the case (the man behind the counter told me that it came from Omaha) it is fantastically delicious. Golden Steer Choice Meats (otherwise known as The Meat Market) is located across from Wendy's on Bel-Red Road, and next to Kidd Valley Burgers. We picked up a pound of lean ground beef (which they grind there) and a chicken ($2.99/pound). (Altogether about $18.) We had some spectacular burgers that night, but my body didn't appreciate it as much as my brain and toungue did.

We had a lot of things left over from last week, so here's the plan:

Sunday: Vegetable Casserole (sauteed veggies (onion, garlic, carrots, brocolli, sweet potato) with quinoa, and raw mild cheddar)

Monday: Sprouted White Bean & Kale soup

Tuesday: Mexican (leftover from last Friday, with black beans (from dry) mixed in)

I will roast the chicken I bought on Saturday, in preparation for the Wednesday night soup. The meat will be put in the freezer.

Wednesday: Yam & Cauliflower soup with biscuits (chicken broth base)

Make bread.

Thursday: Pasta with mushrooms and liver in a red sauce (I will specifically buy the liver for this dish. I figured it would be a good hiding spot for it.)

Friday: Salmon patties with carrots and brocolli

Saturday: Pancakes -- the best way.

I will update the cost after I pick up the few items that we need this week.

Shopping List:

apples ($10)
bananas ($5)
milk ($6)
liver ?
mushrooms ($2)
pasta sauce (yes, from a can. I know.) ($2)
ww flour (I like Bob's Red Mill) ($3)
eggs ($6)

January 3-9, 2010, how it really went.

2010-01-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Sunday: The salmon was delicious and I was not bothered that the girls left extra for Travis and I to eat. Yum!

Monday: I didn't get around to putting the chicken in my roaster (as my slow cooker is out of commission) and I was too tired to do the backup plan. Enter: the backup, backup plan: German Pancake.

Tuesday: Roasted the chicken in my roasting pan in the oven. Carrots and Cauliflower. I made broth overnight and through the next day, simmering it on low on the stove top.

Wednesday: Tomato Soup with chicken stock & water. (Extra yum!) and toasted cheese sandwiches.

Thursday: I had a million things to do yesterday and my 5yo had been requesting "Noodles with Dad!" all week, so we made an extra trip for pasta sauce since I wouldn't have ANY extra time to make some up from canned tomatoes. (extra $3)

Friday: Well, I did indeed make the Mexican food from the leftover chicken and such. We didn't eat it tonight, but my friend did! (I dropped off a dinner for her family tonight.) Then, of course, I had promised Beverly that she could have waffles and peaches because she was going to have a babysitter. That sitter promise never materialized and we hosted some friends over for some delicious and decadent Belgian Waffles. (The chicken taco filling was packaged up and will be mixed with a can of beans tomorrow to stretch it out into a dinner for next week.)

We did end up going to the store a few times this week. I will have to buy a lot more apples and bananas. We go through them so fast. I think we eat about 20 apples/week. Perhaps more. And making the granola really wiped us out of milk quickly. I'll have to enforce that as a "breakfast only" food, and throw it into yogurt/fruit combos for them. (It's just so yummy!)

Extra food money spent: roughly $20

Variations

2010-01-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I have decided that my slow-cooker is just too scary to use any more. It has a hair-line crack across the bottom and has leaked a couple of drops now and then. This is very, very sad because I really like my cooker. (It has a sensor that sticks through the lid and into the chicken (or whatever) and when it hits the pre-set temperature the cooker switches to "warm". Nice, huh? It's been fantastic.)

So, I cannot slow-cook my chicken this afternoon. Instead I will roast it and then do the broth on the stove this evening and overnight.

To replace our main course we will have quinoa. It's great with the veggies. My kids prefer it with fresh-grated parmesean.

January 3-9, 2010

2010-01-03T16:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the new year!

I went shopping this past Friday for groceries for the next week. Here is the menu:

Our snacks this week:

apples (Gala - Fred Meyer (FM) $2.29/lb) - $9.60
bananas (FM - $.59/lb) - $2.64
cheese (in freezer from clearance sales on organic cheese & raw organic cheese!) ~$4/pound - $4
ww tortillas (in freezer, but roughly $3.69/10 at FM)
nuts (FM $4.99/pound walnuts) $5.00
dried apricots (Whole Foods (WF) $4.99/pound) $5.39

Breakfast: homemade granola (recipe from Green Smoothie Girl) and/or Eggs

As is generally typical, our Lunches will be repetitive through the week:
Erin & girls: smoothies, fruit, sandwiches
Travis: leftovers!

Dinners:

Sunday: (note: We now have church in the morning, so I will have a regular meal listed, and then a lighter meal for later in the day.)

.6pounds wildcaught Sockeye Salmon (FM $10/pound)

1/2 head cauliflower (FM $.95)
1/2 bag brussel sprouts (FM $.98/lb - $1.61)

german pancake

6 eggs (WF - $3.49/18) $1.19
1/2 flour, 1/2 milk, dash of salt, 3 T butter (for pan)

Monday:

slow cooked chicken with brocolli (and cheese) and carrots

Chicken (WF whole body natural chkn $2.29/lb) $10.10

two carrots ($.10), 2 sticks celery ($.25), 1/2 onion ($.25), 6 cloves garlic ($.10)

broccoli (FM - $.98/pound - $1)
carrots (FM - $.99/ 2lbs - $.50)

Tuesday:

Easy "homemade" tomato soup, ww biscuits

Tomato soup: 1 can tomato paste ($.57), water, 1/2onion ($.25), garlic ($.10), seasonings
WW biscuits - ww flour (pennies), butter ($.50), leavening (pennies), milk ($.25)

Wednesday:

Yam & Cauliflower soup (recipe) roughly $4

remember that broth is free from chicken cooked earlier...and so much better than store-bought.

Thursday:
Chicken and squash and brocolli

Friday:
Mexican mix: leftover chicken, beans from dry ($.25), canned corn ($.50), canned tomatoes ($.83) and homemade Taco Seasoning.
Avocados - (FM $.78each) $1.50
cheese
homemade corn tortillas (corn flour (pennies) and water and salt)
a little lard to fry it (pennies)

Saturday:
Pasta (ww at FM $1) - canned tomatoes ($.85 with some spinach blended in, seasonings, and cheese)

Grand Total: Roughly $75 dollars
Once I include the gallon of milk that we go through, and ingredients for the granola.

Green Smoothies

2009-11-29T10:52:00.001-08:00

Smoothies are probably our most expensive food item. We cram a lot of produce into our cups and slurp ‘em down. Yum!

Today’s Smoothie

1/4 Cup raw coconut oil
4 Cups raw spinach
1 medium leaf kale
3/4 Cup full fat plain yogurt
3/4 Cup frozen peach puree
1/2 Cup frozen blueberries
1/4 Cup agave

Organic Valley Contest

2009-11-28T18:16:00.001-08:00

Thanks, Laura!

Every entrant in the Celebrate Organic - Local Heroes contest will receive $10 in coupons for Organic Valley products in a special edition Rootstock magazine! Five lucky winners will receive a year of free products from Organic Valley.

Enter Here.

Taco Seasoning

2009-11-24T07:10:00.001-08:00

2 Tablespoons paprika
2Tablespoons dried onion flakes
4 teaspoons chili powder
3 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon coriander

Mix well, and put all of it into a lidded container.
I used this recipe, but dropped the corn starch. I just let the juices in my dish cook down. Yum. If you want to do a bigger batch (say, 3 Cups), you can adjust the quantities shown on that page at Recipezaar.com.
Sometimes my oldest complains some about the heat-level of this, but she’s content to have more sour cream to counter-act it. (wink) I find it to be a medium-heat level. It doesn’t make my nose run, but it warms my mouth.
Two or three Tablespoons is about equal to one packet of the stuff from the store.

Squash Soup

2009-11-24T07:09:00.001-08:00

Fall has great food. I picked up this rosy beauty on Vashon Island a few weeks ago on a Escape with one of my girlfriends. This is an Ambercup Squash.
Squash Soup:

6 Cups homemade chicken stock
1 large sweet-meat squash, about 7 pounds fresh
salt
1/4 Cup melted butter
head of roasted garlic
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
dash of nutmeg
1/2 Cup cream (optional)

I think that’s everything.
Put your chicken broth in a large pot and bring to a boil, then simmer.
Stab your squash a few times and put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. It should cut into two much easier then. Scrape out the strings and seeds with a sturdy metal spoon. (If you don’t microwave, then CAREFULLY chop your squash in two-ish, and gut it.) Place cut-side up on a cooking sheet and brush inside with melted butter, sprinkle salt on. Cook at 350*F for 45-60 minutes. Flesh should be tender all the way through.
Carefully remove the squash and scrape the flesh out and put a few cups at a time into the blender with some chicken broth ladled in too. Puree until smooth, adding broth as needed. Dump the pureed squash/broth into the soup pot, continuing until all of the squash is pureed.
Mix in your remaining spices. Simmer for 30 minutes to incorporate all of the flavors. Gently stir in cream just before serving.
Serve with alone or with toast.
Makes 14 servings.

Store-bought vs. the Home Cook (or MSG and Your Food)

2009-11-24T07:03:00.001-08:00

Why should you bother to make your own chicken broth? Soup? Sauces? Why, when you can buy a can of soup for less than fifty cents? Because of free glutamic acid.
What is free glutamic acid and how does it affect you? Free glutamic acid, or MSG, is a created glutamic acid. Wikipedia says, “Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate and MSG, is a sodium salt of the naturally occurring non-essential amino acid glutamic acid. It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavor enhancer.”
Short answer: It makes processed foods taste better. It’s in most commercially produced/processed: soup, sauces, broth, dressings, meats, dry mixes, etc.
According to several sites dedicated to dispersing information about the affects of MSG, it is a neurotoxin, causing neruon degeneration and cell death. Among many other symptoms, people experience severe headaches, nausea, joint pain, difficulty swallowing, sleep disorders, irritable bowel, panic attacks, and weight problems. Many people discover that MSG is the source of their “previously unexplained” health problems.
According to MSG Myth.com the following items contain up to 78% factory created free glutamate.

Monosodium Glutamate
Monopatassium glutamate
Glutamate 0 Glutamic Acid
Vegetable Protein Extract
Gelatin
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP) Autolyzed Plant Protein
Sodium Caseinate
Senomyx (wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)
Calcium Caseinate
Textured Protein Yeast Extract Yeast food or nutrient
Autolyzed Yeast

This longer list includes ingredients that may “contain some factory created free glutamate in varying amounts. Please note that some food labels list several of these items, which can add up to a considerable and dangerous amount in one product.”
So what is my point? There are manufactured items that don’t contain MSG, but there is so much that you can replace easily at home. These home-cooked items are not only frequently cheaper, but they are vastly richer nutritionally than their manufactured counterparts. (Like homemade broth! So much nutrition!)
I will be posting recipes that are easy and delicious, and that are good for you. (As far as my knowledge extends.) And as far as I can tell, they are all free from potentially harmful substances.
Please send any requests. I would love to help out with whatever recipes you’re looking for. I’m often trying something new in my kitchen.

Chicken Bone Broth

2009-11-19T21:21:00.001-08:00

Roast a chicken. Reserve the juices! (I just leave them in the slow-cooker until I get back with the next steps.) Have some fresh roasted chicken for one of your dinners!
Let your chicken cool down a bit. Clean all of the meat off of your chicken carcass and box it up for the fridge. (Carcass, yum! haha.) I try to cut off big slices for meals, and then the tiny pieces end up in a soup or hash or sorts.
Put all of your bones into the slow-cooker. Pull out and toss any leftover veggies. (By this time, the juices in the slow-cooker have cooled.) Add some fresh veggies. Cover by an inch with cold water. Add 1/3 Cup of apple cider vinegar. (The vinegar helps to draw the best stuff out of the bones. Slow heating from cold helps to draw out flavor.)
Let slow-cook on LOW for 12-24 hours.
I usually start this cooking in the evening, and then in the morning I pull out the bigger bones and chop them up with my kitchen shears so that the marrow can get out easier.
Another important note: After this gets good and hot (like in the morning once you’re up) you’ll probably see some brown yuck floating up. Skim this off and toss it.
Once it’s done, strain the broth into a container to cool in. Once it’s cool enough for the fridge, set it in there until it’s completely cool. You will know it’s done because it’s gelatinous and there is a thick-ish layer of fat at the top. Scrape off the fat and toss it. You can keep the broth covered in your fridge for a week or so. You can also freeze it in ziplocs (lay them flat to freeze!) to use much later.
Bring to a boil before using.

Roast Chicken – basic

2009-11-19T21:03:00.001-08:00

1 roasting chicken (4-5 pounds)
2 medium carrots, well-scrubbed or peeled, cut in half
1/2 onion, cut in two
4 cloves garlic
3 sticks celery, cut in half

Prepare your vegetables and have them sitting next to your slow-cooker. Pull the giblets out of the cavity (inside) of the bird. Rinse off the giblets and toss them into your slow-cooker.
Rinse the chicken inside and out. Drain all of the water out that you can while standing there. (I don’t see any need to pat it dry, as you’re not going for crispy skin or anything here.) Place your chicken in the slow-cooker. Holding the big hole open with one hand, sprinkle in some salt, and stuff in as much of the vegetables as you can (at least some of each), put the bird breast-side down.
Toss the rest of the vegetables in and WASH your hands well. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the top of the bird.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours, low for 8 hours. I use a meat thermometer to make sure that my chicken is done. You should have one in your kitchen.

Quinoa

2009-11-17T22:45:00.001-08:00

Lisa asked about a recipe with Quinoa. First, a little background:

Quinoa is from the Andes mountains and has been cultivated there since at least 3,000BC. That’s a long time. The ancient Incas called it the “mother grain” and it was the staple of the Incan warriors. Little balls of quinoa and fat.

It is still grown in South America today, along with a few places in North America with the proper conditions. There are three main types that are cultivated and can be bought at most natural foods stores: white (most common), red, and black. I haven’t seen any remarks about a difference in flavor, but the three together would make a pretty addition to a salad.

Why is quinoa so great? Well, if you need a gluten-free diet, this can be valuable to you. It’s not a true grain, but cooks like one. Nutritionally, it is valuable to everyone. From Chet Day’s website is an article by Karen Railey:

The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains. It is a good complement for legumes, which are often low in methionine and cystine.
The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids. Some types of wheat come close to matching quinoa's protein content, but grains such as barley, corn, and rice generally have less than half the protein of quinoa. Quinoa is 12% to 18% protein and four ounces a day, about 1/2-cup, will provide a child's protein needs for one day. The 6-7% fat of quinoa is relatively high when compared to other grains, but it boasts a low sodium content and also provides valuable starch and fiber. Quinoa also contains albumen, a protein that is found in egg whites, blood serum, and many plant and animal tissues.
The seeds are gluten-free which makes this a nutritious and flavorful alternative grain for those with gluten sensitivity. Quinoa would be a worthy addition to anyone's diet, supplying variety as well as good nutrition.

To cook quinoa, you should start by rinsing it. Get your fine-mesh strainer out and run water over the measured quinoa to get rid of any remaining saponin. Quinoa is rinsed before it is packaged and shipped, but you should rinse it to get rid of anything that is still there, and there usually is. (If you put quinoa in a dish with water, you will probably notice soapy bubbles if you haven’t rinsed it.)

After rinsing, you can treat it as you would white rice. Our family frequently has it in place of rice. I like to bake up brown rice, but quinoa is faster and better! You can toss it into soups and let it cook in there, or add it to salads, make a polenta-type dish or eat it on it’s own with some butter and parmesan cheese.

I cook 1 Cup of quinoa with 1 3/4 Cups of water. On high until it boils, then turn it to low where it simmers covered until the water is absorbed. It takes about 15 minutes. You can tell the quinoa is done when the germ unwraps itself and the grains appear to have tails.

Check out Karen Railey’s article for more suggestions on quinoa recipes. It can also be sprouted –further increasing nutritional benefits – or toasted for a nice aroma.

Getting Started

2009-11-17T22:12:00.001-08:00

I’ve realized, as I’ve pondered the last couple days, that I will need to do more investigation before I jump full-on into this. So tonight I walked through Whole Foods writing down their best (non-sale) prices for things that usually buy and things that I would like to buy. I will be typing up a list and comparing it with other stores like Trader Joe’s and the organic sections of the regular grocers.

I already found that Fred Meyer has better prices on a few things. I scored on cheese today! There were five little blocks of organic mild cheddar on clearance (c’mon. It’s cheese. You can even freeze it.) and I bought all five. That was organic cheese for $4/pound. Nice, huh?

Anyhow…This week is more investigational, next week is Thanksgiving and I will be at my parents’ place for most of it. I plan to have my price checking done by the end of these 2 weeks and then I will be ready to take on our new dietary and budget guidelines.

Shelf Reliance

2009-11-16T20:06:00.001-08:00

I have heard about the freeze-dried food before, but it didn’t sound any more appealing than other canned foods. Besides there was probably extra garbage in with the food like other canned goods. Right? Nope.
I tried some of the THRIVE freeze-dried raspberries offered by Shelf Reliance. Here’s what they say:

THRIVE Freeze Dried products are flash frozen, sublimated, and packaged to remove as much water as possible, all without sacrificing quality or nutritional value. These foods last longer and are healthier than foods that are simply dehydrated. Though both processes remove significant amounts of water from perishable food items, the speed of freeze drying locks in existing tastes and nutrients that would be lost during dehydration. Additionally, since freeze drying removes a greater percentage of water than dehydration, the shelf life of freeze dried products increases by several years.

So they’re just raspberries. (Raspberries fall in the middle of the list, and are far enough down from the Dirty Dozen AND I wouldn’t use these pricey berries in large amounts, so I’m okay with assuming that these are not organic.)
I rehydrated them (rather skeptically) and found that they kept their shape impressively well and they tasted very good. Just a little mushy. I recommend them as a great choice for perking up your food storage, or your Winter Blues.

As for my budget, these would definitely be something I would have to save up for.

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Shelf Reliance is currently having a birthday giveaway, and I have a chance (you too!) to win a bunch of goodies of my choice. I would choose fruit. Mmm…

Menu Plan - Week 1

2009-11-15T13:35:00.001-08:00

Breakfast:

oatmeal
German Pancakes
toast
smoothies

Lunch/Snacks:

leftovers from dinner
sandwiches
apples
carrots
bottled fruit

Dinners:
Sunday

Roast Chicken (1 whole chicken, 2 carrots, ½ onion, 2 sticks celery, 4 cloves garlic, salt, pepper)
Broccoli with cheddar (2 crowns)
Yams (2)

Monday

Fish Soup – salmon (from freezer) ½ onion, 2 celery, 2 garlic, 5 carrots, 3 C chopped spinach, broth made from yesterday’s chicken bones

Tuesday

Pancakes and fruit

Wednesday

Sliced chicken breast
Cauliflower (1/2 head)
Carrots (6)

Thursday

Chicken tacos (chicken, black beans (dry), can corn, quinoa, avocado)
Tortillas
Cheese
Sour cream

Friday

Pasta – noodles with red sauce
Broccoli with cheddar
Yams (1)

Saturday

Bean salad
Biscuits

Welcome

2009-11-15T13:33:00.001-08:00

I want to provide my family with healthy, delicious food on a small budget. My goal is to keep my grocery spending under $75/week for our family of four: 30 year old father, 30 year old mother, 5 year old daughter and 2 year old daughter.

As I become more aware of health benefits (and detriments) I will work to adjust my grocery list and preparation methods accordingly.

So, here’s the deal. I want to plan out my menu on Sunday for the following week. I’ll purchase my groceries on Friday or Saturday. I’ll keep track of prices, menus & recipes here. Not everything will be organic. Instead I will be purchasing the organic version of produce on the Dirty Dozen list, purchasing organic/natural meats & dairy. I will use 100% whole wheat.

Here goes!