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Bok Choy, Kohlrabi, and Apple Slaw

You may have noticed that things have been pretty quiet around here lately. We just moved, and I simply couldn't keep up with a blog and a move at the same time. But we are now more or less settled and I'm hoping you'll see a little more of me. I'm writing now from the blissful peace of a coffee shop; my husband is giving me some much needed "me time" after a very busy month!

We are a part of a CSA again this year, and we're loving it! Fresh, local, organic veggies, a great community of people, a farm that cares about urban renewal (one of their locations is an abandoned outlet mall parking lot!). So much to love! There is only one thing I'm not loving: bok choy. It's good in stir fry or fried rice, but I'm not in love with it enough to do that multiple times per week. And I'm the only one who likes it in our family, which means I'm really on bok choy overload.

I've been scouring the internet for ideas, and this one inspired me. I added some kohlrabi that was also lingering in the fridge, and it added a nice crunch. It may not be apple season, but I'm totally okay splurging on some out-of-season organic apples to round out this mostly-seasonal dish.

And it got husband approval. Win!

Bok Choy, Kohlrabi, and Apple Slaw

Ingredients:

1/2 a large head of bok choy, thinly sliced

1 medium kohlrabi, peeled and julienned

1 apple, cored and julienned

1/4 c. sliced green onions (white and green parts)

1/2 cup of plain, whole milk yogurt

1/4 cup of sour cream

2 T. white wine vinegar

1 T. honey

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. unrefined sea salt

black pepper to taste

1 T. poppy seeds

Combine vegetables in a large bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Toss dressing with vegetables. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before serving.

(Note: Carrot and celery would be a great addition, as in the original recipe. I didn't have any but I might add some next time.)

What do you like to do with Bok Choy?

**This is part of Wellness Wednesday! **

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How To Make the Most of Your Expensive Honey

Raw, local honey. Do you love it as much as I do? In my real food kitchen, honey is one of our primary healthy sweeteners. We buy it by the gallon from a local beekeeper, and pay a pretty penny. I use it in my homemade granola and honey-oatmeal bread, I drizzle it on homemade yogurt, stir it into tea, and spread it on nut-buttered toast. Lately I'm loving it in this hydrating ginger-lemonade, too.

When I'm spending good money on high quality food, I don't want to waste even a tiny drop. So what do you do with the crusty honey at the bottom of the jar? It's impossible to scrape out, scoop out, or lick out. So here's what you do:

Make Honey Water!

Honey water? Yes. You can use your honey water to sweeten teas, make lemonade, or add to fruit sauces. And you're smart; I'm sure you could come up with even more ideas! It couldn't be any easier, and you'll be so happy that you are no longer wasting your delicious, nutritious honey that some bees worked very hard to make!

Note: I am not talking about a whole jar of honey that has crystallized. If you have crystallized honey, you can still make good use of it! Put it in a sink of warm water, or set it on top of a warm stove after the oven has been on. Or just scoop it out with a spoon! It is still fine to use for just about any purpose. :)

How to Make Honey Water

1. Add a little warm water to your container of crusty honey. Start with a tablespoon or two. If the container is glass, you may use hot water. If it is plastic, only use warm water so you do not risk leeching chemicals into the honey.
2. Put a lid on the container and shake!
3. Shake until the honey has dissolved. If necessary, add more water, a little bit at a time. 
4. If you are having trouble getting the honey to dissolve, let the water sit in there over night. In the morning it will probably be dissolved!
5. Pour your honey-water into a jar and store it in the fridge. Use within a few days, but know that I've used mine for up to two weeks and I was just fine. :)

What's your favorite use for honey?

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Need a Last-Minute Dinner Plan? Try Creamy Beef & Noodles with Peas

The other night, I found myself alone with the kids around dinner time. My husband had something going on and wasn't coming home for dinner. I had - miraculously - been getting some organizing done while the kids played happily, and suddenly it was 5:45 and I had no dinner plan.

(5:45 might not seem that bad, but our daughter has been needing an early bedtime of 6:30 or so lately, so my goal is always to have dinner on the table by 5:30. Doesn't always happen, of course.)

Now, you know I'm all about meal planning, but I confess that I've been a bit lax lately. Maybe it's the warm weather, maybe it's two kids in rather demanding phases of life, maybe it's the husband studying for his ordination exams...whatever it is, I'm trying to get back on track!

So I looked in the fridge: I saw some leftover cooked noodles, and some browned ground beef. It looked like dinner to me!

I added a few other simple ingredients to pull it all together, and found myself with a quick, satisfying meal that can be altered according to what you have on hand. If you don't have leftover noodles and beef already cooked like I did, just cook them up quickly before assembling. It would still be a very easy meal!

There are no measurements, but you can handle it. Use whatever amounts look and smell and taste good to you. I hope this recipe gives you an example of something delicious you can throw together with very little preparation when you're in a pinch! If it helps you and your family consume one less frozen pizza or Big Mac, I've done my job. :)

Last-Minute Creamy Beef & Noodles with Peas

Ingredients:

Cooked noodles (I used whole wheat egg noodles, but use whatever you have on hand)

Cooked ground beef (mine was just seasoned with salt and garlic powder)

Butter

Beef broth

Apple cider vinegar

Frozen peas

Sour cream

Salt and pepper

Garlic powder and onion powder

Additional spices of choice: I used dried dill, parsley and basil

Parmesan cheese (or whatever cheese you want) for serving

Directions:

1. Heat noodles, beef, a couple T. butter, a splash of broth (maybe 1/2 cup or so), and a bit of apple cider vinegar (about 1 T.) in a skillet, covered, until warm.
2. Add frozen peas and heat a few minutes more.
3. Add a dollop of sour cream and seasonings. Taste and adjust seasonings - be liberal with the salt!
4. Serve with freshly grated cheese and enjoy!

Now sit back and congratulate yourself. You just cooked a delicious, fast, easy and healthy dinner for your family. You rock!

What do you cook when you're short on time?

This is part of the following real food & natural living link-ups: Fight Back Friday

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Is it Okay to Buy Crackers at the Store?

image by markn3tel

"Cracka" was my first word. Supposedly even before "mama" and "dada." These crunchy guys and I go way back: my mom still jokes about how I used to hold one in each hand and munch away, kind like this:

image by Joe Shlabotnik

Are Crackers Healthy?

I still love crackers, especially with some nice nutty grass-fed cheddar or a shmear of almond butter. But most crackers from the store, even a health food store, are not Plus Other Good Stuff approved. (Don't get me wrong: I gladly partake of any cracker at a party if there are delicious toppings to be had.) What's so bad about them?

The grains are either refined or whole but not soaked or sprouted which makes them hard to digest. The oils are usually either hydrogenated or rancid vegetable oils like soybean, cottonseed, or sunflower. They often contain high fructose corn syrup or "evaporated cane juice," AKA sugar.

Homemade Sourdough Crackers with Garlic Scape White Bean Dip

Some Solutions to the Cracker Dilemma

To avoid those unfortunate ingredients, I like to make my own crackers.  It's easier than you would think, and certainly gets some "ooh's" and "aah's" at a party. But in this busy and often overwhelming season of motherhood, I confess: I buy crackers from the store. I bake most of our bread and granola, and cook meals from scratch seven days a week. I ferment kombucha and make my own yogurt. All in a teeny tiny kitchen. But most of the time, I don't have time to make crackers. (I often don't even have time to take a shower!)

So here you have it: my favorite store bought crackers.

Why I Love Ak-Mak Crackers

1. No junk. Check out these ingredients:

Simple, clean, short list of ingredients. Can't beat that! I'm not worried about the sesame oil in small amounts, especially because it is not GMO.

2. Made with butter!
You know me, I love me some butter. Their butter may not be organic, but I'd rather have conventional butter than organic soybean oil! Also, their website states that some of their ingredients might be organic without being listed as such. So one can hope that it's even better than it looks!

3. Stone ground flour.
More nutrients are preserved when flour is stone ground, as opposed to steel ground. And I hold out a little hope that maybe they grind it themselves right before baking, which means it retains even more nutrients. No, it is not soaked or sprouted, but as an occasional snack I'm not too worried about it.

4. Cheap!
I get Ak-mak at Trader Joe's for less than $2 a box. I'm sure it's still cheaper to make my own crackers, but this is about as good as you can do for store-bought crackers. (We in West Michigan are still waiting and hoping for Trader Joe's to get with the program and open stores near us, but in the mean time our family stocks up whenever we visit relatives in the Chicago area.)

5. Delicious.
They really do taste great. How could they not, with those ingredients? I love the crunch of the sesame seeds and the very subtle sweetness of the honey. Delicious with hummus, cheese, nut butter, or even by themselves.

Do you buy crackers from the store? Have you found anything with ingredients you can be happy with?

This is part of Real Food Wednesday, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday


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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through them supports Plus Other Good Stuff. Thanks!

Cinnamon Pecan Granola: my new favorite soaked granola

Soaked granola is a staple in this house. Whenever my husband needs a snack to bring with him to class or to the coffee shop or on a trip, he grabs some of my homemade granola. I try to make a batch every week, and I can barely keep up with our granola consumption!

Recently some dear friends sent us a care package of delicious healthy foods. Included in the box was some of this granola. I fell in love with the taste: it was so simple, and yet so flavorful! The ingredients are by far the best list I've ever seen on store-bought granola:

Ingredients: Organic Rolled Oats, Wheat Bran, Butter, Organic Honey, Pecans, Spices, Salt

In stressful seasons when I haven't been able to make enough granola for us, I've often found myself perusing granola packages at the grocery store, hoping for something that doesn't contain canola oil and refined sugar. Fail all around. Even "healthy" brands like Bear Naked are, simply put, full of junk.

So I was psyched when I tasted this granola and read its ingredients.

And being the real foodie I am, I thought, "Could I make granola that tastes like this...and is soaked?!"

So I tried, using this recipe as inspiration.

And what I got was delicious.

Admittedly, it has a slight tang from the soaking process, but I happen to like it. And on top of that you taste cinnamon and butter and pecans. Is there anything better?

Soaked Cinnamon Pecan Granola

 

Ingredients:
6 cups thick rolled oats (available at health food stores or natural foods co-ops)
2 cups rye flakes (if gluten free see this post)
1/2 cup grass-fed butter, melted
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup whole milk yogurt
1 cup filtered water
3/4 c. local raw honey
1/4-1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1 t. unrefined sea salt
1 T. + 2 t. cinnamon (adjust to taste)
1 T. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans, preferably soaked and dried

Directions:
1. The day before you want to bake the granola, combine the oats and rye in a glass or stainless steel mixing bowl with the melted butter and coconut oil. Add the yogurt and water. Cover and let soak at room temperature for 12-24 hours. (I do this in my KitchenAid stand mixer.)
2. When you are ready to bake the granola, preheat your oven to 200 degrees and line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper (you can try greasing them, instead, but I choose to save on dishes).
3. Whisk together the honey, syrup, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla in a glass measuring up.
4. Add the liquid ingredients and the pecans to the soaked mixture. Mix using your mixer (depending on how big the bowl is; it's a little risky with mine since I don't have a bowl guard) or your (clean) hands.
5. Once the oats are thoroughly coated in yumminess, spread the mixture onto the cookie sheets in an even layer.
6. Bake at 200 degrees for about 8 hours, stirring every two hours to break up clumps. The granola is finished when a cooled piece is golden and crispy. If you happen to be baking your granola while you sleep (I do this often) just lower the temp to 150 and stir it in the morning. It will need a little more time after you've stirred it. As long as you keep the temp low, you can't mess this up!


**This is part of the following real food and natural living link-ups: The Homestead Barn Hop, Natural Living Monday, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through them supports Plus Other Good Stuff. Thanks!

Cast Iron Mac & Cheese: real comfort food

Did you notice? Plus Other Good Stuff is now plusothergoodstuff.com! You'll be seeing some more changes in the coming weeks, I hope, so stick with me and enjoy the ride. :)

 

When you need something a little more exciting than my Easy Mac & Cheese, but still not very time consuming, try this delicious twist. It's just as satisfying as baked mac & cheese, but super fast because the "baking" happens under the broiler for 4-6 minutes! Feel free to alter the spices to your liking and add different veggies as desired!

You'll need a deep iron skillet for this recipe. Here's the one I use. 

Cast Iron Mac & Cheese

(inspired by Parents Need to Eat Too)

One package of brown rice pasta (or pasta of choice)
3-4 organic hot dogs (optional)
1/2 c. organic frozen spinach (the kind in a bag, not a box), or a couple handfuls of fresh greens such as spinach, Swiss chard or kale
3 T. grass-fed butter
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 t. mustard powder
1/2 t. smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 t. unrefined sea salt
dash milk curry powder
2 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 T. organic unbleached flour, or sprouted whole grain flour

1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water. If your hot dogs are frozen (we keep a couple packages in the freezer and just take out what we need), throw them into the boiling water to heat them. Add your greens toward the end of the cooking time (just a couple minutes for spinach, 3-4 minutes for chard, 5 minutes or so for kale). When the pasta and greens are done, drain and set aside. Let the hot dogs cool, and then slice them into pieces.
2. While the pasta is cooking, preheat your broiler. Heat a deep iron skillet until very hot.
3. Melt the butter in the hot skillet. Add the milk and spices. Add 2 cups of the cheese, a handful add a time, whisking to melt.
4. Sift the flour over the cheese sauce, a tablespoon at a time (I don't have a sifter, so I use a fine mesh strainer and just tap the side of it to sprinkle the flour in), whisking the sauce until smooth after each addition. The sauce should be nice and thick when you're done adding flour.
5. Add the cooked pasta and greens, and cut-up hot dogs. Stir to thoroughly coat the pasta with sauce.
6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and broil for 4-6 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.

What do you cook when you want something fast and really, really delicious?

 

**This is part of the following real food and healthy living link-ups: Real Food Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday


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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through them supports Plus Other Good Stuff. Thanks!

Gut-Healing, Immune Boosting, Veggie-Packed Beef Barley Soup

It's time for another recipe from the Soup Goddess! Go here to find out who the Soup Goddess is, and to find links to her recipes!

Check out all those veggies! I added some Swiss chard stems. Gorgeous.

Here in West Michigan, it's been cold with a mixture of rain and snow. As ready as I am to be outside enjoying a mild spring, meals like this one are helping me stay warm and cozy until that happens! The homemade broth in this soup is good for the gut, which is where most of your immune system resides. So if your family is still getting sick even though winter is "over," make this soup to give their systems a boost! It's also chock full of delicious vegetables which certainly can't hurt. :)

Veggie-Packed Beef & Barley Soup

Ingredients:
1-1.5 lbs stew meat and 10 cups homemade beef broth (or combination of beef and chicken broth
OR
1-1.5 lbs beefy soup bone (mostly meat with a little bone) plus additional bones without meat, and water to cover

1/4 c. butter
2 c. onions, chopped
1 medium turnip, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. cauliflower florets
6 large swiss chard leaves, including stems (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. barley, soaked overnight in warm water and 1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 t. fresh thyme, or 1 t. dried
1 1/2 T. fresh oregano, or 2 t. dried
1/2. t. rubbed sage
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. If using beef soup bones, in the morning before you want to eat the soup, cover the bones with water and a splash of apple cider vinegar in a large pot or crock pot. Cook over low heat for at least 8 hours. This is your beef broth!
2. Melt butter in a soup pot. Add all the chopped veggies and simmer 10 minutes. (I add them as I chop them, and then cook for a few minutes more after they are all in the pot.) If you are using Swiss chard, strip the leaves from the stems. Chop the stems and add them with the rest of the veggies. Reserve the leaves.
3. Add your beef now if you are using stew meat instead of soup bones, and cook a few minutes longer to brown the beef.
4. Add the broth (from your simmered bones, adding water to make 10 cups, or already-made broth. In a pinch, use organic store-bought broth). Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
5. Add the soaked barley, Swiss chard leaves if using, thyme, oregano, and sage. Simmer until the barley is tender.
6. Add the chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Serve with crusty bread for a delicious & hearty meal!


 This is part of the following blog carnivals: Whole Foods Wednesday, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday


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Real Life, Blogging, and Balancing Acts

My lenten break from blogging officially ended on Easter Sunday, a week ago.

I had hoped that on Easter Monday, I'd be back with a vengeance. But my break was so thorough that I didn't write any posts for all of lent (except for MAK and MAM), so I had nothing to publish. I didn't work at all on the new domain. I didn't work at all on Good Bites, my upcoming free eBook of easy, healthy, bite-sized snacks. So what was I doing?

I was being a mom of two kids, one of whom is having a tough time with potty training and the other of whom is having a tough time with sleep. I was being a wife to a stressed out seminarian. I was being an artist: a good friend and I have been re-creating a piece of choreography and had a performance last week.

All those things take precedence over this blog.

And yet, I had some important affirmations during my blogging break. Several friends told me they appreciated my blog. Why? Because I don't judge. My vision is to inspire people to make positive changes for better health, without making them feel like failures because they aren't perfect. Eating real food is a journey! Some people have a radical conversion, but most people make one change at a time. I want to be here to encourage you, one little change at a time.

So where am I at? I'm still not quite sure. I know I want to keep blogging. I'm not sure if now is the season for me to be serious about it. There are a lot of things standing in my way: the stress of grad school, interrupted sleep, wanting to be present to my kids, and a computer that's on the fritz.

I'm seeking balance. I feel sort of like this is the start of a new year, and I'm making resolutions. It seems fitting, in a way, to start fresh after Easter. We just celebrated the most mind-blowing event of our faith. Christ was dead, but now he is alive! This knowledge changes everything, so why not start fresh?

My Easter Resolutions

Find time for prayer and scripture. I want to bask in the light of His presence, morning, noon and night. A three-year-old who wants to be with me constantly, an early rising baby, and a never-ending to-do list get in my way. Any moms out there want to share their secrets?

Prioritize sleep. Remember that series I was going to start, Get More Sleep in 2013? Instead of writing about it, I'm going to do it. I'm working on going to bed earlier, keeping my daughter on a good rhythm so she doesn't get overtired, and taking naps when possible. I want to wake up rested again. Someday, I want to get up an hour before the kids and write. But today is not that day.

Practice Sabbath, even in the kitchen. We have failed over and over at keeping a Sabbath. We know we need it. We know it pleases God. But we have so much going against us: my husbands schedule with classes during the week plus working at a church on Saturday and Sunday leaves us no free day. We try to find time here and there, even if it's not a full day, but the stress of no real rest is wearing on us. We hope that in a couple short months (when things slow down for the summer), that will change. A large part of the rest for me needs to be from all-things-kitchen. It's easy to never really stop in a real food kitchen: there are always ongoing projects. Always something to soak or bake or thaw or ferment. I need to learn how to pause. To plan ahead, and to let go. You may see some posts about this popping up in the next few months as I work on it.

What does this mean for Plus Other Good Stuff?

I think I'm going to try blogging once a week. No pressure to be the best real food blog out there with multiple posts every week and video tutorials and eBooks and all that jazz. Someday those things will come. But for now, it's just me, writing to you, about real food.  No judging, no guilt trips, just simple, delicious, nourishing goodness.

What Do You Want?

Since my posting will be limited, I'd love to know what you want to learn about and prioritize that! What are your biggest challenges in the kitchen? What are you unsure about? What processed food are you having trouble finding alternatives for? Share in the comments so this blog can bless you.



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A Lenten Break

image by Jamiesrabbits

I'm writing this at 1:30 AM. Remember that series I was going to do, about getting more sleep in 2013? I'm not exactly a good role model right now.

Our kids have been sick for a week. Even kids of real food families get sick. As much as we try to fight it by taking our cod liver oil and drinking our smoothies, we get sick. Sometimes, it's nasty. I haven't had a good night of sleep for about nine days.

This week, life has been a constant stream of immediate physical needs. Wake up, try to nurse the baby. Baby won't nurse because she too stuffy, so try the bottle. If that doesn't work, try the eye dropper. Caedmon, time to use the potty! Man I'm hungry. Scarf down some cottage cheese over the sink. Better start some laundry. Toddler peed on the floor. Does he have any more clean clothes? Must be in the laundry basket. Man I'm hungry. Baby needs a diaper. Maybe she'll nurse now? Oh no she's coughing. Take her into the bathroom, turn the shower on hot and breathe in the steam. Now she's tired, I guess I'll just put her down for her nap? Man I'm hungry. Go downstairs, finally get some real breakfast for myself and Caedmon. He doesn't want eggs, he wants peanut butter toast made into sandwiches. How about an egg first? He coughs so hard it makes him gag and throw up. New bib. New shirt. New pants. Do you want some honey lemon tea for your cough? My eggs are cold now. I would like to get dressed at some point. Shoot my clothes are in the room where Esther is trying to fall asleep. Shower? I'll wait until Steven gets home. Can I eat breakfast and pump milk at the same time?

I'm trying to remember that someday these kids will not be so reliant on me for their every waking need. Someday we'll play board games together, and go for walks in the woods together, and maybe they will even help around the house. (You know, in a way that's actually...helpful.) Someday my husband will not come home from a long day of class and work and meetings only to spend the evening doing homework. Someday we might all sit down to dinner together for more than 8.5 minutes.

But for now, it's just one thing at a time. Sometimes the baby has to cry while I help her brother with something. Sometimes Caedmon clings at my leg saying "I need you mommy!" while I try to make dinner.

And sometimes, lately, both of them need my attention, and I'm trying to finish writing a blog post. Which brings me to my next point:

 I'm taking a Lenten Break from blogging.

As much as I want this blog to grow and bless and reach more people, teaching them how to cook and eat real food in a friendly, judgement-free environment, I need a break.

I want to be more present to my children. I want my husband and I to spend our time together together, and never hiding behind our laptop screens. I want to seek the Lord in prayer. I want the scriptures to come alive to me again.

So you won't see much of me for the next 40 days. I'll still be writing for Modern Alternative Kitchen and Modern Alternative Mama. And I might even work on my ebook, or design my new website, or write a few blog posts. But I won't publish them until after Easter. I won't be ruled by this blog. I will only work on it when both kids are sleeping, so they never have to compete with a computer for my attention.

Lord, bring my life back into balance. Grant me sleep. Bring peace into my days. Help me to spend this Lenten season seeking you, only to realize that you've been seeking me all along.

I pray the same for you, dear readers. This Lent, may your life swing into balance. May you let go of anything that is hindering you. May you journey to the cross and fall on your face before him. May you seek the Lord, and be found in him.

"I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew, he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me; It was not I, who found O Saviour true; no I was found of Thee."

How are you celebrating lent this year?

Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

I love chocolate ice cream, but I love it even more when it has something a little bit special going on. Like peppermint. Or peanut butter. Or cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

The spices in this ice cream make it a perfect winter treat; despite its iciness, you will feel oddly warmed after eating it. It's not too spicy, but has a nice, subtle, slow burn from the cayenne, and a sweet tingle from the cinnamon.

The consistency is divine, thanks to Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home, which has the best homemade ice cream recipes EVER. (Forgive the superlative: it's true.) I alter Jeni's recipes quite a bit, as I outlined in my series on the book here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Basically, I've done by best to make the healthiest and most delicious ice cream imaginable. Yeah, it's that good.

And oh yeah, Valentine's Day. Make this for your sweetheart! It's not pink or heart-shaped, but what better way to say I love you than with homemade ice cream?!

Ingredient notes:

• For information on where to find healthy chocolate & my chocolate eating rules, see this post: Ingredient Spotlight: Chocolate. I used some Lindt Chocolate, which doesn't follow my rules but was certainly delicious!
• I used whole raw milk, and vat-pasteurized, grass-fed cream from a local farm (since I don't want to give up too much of the cream from my weekly raw milk share).
• I used coconut sugar in this recipe, but sucanat would also work well. These are the healthiest options for granulated sweeteners. Feel free to mess around with the sweetness to your liking: I reduced the quantities significantly from the original recipe, but it tastes plenty sweet to us.

Now on to the recipe!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream 

(inspired by Queen City Cayenne Ice Cream, from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home)
Yield: About 1 Quart

Ingredients:

(Chocolate Paste)
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/4 c. coconut sugar or sucanat
1/3 c. filtered water
1 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (55%-70% cocoa), finely chopped

(Ice Cream)
2 c. whole milk
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. coconut sugar or sucanat
2 T. honey
1 T. + 1 t. arrowroot
3 T. cream cheese, softened
1/8. t. unrefined sea salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (mine is very hot so I used a little less than that)

Directions

1. Make the chocolate paste by combining the cocoa, 1/4 c. sweetener and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate, and stir to melt.
2. Measure the cream and milk in a glass measuring cup. Pour into a large saucepan, leaving about 2 T. in the measuring cup.
3. Add the honey and 1/3 c. sweetener to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat to bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Meanwhile, add the arrowroot to the measuring cup with the remaining milk and whisk to combine.
5. In a medium glass mixing bowl, whisk the chocolate paste, cream cheese, and salt until smooth.
6. When the cream mixture is gently boiling, whisk in the arrowroot/milk mixture. Continue to heat, stirring with a heat-proof spatula, until it thickens slightly. If you're not sure if it thickened, taste some with a spoon (blow on it first!). Your tongue will know.
7. Whisk the cream mixture into the chocolate mixture. Add the cinnamon and cayenne and stir well.
8. Put a lid on the bowl, and chill either in a sink full of ice water or in the fridge. (It's okay to leave it in the fridge overnight if you run out of time!)
9. Churn in your ice cream maker. When it is cold and creamy and looks like ice cream, transfer it to a container. (Jeni says it takes about 25 minutes.)
10. Place in the freezer to chill for at least four hours before eating. 

 Part of the following link-ups: Keep It Real Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Tasty Traditions

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When is Baby Ready To Eat? (What To Feed Babies Series)

 Welcome to the first post in my series on What To Feed Babies! We're starting off with a topic of much debate: At what age should babies start eating? On the one hand are doctors who recommend starting rice cereal at four months or earlier, and on the other hand you have people like this mom, who exclusively breastfed her daughter for almost two years, choosing to follow the baby's cues for being ready for solid food.

My Experience With Baby's Readiness

Having two very different children has given me an interesting perspective of a lot of baby-related things, including determining when a baby is ready for solid foods.

As a first time mom, I eagerly awaited the 6 month mark, thinking (even if I tried not to) that somehow my baby would magically be ready to eat foods when he hit that milestone age. Six months came and went, and so did seven, and eight, and nine...and this kid did not want to eat!

He would get angry when I tried to feed him my lovingly made vegetable purees with a spoon. And he would gag if I tried to give him soft, "gummable" chunks of food like banana or avocado to feed himself. I had read all about how egg yolk is a great first food for babies starting as soon as four months, but here was my eight month old refusing to even taste it!

As it turned out, Caedmon did not really start eating any significant quantity of food until past his first birthday. By that point, I was able to just give him table food, and bypass the puree stage completely. (Less work, woohoo!) Of course I worried needlessly over it, as many first time moms do when their child is not doing something by the time the average age rolls around (we're there now with potty training). But now I am quite confident of this: he just wasn't ready. He was a marathon nurser and apparently breast milk was enough to sustain him for that first year.

My daughter, of course, is a different story. We introduced solid foods not long after her six month birthday. Now, at almost nine months, she seems to already need three meals a day! She was not quite sitting unsupported (one of the solids readiness signs) when we started feeding her, but since all the other signs were there, I felt comfortable starting. This girl loves to eat!

So there you have it: two completely different scenarios of two completely different kids.

Solid Food Readiness Signs

 

If you search the internet you'll find all sorts of lists of "readiness signs" to tell you when babies are ready to start eating solid foods. Here are a few common ones:

• Loss of the tongue thrust reflex (baby doesn't push food out of his/her mouth automatically)
• Can sit unsupported
• Working on the pincer grasp to pick up small objects (thumb and forefinger)
• Interested in food when others are eating

And I'm adding another: eats food when it's given! If your child meets all the signs but doesn't want to eat, all you can do it wait until they want to. If they are growing and gaining weight and are otherwise healthy, you don't need to worry. The best thing you can do in that case, if you're breastfeeding, is to make sure your diet is as nourishing as possible so you can sustain both yourself and your growing baby.

Here is a great article detailing the readiness signs and myths regarding when to start solid foods, and here is some very well-researched information on why to delay solids until at least 6 months.

When did you start feeding your baby solid foods? Which signs gave you the go-ahead?

This is part of Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday

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Meal Plan February 4-10 + Other Good Stuff

I've decided to highlight some interesting links and articles that I've been reading when I post my meal plan.

Exclusive Breastfeeding For Six Months?

I've been doing research for a post that will be up tomorrow about when babies are ready for solid foods. I came across this article from January 2011 stating that some scientists believe it could actually be harmful to exclusively breastfeed for six months without introducing solid foods. This goes against the recommendation of the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other organizations who recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months. I found this quote by Justine Roberts of Mumsnet interesting:

"....it is quite hard work trying to exclusively breastfeed for six months without introducing solids. If that turns out not to be correct advice, we'd like to know as soon as possible."

What do you think? Is it more difficult to exclusively breastfeed for six months, or introduce foods as early as four months? I'm sure this depends on your situation and whether or not you had a difficult start to breastfeeding. Either way, I'm not convinced that starting solid foods at four months is the best idea. Let me know your thoughts!

Good Stuff From Last Week

• I'm excited to try these Potatoes with Bacon and (hidden) Liver! I've tried hiding liver in spaghetti sauce before, and it just made it taste like liver. But I'm intrigued by this one. She claims that people she has served it to couldn't tell there was any liver in there. Do you believe her? Have you ever tried to sneak liver into anything? (If you're not sure why you'd want to sneak liver, click on the recipe link; she has a great explanation of liver's benefits!

• Oh my. This Homemade Cookie Dough Butter looks dangerously good. But not as dangerous as most desserts: it contains healthy fats from nuts and real butter, and is naturally sweetened with honey. Yeah, I'm gonna have to make that soon.

• Are you a fan of Girl Scout Cookies? My most memorable Girl Scout Cookie moment was in high school, after finding out some nasty stuff about a boy I liked: I indulged in a whole sleeve of Thin Mints. I cringe to think of it now! Jill from Modern Alternative Kitchen gives the low down on Girl Scout Cookies and suggestions on what to do instead of buying them.

Quinoa Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Meal Plan February 4-10

My meal plan might look fairly similar to last week's...I didn't get to some of those meals, so they are reappearing. :) You know me...I never follow my meal plan exactly.


Monday
Dinner: *Pizza (crust from Real {Fast} Food) topped with One-minute Pizza sauce, grass-fed cheese, organic pepperoni, and veggies
Lunch: Leftover chicken sandwiches
prep: thaw beef soup bone, soak barley

Tuesday
Dinner: Beef Barley Soup, crusty whole grain sourdough bread
Lunch: Leftover Pizza

Wednesday
Dinner at church
Lunch: Leftover Soup
prep: soak quinoa, thaw salmon

Thursday
Dinner: Baked Salmon, quinoa salad with maple vinaigrette
Lunch: Easy Mac & Cheese
prep: thaw cooked white beans from freezer

Friday
Dinner: Leftover salmon & quinoa
Lunch: White Bean Dip

Saturday
Dinner: Spaghetti with doctored-up store-bought sauce (I'll add grass-fed ground beef and saute diced onion and celery, and season the heck out of it), salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette
Lunch: leftover bean dip
prep: make quiche crust

Sunday
Dinner: Quiche with greens, mushrooms and bacon
Lunch: Leftover spaghetti

*Note on the Pizza: I learned in Real {Fast} Food to make a double batch of dough every time and freeze half of it in balls the right size for a pizza. Then next time, homemade pizza is just a matter of thawing the dough, rolling it out, topping and baking. Much less of an ordeal and perfect for a busy day!

*I'm sharing this at Modern Alternative Kitchen and Organizing Junkie. Check them out for some great meal planning inspiration!*

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What to Feed Babies {a series}

My sweet Esther is almost nine months old, and is loving eating solid foods. Our first child was a late eater, choosing to exclusively breastfeed until he was almost one, so it's been interesting to have a baby who actually wants to eat solids at a normal age!

We are feeding her in a pretty unconventional way. She doesn't get rice cereal, we don't buy packaged baby food (although there is some decent stuff out there these days!), she eats a lot of animal foods instead of just the standard fruits and veggies.

Many parents want to feed their baby healthy foods, but don't know where to start. There is also a lot of not-so-great information out there about what to feed babies. It can be really confusing!

I want to share our experiences with you, and give you the resources you need to feed your own real food baby. I'd also love to hear from you about your own experience feeding your babies! 

Here are some of the topics I'll be addressing.

This Series Will Cover...

• How to know when your baby is ready for solids

• Superfoods for babies: Which foods to emphasize

• How to prepare nutrient-dense foods for your baby

• Baby Lead Weaning vs. Purees 

• The importance of animal foods for babies 

• Why a grain-free diet is best for babies

• and more!

In addition, I'll be giving you reviews of some resources that can help you through the journey of feeding a real food baby. I'm hoping to do some giveaways, too, so stay tuned for the details!

What do you want to know about feeding babies? What have you struggled with?

This is part of: Make Your Own Monday, Natural Living Monday


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11 Reasons To Get More Sleep in 2013

image source

I realized recently that it has been a long time since I woke up rested after a night of sleep.

Some of it it unavoidable like pregnancy discomforts and newborn night nursings. But I also know that I'm just plain not sleeping enough.

I care about my health. I want to live life to the fullest as a Christ-follower, wife, mom, daughter, and friend. If I'm not eating or sleeping well, it's much harder to do those things well. 

This blog is about food, but it's also about health in general. And sleep is too important to not address.

This is the first post in my series Get More Sleep in 2013. I'll be regularly posting tips about how to get more sleep, and sharing why it's important and how it's changing my life. And I won't be working on these posts after 10 PM. :)

Let's start with why it's important to get more sleep.

 11 Reasons to Get More Sleep in 2013

 

1. To Have More Energy (that's a no brainer, right?)

2. To Increase Your Metabolism

3.  To Heal Your Hormones (and increase fertility!).

4. To Keep Your Emotions under Control

5. For the Love of Your Liver.

6. To Boost Your Immune System (and not get sick as frequently!)

7. To Improve Your Memory. Forgetful? Try Sleep. 

8. To Reset Your Circadian Clock

9. To Get Smarter (give that brain a break!)

10. To Help your Body Hurt Less

11. Because It Feels Good! (don't you love snuggling down into your bed and letting the day fade away?)

So, do you need to get more sleep?

This is part of: Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday,
Thank Your Body Thursday, Tasty Traditions, Simple Lives Thursday 

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Meal Plan Monday January 28-February 3

Have you liked me on Facebook yet? That's where I share fun things like what I'm making for dinner and my favorite healthy snacks. You don't want to miss out! :)

Hello readers! I apologize for the lack of posts last week. My dear Grandfather passed away and we were out of town for the funeral. When we returned last Thursday, the kids were in a major funk from being so out of their routine. Don't you hate how traveling messes kids up?  My 8 month old was back to sleeping well right before we left, and then it all flew out the window. That's life I guess! But we're back and I finally feel like I'm getting back in the swing of things. It feels good to be planning meals again!

Also, I'm going to try to start getting these meal plans posted on Sunday, so you can be inspired and set out to do your own meal planning for the week.

So here is what we are planning on eating for dinner this week:

Monday
Hamburgers and parsnip fries with curry mustard sauce

Tuesday
Slow Cooker Lentils and Kale topped with grass-fed cheese, sourdough spelt bread

Wednesday
Pizza (crust from Real {Fast} Food) topped with One-minute Pizza sauce, grass-fed cheese, organic pepperoni, and veggies

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
Leftovers or order Pizza

Saturday
Spaghetti with doctored-up store-bought sauce (I'll add grass-fed ground beef and saute diced onion and celery, and season the heck out of it), salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette

Sunday
Beef Barley Soup (from the soup goddess: recipe coming soon!), crusty sourdough bread from a local bakery

Lunches will be leftovers, tuna salad, hummus, or macaroni and cheese.
Breakfast will fried eggs with toast, soaked oatmeal, or French Toast frittata.

Are you meal planning this week? How do you get back on track after traveling?

I'm sharing this at Modern Alternative Kitchen and I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 

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Rancid Flour, Anyone? 4 Ways to Keep Whole Grain Flour Fresh

 

Perhaps you've decided that this year, you want to eat more whole grains. Even better, perhaps you've decided you want to start soaking your grains so your body can absorb more of the good stuff they contain.

Maybe, on a recent trip to the grocery store, you bought some whole wheat flour. Then you came home and put it in your pantry. And there it sits. And sits. And sits.

Did you know that as your flour sits there, it loses nutritional content day by day and turns rancid? Rancid. Rancid means fat gone bad. Whole grain flour goes rancid because it still contains the germ and bran, which is where the oils of the wheat berry reside. So it doesn't just get stale. It gets rancid. There are two downsides to rancidity. One: it makes things taste bitter. Two: the body doesn't like it!

What Does Eating Rancid Flour Do To the Body?

When you eat rancid oils, they cause free radicals in the body. Those buggers wreak havoc on the body and cause disease, and must be counteracted by anti-oxidants. Moral of the story: we don't want to introduce any more free-radicals into our bodies than necessary. Eating store-bought whole wheat flour that has been sitting in your pantry for awhile is a sure way to flood your system with free radicals. No, thanks!

4 Ways to Keep Whole Grain Flour Fresh

Follow these tips to avoid the free radicals and ensure the most nutritious flour possible!

1. Buy from a company with a high turnover rate.
Chances are good that whole wheat flour at the grocery store has been sitting there at room temperature for awhile before it even gets to your house. Try buying whole grain flour from a local health food store that grinds their own, or ordering from a whole foods Co-Op with high turnover. Here in West MI, I sometimes buy Wheat Montana flour from Country Life Natural Foods. They also grind at low temps which helps prevent some rancidity and preserves more nutrients.

2. Tightly seal.
As soon as you get your flour home, put it in an air-tight container or Ziplock. Keeping out air and moisture will help it stay fresh longer.

3. Refrigerate or freeze your flour.
If you have room in your freezer, place your fresh, sealed whole grain flour in there. It will last for several months. If not, put it in the second best place: the fridge. Every source says something different about the shelf life of whole grain flour, but this source says 6-8 months in the fridge, 2 years in the freezer. I'm guessing that's a bit generous, but if you are baking regularly your flour won't last that long anyway.

4. Grind your own.
The best way to ensure fresh flour is to grind your own from whole wheat berries just before baking. I do this in small quantities (2 cups at a time) with my Vitamix and I've been quite satisfied with the results. If you are ready in invest in (and have the space for) a grain grinder, I have heard good things about the Nutrimill. Either way, either grind just enough for your recipe or grind extra and store tightly sealed in fridge or freezer. And then bake some honey oatmeal bread or graham cracker bites!

For more information:
Food for Thought: Is Freshly Milled Flour more Nutritious?

The Importance of Grinding Your Own Flour

Do you bake with whole grain flour? If you grind your own, what is your method of choice?

This is part of Fight Back Friday, Tasty Traditions, Sunday School, Make Your Own Monday, Natural Living Monday

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You Can Do Better Than Store-Bought Snacks

Do you struggle to find healthy snack options for yourself and your family?

Are you frustrated with what you're finding on the labels of snacks you bought at the grocery store?

Did it ever occur to you that you can make snacks at home in your own kitchen that are a million times healthier than anything that comes in a box?

Well, it's true.

Head on over to Modern Alternative Kitchen today for some encouragement and inspiration: Yes, You Can Make Your Own Snacks!

You'll see simple snack ideas galore, and a kick-butt recipe for Homemade Graham Cracker Bites. (I seriously can't stop eating these. And my hubby wants to try them as cereal...all you Golden Grahams lovers out there know what I'm talking about!)

Are you ready for the snack challenge?

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Meal Plan Monday January 14-20

After a couple weeks away from home and another week that was just a MESS, I'm back to my normal meal planning routine! New to meal planning? Find out why it's so important!

Here is what we are eating for dinner this week:

Monday
Tex-Mex Cornbread Skillet, with soaked cornbread topping (This is one of our favorite meals!), salad

Tuesday
Perfect Roast Chicken, green beans with goat cheese and pine nuts, the easiest potatoes ever

Wednesday
Pizza (crust from Real {Fast} Food) topped with One-minute Pizza sauce, grass-fed cheese, local Italian sausage, and veggies

Thursday
A Big Pot of Beans with Quesadillas (filled with leftover roast chicken)

Friday
Brown rice pasta with pesto cream sauce (from homemade pesto in the freezer), leftover roast chicken, peas, and mushrooms

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Curried Carrot Soup, Sourdough Bread, Salad

Lunches will be leftovers, tuna salad, hummus, or leftover chicken sandwiches.

Breakfast will fried eggs with kale and toast, or soaked oatmeal.

What are you eating this week? Are you back in the meal planning groove?

I'm sharing this at Modern Alternative Kitchen and I'm an Organizing Junkie.


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