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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Meal Plan December 3-9

 

Many of my meals this week come from Our 10 Favorite Simple Meals that I posted last week.  Check it out and share your own favorite simple meals in the comments!

Breakfasts this week will be oatmeal (I make a lot on Monday at eat it for a few days, storing the pot with leftovers in the fridge), fried eggs with sauteed greens and toast, and hopefully a batch of homemade breakfast sausage.

Lunches will be leftovers, hummus, egg salad with homemade mayo, and pizza balls.

Rodriguez Family Meal Plan November 12-18 

  

Monday: Big Pot of Beans with chips, salsa, cheese, avocado
prep: thaw & cook chicken for later in the week

Tuesday: Use leftover beans to make Mexican Chicken, Bean & Rice Skillet (recipe coming soon)

Wednesday: Leftovers (Wednesday is our Sabbath)

Thursday: Pasta with cream sauce, mushrooms, peas, and chicken; salad with homemade dressing
prep: thaw beef

Friday: Crazy Good Coffee Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, and My Favorite Kale (recipe coming soon)

Saturday: Baked Potato Soup
prep: soak waffle batter

Sunday: Oatmeal Pecan Waffles from Festive Traditions

 

What are you having for dinner this week?

I'm sharing this with Modern Alternative Kitchen's Meal Plan Link-Up, and Menu Plan Monday @ Orgjunkie.com.

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Easy Change #11: Start Eating Breakfast

This is part of my Easy Changes series. Want to take a small step toward better health? Check them out and make an easy change today!

 

I've always been a breakfast lover. My mom still jokes that even when I would sleep in until noon as a teenager I would wake up and eat breakfast, not lunch. It always felt wrong to skip breakfast, no matter what time it was.

And what's not to love? Warm, comforting oatmeal with cream and maple syrup.  Fried eggs sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Homemade bread lightly toasted with butter melting all over it. Crispy, chewy, smoky bacon. Potatoes, greens, onion, and herbs in a flavorful frittata topped with cheese browned from the broiler. French toast, pancakes, waffles, sausage, and oh my, Eggs Benedict!

But I realize that not everyone feels the same way I do (what are you, crazy?). Do you wake up starving, like I do, or are you the type of person who can go a few hours before eating? If you think that you are just "not a breakfast person" I beg you to think again.

Three Reasons to Start Eating Breakfast

#1. Eating breakfast boosts your metabolism.
Starving yourself is no good for your metabolism. And even if you're "not hungry" right when you wake up, not eating until lunchtime is just not wise. If you skip breakfast to "cut calories", I encourage you to rethink this whole calorie restriction thing. A healthy body is a well-fed body, and not eating enough to satisfy your hunger is not a good plan for long-term health. (Check out 180 Degree Health for more info on metabolism.)

#2. Eating breakfast balances your blood sugar.
If you skip breakfast, you set yourself up for a big blood sugar plummet, which may cause binging on unhealthy foods throughout the day. When you eat a breakfast full of protein and healthy fats, your blood sugar will stay balanced and you'll have more energy throughout the day. And who doesn't need more energy?

#3. Eating breakfast helps your brain to function well.
It has been shown that children who eat a good breakfast do better in school, and I'm sure the same goes for adults! Whether you are a student, a stay-at-home mom, or someone who works outside the home, you need a well-functioning brain in order to do whatever it is you spend your days doing.

"But I'm not Hungry!" 

 

Some of you are going to argue that you are not hungry and food doesn't sound good in the morning. It could be the case that years and years of starving yourself have lowered your metabolism and caused you to not be hungry for breakfast. You may want to start taking your temperature throughout the day; if it is consistently below 98.6, your metabolism is low. You need to eat more food, not less! I encourage you to just try eating a little in the morning, and gradually increase it until you're eating a decent sized meal.

Also, caffeine is an appetite suppressor, so if you are drinking coffee in the morning, it could be masking your hunger. You may want to cut back on the caffeine a bit and see what happens. 

What Makes a Healthy Breakfast?

 

All three macronutrients - fat, protein, and carbohydrates - are important to include in a healthy breakfast. So skip the fat-free yogurt! (And skip the cereal, too.) Here are a few ideas:

• Pastured eggs, fried in butter, with soaked, sprouted, or sourdough toast
• French toast with butter and real maple syrup (or French Toast Frittata)
• Fried Eggs with Vinegar and Garlic
• Whole milk yogurt with homemade soaked granola
• Soaked Oatmeal with raw milk, butter, and honey
• Soaked pancakes or waffles (try the recipe in Real {Fast} Food) with local pastured bacon or Frugal Homemade Breakfast Sausage
• In a hurry? How about a smoothie with whole milk, coconut oil, egg yolks, and fruit (try my Pumpkin Spice Smoothie, Strawberry Orange Julius, and How to Make an Awesome Smoothie)
• Quiche: make it for dinner, and the leftovers make a super quick breakfast!
• If you're in the mood for something sweet but healthy, try my Peach Coffeecake Muffins, Rhubarb Coffeecake, Cranberry Orange Ricotta Muffins, or Breakfast Brownies. Eat with a side of scrambled eggs to make sure you're getting enough protein to keep you going!

So tomorrow morning, get up and make yourself some breakfast. It is SO worth it!

Do you eat breakfast? If not, what's stopping you?

 

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This is part of: Simple Meals Friday, Freaky Friday, Fight Back Friday, Farm Girl Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Natural Living Monday, Monday Mania, Hearth and Soul, Fat Tuesday, Tiny Tip Tuesday

Meal Plan November 12-18 + Quick Lunch Ideas

The stress of a husband in grad school continues. So we're pressing on, rejoicing in small peaceful moments, and trying with all our might to have a Sabbath. We're working on making Wednesdays that day, so you'll see leftovers scheduled on that night. If we have no leftovers, we will pull something out of the freezer or eat out.

For now, I've mostly given up planning our lunches and breakfasts. I'll make a big batch of oatmeal on Monday, which we'll eat for a few days, and the rest of the week will be fried eggs or french toast.

As for lunches, I'm putting a list of ideas on the fridge, and when we don't have leftovers to heat up, I'll make one of them. Here's my list. What do you do for a quick lunch?

Quick Lunch Ideas

• Tuna Salad
• Egg Salad
• Grilled Cheese (with pulled chicken, if we have any)
• Hummus or Bean Dip (with beans from the freezer or canned in a pinch)
• Mac & Cheese
• Pita or English Muffin Pizzas

And here's our tentative dinner plan for the week.

Rodriguez Family Meal Plan November 12-18 

 

Monday: Oven Baked Chicken, roasted cauliflower & broccoli
prep: thaw hamburger meat

Tuesday: Burgers, whole grain buns, root veggie chips, Bubbies Pickles
prep: make breakfast burritos to freeze

Wednesday: Leftovers
prep: soak lentils, thaw salmon

Thursday: Salmon with Lentils, dinner rolls, salad with homemade dressing
prep: soak beans

Friday: Big Pot of Beans with chips, salsa, cheese, avocado
prep: thaw chicken, soak dough for pizza balls

Saturday: Slow Cooker Roast Chicken with Gravy, roasted root vegetables
Lunch: Pizza Balls (freeze the rest for quick lunches later)
prep: soak waffle batter

Sunday: Oatmeal Pecan Waffles (from an e-book I can't wait to tell you about!), bacon
Breakfast: Breakfast Casserole from Real {Fast} Food (I think this will be our solution for a quick but hearty breakfast on Sunday mornings. With a long morning at church we need to be well fed!)

 

What are you having for dinner this week?

I'm sharing this with Modern Alternative Kitchen's Meal Plan Link-Up, and Menu Plan Monday @ Orgjunkie.com.

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 

Frugal Homemade Breakfast Sausage

chicken breakfast sausage with basil scrambled eggs, cherry tomatoes, and homemade bread

My husband has a breakfast dilemma.  He doesn't like oatmeal. He doesn't like eggs. He doesn't like yogurt. He does like toast with peanut butter, but it doesn't keep him going. He's not into the idea of eating dinner food for breakfast. And we don't buy cereal.

(He's really not that picky...it's mostly just breakfast foods...)

What's a wife to do? I'm not usually up in time to make him something (french toast sometimes hits the spot, or I'll doctor up some eggs so there's enough to distract him from the eggs themselves), so he's left to eat some peanut butter toast and then be shaky hungry an hour into his first class. No good!

He does love breakfast meat. Give this man bacon or sausage and he's a happy camper.

However, it's hard to find good breakfast meats that fit the budget. So finally I came up with this solution, enabling him to feast on sausage all he wants: I made my own.

I can buy ground chicken for a good price from a local farm that feeds their chickens non-GMO feed and lets them run around outside. It's much cheaper than buying local/organic pork breakfast sausage, or even ground pork.

I make two pounds worth at a time, form into patties, and bake them in the oven. Then I throw them in the freezer. When my husband wants sausage for breakfast, he just pulls one out and browns it in the iron skillet. I like mine with eggs or french toast or pancakes, but he's been known to eat them by themselves. :) We also pull them out occasionally when we need to bulk up a meal a bit or don't have any leftovers to eat for lunch. I've even made biscuits and gravy with these fellers. Take that Bob Evans!

Homemade Chicken Breakfast Sausage

(adapted from "Turkey Breakfast Sausage" in Nourishing Traditions)

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground chicken
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 t. each cumin, oregano, marjoram, nutmeg, black pepper, ground ginger
1 t. each basil, thyme, sage
a couple pinches cayenne, to taste
2 t. salt
1/4 c. homemade breadcrumbs (I just grind up ends of bread in the blender/food processor)
2 eggs (I've left these out, too, and they were just fine)

Directions:
Mush all ingredients together with your hands. Form into patties. Bake in a 350 degree F oven until no longer pink, about 25 minutes. Or fry in butter in a skillet. (Be careful not to over-brown if you plan to freeze and reheat them.)

To reheat, place in a cast iron skillet with a little butter and cook on low heat until hot all the way through.

Have you ever made your own sausage? Tell us about it!

This is part of: Fight Back Friday, Farm Girl Blog Fest, Simple Meals Friday, Figure Friendly Comfort Foods, Foodie Friday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Monday Mania, Make Your Own Monday

Cranberry-Orange Ricotta Muffins - with Sprouted Flour!

If you want to learn more about delicious, nourishing, real food without the guilt trip for everything you're not doing right, hit that "like" button on the right, and subscribe to my posts by e-mail or reader feed so you don't miss anything. Thanks for stopping by!

As is the case with many good things in life, this recipe came about because of a need to use something up. In truth, I don't even remember what I used the carton of ricotta for in the first place (I didn't make lasagna, although I did want to...), I just know that it has been in the fridge for a questionable amount of time and was threatening to be wasted.

Google search: "Ricotta Muffins." 

Lemon ricotta muffins? Strawberry ricotta muffins? Blueberry lemon ricotta muffins? Hmmm.

I'm thinking Cranberry Orange Ricotta Muffins. I know, I know, oranges are out of season. Let the locavores scold me, I have oranges in my house in September.

Meal Plan August 6-12

If you want to learn more about delicious, nourishing, real food without the guilt trip for everything you're not doing right, hit that "like" button on the right, and subscribe to my posts by e-mail or reader feed so you don't miss anything. Thanks for stopping by!

Leftover Steak Salad with Bleu Cheese Dressing

We're still keeping it simple around here with lots of salads, built-in leftovers, and food pulled from the freezer. Check out this meal plan for fast, easy meal ideas!

Meal Plan for August 6-12

Monday
Breakfast: Eggs fried in coconut oil, buttered sourdough toast, kombucha
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Sourdough crepes filled with sauteed veggies, ricotta, and herbs

Tuesday
Breakfast: yogurt, granola, hard boiled eggs
Lunch: Hummus toasts (hummus, sliced tomato, and cheese on sourdough toast, melted under the broiler)
Dinner: French onion quesadillas (sourdough tortillas filled with Swiss cheese and caramelized onions, idea from this book), cole slaw

Wednesday
Breakfast: French Toast Frittata, raw milk
Lunch: Egg salad sandwiches
Dinner: BLT salad with avocado dressing, soaked whole wheat artisan bread

Thursday
Breakfast: slow cooked steel cut oatmeal (idea also from this book) with butter and real maple syrup
Lunch: Leftover Egg Salad
Dinner: Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas, guacamole

Friday
Breakfast: Veggie-Egg Scramble with buttered toast
Lunch: Big Salad with hard boiled egg, white beans, tuna, lots of vegetables, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette
Dinner: Leftover Enchiladas

Saturday
Breakfast: Sourdough pancakes, homemade chicken sausage (make extra to freeze)
Lunch: Mac & Cheese
Dinner: Hamburgers on whole wheat buns, oven fries, corn on the cob

Sunday
Breakfast: Yogurt, granola, hard boiled eggs
Lunch: Grilled Cheese with Asparagus soup from the freezer
Dinner: Leftovers or freezer meal

What are you eating this week? 

 

I'm linking this up to the following real food carnivals: Modern Alternative Kitchen's Monday Meal Plan, Monday Mania, Hearth and Soul, Fat Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesday, Healthy 2 Day Wednesday

How to Make an Awesome Smoothie

If you want to learn more about delicious, nourishing, real food without the guilt trip for everything you're not doing right, hit that "like" button on the right, and subscribe to my posts by e-mail or reader feed so you don't miss anything. Thanks for stopping by!

Strawberry, Banana & Peach Smoothie

I think my smoothie-making has reached new heights lately. My non-smoothie-loving husband has even been enjoying them, which is quite an accomplishment in my mind. I've finally found a method that produces a delicious smoothie every time. Want to know how?

Tips for Making Awesome Smoothies

 

1. Use frozen fruit. Using fresh fruit, or even a mixture of fresh and frozen, results in a thinner, more liquid smoothie. My favorites are strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and peaches. When those fruits are in season locally I buy a bunch at the farmer's market or u-pick farm and freeze them. (My next post at Modern Alternative Kitchen is on Lazy Freezing Techniques. Subscribe over there so you don't miss it!) Then I have enough for smoothies year-round!

You can freeze strawberries whole with tops for smoothies!

2. Banana is key. The creamy sweetness of a banana can't be beat! Next time you have some slightly over-ripe ones, cut them into chunks and throw them in the freezer. (You can sometimes find over-ripe bananas for a reduced price. This is an excellent use for them!)

3. Add greens...sparingly.  Greens such as spinach or kale add a lot of nutrition to your smoothie, provided they are lightly cooked first. See this post for how to prepare greens for smoothies (scroll down to the smoothie section), or do it the easy way: buy a bag of frozen spinach. Make sure you get the kind that is not all in one solid clump. Add a couple tablespoons to your smoothie right from the bag. They are already cooked before freezing, so you don't have to worry about the raw greens problem. Don't add too much, or the taste may be overpowering. Experiment and see what works best for you!

See the little green flecks?

4. Start with just a little liquid, and add more as necessary. I use whole raw milk in my smoothies. Full-fat coconut milk is a good alternative if you can't tolerate dairy. I start with just a little, which I add after I put the fruit into the blender. Then when the blender gets stuck because it needs more liquid, I stream more milk in through the top while it's running.  I add just enough to get it going.

5. Season your smoothie. I like to add a pinch of salt, a splash of vanilla extract, and sometimes a little honey if it's too tart. It's amazing what a difference it makes in enhancing the flavor. Don't forget to taste it before you pour it out to see if it needs anything.

6. Use plain, full-fat yogurt. This goes a long way in making the smoothie satisfying. Greek yogurt guarantees an even thicker product, but make sure you buy full-fat! I can only find full-fat Greek yogurt at the health food store.

7. Include coconut oil.  I love the subtle flavor that coconut oil adds, and it's a healthy fat. Read more about it here. In the past I've melted it first, but lately I just throw it in solid. As long as you follow the next tip, it will be okay.

8. Blend it thoroughly. It's no fun to run into chunks of un-blended fruit. Don't be shy, let that blender do it's thing until you're sure it's all blended! This also makes the smoothie....frothy. Frothy is good.

Strawberry Orange Julius

If you're afraid to make a smoothie without a recipe, you can find recipes all over the internet. Use your judgement and use only real ingredients! And if you want to try something a little different, try my Strawberry Orange Julius. It's a refreshing treat any time of year!

What's your favorite smoothie? Share your smoothie-making tips in the comments!

This is part of: Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday. Keep it Real Thursday, the seasonal recipe round up for berries at Gnowfglins, Monday Mania

Granola Recipe UPDATE!

Peanut butter granola, blueberries, and whole milk Greek yogurt.

I'm in love with homemade granola. It's flavorful, satisfying, an easy breakfast or snack, and I wouldn't be able to buy anything nearly as healthy in the store.

That being said, my husband is hooked on Bear Naked's Heavenly Chocolate Granola. Since it's expensive, contains sugar and canola oil, and isn't soaked, I decided to try to make some chocolate granola to satisfy his craving.

All I did was make my usual granola, and after it was finished cooking, but still warm, I sprinkled on some dark chocolate chips (maybe next time I'll try homemade) and drizzled on some honey. Then I stirred it up and let it cool. The result is a super yummy chocolate-coated variation!

I only did this with half of the batch. With the other half I stirred in some peanut butter and honey (inspired my a delicious granola recipe a friend sent me) as it was cooling and then finished it off with dried fruit as usual. I love how both these variations have flavor on the inside and the outside. You know how store-bought cereal has flavor that just explodes in your mouth? I think this is as close as we're gonna get to that, but much healthier. You can feel good about serving this granola to your family. And even though it's a two day process, it really doesn't take that much hands-on time.

If your family is addicted to store-bought cereal, give this recipe a try! I've updated my original recipe with these two tasty variations. Enjoy!


This is part of Whole Foods Wednesday and Pennywise Platter Thursday.

Perfect Soaked Granola, with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Variations!

I've tried a lot of soaked granola recipes. The first several failed. Then I tried the recipe in Healthy Snacks to Go by Katie of Kitchen Stewardship. It was almost right. It was more like chunky cereal than granola, but very delicious. Recently I tried another recipe that had all the same ingredients but different proportions. But the best yet is a combination between a few recipes. It is chunky but not a solid mass, with distinguishable oats.

So here it is: my perfect soaked granola!

Why soaked? When you soak grains in an acidic medium, like yogurt or buttermilk, the good bacteria and acid can help break down the substances that inhibit our digestion of grains, called phytates (or mineral blockers) and enzyme inhibitors. That means you absorb more of the good stuff in the grains! I for one would like to actually be able to use the nutrients in my food! An added perk of soaking granola is that it makes it chunky and clumpy - something many granola-bakers (including myself) strive to achieve!

This recipe really has limitless variations. Alter the nuts, seeds, and fruits to your taste. Add extra spices if you want. I like a hefty dose of cinnamon. Lately we've been enjoying it with sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, pecans, and dried cranberries. We just have to try to keep our toddler from eating only the dried fruit!

I use my Kitchen Aid mixer to make this but you can also use a strong arm with a wooden spoon or your hands - though the latter option is pretty messy! This batch is almost too big to fit in my mixer, so when I turn it on I have to guard the edge with my hands to try to keep granola from getting all over the counter. :) But it's still easier than mixing by hand!

Perfect Soaked Granola

Ingredients: 

6 c. rolled oats (I use thick rolled oats)

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. plain yogurt

1/4 c. water (or enough to make the mixture sticky)

1 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (I order this in bulk or get it from the health food store)

1 c. seeds (pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower)

1 c. chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.)

1 T. cinnamon

1 c. coconut oil (you can also use butter)

3/4 c. honey

2 t. salt

2 t. vanilla

1 c. dried fruit (raisins, cherries, cranberries, papaya, apples, etc.)

1. Mix together oats, flour, yogurt, and water. You want it to be evenly moist but not overly wet. Leave this mixture to soak 7-24 hours at room temperature or slightly warmer (the oven with the pilot light or oven light on is a great place).

The soaked mixture is evenly moist and holds together if you grab a handful, but is not especially wet.

2. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 250. Add to the soaked mixture the coconut, seeds, nuts, and cinnamon.

3. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan. Add the honey, salt, and vanilla to the melted oil and stir. Add the wet ingredients to oat mixture and mix thoroughly. 

4. Spread on 2 rimmed cookie sheets lined with parchment or a nonstick baking mat and bake at 250 until dry and crisp, stirring, flipping, and breaking up as needed. When cool add the dried fruit. Store at room temperature if you will eat it within a couple weeks. If not, store in the refrigerator to keep the nuts from going rancid.

Variation: Chocolate Coated Granola

Directions are for half of the recipe. Double proportions if you want the whole batch to be chocolatey.

When granola is finished cooking but still warm from the oven, sprinkle onto half of it: 1/3-1/2 c. dark chocolate chips and drizzle with 2 T. honey. Stir on the cookie sheet to mix evenly and let cool before storing in an airtight container. Omit dried fruit.

Variation: Peanut Butter and Honey Granola 

Directions are for half of the recipe. Double proportions if you want the whole batch to be peanut-buttery.

When granola is finished cooking but still warm from the oven, drizzle on to half of it: 1/3-1/2 c. creamy natural peanut butter and 2 T. honey. Stir on the cookie sheet to mix evenly, then add dried fruit. Let cool before storing in an airtight container.

(I'm pretty sure this would also be good with peanut butter AND chocolate...but I haven't tried it yet.) 

This is part of Monday Mania, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Freaky Friday, and Fight Back Friday.

how we ate real food at camp, despite road blocks

A couple weeks ago, our family drove an hour north of us to spend 12 days teaching at a fine arts camp. We didn't hit any road blocks on the way there, but when we walked into our cabin there may as well have been a sign like this one:

As we've done in the past, I was planning on cooking most of our food using the little kitchenette that most cabins have (we’ve always had one before and this was our fourth year there); it’s a unit the size of an oven that has two burners, a sink, and a mini-fridge. There is food provided in the faculty cafeteria, but we can only take so much standard GFS fare: powdered eggs, iceberg lettuce with soybean oil-HFCS dressing, canned green beans and peas, white bread with margarine, pre-made lasagna, etc. We do our best to eat the food that most closely resembles real food when we do eat there, but it’s hard, and we just don’t feel well afterwards. In fact, a week after returning home, we still feel like our bodies are recovering from the few meals we ate there and the few meals we ate out when family came to visit. (I don’t know how the dance students dance all day while eating food that is supposedly even worse. No wonder so many of them get sick, injured, and exhausted!) I don’t want to be a food snob, and I was grateful some nights when I was too exhausted to cook that there was food to eat, but I just couldn't do three meals a day for 12 days there.

So I packed ingredients for several simple meals, along with the bare minimum in cooking equipment: our iron skillet, two saucepans, a couple utensils, a small strainer, a cheese grater, and our blender (I couldn’t go two weeks in the summertime without a smoothie!). We packed our small cooler full to the brim with raw milk, butter, pastured eggs, fresh produce, kombucha, cheese, yogurt, and cooked chicken and white beans. And of course our cod liver oil!

But we had an unpleasant surprise when we walked into our cabin. No mini-kitchen! No stove! No sink! And a fridge so tiny it could barely hold half of what we brought! ARGH!

Here is where the sink was supposed to be hooked up. :(

It was not a happy moment. I was not prepared to eat crappy food for two weeks. Nor did I want all the food we brought to go bad. So after I recovered from the initial shock, I went to Meijer looking for a hot plate, thinking if I could just have a way to heat one pot, we'd be fine.

Apparently they don’t sell hot plates.

So I bought a camp stove instead.

We have never really felt like we were "camping" at Blue Lake. Though the cabins are junky (ours was full of broken furniture when we got there...), they have indoor plumbing and well, usually a mini kitchen. :( You don't get wet when it rains, so it can't possibly be real camping. But cooking outside sure made it feel like camping!

As for the lack of fridge space, some stuff stayed in the cooler and I rotated the cold packs (which was difficult considering how small the "freezer" compartment in the fridge was). A few days in we had eaten enough food that most of it fit, and we kept a couple things in the fridge at the dance building.

Here's the fridge with our dishes on top of it because there was no where else to put them.

We washed our dishes in this tiny bathroom sink:

And we made an impromptu pantry by bringing some shelves in from the bedroom. (Notice the toddler-friendly lower shelves and all the glass jars on the top shelf!)

So we made it work. But boy was I happy to return to my own kitchen, small as it is, after 12 days of that!

Since the stove only has one burner (it was the least expensive model), one pot meals were a must. Here are a few of the meals we ate (some cooked on that little camp stove, atop a crooked picnic table, and some that required no cooking):

Breakfast

1. Fried Eggs and Toast (with the toast cooked in the pan next to the eggs, and lotsa butter)
2. Oatmeal (with an egg in it!)
3. Toast with Peanut Butter and homemade strawberry jam (toasted in the skillet, of course)

Lunch/Dinner

1. Chicken Salad (made with the cooked chicken I brought)
2. Shredded chicken sandwiches (on sourdough bread with sharp cheddar, mustard, and homemade mayo)
3. Chicken Pesto Pasta
4. Saucy White Beans with Zucchini (recipe coming!)
5. Pizza toasts (sourdough bread, spaghetti sauce, pepperoni, and melted cheese, served open face)
6. Mujadareh (rice and lentils with spiced caramelized onions)

Snacks

1. Crackers and Cheese
2. Fruit Smoothies
3. Homemade Granola
4. Raw Milk and Chocolate Zucchini Cake (I made it the day before we left and we savored the leftovers for a few days)

I hope you are encouraged that you can a) Cook real food even with very limited equipment and space, and b) Choose to eat real food even when fake food is readily available and free. The free food is not really worth the cost your body pays. (Except when it involves relationships with people; I always want to be able to eat what is put in front of me - and even enjoy it! - to show love to those around me, real food or not.)

We are glad to be home, caught up with laundry, and jumping back into the school year. You can expect less blogging from me than I was able to do in the summer due to a toddler who makes computer usage difficult, and my husband taking the laptop to class most days. But I'll try to keep giving you all sorts of good stuff!

Have you ever cooked real food in the midst of less than ideal circumstances? Tell us about it!

Fried Eggs with Vinegar and Garlic

I'm obsessed with these eggs. I got the idea from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express. With as often as we eat eggs for breakfast (probably 4-5 times a week) we were in need of some fresh ideas. Sometimes I just melt a piece of sharp cheddar cheese over each egg. But when I'm looking for something with a little more zing, this is my go-to recipe. It's not really much harder than a simple fried egg, and the extra two minutes you spend are so worth it.

Fried Eggs with Vinegar and Garlic

Ingredients:

pastured eggs from a farmer you trust (2 per person)

coconut oil or grass-fed butter for frying eggs (1-2 T.)

salt and pepper to taste

more butter for cooking garlic (2 T. or so)

1 clove of garlic per person (minced)

a splash of red wine vinegar per person (about 1 T.)

Method:

Heat a well-seasoned iron skillet over medium heat. Wait until it's good and hot, then lower the heat to medium low. Melt the coconut oil or butter, then add your eggs. Cook a couple minutes on the first side until the top begins to set, flip gently, and cook a couple more minutes on the other side, adding salt and pepper at some point. Remove to a plate, and add 2 T. butter to the skillet. Add the minced garlic and cook for a few seconds. Add a splash of red wine vinegar and cook a minute or less, until some liquid has evaporated. Pour the sauce over the eggs. Enjoy with soaked, sprouted, or sourdough toast, with plenty of butter!

This is part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, and Pennywise Platter Thursday.

The Scoop on Oatmeal

"You make such fancy oatmeal."

That was what my husband said to me the morning I made the oatmeal pictured above. It was loaded with butter, dried cranberries, soaked and dried pecans, shredded coconut, and cinnamon. After the photo shoot I added a moat of raw milk. And some sliced banana. And a dollop of peanut butter. I admit, I went overboard a little bit. But man was it good!

Oats are nutritious, cheap, and can be cooked in minutes, so they make a great breakfast! But they present us with a few problems...

problem #1: They contain phytates, substances that block your body's ability to absorb minerals.

problem #2: By themselves, they don't contain enough protein to make a breakfast that satisfies.

problem #3: The husband doesn't like them.

So what to do, what to do? Here are some solutions. (Unfortunately problem #3 appears to be unsolvable despite my fancy toppings. Oh well.)

solution #1: minimize anti-nutrients

This is a problem with all grains, as well as nuts and legumes. Eating too many unsoaked grains can cause nutrient deficiencies. Traditional cultures used to soak their grains for several hours (or sometimes days!) to get the most out of them. Several people (including Katie from Kitchen Stewardship, where I guest blogged last week) have done a lot of research on the effectiveness of soaking in minimizing anti-nutrients. The results have been less than crystal clear, but I'm choosing to stick with it, mostly because I seem to feel better after eating soaked vs. unsoaked whole grains, and I have read several testimonies from people who cannot easily digest unsoaked grains but do fine with soaked ones.

Here's how you do it.

You will need:

-equal amounts rolled oats (I like thick rolled oats best) and filtered water

-1 T. acidic medium per cup of oats: whey (from draining plain yogurt to make yogurt cheese), plain yogurt, buttermilk, or lemon juice

-1 T. whole wheat flour or buckwheat flour* per cup of oats

Method:

8-24 hours (24 is best) before you are going to eat your oatmeal, place your desired amount of rolled oats in a small saucepan. Add an equal amount of water (I usually do 3/4 c. oats and 3/4 c. water, which is a good amount for my toddler and I). Add your acidic medium and the whole wheat flour. Heat this mixture gently on the stove, because the process works best if everything is warm. Don't overheat, because then you are cooking the oats, instead of soaking them. You might want to set a timer for a minute or so, to make sure you don't forget about them (not that I've ever made that mistake...) Turn off the heat once they are lukewarm, and cover.

The next morning, add more water (the same amount you added the day before, so for me it's another 3/4 cup...or just eyeball it) and a pinch of salt (salt really enhances the flavor!). Bring to a boil in simmer gently for a few minutes until cooked. Soaked oats cook faster than unsoaked, so this is a great way to get breakfast on the table quickly.

Add your desired toppings and serve! Make sure to put some butter in there!

*Why do you have to add whole wheat or buckwheat flour? Oats are very low in phytase, which is necessary for neutralizing the phytates. Wheat & buckwheat are higher phytase, so adding some gives the oats a little boost. Freshly ground flour contains the most phytase. You can grind small amounts in your coffee grinder if you don't grind your own grain.*

(For more information, see Katie's post on this topic.)

solution #2: up the protein

One reason my husband does not like to eat oatmeal (besides an aversion to its consistency) is that it leaves him shaky-hungry in an hour. If I could encourage him to try it again, these tips might help. How can you add more protein to oatmeal?

My favorite way is to throw an egg in there. No, not a scrambled egg fried-rice style. You can't even tell this egg is in there, but it adds about six grams of protein to your breakfast.

Here's how you do it.

After you have cooked your oatmeal to it's desired consistency, turn off the heat. Crack an egg into it and quickly stir stir stir. If you don't get to it fast enough you might end up with chunks of egg. I always stir quickly and vigorously and I've never had that problem. Stir until the egg is no longer visible - it will only make your oatmeal a little creamier, which is not a bad thing! The residual heat should be enough to adequately cook the egg, but if you don't trust that, go ahead and leave the heat on low.

Other ideas for adding protein to oatmeal:

--chopped crispy nuts

--a dollop of nut butter

--raw whole milk

--homemade cream cheese

Or eat it with a side of:

--scrambled or hard-boiled eggs

--bacon or sausage

--cottage cheese

And as for problem #3, you might just have to make your husband some oatmeal cookies instead. Unfortunately, I haven't mastered a soaked/sprouted version of those yet. But they sure are a favorite around here! (I use the recipe from King Arthur Whole Grain Baking - one of my favorite cookbooks.)

So what's your favorite way to eat oatmeal?

This is part of Simple Lives Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, and Pennywise Platter Thursday.

Rhubarb Coffeecake: a soaked whole grain recipe

When the farmer's market opens in the spring it's pretty much just asparagus and rhubarb. And plants. Lots of plants. I buy asparagus every Wednesday and Saturday until it's gone, since this is the only time of year it's in season! I roast it, steam it, put it in quiches, eat it with pasta...I could eat it every day and not get sick of it.

But rhubarb is a little trickier. I love its bright, tangy flavor, but I don't always know how to best use it. It's often combined with strawberries, but those haven't quite appeared yet (they're coming soon!) and I don't have any in the freezer from last year, so my rhubarb has to stand alone. We've been enjoying it in two ways this year: rhubarb compote, and rhubarb coffeecake.

The compote is easy enough: chop a few stalks, put it in a small saucepan with a splash of water, add a little sweetener and cinnamon, and cook until it softens. Eat it by itself, in your oatmeal, on your pancakes, or on top of vanilla ice cream.

And this coffeecake is a cinch, too. I've made it twice in the last week and that's probably not the last we'll see of it this season. :) Even better, the batter is soaked to provide better absorption of nutrients. Don't be intimidated by that step - you can do this!

Recipe notes:

• Start this the day before you want to bake it. Be sure to plan ahead!
• You are welcome to try it with all whole grain flour, but I haven't tried it yet. I think the texture is perfect with the 1/2 c. of all-purpose flour added, and I don't freak out about it since we eat mostly whole grains. If you do use all whole grain flour, add it all to the soaking step.
• Make sure whatever dairy you use is cultured. If it isn't, add 1 T. of raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to the soaking step.
• Chop the rhubarb coarsely if you want noticeable chunks, or finely if you want it to have more of a vague rhubarb flavor. I like chunks.

 

Soaked Rhubarb Coffeecake

Soaking step:

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 c. buttermilk, sour milk, yogurt, or kefir

The next day:

1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. unrefined sea salt

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 1/4 c. sucanat (an unrefined cane sugar)

1 large egg

1 1/2 t. vanilla

2 c. chopped rhubarb

Topping:

2 T. butter, softened

1/3 c. sucanat

1 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. cinnamon

Directions:

1. To soak the flour, combine with the cultured dairy in a stand mixer (or mix by hand) until evenly moistened. Cover with a damp towel and a plate and put in a warm place for 7-24 hours.
2. When you are ready to bake the cake, preheat the oven to 350 and grease two 9-inch cake pans or one 9x13-inch pan.
3. Chop your rhubarb and set aside.
4. Stir together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
5. Remove the soaked dough from your mixing bowl (you can place it on the plate you used to cover your bowl). Cream together the butter and sucanat. This will take a little longer than you're used to with regular sugar, but be patient and keep mixing until it is evenly combined (you'll still see little pieces of sugar, that's ok).
6. Add the egg and beat to combine.
7. Add the soaked dough back in and mix until there are no chunks of dough left. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
8. Add the vanilla, and then the dry ingredients, then the rhubarb, mixing after each addition. Mix just until combined. Spread into the prepared pan (it may not reach the sides, but it will spread out as it bakes).
9. Prepare your topping: Mix together the butter, sucanat, flour, and cinnamon until evenly combined. Sprinkle over the batter.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes for rounds, or 30-35 for 9x13, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes or so before serving.

If you want to take it to the next level, serve with rhubarb compote on top!

What's your favorite way to eat rhubarb?

(This post is part of Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, and Sweets for Saturday.)

This is now also a part of the Seasonal Recipe Round-up at GNOWFGLINS.

Menu Plan Monday 5.9-5.15

The first part of this week is going to be pretty busy, but I thought I'd at least share my menu with you. I'll give you links to as many recipes as I can, so you can get a feel for what kinds of things we eat in this real food home! Let me know if you have any questions or want more information about anything we're eating this week. A couple of the dinners are new recipes for us; I'll let you know how it goes!

Breakfasts:

hard boiled eggs, soaked oatmeal

peanut butter toast and cottage cheese with fruit

fried eggs with vinegar and garlic, sourdough toast

sourdough pancakes

oatmeal with an egg thrown in (you can't even tell it's there!)

eggs scrambled with veggies, toast

sourdough french toast

Lunches:

mostly leftovers of the previous dinner

tuna salad with homemade mayo

baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese

pasta with creamy tomato sauce

Dinners:

fried eggs over warm lentil salad

bean bowls: black beans, salsa, plain yogurt, cheese, avocado, tortilla chips

kale quiche with no-roll crust (I'm going to try adapting it for sourdough like I did here)

oven baked chicken, roasted veggies, rolls, salad

Be sure to check out more Menu Plan Monday ideas at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

delicious quiche and a special leftover pie crust treat!

A good friend came over for breakfast a couple weeks ago. I decided to attempt a quiche in my brand new deep-dish pie plate that I bought at the Moynihan gallery in downtown Holland! I consider myself a pie-crust novice, but I managed to pull this one off. It had that melt-in-your mouth almost shortbready feeling that a buttery pie crust should have, and the filling was fluffy and flavorful, filled with sauteed mushrooms, swiss chard, and several kinds of cheese. :)

Recipe notes:

I managed to sneak a little sourdough starter into this recipe. It is a small amount, but with the fantastic properties that sourdough has for both flavor and digestion of grains, I figured it could only help! I will also show you the option of making the crust without sourdough starter, but if you are maintaining a starter, by all means, give it a go!

I did not let the dough "sour" at room temperature this time, but I plan to try that next time. Since the crust should be refrigerated before rolling out, I think I will leave it out for 8 hours or so, and then refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight. The original recipe (from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking) says to refrigerate overnight or up to three days.

I made the crust in my stand mixer, but it is definitely doable without one. You might need to knead it with your hands at the end to get it to hold together.

Final note: I know this looks complicated, but it's really not that bad! And the final product is TOTALLY worth all your hard work!

Swiss Chard and Mushroom Quiche with Sourdough (or not) Crust

Makes Two Quiches

Crust (start at least 1 day ahead):

1-1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. sucanat (unrefined sugar)

heaping 1/2 t. sea salt

1 c. (2 sticks) butter

1 egg

1-2 T. sourdough starter or milk

Whisk together the flours, sucanat, and salt. Work in the butter until crumbly, with a pastry cutter, mixer, or your fingers until the dough is unevenly crumbly. Add the egg and stir to incorporate. Add 1 T. of starter or milk and mix to form a cohesive dough. Add more starter or milk if necessary for the dough to hold together. Shape into two disks, each one inch thick. Roll the edge along a clean counter to smooth it. Refrigerate overnight or up to three days.

Remove the crusts from the fridge 10-15 minutes before you plan to roll them out. Preheat oven to 375. Now you can start preparing your filling. When the dough has warmed up slightly and is able to be worked, roll each round into a 12 inch circle, and transfer to pie pans. Crimp edges and trim if there is extra (but save it!). Place in fridge while you prepare the filling.

Filling:

Coconut oil for sauteing

1/2 c. chopped onion or some chives for milder flavor

1/2 a package of mushrooms (I used mini bellas), sliced

1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed (save them to throw in your broth!) and leaves chopped

8 Eggs

2-1/2 c. whole milk

a few ounces cream cheese or chevre (optional but delicious)

1/2 t. salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1-1/2 cups (or so) other grated cheese, such as cheddar, swiss, parmesan, pecorino romano

a few pinches of nutmeg and thyme

Saute onion and mushrooms in coconut oil until cooked through ("don't crowd the pan!"). Set aside and add chard to pan. Cover and cook a few minutes until wilted, stirring occasionally.

While veggies are cooking, whisk together the rest of the filling ingredients, reserving some cheese to sprinkle on top. (I used my stand mixer with whisk attachment to make it speedier.)

Take crusts out of fridge. Layer mushrooms and chard in bottom of crusts, dividing evenly between the two. Pour half of the filling mixture into each, and sprinkle with reserved cheese.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes, covering the edges with foil after 20 minutes to prevent burning. Let rest a few minutes before cutting and serving.

Put leftover bits of crust to good use!

I had a little bit of pie crust leftover, so I rolled it out on a cookie sheet (floured to prevent too much sticking) and spread on some coconut oil, drizzled on some honey, sprinkled on some cinnamon, and scattered chunks of apple all over. Then I rolled it up (gently!), sliced it into 2 inch pieces, and baked it at 350 for about 25 minutes. And voila! Apple pie roll-ups! The only problem with these is that I wished I had more! Seriously good.

This is part of Real Food Wednesday and Pennywise Platter Thursday, I'm Lovin' It Fridays, Friday Potluck, and Weekend Gourmet