10 essential foods :)

Hello everyone!

This will probably be a very long post.

One thing that I really feel about eating nutritiously and using herbs is that it has to be accessible! I also think that each person has to go on their journey step by step. So, here as a guide, I will start you with some great foods. I have borrowed these foods from the book "10 Essential Foods" by Lalitha Thomas. Her book is out of print now. However, her books are fantastic for beginners.

Here is her list of foods, so feel free to start including some of these foods into your daily diets! You don't have to include all 10 everyday, but you certainly can include a couple of them each day and you will have improved your health and your family's health! At least that has been MY experience!

1. Almonds--these are a complete protein. If you can get them raw, they are even better for you, but even slightly roasted or pasturized, they still carry many nutrients. IF you can get your hands on raw ones, they can be sprouted and that even adds a lot of nutrition! They help improve prostate health. Alternatives to almonds might be sunflower seeds, pumppkin seeds, sesame seeds and Brazil nuts. Each of these have their redeeming qualities as well!

2. Broccoli--This is high in cloropohyll. This is something that is great for your body. This is an easy veggie to get your hands on. It is known for cancer prevention if eaten lightly steamed or raw. It of course has many good minerals and has a lot of other great qualities. Alternatives can be any member of the cruciferous (cabbage) family. Kale, cabbage, cauliflower and chard are some other ideas. Frozen broccoli is better than no broccoli.

3. Brown Rice--This is fantastic! First of all, most people enjoy rice and this has a lot of protein and phyto-chemicals. There are many types of brown rices, so feel free to experiment! Brown rices have 9-12% protein and contain MANY trace minerals and vitamins. It also contains selenium which helps with anxiety, depression, mental sluggishness and fatigue. Alternatives might be: millet, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, barley, rye, wheat and corn. Additions to it that make it tasty and more nutritious are dried beans/legmes such as anazazi beans, adzuki beans, pinto beans, lentils, split peas, corn, soy beans and black trutle beans.

4. Carrots--These are really great at fighting disease. Their color (being bright) means that there are a lot of phytochemicals and being orang etehy contain carotinoids. The darker the carrot the more healthy. They are good at helping in healing from allergies, ulcers, colds, diaarrhea or sore throats. It is great for glands and your liver. They are also great for dry skin! Believe it or not they are high in an easy to assimilate calcium. They have also been shown to lower cholesterol. They have also been shown to fight cancer. Alternatives can be: Any deep-orange to red root vegetables, such as red or yellow beets. Red chard, purple cabbage, rhubarb or red radish are also good options.

5. Dulse--This is a less common vegetable, but I have been pleased to see that awareness of it has been on the rise! Dulse is great as a source of B-12 and can help with protection against radioactive pollution in the system. It is a great source of the following: B12, Iron (4 times higher than spinach), calcium, potassium, chromium, alginate (phytochemcial), live enzymes, major AND trace minerals, iodine, vitamin K, vitamin e and beta carotene. It has been shown to help protect against cancer (specifically breast cancer). Alternative sea vegetables: arame, nori and hiziki. Other mineral rich veggies (not sea) would be figs, kale, broccoli, chard and all cruciferous vegetables.

6. Figs--Lalitha calls this the MIRACLE fruit :) They are higher in calcium than milk and a lot of major minerals. They are great for digestion and they are also very tasty and can help alleviate a sweet-tooth :) Figs have the highest dietary fiber of any fruit, nut or vegetable, they are extremely high in calcium, they are 50% higher in potassium than bananas, they have twice the plant protein as other dried fruits, they contain easily digestable sugars, lower calorie count per gram of dietary fiber, they have been shown to help prevent colon cancer and aid in the following: constipation, lowering cholesterol, shrink hemorrhoids and colon polyps. Also, pesticides are not used on them because they don't need it! Some alternatives might be: unsulfured papaya, pineapple and mango fresh or dried.

7. Flax Oil--This oil has proven itself to be a wonderful addition to our diets. It has essential fatty acids and a lot of omega 3's. These are gerat for the body's immune system and for helping with the manufacturing of hormones. It has been shown that it can help with high blood pressure, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, immuno-suppression, psoriasis and eczema. It helps with teh prevention of strokes, heart attacks and cancer and is often used in cancer treatments as well. Because Lalitha considers this a supplemental oil that has many things our body needs, she does not offer really an alternative, however these oils are also very nutritious and are good options: Extra virgin olive oil (unrefined), sesame oil (unrefined), almond oil, sunflower seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, avaocado oil and safflower oil. When buying, you might like to look for these qualities: cold-pressed or expeller-pressed, packaged in opaque packages (light resistant), unrefined and organic. Personally, I use olive oil and coconut oil almost exclusively. For stir fry, I have been known to use peanut oil as it has a high heat resistance.

8. Grapefruit--Yum Yum! Need I say more? Okay, I will. These are really high in vitamin C and bioflavonoids. It has a lower acidity than some citrus and it also contains strong phytochemicals...quercitin being a great one! It is known for lowering holesterol, anti-cancer acticvity (especially stomach and pancreatic), enhancing the immune system, building alkaline mineral reserves, anti-viral activity, anti-bacterial activity, proteting arteries, enhancing cardiovascular system and stimulating digestion. The pulp is great for you, while the juice is good for you, remember the flesh adds a lot. If you feel adventurous enough (and I do) to chew a seed or two each time you consume one, you are taking in the wonderful grapefruit seed oil that has been known to help with so many things. Here is a list of what grapefruit extract has been known to help with (it was a bio-technical process as opposed to out of diet) gram-positive bacteria such as Stphylococcus, streptococcus and listeria, gram-negative bacteria such as E.coli, klebsiella, legionella, salmonella, shigella, cholera and pseudomonas, Fungi and Yeasts such as candida (I have had personal success with this), aspergillus and trichophyton, Viruses such as herpes simplex 1, influenza A3 and some animal viruses, parasites such as giardia lamblia, entamoeba, histolytica and chlamydia. Of course, she goes into the scientific detail in her book about this, but honestly, it is an easy thing to incorporate. If you can't eat one, then juicing one would also be very beneficial. Alternatives could be: lemons and oranges (whole).

9. Spinach--Hurray for spinach! It is so great for us and easy to consume. The leaves are sweet and are easily blended, they are mild and enjoyable as salads, on sandwiches or my favorite in a smoothie! It is high in chlorophyll which is a great blood builder and will then help increase your energy. It is high in folic acid which is known for the following: helps breakdown and utilize protein, helps form hemoglobin for healthy red blood cells, is essential for growna dn reproduction of all body cells, helps balance appetite and prodcution of hydrochloric acid, aids in liver performance, prevents some birth defects, and protects against many types of canceer especially lung, cervical and pancreatic. Some alternatives are: parsley, chard and kale.

10. Sprouts--These are great and full of many nutrients. Alfalfa are probably the most familiar and one of Lalitha's favorites. I love lentil sprouts because they are buttery and many people will eat them lightly sauteed, but not actually completely cooked.

So, there you have it. I did not quote any of the sources that Lalitha used, but there are many studies readily available to look at. I didn't want this to be overwhelming, but if you feel like you need to do more research then I highly recommend it. I am constantly working toward learning more about natural health. I feel like for our family that we have a responsibility to our family members and to ourselves to be empowered by knowing what to do to improve our health. What a blessing it is to have our Heavenly Father provide so many ways for us to use what he has given us to be healthy!

As always, remember, I am not a doctor or anyone who is giving medical advice. Here I shared from something I have read from and shared personal stories. Always do your own research and if necessary talk to your medical provider.

Slow cooker veggie curry

No Hurry Vegetable Curry

1 TBS peanut oil
2 large carrots, sliced
1 medium size yellow onion, chopped (I always use a little more)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBS curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (I usually don't peel mine)
8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (sometimes I use frozen green beans)
1 ½ cups slow cooked or one 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed One 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups vegetable stock
½ cup frozen green peas, thawed (I never have these…I always forget)
½ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (optional—but man does it make it
tasty!)

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots
and onion, cover and cook until softened. (around 5 minutes?) Add the garlic, curry powder, coriander and cayenne, stirring to coat.

2. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a 3 1/2 -4 quart slow cooker.
(mine is at least 5 quarts) Add the potatoes, green beans, chickpeas, tomatoes and stock; cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.
3. Just before serving, stir in the peas and coconut milk and season
with salt. Taste to adjust the seasonings.

Personally I would put more curry in it, but the kids liked it the way it was. It definitely needed the salt and I would maybe add red pepper flakes (not for my kids though). This was absolutely delicious served over long grain brown rice.

Sweet Easy Pie Crust :)

I also love this pie crust recipe. It is also a press it into the pan recipe!

2 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

1 cup brown sugar, packed (I have used successfully 2/3 cup honey and 2 TBS blackstrap molasses)

3/4 cup butter/coconut oil/olive oil etc

1/2 cup quick-cooking oat (I don't own quick-cooking oats, if you are really worried you can blend it in the blender for a few seconds)

You can use part of it as a topping or make more pie crusts. You just mix them together (I use a pastry cutter) and press it in!

Yum yum and easy peasy!

Easy Pie Crust

I do not like to roll things out, it's a mess and I am not great at it. So, I use this press in the pan recipe and love it!

1 stick butter (I have used coconut oil, but it doesn't work quite the same)
1 cup flour (white or whole wheat works great)
2 TBS sugar (honey, sucanut, agave and xylitol all work fantastically!)

Work with hands until dough almost holds together (I use a pastry cutter). Press into pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees about 15 minutes. I have added extra sweetner before, cocoa powder and spices at different times for different things with great success. I never change the butter/flour ratio though.

Pasta e Fagioli

It's soup time! This recipe is similar to Olive Garden's Pasta e Fagioli. I serve it with some sort of bread and a salad. It takes about 1 hour. I do not add the beef so to round off the flavor I add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Enjoy!

Pasta e Fagioli

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 large carrot, julienned

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can red kidney beans (with liquid)

1 15 oz can great northern beans (with liquid)

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

2 12 cans vegetable juice (like V-8 juice)

1 tbs white vinegar (optional)

1½ tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp thyme

1 handful small shell pasta

dash of cayenne pepper

1. Brown the ground beef and drain off most of the fat.

2. Add onion, carrot celery and garlic and saute’ for 10 minute

3. Add remaining ingredients except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

4. About 50 minutes into simmer time, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Serve.

I like this soupier so I add a 46 oz can of V-8 and double the seasonings.

Favorite Salsa Recipe

I have tested this on the teenagers in the neighborhood. They love it! I taste it until it seems hot enough. Sometimes I add more jalepenos.

4 cups tomatoes

2 cups green peppers

½ cup jalapeños(deseeded)

1 anaheim pepper

¾ cup chopped onions

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cilantro

1 ½ tsp salt

2 cloves garlic

5 tbps vinegar

Quarter whole tomatoes and coarsely blend in blender 4 cups at a time. Add to pan. Blend onions, peppers, green pepper add to pan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Water bath can 40 minutes for pints. I do not worry too much about how many peppers I have or what kinds, as long as it tastes right before I process it.

Pizza or pasta sauce

This is a super simple and flexible sauce. We LOVE it on our pizza and we stole it from Alicia. :)

2 roasted garlic cloves--you can also crush them and cook in 1/4 cup oil and add (though I always use fresh, I am too lazy)

2 14 oz cans of diced/whole etc tomatoes. I even use fresh ones and it turns out great!

2 tsp Italian mix (or any Italian herbs you have on hand--basil, marjoram, oregano, sage)

1/4 tsp pepper

Blend in your blender and put on your pizza. I have read that you can let it "marinade" for awhile and it makes a great raw (assuming you use fresh tomatoes and garlic) tomato sauce for pastas.

I have also been known to blend other veggies into it...like summer squash, cauliflower, spinach etc ENJOY!

Hair-Raising Cider :)

Hi there everyone!

I really like this recipe because it's easy to get the ingredients and it can be used immediately. This recipe is from the book "Family Herbal" by Rosemary Gladstar.

1 quart RAW apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh grated horseradish
1 chopped onion
1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 TBS turmeric
1-2 pinches of cayenne pepper.

Cover and let sit in a warm place 3-4 weeks. Strain this and then add 1 cup honey, rebottle and regrigerate. You can take 1-2 TBS daily as a tonic or if you are sick then you can take it from the first sign of symptoms and every 2-4 hours until your symtpoms are gone.

Some people like the flavor okay, some don't care for it. However, it works great and has very familiar ingredients, all of which you can purchase at your local grocery store!

Sinus rinse

This remedy has worked for many a friend who has had a sinus infection. Even those treated with antibiotics with no success. Our family uses it with great success just for sinus congestion during a cold! Many people won't try it because they are afraid, but everyone that does try it raves about the way it aids them!

What I do is use 1 cup of warm water, 1 tsp of sea salt and a few granules of ground cayenne pepper. You can use up to a pinch, but I would start with a few granules and then add more as you feel like you need them. I do like a pinch, but it took me a few tries to find the acceptable heat.

Then what I do is breathe it up one side of my nose and let it go into the back of my throat and spit it out. I know this sounds gross, but it helps with sore throats and with stimulating all around your sinuses. Now, I use this same remedy in a nettie pot, but find that the breathing it up is more effective when totally infected.

We have not used antibiotics in our family for the past 7 years (except when I was in labor with positive group B strep and when my daughter severed the top third of her ear from her scalp)

Honey Caramel Popcorn

This is so tasty! My kids don't think that conference weekend is actually here until they have their caramel popcorn! Here is ONE of the recipes we love. I will try and find some of the other ones we enjoy, but Ron likes this one too :)

8 TBS of butter...coconut oil works great too!
1 cup of honey
Salt to taste
1 1/4 cup of popcorn (unpopped)

Pop the popcorn. I liked to do this right before. I used to do it simultaneously, but found that I couldn't do it by myself very well.

Bring butter, honey and salt to a boil on high heat. Let boil for 3-4 minutes.

Drizzle over popcorn while stirring. You can use two big spoons to toss and coat, but I just continually stir it until I am done drizzling, which does make for a very tired arm, but YUM YUM! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are so tasty! My kids loved them. They are very easy too. I doubled it, so I will be posting the doubled recipe :)

1 1/2 cups honey (if you are used to really sweet, you might like to add just a little more)

1/2 cup olive oil

4 eggs

2 cups mashed pumpkin (I used canned this time)

1/2 cup water

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp of baking soda

3/4 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt (which I forgot--with not bad results)

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare pans (either grease/flour or use paper muffin liners)

Mix honey, oil and eggs. Add the pumpkin and water. Then add ingredients in order listed mixing just before adding the flour. Add flour and mix until wet. Then add in chocolate chips.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Mine took only 20 minutes, but my oven runs a little hot.

Enjoy! The house smelled divine and the kids each ate 3 each for breakfast!

non-dairy cheesy spread :)

Hey there all! This recipe was inspired by a recipe I had read in the Cancer Prevention newsletter. I didn't have access to my computer and so I had to wing it, I did get to it later and it was pretty darn close! However, there are a few differences, so enjoy! My kids all loved it spread on Flat Outs...kind of like a tortilla.

One 15 ounce can of white beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans
2 TBS nutritional yeast
Handful of baby carrots (I would say like 8-10)
1-2 TBS of olive oil (I just put some in until it was moving in my blender)
1/2 tsp garlic and herbs (or garlic powder or fresh garlic)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 squirt of prepared mustard (I used honey mustard...any mustard is opt)

You can combine all of this in a food processor or in your blender. Because it has carrots in it, I would make sure your blender is really good...

Then spread like mayo, use as a dip or use as a cheesy substitute, we LOVED IT!

Cavity Reversal & Prevention

Recently Melanie & I were discussing how to reverse cavities. I know it can be done as I have reversed a few cavities unknowingly. My dentist looked at the x-rays and said, "This was a cavity but the enamel has sealed it back up." I was so excited to hear that!

Here are a few tips:

*Eat whole foods

*Limit sugar (It is acid forming and changes the chemistry in your mouth)

*Increase your mineral intake. They are sold at the healthfood store but let me warn you some taste better than others. Ask before you buy.

*Take an herbal calcium. I prefer Dr Christopher Herbal Calcium Formula. I also recommend making your own infusion/tea using horsetail grass & oatstraw herb.

*Someone recommended a book called Oil Therapy. The basic idea is to swish coconut oil every day for 20 minutes to pull toxins from your mouth and body. I am trying this to see how it works.

*Dr Christopher's infection formula

*Dr Christopher's exceptic formula swished in the mouth

*Dr Christopher's herbal tooth & gum Powder

I have discovered that cavities are caused by overgrowth of certain bacteria in your mouth. I suppose I believed in the past that it was from sugar sitting on your teeth. I was a little surprised to find that you can contract or share this bacteria with others by sharing foods and drinks.

Here is an herbal formula I have created to replace minerals and provide calcium.

1 part Horsetail grass (calcium)

1 part Red Clover (minerals, cleanses the blood)

1 part oatstraw (calcium)

1 part Red Raspberry leaves (calcium, minerals)

1 part Comfrey (heals the body)

I have not gone into all of the properties of each herb thoroughly but you can get the basic idea. I take this tea 1 cup/2 times a day. I also have a little container in my pocket full of the tooth and gum powder mixed with slippery elm to make it thicker and stick it in my gums. I am trying to provide the right nutrients right to the tooth. I am flossing and brushing the tooth after every meal to keep it clean. The sensitivity is lessening and we'll see how it goes from here!

3 Bean Mexican Soup

16 oz jar of salsa

15 oz can of mexican stewed tomatoes (I also use crushed, whole)

3 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth

1 Tbsp chili powder

½ tsp minced garlic

1 tsp cumin

3 15 oz cans of beans (kidney, pinto, chickpeas, black & etc.)

15 oz can of hominy (optional, I don’t use)

15 oz can of corn or frozen corn (I just throw some in)

3 cups of cooked chicken (opt.)

1 medium zucchini chopped and diced (opt.)

I put the first 6 ingredients in the blender, even the garlic whole so I don’t have to mince it. I then put it all in a big pot and add the beans, corn and sometimes zucchini if I have some. If you are serving it with chicken add it now. Warm your soup and serve.

I used to blend up the zucchini also so my kids couldn’t tell it was there but now I know they like it. I also make my own bouillon found at this website http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/homemade-bouillon-recipe.html

I add 3 Tbs of my own bouillon to 3 cups of water instead of chicken broth. It is so much cheaper than the products I was buying and so flavorful for all kinds of soups.

Blender Tortilla Soup

This soup is very tasty. My children all gobbled it up! We had the awesome experience of sitting through a demo of the blendtec guy at Costco and so this is inspired by his demo. I don't have the real recipe, but this is what I did.

◦6 Roma tomatoes cut in half (You can use a can of diced tomatoes I bet)

◦2 handfuls of grated cheese (optional)

◦1 whole onion or two small onions

◦2 teaspoons veggie boullion

◦2 tablespoons taco seasoning

◦1 clove of garlic (or half if it's really big, I used one and it was pretty spicy *smile*)

◦4 cups warm water

-salt to taste


Place ingredients in blender. (I did it in that order) Secure lid and turn on. When heated to my liking, I added a few handfuls of tortilla chips. Secure your lid and blend for a second or two...not long, that way it's a little chunkier :)

I did not make mine so hot we couldn't eating it as I am trying to increase the amount of raw veggies that we eat. It was so awesome!

Red Rice (Indian Rice) & Lentils w/Garlic Butter

Hi! I am Melanie's friend, Alicia, of 13 very great years. We decided it might be fun if I submitted some of my favorite dinners. My family eats mostly vegan (Friday has always been pizza night and sometimes we still add cheese.)

This recipe is one of my family's favorite dinners. We call it "Red Rice." It is very flavorful and quick if you keep the ingredients on hand. I serve it fresh but Indian food often tastes better when it sits.

Red Rice for 8

Start cooking rice before preparing sauce. You should be done at the same time as the rice.

3 cups Basmati Rice (sold at Costco) to 6 cups water

Add the following to your blender

2 15 oz cans of crushed tomatoes or whatever kind you have on hand

4 green chiles or 1 anaheim pepper (optional but adds a little heat)

2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger or 1 tsp of dried ginger

4 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp paprika

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups cashew milk (1 cup cashew & 3/4 cups blended smoothly) or heavy cream

2 tsp garam marsala (which is cloves, coriander, cumin & cinnamon)

1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves

Blend until smooth. I pour the whole sauce over the rice and mix it in so nobody runs out of sauce. I set aside some of the rice for lunch before serving or we will eat it all.

I serve this with steamed cauliflower or raw carrot & celery sticks. We love to eat lentils as a side you'll find the recipe below

Lentils with Garlic Butter

Simmer together until lentils split:

1 1/2 cup lentils (mine happen to be yellow)

3/4 tsp turmeric

5 cups water

Blend together when finished but still hot:

5 Tbsp vegetable oil (I use coconut oil and even olive oil)

5-6 garlic cloves

Lentils (liquid and all)

1-2 tsp salt

Yummy Tomato Bisque

This is so yummy that as I was flipping through some of my recipes I wanted to make it right now! But, since I just ate dinner an hour ago that would be silly.

2 TBS butter or oil
2 onions chopped
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 15 oz can of tomatoes (either whole or diced)
2 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock can be tasty)
1/4 cup uncooked rice
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-1 TBS dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme

2 cups half and half (1 cup milk with 1 cup heavy cream OR 1 can evaporated milk OR 2 cups cashew/almond/soy milk)
Tobasco or other hot sauce to taste

Melt butter/oil in a large saucepan and stirn in onions and garlic. Saute until soft and golden with a medium to low heat. Pour in the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT milk/cream and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender and return to pan. Then stir in the half and half/milk in and add teh hot sauce to taste. If needed warm and then serve! This is really tasty with a dollup of sour cream on it! It's also wonderful with a sandwich. ENJOY!

Buttermilk syrup

Hey there all! This recipe was given to me from a friend. I have changed it up and the kids gave it a thumb's up. Here you go!

1 cube butter (or coconut oil)
1 2/3 cups honey (or 2 cups sugar)
3/4 cups buttermilk (or soy/rice/almond milk with 2 TBS lemon juice/vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes, this is true also of just plain milk)

Bring to a boil and let boil for 2-3 minutes while whisking. Take off of the heat and stirn in 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp baking soda. THIS WILL DOUBLE in size, so make sure your pan size allows for that.

This makes a foamy fun syrup that is very tasty. I intend to try it with maple extract soon. ENJOY!

Onion Soup for the Sick

Okay, so this doesn't have to be for someone who is sick, but we love it. The onions are like noodles and it is perfect for people who have colds, flus or just want to get warm on a rainy day. This is inspired by a recipe found at www.herballegacy.com/recipes.html

2-3 TBS olive oil or oil of preference
4-6 large onions thinly sliced (I like to use my mandolin slicer for them)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp thyme
5 cups water
2-3 vegetable bullion cubes
3 TBS Tamari/Shoyu or Soy sauce
Fresh garlic cloves for pressing at the end...

Saute the onions in the oil and salt until translucent. Add the mustard and thyme, stirring until mixed and then cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 35 minutes. Add the water, sauce and bullion cubes. Simmer around 10 minutes and then season to taste. We like to add a little of Italian seasoning to this too! Even clove has been known to be really tasty and healing. For people who eat meat you can put bite size pieces of chicken in at the same time you saute the onions.

Right before serving press the garlic into the soup and serve up!

Self-rising flour

I found this substitution and it works great:

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Baked Oatmeal Breakfast

I like to do this when I have company, this one doesn't need to be soaked overnight so it can be a little faster.

2 cups oatmeal
1 cup milk
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dried fruit.

Mix all ingredients and pour into a prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Banana Muffins

These are so versatile and yummy! I make a double batch a lot of the time, but it is a big batch, so be prepared if you double it.

Dry ingredients:

1/2 cup wheat germ
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Wet:

1/2 cup butter/coconut oil
3/4 cup sugar/honey
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup ripe bananas (about 2-3 bananas)

This batter should be creamy, if it seems too thick then you can add a little extra milk.

Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare 12 muffin tins

Cream butter and sugar with mixer. Beat the eggs in 1 at a time. Add the bananas (it says to add them mashed, I always let my mixer do it) and add vanilla.

Mix the dry together and then put into the wet and mix until moist, but a little lumpy.

For muffins you will let them bake about 25 minutes.

Energy Bars!

My kids really enjoy these and even non-health nuts are happy to eat them :)

Whisk together until evenly blended:
3 eggs
1 cup honey
1 cup oil (1/2 applesauce and 1/2 oil is also great)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt

Mix in alternating:
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar (or 3/4 honey and 2 TBS molasses)
1 cup wheat germ
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups whole wheat flour

Then stir in:
1/2 cup flax seeds/pumpkin seeds or craisins
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or carob chips

Press mixture into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven until edges are brown. About 20-25 minutes. cool and cut up :)

These are a great grab and go. If you have them with you, it will mean less trips to fast food restaurants, which I avoid with all of my might!

Raw Apple Cake

This cake is a Thanksgiving tradition in the Harper home. We love it and here it is!

2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup oil
2 cups flour (whole wheat or whit)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 cups chopped apples (raw, peeled and cored)
2 cups sugar (or 1 1/2 cups honey)
1 cup chopped nuts (opt)
1 cup raisins

Chop the apples in a bowl and pour sugar over apples and set aside for a couple of hours (I never do this step)

Mix in remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Beat eggs and add vanilla then add the dry mixtrue to the egg mixture. Add oil and mix well. Fold in apples and sugar mix and then add in the raisins and nuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a pan and pour cake mixture into it.

Bake about an hour, it varies with different pans. ENJOY!

Monster Cookies

These are pretty tasty and have a lot of ingredients :)

6 eggs
2 1/4 cups brown sugar (or 2 cups honey and 2 TBS molasses)
2 cups white sugar (or 1 1/2 cups honey)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tsp baking soda
1 cup softened butter/coconut oil
3 cups crunch peanut butter
9 cups oatmeal (10-10 1/2 if using honey)
1 1/2 cups chocoalte chips
1 1/2 cups candied chocolate (M&Ms) though I successfully just use more chocolate chips

Mix the first 7 ingredients (up to and including the peanut butter) add oatmeal, candy and chocolate chips and mix.

Drop onto cookie sheets with lots of space between. If the dough is too sticky you can either refrigerate it or add extra oatmeal.

Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

Breakfast Cookies

These are tasty and I use them when we go hiking or have a busy week.

1/2 cup butter/coconut oil softened
2/3 cups brown sugar (or 1/2 cup honey and 2 TBS molasses)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup dried fruit/cranberries, cherries, raisins, dried apricots (chopped) etc
1/2 cup banana chips--broken up (opt)
1/2 cup chopped nuts of any sort

Turn on oven to 350 and prepare a pan.

Put oil (butter/coconut oil) and beat until creamy add honey or brown sugar and mix until combined.

Add the eggs and vanilla dn beat until combined. Put the rest of the ingredients up to the oats and mix in a separate bowl and then pour into the first mixture.

Fold/stir in items from the oats down and mix.

Use about 1/4 cup per cookie 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes. I use an ice-cream scoop.

ENJOY!

Christmas Mincemeat Bars

1 1/2 cups brown sugar (or 1 1/4 cups honey with 2 TBS molasses)
2 TBS molasses
1 TBS butter (softened) or coconut oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted flour (I NEVER sift)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cloves
3 TBS HOT water
1/4 cup sliced almonds (I almost never have these, so I chop my almonds)
1 1/2 cups prepared mincemeat

In a mixing bowl combine first 5 ingredients and mix thoroughly. Sift together flour, salt, sinnamon, baking soda and cloves, then stir into the molasses mixture. Stir in hot water, then stir in almonds and mincemeat.

Divide mixture in half and spread evenly over the bottoms of 2 greased 9X13 inch baking pans. It is a little tricky, but as it bakes the dough will puff up and take care of any holes.

Bake at 400 degrees 12-15 minutes until when touched lightly no imprint remains. Immediately use icing.

ICING
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
About 3 TBS hot milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond flavoring

In a small mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and almond flavoring. Mix until smooth and ice! It's more like a glaze.

Bread Pudding

This is a great general recipe guideline....you can add all kinds of other dried fruits and spices, for example: nutmeg, raisins or prunes, crystalized ginger, dried blueberries etc.

4 TBS butter/olive oil/coconut oil
6 cups bread cut or torn into 1 inch chunks
2 cups half and half/soy milk/almond milk etc
4 eggs
3/4 cups maple syrup or other sweetener
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt.

Butter/oil your baking dish with oil, then put the bread into the pan and combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the bread. Turn oven to 350 degrees and place a weighted plate over the bread pudding. Remove plate and bake in oven for 35-45 minutes.

Whole Wheat Pita Pockets

I LOVE this recipe. It works every time and I have had great success with it. I alternate making whole wheat and white flour. Here is the link: http://tammysrecipes.com/whole_wheat_pita_pockets I don't know how to do an actual link.....sorry :(

Ranch Dressing

I love being able to make my own sauces. I don't always do it, but I think they are *SO* much better for you! Anyway, here goes:

3/4 Vegenaise (mayonnaise also works)
2 TBS dried parsley
1/2 tsp minced dried onion
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 TBS parmesan cheese (opt)
1/2 cup buttermilk (I never have this, but I did get some powdered and it is 4 TBS powdered buttermilk to 1 cup water)

Mix together all ingredients leaving the buttermilk for the last. Slowly blend it in and chill 2 hours before serving.

Fluffy Cupcake Frosting

This is a great frosting and is the best for those fluffy frostings. It isn't healthy and it is a very flexible frosting.

3 TBS flour
1 cup milk

Shake in a jar until mixed, then put into a pan and cook over medium heat until thick. Place plastic wrap on it and chill really well.

After chilled whip up and add:

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup crisco

While it is whipping add:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp (to taste) vanilla/almond extract etc

Whip up some more!

I usually double this. I also cook it in my kitchenaide bowl so that I don't have to change bowls for whipping/chilling etc. Enjoy!

Moist Chocolate Cake

I love this cake recipe. It is so moist and always a winner for our guests.

3 cups flour (white or wheat, though remember with wheat a little more dense)
2 cups sugar (I have successfully used 1 3/4 cups honey)
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup butter milk (I don't usually have this, so I use milk with lemon or vinegar in it)
1 cup and 1 TBS oil
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional, I LOVE it, my hubby doesn't)
1 cup boiling water

Mix all ingredients together in order listed and then pour into a greased 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. It can take longer, just until a knife/toothpick comes out clean!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Hello fellow summer harvesters! This is an awesome chocolate cake recipe. I LOVED it and had a similar reaction from everyone that ate any. It uses more zucchini than most recipes I have seen and it is moist and light. LOVED IT!

2 cups flour (I used white the first time, but whole wheat would be great)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
3 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cups chopped walnuts (optional and I didn't use them)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease/flour (I spray olive oil on) in a 9X13 pan.

2. Stir in all dry ingredients. Add the eggs and oil and mix well. Fold in nuts and zucchini...due to my laziness, I just use my kitchenaid and mix it right in.

3. Bake for 50-60 minutes in the preheated oven until knife or toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost. I used cream cheese, but you can eat it plain and it's great!

The cream cheese frosting I used was:

2 blocks of cream cheese
2 tsp of vanilla
5 cups of powdered sugar

HAVE FUN!

Peanut Butter and Honey Granola

We really like this recipe. It's great for a change of pace in the granola world. We try not to eat cold cereal because 1. It's unhealthy, even the "organic" varieties. 2. It's WWWWAAAAYYYY cheaper!

I am the kind of cook that really thinks you should use what you have on hand. Don't let a recipe stop you! So, this recipe is pretty flexible.

6 TBS oil (butter, olive oil, coconut oil etc)
1 cup Peanut Butter crunchy or smooth (or almond butter---though if you use almond butter, I recommend extra honey)
1 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
9 cups oats


1. Over medium heat warm the oil, honey and peanut butter. This is basically just to get it all smooth and melted, no need to simmer or boil.
2. Add the vanilla and salt and dissolve.
3. Add oats and stir until coated.
4. Place on a cookie sheet (you could use a 9X13 pan too, but you would need a couple of them) and put in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 5-10 minutes. I don't like my granola crispy, so mine comes out at 5 mintues to cool, but you can leave it in closer to 10 if you like it more toasted.

Once it is cooled you can put it in a sealed container for 1-2 weeks or in the fridge longer. Honestly, I never have that problem, so I don't really know how long it would last! ENJOY!

Alicia's Awesome Staple Granola

Combine in a large bowl:

4 c rolled oats
1 c chopped nut
¾ t salt
½ c coconut
½ c seasame seeds
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix seperatley, then add to above mixture:
½ c honey
½ t vanilla
1/3 c oil

Mix thoroughly, spread on 2 large cookie sheets and bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 min. I just let it get warm to melt the honey into it for 10-12 min. Add dried fruit if you like and our favorite is eating it with applesauce.

Cream Cheese Frosting

This is not really healthy, but it sure was tasty on the pineapple cake recipe!

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup butter
4 tsp vanilla
5 cups of powdered sugar

Mixed everything thoroughly. Chill a couple of hours and then re-whip and frost! This would also be great with Almond extract, though I haven't tried it yet. :)

Pizza Crust Dough...SUPER FAST!

This pizza dough recipe is really great! You don't have to wait for it to rise and it has a nice flavor. It was really easy to work with and we really enjoyed it. Here you go!

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (I use SAF. Also, this is equal to one packet)
1 tsp white suar ( I used honey)
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 Degrees C)
2 1/2 cups flour (original recipe called for bread flour, I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white...it would be great 100% whole wheat)
2 TBS Olive oil
1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Dissolve the yeast, sugar and water. Let sit for around 10 minutes (it will be nice and creamy/foamy)

Stir in the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Now, the original instructions said to turn the dough onto a slightly floured surface and roll/pat into a round. I must admit, I am a lazy cook. I love to cook, but things like that I don't always do. What I did was I just shaped it into the best circle I could and then pressed it into a pan that had olive oil sprayed into it.

Spread with toppings and bake in oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. If I am using toppings that really only need melted etc. (Like for Taco/Mexican pizza) then I put the crust only in first and bake it and then top and warm it.

This was a really tasty crust and got rave reviews from everyone that ate it! YAY!

The first time I made this, I was making it for a family of 8 that came over for dinner and for our own family of 6. I used about 6 pizzas. I quadroupled the batch and this was the math :)

9 tsp (3 TBS) yeast
4 tsp sugar
4 cups water
10 cups flour
8 TBS olive oil
4 tsp salt

Camping Food

Alicia again. We just got back from a visit with Melanie. We spent 5 days camping on Orcas Island. I thought it might be fun to post some of our camping favorites.

Navajo Tacos for 6

Dough

Place the following in a baggie labeled Navajo Tacos (Make sure you label or you will wonder what it is. Been there done that!)

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 1/4 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
4 1/2 cups flour (I use spelt)
1 1/2 tsp salt
Squirt a bit of Lecithin in there for good measure if you have it. Write on the baggie "add up to 1 3/4 cups water." I made this about an hour ahead of time and kneaded it in a bowl. I added 1 1/2 cups of water to start with and that was plenty.

Toppings

Can of chili (I actually made my own but let's keep it simpler)
olives
tomatoes
salsa
Vegenaise with dill mix (our ranch subsitute)
avacado (or a little packet of guacamole)
lettuce
corn
onions

I used a dutch oven tipped slightly and fried the bread in a small amount of coconut oil. I turned it with tongs and a pair of gloves. I always try to get the kids involved so they cut up the veggies and it was a hit! Half of the scones got eaten with honey. Yum!

German Pancake Recipe

This is our traditional Sunday breakfast!

1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 425 and melt butter in the 9X13 pan you intend to use. I usually use 1/4-1/3 of a cube of butter to melt. Depending on how big the recipe I do is.

I have successfully increased this by 1 1/2 times. I also double it and use my great big pan that I have, it isn't a 9X13, I am unsure of the size.

We then sprinkle powdered sugar, maple sugar or date sugar over the top of them. YUM YUM!

Pineapple Cake Recipe

This recipe is nearly the recipe that my mother-in-law gave me. It's delicious and we enjoy it a lot. It doesn't really need the frosting in our house, but in some homes it might. I have made it with and without nuts, it is wonderful either way. It is vegan without the frosting as well.

2 C flour (whole wheat or white)
2 c Sugar (or 1 1/2 cups honey)
2 eggs (or liquid lecithin)
2 tsp soda
2 tsp vanilla
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple (no need to drain, dump it all in)
1/2 tsp salt
Pecans or other nuts (optional)

Combine above and beat on high 3 minutes.
Pour into prepared a 9 X 13" cake pan.
Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 min.

Cream Cheese Frosting: (or use whipped cream)
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cube butter or coconut oil
2 C powdered sugar

Beat & spread.

Banana Drop Cookies

½ c butter (or coconut oil)
1c honey
2 eggs
½ t vanilla
2 m bananas
2 C Whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
½ t cinnamon
1/4t baking soda
¼ t salt
¼ t cloves (I also use an equal amount of nutmeg)

Mix wet ingredients (first 5 ingredients)then add the dry.

Bake at 350 for 10 12 min

You can also glaze these cookies, but my kids like them right off the rack!

Garlicky Oven Fries!

10 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
a dash of Herbes de Provence or Italian Seasoning (powdered thyme, bay, rosemary, oregano)
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and kept in water to preserve color

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the garlic, oil, salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence in a bowl.

Cut peeled potatoes in half lengthwise and make 3 to 4 wedges from each half.

Put potatoes in the bowl with olive oil mixture and toss to coat.

Arrange potato wedges on a sheet pan one by one so that the point of each wedge faces up and the rounded part is on the pan.

Cook in the oven until tender and brown - about 45-55 minutes.

Rice Porridge

This is for about 1 serving, I always double/triple it.

¼ cup rice flour
½ cup water
1 cup milk (or soy milk)
A dash of salt

Boil water and milk slowly adding the rice flour until it thickens. Top with honey or maple syrup after putting in serving bowls. If you don’t wash your pan right away, this becomes GLUE, so don’t leave it too long!

Summer Macaroni Salad

A friend gave me her recipe, it's one she came up with on her own.

2 cups uncooked macaroni (or 4 cups cooked)
2 cups cottage cheese/feta cheese/cheddar cheese or any other cheese
1 can diced tomatoes OR same amount fresh
2 cucumbers diced (optional)
2 six ounce cans tuna or chicken chunks
Oregano to taste
Basil to taste
Olive oil (a few shakes)
Sliced olives (I use 2 cans)
Sliced green onions

Mix and eat. Great served warm or chilled. I like it after it has been refrigerated for 6 or more hours.

Crispy top potatoes

Melt ½-1 cube butter in the bottom of a 9X13 pan, sprinkle enough grated parmesan cheese to kind of soak up the butter, I then sprinkle garlic and herb powder across the bottom and sometimes onion salt (I am a HUGE fan of garlic and onions) then slice potatoes about 1-2 inches thick and place (face down if it’s an end) into the mixture. Bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes. These are so tasty. I actually use them for a meal sometimes, but really they should be side dish.

BBQ Tofu :)

Hey everyone!

Don't be turned off by the name, this stuff is DELISH! Even meat eaters have enjoyed it!

1. First purchase extra firm tofu. My friend swears by “soy boy” brand, but I didn’t see it and have great results regardless.

2.Freeze overnight (at least) and then thaw completely. This step changes the texture of the tofu. This means you have to think ahead or buy some and keep it in your freezer.

3. You then steam the tofu (this step could be omitted, but I have heard rumors that if you don’t cook it completely it can give you a tummy ache) and then squeeze the extra liquids out.

4. Cut it up. I slice the tofu through the middle and then cut into triangles.

5. Pour your favorite BBQ sauce and ketchup onto them and let them marinade. 12 hours is best, but I have done it with only 2 hours for us. My friend doesn’t always have time to marinade it and when she doesn’t then she adds extra salt.

5. Then put in a pan with the sauce (I have to add extra) and warm clear through.

It is really great in pita pockets or wraps with avocados. We like it with homemade guacamole. It’s also nice with fresh tomatoes….use your imagination!

Heavenly Green Dream Cool Summer Treat!

Hello everyone!

I am sure that someone somewhere has probably already come up with this recipe, but I LOVE IT! When I was in college I had a couple of roomates that lived in the Philippines and said that avacados were used as a sweet fruit, not a savory fruit. They made me a milkshake with them that was SOOOO tasty! So, since I have had the blessing of having some wonderful avacados I wanted to share the recipe that I came up with!

1 ripe avacado
1 cup coconut milk
2 TBS or so of honey
1/3 or a vanilla bean (or you could use vanilla extract)
8-10 ice cubes

Put in blender and blend until smooth and fluffy. Wow, this was so tasty for us. I like to do everything but the ice until it is blended really well. I did not take the vanilla bean seeds out, I just stuck the WHOLE of it in there and blended it. Then I add the ice cubes, it is so tasty! Let me know if you try it and let me know what you think!

Veggie Burgers!

Hello everyone! I made these tonight and they were delicious. I doubled the recipe, which was a lot more than my family needed, however, I didn't want to make them again tomorrow

My friend Alicia gave me this recipe and I can't remember where she said she got it from. However, it is inspired by anothe recipe and is a very easy/relaxed mixture.

Veggie Burger!

6 cups of water
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 TBS parsley
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp marjoram
4 TBS dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup nutirtional yeast
2 tsp light yellow miso
1/4 tsp celery powder
1/3 cup tamari sauce
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
6 cups oatmeal

In a large pot/pan bring your water to a nice rolling boil. While it is boiling add all of the ingredients except oatmeal. (I add lentils at this point) Add your oatmeal. It will thicken and might be harder to mix. Remove from the heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Make burger patties and place on a cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes on each side. These are great frozen for future use!

I added lentils and they were wonderful. I used 1 cup of dry lentils cooked up and added in.

You can use any combination of herbs and it will equal about 3 TBS of herbs. This does not include the onion. Fresh onion works well too. As does potatoes and shredded carrots. All of these things add flavor and nutrition! ENJOY!

Amazing Chocolate Muffins

Many of you have asked for this recipe...it is an adaption that my friend came up with and they are truly wonderful! Even my husband adores them!

************************************

This is the recipe with my alterations. I have increased this by up to 8 times and not had any problems. If you follow this exactly, these will be wheat free, dairy free, and sugar free! Enjoy!

Inspired by Joyful Heart Muffins: approx. 12
Nonstick spray or cupcake liners
1 cp applesauce
½ cp honey
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp canola oil
¾ cp oat flour
1/3 cp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsps baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Dash of cinnamon
½ cp vegan chocolate chips

Mix wet ingredients in one bowl, dry in a bigger bowl. Make a well in dry and pour in wet. Mix well. Use an icecream scoop to divide into muffin tin and get nice even muffins. Bake at 375* for 20 mins. Cool completely and Enjoy!

Honey Caramel Popcorn

At this link is one of our favorite General Conference treats! Sometimes I add some blackstrap molasses for a richer flavor, but it is great as is. There is another recipe I use that uses baking soda and I also love that one!

Smooth veggie soup

This is what we had for dinner and it was delicious. My children loved it and asked for seconds and thirds! We loved it! It was inspired by a recipe someone else read to me, but I didn't have it written down, so here is what it was:

2 onions chopped with 2-4 TBS olive oil
12 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup of celery (I think I was pretty generous, I probably used 1 1/2 cups) chopped
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 1/2 cups asparagus, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
juice of one lemon (about 4-5 TBS lemon juice)


Put the onions and oil in and cook until onions are translucent. Then add the broth and other veggies. I just started with the onions and chopped everything and added it, I didn't add them all at the same time. I also added to one blenderful about 1/4 cup flour to help thicken it and then mixed it all together. When they are all soft put into the blender and blend until smooth. My blender holds 8 cups and I had to fill it 2 1/2 times.

Favorite Whole Wheat bread recipe

My favorite recipe is found at: Urban Homemaker

I have never used it with dough enhancer, but I have used it with and without gluten. ENJOY! And if I can figure out how to do the link right then I will edit the post when I get a chance!

Blender pancakes

This is an easy breakfast that we love and are so easy that even my 6 year old can produce. Well, I do the pouring, but he can add all the ingredients and turn the blender on. You don't need a fancy schmancy blender for it either.

1 cup milk (any variety will do, cow, soy, almond etc)
1 cup uncooked wheat berries
2 eggs
2 TBS oil
2 tsp baking powder
2 TBS honey
1 tsp salt

Put in the first two ingredients and blend on high until smooth. This could be 4 minutes, with my blender it's about 90 seconds. Turn to low and add the remaining ingredients. If not using a non-stick surface I would choose to use oil.

Garlic Oil

With Spring coming, but nasty coughs and colds sticking around, I decided to post on garlic oil. This is something that has been FANTASTIC for our family by boosting the immune system, great for ear infections, it's awesome! For extra pain relief, you could make mullein oil first and then make the garlic oil.

For one batch, you will need:

1/2 cup FRESH minced garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup olive oil to be added later.

You will want to mix the first 2 ingredients well and then add in the other 1/4 cup of olive oil. This will fit perfectly into a half pint jar. Then we put it in the windowsill for 10 days. On the 10th day you can strain it and then put it in the fridge. You can strain it with paper towels, coffee filters, muslin, cheese cloth etc. You can then put it in the fridge. It will separate even more and then you can decant it and continue to store in fridge. If you have an ailment, you don't have to wait the full 10 days, but it gets stronger each day! We love this and rub it on our feet, put it in our ears, rub it on chests etc. Enjoy!

Zucchini Pizza Bites

Hey there everyone!

Okay, so this week I had a couple of zucchini and came up with this really yummy meal. My kids didn't like that I called them pizza bites, because there was no "bread" to speak of, however I am going to leave the name the same. These were a great snack/light dinner/appetizer type thing.

Slice the zucchini into medallions. Put a small amount of oil in the pan, salt them (at least I did) and then after slightly browned then flip. I didn't bread them or anything. Then I took some diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning and blended it in the blender. Had I had spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce, I probably would have used that. Then I topped with some Havarti cheese (I couldn't find the mozzerella) until it melted and then removed them from the pan.

They were pretty, they were tasty. We loved them! Well, most of us did. My picky eater felt tricked because they didn't taste like pizza to her.

Herbal Throat Lozenges

Hey everyone!

Making your own lozenges is a great thing! You know what is in them and you can make them for your own ailments. Remember, when cooking, sometimes things flop and sometimes they work out wonderfully. I love herbs and they make me happy. They have helped our family through some difficult times! Here is the basic recipe that I use. It isn't set in stone by any stretch of the imagination, but this is what I do. :)

Use 1 cup of honey or blackstrap molasses or a combination of both. Remember that molasses is VERY strong and so think of who your audience is. Will they take them?

Then you will use up to 1/4 cup of an herb, either cut or powdered. I love ginger and clove with some red raspberry leaf. I use the powdered herbs, but you can use cut herbs. Think about your herbs as well, if you are going to use herbs like cayenne and/or garlic type herbs then I would choose less herb to honey ratio, but that's just me.

Very first, butter some cookie sheets to put the lozenges on. Then to begin your exciting new creations bring your honey to the hard crack stage. On my thermometer it was 150c, it's okay to go slightly higher (makes them less sticky) but after burning mine in the past I am a little more cautious. After your honey is hot, then you can add your powdered herbs. If you use cut, then you will need to leave over the heat for an extra 10 minutes and then strain them out. I have never done this because I am lazy. I also don't mind the extra herb at the end to chew up after the honey dissolves away. My kids like it too, however some people that are more sensitive are less impressed. I intend sometime to try oils, but it's also important to remember that the more whole the herb the better!

Once at temperature and herbs mixed in, then either put them in little dots on the pans or you can pour them out and score them. I have never poured them out, though this might be pretty easy...maybe I will try that next

So, now in short:

Butter your pans.

Heat 1 cup honey to hard crack stage.

Add up to 1/4 cups herbs.

Pour onto buttered pans. Enjoy!

These can be frozen easily and are yummy right out of the freezer, it also helps with the stickiness.

Italian Wedding Soup

I made this recipe: Italian Wedding Soup

It was DELICIOUS! Everyone who had it raved about it. It uses only a few ingredients which is also nice. We used spinach, not the escarole. For the chicken broth I used Better Than Bouillon. I also chose to brown the meatballs. I liked the smaller meatballs and would make the bite size if it was me. Enjoy!

Tasty Granola Recipe!

From one of my dear friends, this is her recipe and we love it! I always at least double it.

Granola

Combine in a large bowl:

4 c rolled oats
1 c chopped nut (any combination, I have used almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seed etc)
¾ t salt
½ c coconut (optional, though very tasty!)
½ c seasame seeds (also optional, but very nutritious)
1 tsp cinnamon (I am VERY generous with this)

Mix seperatley, then add to above mixture:
½ c honey
½ t vanilla
1/3 c oil (coconut is great, but I use olive most of the time)

Mix thoroughly, spread on 2 large cookie sheets and bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 min. I just let it get warm to melt the honey into it for 10-12 min. Add dried fruit if you like.

Lawn Mower Chicken

This recipe is really yummy! It also smells divine in the oven. The reason we call it lawn mower chicken is that it looks just like someone dumped grass clippings all over the chicken. I am not exactly sure where this recipe is from, my friend gave it to me. It's easy and fast.

3 TBS rosemary
2 TBS thyme
3 TBS parsley
3 TBS garlic salt

This is one batch, sprinkle it on chicken that is covered in skin and bake at 350 1 hr. It's great for thighs/drum sticks and like the chicken breasts with skin. You can use this with skinless chicken but it is SUPER dry if you do.

Yummy Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Hey all! Today we are making super tasty banana muffins. These can be made in a variety of ways and the recipe is very forgiving, which I will list for you to decide for yourself. :)

Wet ingredients
1/2 cup butter/coconut oil/olive oil (I have used all with great success)
3/4 cup sugar/xylitol or 1/2 cup honey (I usually use honey)
2 large eggs (I often add an extra)
1 cup ripe bananas--I add them whole to my kitchenaide
1 tsp vanilla


Dry Ingredients
1/2-3/4 cups wheat germ
2 cups (I use whole wheat, if I use white I use more wheat germ)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate/carob chips

I don't follow the directions to the original recipe I was given because I am not using all of the same ingredients AND I am all about getting done fast and not dirtying a lot of dishes. So..the way I do this is I put the oil I put the first 3 ingredients in until well mixed, then I add the eggs one at a time. If I am using honey and olive oil then I add the oil first and then add the honey with the same mesuring cup, then it doesn't stick. I then add the vanilla and mix.

After mixing all the wet ingredients, I then add the dry ingredients alternating and then mix them in. This mixture should be smooth and creamy with a few lumps, if you are finding it to be too dry you can add any kind of milk (almond/rice/hemp/cow)

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes checking to see when the toothpick comes out clean.

Note: I often double or triple this recipe and share them. Also, they freeze fabulously so for those of you who want to cook and freeze ahead this is a great one to do this with. Enjoy!

Cream of Corn

This recipe was inspired by the recipe found here:
http://vitamix.ahoy.com/recipe/recipe.cgi/0/287/

I made a few changes because I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand. Here is what we used:

1 1/2 cups whole kernel corn (that's what came in the can)
7-8 baby carrots (it was a few too many, I would do half)
1/2 white onion (too much for the kids, I would do 1/4 next time)
1 1/2 cups whole milk (organic and hot)
3/4 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp paprika
2 tsp chicken bullion (I use Better Than Bullion)
White pepper to taste (accidentally dumped in like 2 tsp...don't do that)
2 squirts of Braggs liquid aminos

Put all ingredients in blender (I have a Vita-Mix) and blend on high for 3-4 minutes.

This was okay. My kids ate it, but wished it wasn't so strongly flavored with onion. My daughter was convinced it needed more sweetener, however I don't think so, I thought it was PLENTY sweet in fact wished it was a little less sweet. I think that the carrot flavor was too much for me. It was still good and I had a second helping on which I heaped on some shredded cheese and that made it ALL better :)

Enjoy!
Miss Melanie

Oatmeal cookies

I like this recipe because it has lots of oats in it. I have another one I love that is gluten free, but this isn't that one. I also don't know where this recipe came from (has been passed around the family) but we sure enjoy it! I will just post what I use as opposed to what the original recipe uses, because I haven't ever made the original recipe

1 cup butter/coconut oil (both are great!)
1 1/2 cups honey
4 eggs (I have been known to use up to 6)
2 TBS molasses
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
5 cups oatmeal
raisins/nuts/chocolate or carob chips (optional)

Cream butter/coconut oil and honey together and add the eggs. Then add all the ingredients up to and including the molasses. Then add the vanilla and cinnamon. Add the oatmeal and then other additions you choose. I use up to 2 cups combination of any of them. We love chopped almonds and carob/chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. You don't need to oil it if you use non-stick pans.

Enjoy! Miss Melanie

Oatmeal Cake

Hey there! Okay, this is the promised oatmeal cake recipe. Let's see if I can get it typed in right. I can't really give credit for this recipe. My sister is the one who gave it to me, but really it's almost not like her recipe. However, I will put down what I use and what the original ingredient is and you can make your own choices

1 cup oatmeal in 1 1/2 cups hot water (I use regular oats)
1/2 cup butter (I have also used coconut oil, the recipe calls for margerine)
1 1/2 cups honey (the recipe calls for 1 cup sugar and 1 cup brown sugar)
1-2 TBS blackstrap molasses (for the brown sugar part)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour (1 1/2 if not using honey)
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (recipe calls for white)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Cream honey, oil (butter) and eggs. Add oatmeal and other dry ingredients into mixture. Bake for 35 minutes at 325 (recipe calls for 350, but I find that scorches it just a tad)

We eat this without frosting, but there is a wonderful caramel frosting you can make for it that my sister makes. I haven't "healthified" it at all and I have only made it once, since my kids are pretty happy to eat it frosting-less. Here is that recipe:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1-2 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla

Cook over medium heat 12 minutes and add 1 cup coconut and 1 cup nuts.

When I made it, I didn't have coconut and only used nuts. I would guess you could use honey and molasses as the sugar and coconut oil as the buter. It is truly delicious, if I try the substitutions, I will update you!

Enjoy, let me know what you think!

Welcome!

Hi there everyone! After years of benefitting from other people's blogs and never having one--in fact being slightly opposed to having one, I have decided to start one. I have had several people ask me to start a blog about recipes and how we feed our family, so, here I am...this will be a place that I will post (and they won't be fancy like some people's) what we have done and I will post my successes and failures. I try to cook with whole foods and starting from scratch. We avoid artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. We also try to avoid eating white foods (white sugar, white flour etc) however, we do have the times that we indulge in those things, only to be reminded why we didn't want to! (smile)

My name is Melanie and I love to cook. I cook with my children and I talk about recipes with my friends. When asked by the dentist if my daughter ate a lot of candy, she replied "Are you not aware that my mom is a total health nut?" and with that he laughed and so did she. But it couldn't be closer to many of my friends' definitions of me. I homeschool my children, I love natural health, I love the birthing scene, I love to sing and play the piano, I love to dance, roller skate and be silly. I am blessed to be married to a wonderful man and have many wonderful friends.

When I get a chance, I will begin blogging a couple of recipes, but my time tonight is up!

Huggles! Miss Melanie