Quinoa, Chickpea, Chard Salad

This was DELICIOUS! I'll post pictures (hopefully!) from my phone. I love versatile recipes like this. You could swap chickpeas for different beans. I used baby kale once and the next time I used chard from our TowerGarden. I didn't have toasted nuts, but didn't miss them. The dressing is lovely; feel free to experiment! We had this as a side. I like it on top of greens. It would also go well in tortillas or pitas.

Quinoa, Chickpea, Chard Salad

1 cup quinoa
1 can (or 15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 cup diced cucumber
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 cups baby kale or chard
1/4 cup diced red onion or shallots
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or almond slivers

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I had less, but used 5 drops lemon essential oil)
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup EVOO
fresh pepper, to taste

1. Cook quinoa according to directions. Let cool.
2. Chop veggies and put in a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk dressing ingredients together.
4. Add cheese and quinoa to veggie mixture, then pour dressing over and gently stir to combine. Enjoy!

Easy Hummus

Easy-(Chick)Peasy Hummus
(A reposted recidpe from years ago. Still good; we made it today!)

2 cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed (or about 3 cups cooked beans)
Juice of 1 lemon (a little zest is good, too!)
1/3 cup of olive oil (less if your processor can do it!)
1/3 cup of fresh mint leaves
1 tsp. cumin
salt to taste

1) Put all ingredients in processor and run until smooth.
2) Enjoy with veggies, pitas, or on fresh tomatoes. Yum!

Freezer Meals for Summer!

Well, it's JUNE already, so I guess that I need to embrace all things summer! With swim team this year (a first for us) and Alpha theater camp (a first for us) and continued learning going on, I realized I needed some time to plan and prepare and pray (for things to run smoothly!).

It was a blessing to me that my Amelia friends asked me to come and put together some freezer meals with them. This gave me a date and time to focus my efforts. I used this website with 10 Organic Freezer meals.  I liked her site because I could get all of the ingredients from ONE place (Costco); no multiple stops with six kiddos for me! I also like that most ingredients were organic, and whole foods. I don't normally buy canned beans, chicken broth, or potstickers... but these little concessions were worth it to me to have pulled together meals for some nights we'll need them.

I spent about 30 minutes at Costco, and spent $165. This included everything I needed (minus spinach, garlic, and some spices I already had at home), and after making the meals I had olive oil, spices, honey, frozen vegetables, canned beans, and dozens of bags left over. These seem like cost- efficient meals to me!

I decided to swap out her recipe for Monster Burgers with another recipe she has for Turkey and Black Bean Chili (on the same site; her 12 Crockpot Freezer Meals from Costco list).

Everything packed up neatly and went to Amelia with me, where my four friends helped me assemble meals. It was fun!

We made:
4 meals of Turkey and Black Bean Chili
4 meals of Hearty Turkey Tomato Vegetable Soup
2 meals of Italian Chicken
2 meals of Asian Chicken and Vegetable Potstickers
= 12 Meals

What a great feeling of accomplishment! Love seeing these meals in the freezer and knowing that every Sunday dinner is already made and there are meals for when I'm out of town, meals to give to others, and meals for crazy busy nights. Sounds like I need to make some more meals!

Cranberry Salsa!

Cranberry Salsa
Something easy and fresh to brighten these holidays- chock-full of antioxidants to help guard against germs and keep us healthy!

1 bag of cranberries, 12 ounces fresh or frozen
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, white and light green part only (or 1/2 of a small onion)
2 limes, juiced
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup sweetner of choice
salt to taste
optional- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

process all in a blender until medium consistency.  serve immediately or refrigerate.

Pumpkin Cookies

We needed something yummy and healthy and fast today, as it's our co-op day and the cupboards are rather bare. I had some pumpkin puree to use, so I found a recipe and adapted from this site.  We are all pleased with how these turned out!

Pumpkin Oat Cookies (makes 34 cookies)

- 1 and 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey (or use 1 cup banana puree -approx. 2 large bananas)
- 4 eggs
- 2 Tbl coconut oil (liquid)
- 3 cups oat flour (almond flour is good, too!) I ground oats in the vitamix
- 1 Tbl flax seeds (grind with oats)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt
- Optional add ins: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, coconut. . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking tray with parchment paper (or use a stone!).
2. In a bowl, mix pumpkin puree, banana or sweetener, oil, and the eggs until well-combined.
3. Stir in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon until you've got a smooth mixture.
4. Stir in an optional add ins now.
5. Use a medium scoop to make cookies on your stone. We like ours rounded, but you can flatten with the bottom of a cup if you prefer.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden-brown. Cool and enjoy- or eat them warm from the oven on a chilly autumn morning!

The Butter Battle

Well, I haven't posted anything too offensive lately. How about if we talk about butter?

The short story is that I am mostly Weston A. Price thinking and not so much China Study thinking. That means I lean toward eating a more traditional diet and that I don't think our family needs to avoid meat and dairy products altogether (if they are from healthy sources and as unaltered as possible).



This is a handy chart from Food Babe that I saw on Mercola's site. He has a great article on butter there. What do you usually use? Do you think you could move over a column and purchase a better butter? It makes a difference to your body. And remember, we send messages with our money!

Keep the Pumpkin Seeds!

9 Amazing Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

a repost of an article HERE.

By Dr. Mercola

If you’re in the mood for a chewy snack that doubles as a phenomenal health food, look no further than pumpkin seeds.

With a wide variety of nutrients ranging from magnesium and manganese to copper, protein and zinc, pumpkin seeds are nutritional powerhouses wrapped up in a very small package.

They also contain plant compounds known as phytosterols and free-radical scavenging antioxidants, which can give your health an added boost.

Best of all, because pumpkin seeds are highly portable and require no refrigeration, they make an excellent snack to keep with you whenever you’re on the go, or they can be used as a quick anytime snack at home, too.

9 Top Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

1.  Heart Healthy Magnesium

One-quarter cup of pumpkin seeds contains nearly half of the recommended daily amount of magnesium, which participates in a wide range of vitally important physiological functions, including the creation of ATP (adenosine triphosphate, the energy molecules of your body), the synthesis of RNA and DNA, the pumping of your heart, proper bone and tooth formation, relaxation of your blood vessels, and proper bowel function.
Magnesium has been shown to benefit your blood pressure and help prevent sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack, and stroke, yet an estimated 80 percent of Americans are deficient in this important mineral.

2.  Zinc for Immune Support

Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of zinc (one ounce contains more than 2 mg of this beneficial mineral). Zinc is important to your body in many ways, including immunity, cell growth and division, sleep, mood, your senses of taste and smell, eye and skin health, insulin regulation, and male sexual function.

Many are deficient in zinc due to mineral-depleted soils, drug effects, plant-based diets, and other diets high in grain. This deficiency is associated with increased colds and flu, chronic fatigue, depression, acne, low birth weight babies, learning problems and poor school performance in children, among others.

3.  Plant-Based Omega-3 Fats

Raw nuts and seeds, including pumpkin seeds, are one of the best sources of plant-based omega-3s (alpha-linolenic acid or ALA). We all need ALA, however, ALA has to be converted by your body into the far more essential omega-3 fats EPA and DHA -- by an enzyme in which the vast majority of us have impaired by high insulin levels. So, while pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of ALA, I believe it is essential to get some of your omega-3 fats from animal sources, such as krill oil, as well.

4.  Prostate Health

Pumpkin seeds have long been valued as an important natural food for men’s health. This is in part because of their high zinc content, which is important for prostate health (where it is found in the highest concentrations in the body), and also because pumpkin seed extracts and oils may play a role in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or enlarged prostate). Research suggests that both pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seeds may be particularly beneficial in supporting prostate health.

5.  Anti-Diabetic Effects

Animal studies suggest that pumpkin seeds may help improve insulin regulation and help prevent diabetic complications by decreasing oxidative stress.

6.  Benefits for Postmenopausal Women

Pumpkin seed oil is rich in natural phytoestrogens and studies suggest it may lead to a significant increase in good “HDL” cholesterol along with decreases in blood pressure, hot flashes, headaches, joint pains and other menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women.

7.  Heart and Liver Health

Pumpkin seeds, rich in healthy fats, antioxidants and fibers, may provide benefits for heart and liver health, particularly when mixed with flax seeds.

8.  Restful Sleep

Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of tryptophan, an amino acid (protein building block) that your body converts into serotonin, which in turn is converted into melatonin, the “sleep hormone.” Eating pumpkin seeds a few hours before bed, along with a carbohydrate like a small piece of fruit, may be especially beneficial for providing your body the tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production to help promote a restful night’s sleep.

9.  Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Pumpkin seed oil has been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects. One animal study even found it worked as well as the anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin in treating arthritis, but without the side effects.

What’s the Best Way to Consume Pumpkin Seeds?

In order to preserve the healthy fats present in the seeds, pumpkin seeds should be eaten raw. If you choose to purchase seeds from a bulk bin, make sure they smell fresh – not musty, spoiled or stale, which could indicate rancidity or the presence of fungal mycotoxins. Organic pumpkin seeds are preferred, as they will not be contaminated with pesticides or other harmful chemicals.

However, most nuts and seeds have anti-nutrients like phytic acid that can make all the previously discussed important nutrients less bioavailable when you consume them. So if you plan on consuming seeds or nuts on a regular basis, it would be wise to soak or sprout them. To make them more palatable, you can then dehydrate them in your oven, or better yet and more cost effectively in a dehydrator.

If you prefer to eat the seeds roasted, do so yourself so you can control the roasting temperature and time. Raw pumpkin seeds can be roasted on a low heat setting in your oven (no more than 170 degrees Fahrenheit or 75 degrees Celsius), sprinkled with Himalayan or other natural salt, for about 15-20 minutes.

Easy Ranch Dressing

Okay. This is a random post, but I have a recipe too good not to share.

We gave up on store dressings years ago (except our weakness for Garlic Expressions. Anyone know how to make that at home?!). I've only attempted Ranch dressing once or twice since then and wasn't happy with the results. My older children have since forgotten about the goodness of dipping veggies in Ranch and my younger children had no idea what we were talking about today when I placed a bowl of homemade Ranch dressing on the lunch table alongside fresh broccoli, cucumbers, and peppers. True, my version had a distinct green pallor, and yet all agreed that the taste was lovely.

I didn't totally start from scratch. I used mayo and sour cream from the store. The herbs all came fresh from the Tower Garden. (I used a LOT of parsley!) I put everything into the Vitamix. The basic recipe for Ranch Dressing called for 1/4-1/2 cup of buttermilk, but I didn't use any at all.

If you did want to make your own mayo, you could use this tutorial: How to make homemade mayonnaise.

One Vitamix Ranch Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1 garlic clove
1/4-1 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh chives
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
buttermilk (optional; to desired consistency)

Blackberry Bars

We went peach and blackberry picking yesterday at Windmill Hill Farm. I learned that just because a blackberry is black it isn't necessarily RIPE. Thankfully, it was easy to find blackberries that were black and had big, puffy (mature) drupelets.

photo from here

Since we have an abundance of berries, I went looking for recipes. We made popsicles, ate berries plain from the bowl, and also made these bars. I found a recipe for "Blackberry Breakfast Bars" here and modified it for our family. I didn't consider it a "good" breakfast with more than 1 cup of sugar in it! This recipe is similar to bars I've made with jam before. Very yummy! I doubled the original recipe to make a 9 x 13 pan. You can easily make half the recipe for a 9x9. We did have it for breakfast (with healthy shakes), but I think it's more of a sweet treat.

Blackberry Bars

4 cups blackberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups (whole wheat) flour

2 cups regular rolled oats
2/3 cup sweetener (I used sucanat)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup coconut oil, melted
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed (optional)

3 Tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. For filling: in a medium saucepan combine berries, sugar, water, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or till slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, sucanat, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, salt, flax, and baking soda. Stir in melted oil till thoroughly combined. Set aside 2 cups of the oat mixture for topping. Press remaining oat mixture into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes.

3. Carefully spread filling on top of baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture (add walnuts to this mixture, if desired). Lightly press oat mixture into filling.

4. Bake in the 350 oven for 15-20 minutes more or till topping is golden.

5. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. This made 32 small bars for us.

Lemon Lime Basil-Ade

See the beautiful basil?!

Lemon Lime Basil-Ade

2 lemons- peeled and halved, seeds removed
2 limes- peeled
1/4 cup sweetener (we prefer honey)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (we often use more)
4-6 cups ice cubes
1/2- 1 cup water (optional)

Add ingredients to blender in order listed. Blend on high speed until ice is crushed and desired consistency is reached.

This is a fun recipe we've adapted from the Vitamix cookbook. I like to serve this for my Garden and Greens Events... or most anytime we have friends over. I've doubled the original recipe except for the sweetener. (You could use Stevia, too.) We're snipping fresh basil from our TowerGarden and the result is a wonderful, refreshing green slushy!

I Love to Learn!

Even though it's not such a big part of my daily life, I really do love to learn. I'm especially grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the JuicePlus+ Conference two weeks ago in Long Beach, CA. (It also was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with my sister and nieces!)

I've attended about 10 of these conferences over the past 7 years. It requires a lot of preparation and sacrifice, time and money. . . but The Lawyer and I believe that the investment is worth it. This was the third time I've attended a JP+ conference with a new baby, and believe it or not, I'm having a hard time distinguishing the conferences and the babies- they are all blurring together in my mind!

Usually, I take copious notes- pages and pages of them. This time, I had a beautiful conference booklet provided by nsa. . . that remained blank. During most of the sessions I stood in the back of the room with G in the Ergo. NSA provides a wonderful room for families and so I also spent time in the bean bags there, nursing G while watching the conference on a live feed. Oh, the things we do!

John Blair is one of my favorite corporate speakers, for many, many reasons. He is a brilliant man and has been with JuicePlus+ for a looooong time. The Lawyer and I have had some good conversations with him that lead us to trust him and also enjoy his fellowship. Here are a few things that he said on the opening night of the JuicePlus+ Conference. (Not because I wrote anything down, but only because Wendy Campbell made a message with her notes and I recognize these points that also struck me that night!) I'm not trying to push JuicePlus+ on anyone, but I get excited about learning these things.

56% of the calories consumed by Americans today are from sources that were non-existant in the past. (Is that scary or what!?)

Only 4.5% of the dollars spent on food are spent on fruits and vegetables. 17% are spent on refined grains and 14% on sweets!

Finally, people are getting the idea that whole food is the way to go (vs vitamins). JuicePlus+ is the pioneer in this field, and is the BEST! Annual growth of whole food supplements is up by 12% while vitamin growth is at 6% level. Most "whole food supplements" out there are supplements and do not have a nutrition label (FOOD label) like JuicePlus+ has.

JuicePlus+ has never had a product liability claim- ever. (read= safety) All of our products are non-GMO. The glycemic index of our Complete shakes is the same as broccoli.

One of our recent studies shows a 20% improvement in gum health in people who were receiving great treatment already. The researchers were so impressed that they are now doing a study on wound healing with wisdom teeth extraction.

Smokers could actually breathe better on JuicePlus+ (one of the newest studies). They felt the difference that the science proved was taking place.


And, John Blair said this about JuicePlus+: it"provides significant impact in an easy and affordable format."

So much I'd like to post tonight... but too tired!

Tonight we had our Passover dinner. Really, the kids pulled it off. R and L made charoset. O scrubbed and cut potatoes as well as making the lamb meatballs. T helped me make matzoh. The kids set the table and took turns playing with/holding G (4 mo) so that I could wash (lots of!) dishes, peel eggs, and otherwise try to maintain some order in the kitchen.

As we were short on money at the end of this month, I decided to use ground lamb instead of a more expensive cut. With all of the other delicious foods, we were able to use 1 pound of lamb to feed our family. Here is the recipe we used/adapted:

Passover Lamb Meatballs

By City Share

 1 pound ground lamb

1/4 cup finely chopped onion   

1 or 2 minced garlic cloves 

1 teaspoon cumin  

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tbl. tomato paste   

1 teaspoon salt 

Fresh mint (2 Tbl) and parsley (3 Tbl), minced 

1/4 cup cooked oatmeal 

1 egg, beaten

Oil, for frying

1. Put the lamb into a bowl and add the onions, spices, salt, oatmeal and egg. Work everything together thoroughly with your hands.
2. Scoop out some of the mixture and roll in your hands to form 1 inch meatballs. Place them on a plate and refrigerate until ready to cook.
3. When the meatballs are ready, heat oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches until golden brown all over (approx. 5-8 minutes for well done meatballs).

Carol's Oatmeal Cookies

Yummy cookies made with a friend's recipe. The Lawyer loved these because, he said, "they have three of my favorite things in them." That would be oatmeal, cranberries, and chocolate.

Carol's Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup sucanat (or coconut palm sugar)
4 Tbl. coconut oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/2 cup chocolate (or carob) chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and egg until creamy. Slowly stir in coconut oil (I used melted oil) and extracts, mixing until creamy.

2. Sift flour with baking soda and salt. Stir into the egg mixture. Add oats, until blended. Stir in nuts, fruit, and chips. The mixture will be very chunky.

3. Use a medium scoop to place batter on stones (or use parchment paper on baking sheets). Lightly flatten each cookie with a fork or spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Cookies should be light brown around the edges. Remove from stone and place on a wire rack to cool.

Other notes:
I doubled the recipe and hoped to have some to freeze... but we love them too much and they will all be eaten soon. The almond extract in these is what really makes the unique and extra delicious. I also added ground flax seeds (as I do to most things); the flax was good because it adds a nutty flavor and I didn't have any other nuts to add. SO thankful my friend Carol made these for us and passed along her recipe!

Is It Really Food?

So... what do you think? If you haven't watched/read anything distressing recently about our health and our food, then this is a good link (that won't take much time but may just disgust you).

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7420280n

"Food should be pleasurable," they say. And so they enhance and add and take away and when we buy things in boxes and cans and packages we may really be getting much more than we bargained for. I knew that "natural" flavorings was a questionable label, but I can't believe all that goes on behind the grocery store scene. (As a side note, L (7) went grocery shopping with me yesterday and we were both sad that Kroger has moved the breakfast foods in with some of the bread. I've not been able to stand the smell of a grocery store bread isle for years- it just smells really wrong to me- and apparently, now it bothers L, too. She commented on the weird smell and we both hightailed it out of there!)

This IS why I love JuicePlus+ and why I advocate healthy, whole-food eating. (Not that I trust the whole foods at the grocery, either!) If we eat better, we want to eat better. We can LOVE and crave healthy, whole foods! There is something alluring about deep green avocados and spikey yellow pineapples and deep crimson raspberries. They taste fantastic! And we are satisfied. We won't overdose or be undernourished with these kinds of whole food choices. JuicePlus+ is great because it doesn't use flavorings to make it palatable- it is really just the whole foods. I'm so thankful for the integrity of this company that truly wants people to be well- not just to consume more.

Are you eating lots of whole foods?

Soaked Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes

Photo from http://lindsayleighbentley.com/2012/09/04/soaked-oat-pancakes/

I was on the lookout for soaked pumpkin pancakes and hoping to also use oats (because I have 20 pounds of them in the kitchen!), and came across Lindsay's recipe. I made a few changes, and they were gobbled up... so here is my recipe!

 

Soaked Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes

 

soak overnight in a warm place (at least 7 hrs, but 12-24 is even better)

• 3 C. natural rolled oats
• 3 C. (raw) milk

in the morning, add to the bowl of soaked oats:

• 1 C. pumpkin puree (or 2 very ripe bananas, mashed)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 T raw honey
• dash of cinnamon
• 2 T coconut oil (add last)
• 1/8- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• chopped walnuts (optional)

Cook on medium heat, turning when small bubbles rise to surface or when golden brown.

Top with home-made butter and pure maple syrup!

January Thoughts

In random order, like all my thoughts these days:

1. Why NOT have a flu shot? Well, I have many reasons- but I know I'm in the minority. I heard on the radio that over half of all Americans received flu shots for this season. The pediatrician I saw a few weeks ago for G was insistent that our whole family needed to receive the vaccine to effectively make a "cocoon of protection" for G. We didn't. Mostly, because I agree with Michael Savage on this one.

“. . . I believe the risks outweigh any benefit,” Savage said.
The vaccine, he pointed out, contains formaldehyde and thimerosal – an organic compound containing mercury, which impairs the neurological and immune systems – along with detergents, antibiotics and allergens that cause infertility.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/michael-savage-dont-trust-feds-on-flu-shot/#04vMIlu8JtGhb4Fk.99


The flu isn't fun, of course. It can be very serious. Still, I'd rather have a bout of influenza then to find out years down the road that the vaccines I thought were protecting us actually contributed to MS or Alzheimer's or Parkinson's or other neurological abnormalities.

2. Chicken Barley Bake
Yum! Nothing fancy, this one, but easy and filling and wholesome on a chilly night.

1 onion
2-3 carrots
3-4 garlic cloves
2 cups barley
1/2 cup rice
2 cups chicken stock/broth
3 cups water
2 cups chopped chicken
salt, pepper, dill
Parmesan for topping, optional

•  Preheat oven to 350.
• Saute onion, garlic, and carrot in a large pot over medium heat until onions are translucent.
• Add broth and water and bring to a boil
• Add chicken, barley, rice, and seasonings. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan. (Or combine in the pan.) Tightly cover with foil or lid. Bake at 350 for 1 hour (or longer), until barley and rice are cooked.
• Remove from oven and top with Parmesan. Return to oven to melt cheese, or not.

3. LOVE, love, love the things the 2 year old says. Today, "Mom. I love your baby." Yesterday: "Your baby has beautiful blue eyes. And green eyes."

4. Lunches that work for us right now: baked potatoes, broccoli-rice, pita pizzas, quesadillas, lentil stew, butternut noodles.

5. Our very dearest friends here are moving. The past weeks have been a mix of sadness and celebration with them. The Lord provides. . . it has been so sweet to have such an easy friendship and to share life with this like-minded family.

6. Are Magic Erasers toxic?! I was shocked to hear that they might be. We use these weekly to clean scuff marks and dirt and grime off the walls and doors and trim throughout the house. I say "we" loosely- this is a job given to the kids. Usually T (5) has this job. After reading this post, however, I am rethinking our use of Magic Erasers. I just ordered some Norwex products and included their "hand pads." Not yet willing to completely lay aside the idea of erasing some of our mess. . .

7. Having fun memorizing Romans with our kids and the community at Scripture Typer. Really a fun way to memorize!

8. We received a bed for Christmas. Love it! After 13 years without a headboard or bed frame, it feels so luxurious to sleep in our beautiful sleigh-type bed. Thankful for the wonderful, thoughtful gift!

9. Sleep! G has slept 7-8 hours for the past three nights! Not thinking it will continue, but so surprised and grateful for it.

10. We are listening to The Pineapple Story as we drive around (in our "new" van!). The kids and I are enjoying it immensely. Another great gift we received. . .

Apple Harvest

L helps stir and cook apples

Cooked apples coming through the Squeez-O

Wow! Look at that big belly! 36 weeks.

Washed apples.

Running the squeez-o on man power!

Feeding scraps to the cows.

It is not lost to me that the every day gifts are the sweetest. That we could go to the farm for a visit and have cousins tell us to "help ourselves" to the apples from their trees. So, we picked apples with Grandpa and nearly-relatives from the ground for the cows and filled boxes of apples from the tree for eating and making applesauce. Then Aunt brought down her Squeez-O for us to use and Grandma washed some jars from her basement. And even as the week's visit unraveled to the last days, L and I rolled up our sleeves and sliced apples and cooked apples and mashed them through the Squeez-O. Little boys woke from naps and joined us, cranking the handle hard and delighting at the juice squirting out through the sieve. It was cold enough to leave our two big pots of sauce on the porch overnight and then Grandma did most of the work of putting our applesauce into jars the next morning. We returned to VA with 10 quarts of farm applesauce. . . and it is truly delicious. The sauce is a beautiful blush pink from the mix of yellow and red apples and it is sweet and wonderful, without any sugar added at all. All of that effort, though. . . at least a full day of work for 10 quarts of applesauce. Our family could eat this in a few weeks! And it would only cost me $20 at the store.

Yet... it is good. It is good to work with my children. (1061)
It is good to use apples that have grown on trees without any help at all. (1062)
It is good to borrow from and give back to family. (1063)
It tastes like so many farm memories. (1064)
It is good to know where our food is coming from and what is in it. (1065)
There was good conversation with my daughter as we worked together. (1066)
It is good to taste the sweetness and see the beauty and give thanks. (1067)
It is good to give back. . . feeding cows the scraps and putting applesauce in the freezer, too. (1068)
"All hard work brings a profit." It is good that His word is always true, always trustworthy. (1069)
How good it was to be at the farm! (1070)

Overnight Soaked Pancakes

Family pancake in "jelly roll" size stone with sliced apples on top-

before baking.

Now that you know we've been soaking our grains, you won't be surprised to see ANOTHER soaked grain recipe.

In the past few years I've gone mainly to making one large family pancake for breakfast (jelly roll size) instead of many, smaller traditional pancakes. It has been much simpler and less time intensive. (See photo at right.)

Now, however, I've found a soaked pancake recipe that we really like. Even though it would work as a family pancake, too, I've been making lots (about 36) of pancakes in the morning. These seem easier because the batter is almost completely ready in the morning, which makes these simple and quick to pull together. The kids can actually add the ingredients and get them started while I attend to other things (always seems there is a lot to attend to in the morning!). OR, I can use the soaked recipe and still pour it into the pan to make ONE large pancake.

Here is the recipe I've been using, with the original amounts and then my larger batch amounts in parenthesis. You can see that I don't double everything; it works out for me. Use the original amounts for about twenty pancakes (I use about 1/3 cup of batter for each) or the amounts in parenthesis for about 36.

Soaked Pancakes

3 cups milk (4); I use at least 1 cup kefir or yogurt or add a few Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

3 cups of flour (4); I like freshly ground whole wheat. I have been using 2 cups wheat and 1 cup of rolled oats. (or 3 cups wheat and 1 oats for the large batch)

1 tsp. vanilla (2 tsp)

4 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted (5 Tbls.)

2 eggs (3)

4 tsp. baking powder (5)

1 tsp. baking soda (1 and 1/2)

1 tsp. salt

optional: freshly ground flax, cinnamon, nutmeg

1. In a large bowl combine the first 4 ingredients. Let sit overnight in a warm place (warmer than a counter in winter!) to reduce phytic acid and increase vitamin absorption.

2. In the morning, add the second set of ingredients. Bake on a hot griddle until golden brown, turning when the top bubbles. Makes about 24 good sized pancakes (in our house, this would mean LARGE. I think my big boys like to eat 10 of these apiece!). We serve pancakes with (pastured) butter and small plastic (medicine) cups of syrup. Each child has their own little cup, which holds a Tablespoon or two of syrup. They can use it as they will, but this keeps down the syrup consumption and saves us from passing the syrup around continually throughout breakfast. Yum!

Simple Honey Kettle Corn

Photo courtesy of sabrena deal

Sunday night is popcorn night at our house. The Lawyer prefers to use coconut oil and his electric popper and then to spice things up with seasonings. I prefer the air popper with just a smidge of coconut oil and pink salt. We also like to make special sauces. One favorite is kind of like Chex mix: melted butter, Worcestershire, onion and garlic salts, paprika, ground sage, and salt. Tonight, to the kids' delight, I made kettle corn with honey. Here is the very loose recipe:

Honey Kettle Corn
1/4 cup unpopped popcorn kernels (made about 10 or 12 cups of popcorn)
3 Tbl. butter, melted
3 Tbl. honey
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
1 tsp. sea salt

1. Pop corn using air popper (or preferred method)
2. Melt butter on the stovetop, adding honey to warm.
3. Stir vanilla and salt into melted honey butter. Drizzle over popcorn and serve. Yum!

Blueberry Story

We've been laying low for most of the past week. I suspect we picked up a virus at the pool and it has run through all of us as pink eye, coughs, runny noses, or other manifestations. I've been doing my best as family physician, using oils and homeopathy and extra JuicePlus+, giving lots of water and encouraging rest. .  . and we are just now emerging.

It is nearly the end of blueberry season here in VA. I had planned to pick berries again last week (as I realized we had already used up nearly HALF of what I had frozen a few weeks ago!), but delayed day after day, waiting for our health to return. Today was the first day I felt I could take everyone and not assume that all the berries would be contaminated with coughs, etc.

I had mildly great plans; told the kids that I was hoping for three buckets of berries. I would pick one and then the older four could team up and pick a bucket per pair. Then R decided he should read instead of pick, as he "was still sub par." And, as is always the case, M needed to use the restroom several times, which cut into our picking time. L and T were deep into some sort of pretend game with swords and castles and ate berries but didn't accumulate much.

After about an hour, O asked how much more we were going to pick.

"Let's aim for TWO buckets." I encouraged. I figured with his help the two of us could manage two buckets full. (At that point I had nearly filled my bucket but his was less than 1/4 full.)

About 20 minutes later I decided that everyone had about as much as we could take. . . and conceded that ONE full bucket of blueberries was sufficient for the day. I'd rather quit before things got dicey.

We returned home with one big bag of berries and I was thankful. We really do still need rest and that one activity was more than we've done in a week. Still, I harbored just a tinge of sadness that we may not be storing as many berries as I anticipate we need.

And then, God. Again. I'm so humbled.

Late this afternoon our landlord pulled up. The kids rushed to hug him and hear his news as it's been awhile since we've seen him. We all think he is great. Not only were we delighted by his visit... but he had just come from the very same berry farm and brought us a BAG of blueberries.

And I'm slow to recognize God sometimes. It wasn't until I was tucking the boys in tonight and praying with them that I realized the significance of this blueberry gift. Amazing how the Lord takes care of us. I'm continually amazed. Ann says that God has burning bushes everywhere. I pray for open eyes to see.