Thursday, May 19, 2016
Winner Winner Chicken....Salad.
I have found myself way too busy lately. Between running kids around, working late at a dentist office, trying to get my career as a wellness advocate moving and fighting autoimmune disease I feel like my days blur together and weeks pass and the next thing I know it has been six months since I have even attempted going for a run and oh guess what you gained the 5 pounds you had lost. Dang, it really is a constant struggle.
Realizing that the handle I had on my life is slipping, I once again have committed to grabbing the wheel a steering myself back on course. I recently picked up The Daniel Plan book and have been reading it on my lunch breaks. I am reading it slow and letting it all sink in as I marrinate in the reality of the truths that have slapped me in the face. While I take pretty good care of myself compared to many people out there; I have not been taking such great care of myself compared to what I know in my heart I am capable of. I value wellness over a skinny body, let's make that clear now. This is and isn't about the scale. This for me is about my energy level and managing pain. If I allow myself to slip into even moderatly bad habbits, even for a short time, my well being spirals out of control and I have intense pain that can have me in bed for days. I cannot even go there since I am, for the moment, my family's sole provider and money is tight.
Whole foods, single ingredient foods, nothing fake. Simple right? Well.....yes, and no.I have 3 kids for crying out loud! Kids are pros at complaining about healthy food. My 5 year old is probably the best eater out of all of them because my journey toward better health really began shortly after she was born. My 14 year old, I have begun to understand, will probably never fully accept that certain things are just off limits in this house. Sorry baby but food coloring and sugared crapola and white flour (wheat in general) really don't have a place in this house. I have slipped a little recently and we are all suffering so back to what is normal for us. Sigh....I really like chocolate.
As I begin to kick start any new program or implement a change in the way we eat. I let the fridge get just about empty. The kids start whining that there is nothing in there. Then I do a big shop and fill it with beautiful produce and some healthy meats and eggs and coconut milk and suddenly we settle in to our new normal. At least it seems that way for a moment but then the kids realize there is not much to just grab and eat unless they want a fruit or veggie. They are still learning to enjoy snacking on things that are good for their bodies and I am still learning that these ketchup addicts need something to dip their veggies or fruit in. We are works in progress. I have come up with a few recipes for some healthy dips for their fruit and veggies but I will share those another time.
In all the chaos that goes on in getting kids to school, packing lunches I had often turned to the old stand-by PB and J. I love a sugar sandwich as much as the next person but when you find yourself hungry less than an hour after you had your sandwich it should tell you a bit about your food choices. It is hard with kids to find something that packs nicely and is easy enough to throw together and you know they will eat it and be satisfied until their next meal. Same goes for me. If it turns brown forget it. My favorite sandwich is a chicken salad sandwich. YUM! I really don't eat bread anymore or if I do it is a very rare occasion. I have found that gluten is not my friend and when I have it my body does all kinds of horrible things. Soy does the same thing to me so many GF products are off limits. I have come to understand that if I didn't make it from scratch myself or if it has questionable ingredients I probably should just stay away from it. I find I am often stuck with salads where ever I go. This is fine for a while but eventually I get bored and fall off the wagon again.
What do you get when you cross chicken salad with actual salad? Lots of options if you are creative and creative I am. I have made a couple of pretty great chicken salads in the past and served them up in lettuce boats and all was well with that but I am a girl who enjoys options and a bit of change. So here are my two most recent creations. Hope you enjoy and feel free to ask questions.
Each recipe starts with 3 whole chicken breasts pan cooked in olive oil with salt and pepper then cooled and diced into small bite sized pieces.
Salad#1 Chicken and Avocado Salad:
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts cooked
2 avocados
1/2 fresh pineapple
5 green onions
1 large bell pepper
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 drop cilantro essential oil
3 drops lime essential oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Dice all ingredients into small pieces. Mix and store in a glass or metal bowl. You can use fresh cilantro or lime juice in place of essential oils but the oils (in my opinion) help the salad stay fresh longer and for whatever reason the avocados don't brown as quickly.
Serve: I like to serve mine over a bed of romaine lettuce but you could serve on any type of green salad or quinoa or eat it with veggie crips. If you eat chips or tortillas or bread I am sure it would be great served that way as well, haven't tried it myself.
Salad#2 Broccoli Chicken Salad:
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1/2 bellpepper
3 green onions
5 stalks of celery
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 large head of broccoli or the equivalent volume in bagged raw broccoli
fruit flavored vinegarette (I love pear) use about 1/3 cup and I add a drop of lemon essential oil
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Dice all ingredients into little bits and mix together in large bowl. Place in fridge and allow veggies to soften. You do not need much dressing and it may seem like it is not enough but the produce will release water and you will find yourself glad you didn't add more dressing.
Serve: Eat it like it is as a snack or simple lunch or enjoy over a bed of lettuce instead. You could also serve it in a tortilla which is something my kids really enjoy. If you do eat dairy it tastes really good with a little sharp cheddar on top.
I hope you enjoy these simple recipes. With a little of work ahead of time you can have some healthy meals to grab and go during your busy week. These salads should keep for several days in the fridge.
*As I was finishing writing this post my oldest came in having won in a logo design art contest. My 12 year old said "winner winner chicken dinner." Made me laugh. Love those girls, they are the best. I am a proud mama.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Home Made Body Butter/Help For Eczema
My youngest daughter has suffered from eczema since she was just under a year old. As she has gotten older it has gotten worse. I tried everything from the steroid creams to any lotion sold at the store that made claims to help eczema. The steroid creams helped a little but it is one of those thing I have concerns about using regularly. The lotions really never helped much at all and many of them burn so badly when you put them on eczema irritated skin.
I read labels all the time. I have this desire to know what is in everything and why. It is just one of my quirks. One thing I noticed was that many lotions (even those that claim to help with eczema) contain some type of alcohol. Now my understanding of alcohols are that they tend to DRY things. Why on this earth then would we put alcohol on dry and painfully irritated skin? To cause a continued need to use the product, or at least that is what I figured. I could be wrong but it makes a whole lot of sense to me.
I started searching the web for a recipe for a lotion that I could make at home. I wanted simple food grade ingredients that I could obtain without having to purchase online. I was never able to find a recipe that I was satisfied with. After a little playing around with some recipes I didn't like, I was able to take ingredients I did like and create my very own recipe that can be made in less than 20 minutes. You can also use it as a lip balm, feels so good on chapped lips.
I created a little tutorial, hopefully it will be easy to understand.
Ingredients: 2.5 ounces pure unrefined (or less refined)beeswax, 1 cup good quality coconut oil, 2 Tbsp. olive oil and essential oils of choice.
Supplies: glass jar or microwave safe measuring cup that will hold 2 cups of liquid, fork, small grater, measuring spoon, and measuring cup, small jars to hold finished product.
First grate beeswax into the large glass jar. If you only have a regular cheese grater it will work but it will take longer to melt the wax.
I read labels all the time. I have this desire to know what is in everything and why. It is just one of my quirks. One thing I noticed was that many lotions (even those that claim to help with eczema) contain some type of alcohol. Now my understanding of alcohols are that they tend to DRY things. Why on this earth then would we put alcohol on dry and painfully irritated skin? To cause a continued need to use the product, or at least that is what I figured. I could be wrong but it makes a whole lot of sense to me.
I started searching the web for a recipe for a lotion that I could make at home. I wanted simple food grade ingredients that I could obtain without having to purchase online. I was never able to find a recipe that I was satisfied with. After a little playing around with some recipes I didn't like, I was able to take ingredients I did like and create my very own recipe that can be made in less than 20 minutes. You can also use it as a lip balm, feels so good on chapped lips.
I created a little tutorial, hopefully it will be easy to understand.
Ingredients: 2.5 ounces pure unrefined (or less refined)beeswax, 1 cup good quality coconut oil, 2 Tbsp. olive oil and essential oils of choice.
Supplies: glass jar or microwave safe measuring cup that will hold 2 cups of liquid, fork, small grater, measuring spoon, and measuring cup, small jars to hold finished product.
Then measure out 1 cup of coconut oil and 2 Tbsp olive oil and add on top of the wax.
Melt in microwave for about 2 minutes or until the oil is melted, take out and stir with fork.
Return to microwave and melt completely.
This is when you add your essential oils if you want to use them.
The essential oils are really whatever you preference is. I have read that lavender is antibacterial and can be helpful with eczema to prevent (somewhat) the chance of developing an infection. Also I have read that sweet orange oil is also beneficial. I am not a fan of lavender but when orange is added it can be pretty tolerable. Sometimes you can find an oil that is already blended so you know what you will end up with.
Cool until the lotion is opaque and still somewhat pourable. (It can be cooled in the refrigerator but keep an eye on it so it doesn't get too hard. If it hardens you will have to re-melt it until it becomes pourable) Have your jars cleaned and ready.
One batch of this stuff will get us through the winter dryness. It keeps pretty well. If you live in a very warm climate this lotion may become liquid, not really a big deal, just pop it in the fridge before opening. Makes a great gift especially if you have a pretty jar to put it in.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Gluten Free No Bake Pumpkin Pie
As the season is turning to fall I find myself obsessing over pumpkin. I am pumpkin crazy.
Really. Pumpkin shakes, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, the list keeps going. It is beyond good....in my opinion. One of my all time favorites is a no bake pumpkin pie. I am not sure where I obtained the original recipe but I have made some tweaks and I figure it's good enough to call my own. You will need to find the recipe for my almond meal crust in order to make this pie. It is in one of my previous posts.
Here is the recipe for my pie filling:
1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
In sauce pan combine gelatin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir in condensed milk and beaten eggs. Mix well. Let stand for about a minute. Place on burner over low heat. Stir constantly for 10 minutes until all gelatin is dissolved and the mixture is thick. Remove from heat. Stir in pumpkin. Pour into almond meal crust. (you can use a prepared graham cracker crust if you prefer if you are not Gluten free)Chill for 3 hours or until set.
That is all there is to it. My favorite pumpkin recipe! Hope you enjoy it, I always get compliments when I serve this pie.
Really. Pumpkin shakes, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, the list keeps going. It is beyond good....in my opinion. One of my all time favorites is a no bake pumpkin pie. I am not sure where I obtained the original recipe but I have made some tweaks and I figure it's good enough to call my own. You will need to find the recipe for my almond meal crust in order to make this pie. It is in one of my previous posts.
Here is the recipe for my pie filling:
1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
In sauce pan combine gelatin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir in condensed milk and beaten eggs. Mix well. Let stand for about a minute. Place on burner over low heat. Stir constantly for 10 minutes until all gelatin is dissolved and the mixture is thick. Remove from heat. Stir in pumpkin. Pour into almond meal crust. (you can use a prepared graham cracker crust if you prefer if you are not Gluten free)Chill for 3 hours or until set.
That is all there is to it. My favorite pumpkin recipe! Hope you enjoy it, I always get compliments when I serve this pie.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Almond milk and Almond pulp pie crust
If there is one thing that really drives me nuts it is additives that are completely unnecessary. One additive that I have taken a recent grudge against is carrageenan. Carrageenan is an emulsifier. It is technically natural as it is derived from seaweed or a type of sea kelp (I can't remember which at the moment). It has no taste, no smell and no nutritional value. The only thing it does is keep products mixed. It has been linked to ulcerative colitis and connective tissue disorders among other things. You can do your own research on it if you really want to know more.
Carrageenan is found in many products people use daily. Yogurts, cocoa mix, salad dressings, juice drinks, pudding mix and almond or other nut milks are among the products I know for a fact often contain this additive. I have also seen in on the ingredient list in candy and fruit snacks. It's not something every brand uses so you really need to read the labels.
My kids and husband all have trouble with dairy so my girls have decided they would prefer not to drink milk except on a rare occasion. Joe on the other hand is harder to sell that idea to, he loves whole milk even though it doesn't love him back. The expense of almond milk in the store is horrible. Most brands have carrageenan in it as well. I refuse to go there.
I began making home made almond milk about a year ago. I heard it was easy to make at home and way cheaper. I looked up several recipes and decided on a method that worked best for me. I buy raw almonds at Costco where it has been the cheapest place to buy so far. I have also learned that it is pretty easy to make just about any nut milk you like using basicly the same method. As of right now I will not recommend making coconut milk. I tried and what I ended up with was bizarre. Maybe some day I will get there.
Almond milk recipe:
1 cup raw almonds
filtered water
1 pinch of sea salt
sweetener of your choice (sugar, stevia, coconut sugar, date sugar)
pure vanilla extract
*1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa power if making chocolate flavor
Supplies: Blender with large cup (not a bullet blender), Nut milk bag or fine cheese cloth, pitcher
Directions: Soak almonds overnight in a bowl with water covering the top of the almonds by about a half inch. Set in fridge overnight but not longer than a day. Drain soaking water from almonds. The soaking water is great for plants. Place almonds in blender and fill blender with filtered water. Place lid on blender and blend on highest speed for about 1 minute. Let pulp settle and then repeat the process several times until the pulp the settles looks very fine. At this point you have plain unsweetened almond milk that could be strained and used. I prefer the flavor of the vanilla almond milk. Before straining add each ingredient and pulse blender a couple of times. For vanilla: add 1-2 teaspoons to taste and add whatever sweetener you enjoy a little at a time so you don't over do it. My preference is the coconut sugar or the stevia. I once tried using honey and it was a disaster. Add about a pinch of sea salt of table salt. It improves the flavor but it also seems to help it last a bit longer in the fridge. If you like the chocolate I would go ahead and puree the mixture once more making sure cocoa powder is mixed well. Place nut milk bag over pitcher and strain contents of blender into the pitcher. When most of the liquid is drained gather the bag in your hands and squeeze the heck out of it until you can no longer get liquid from the pulp. Store for up to a week in fridge. You must stir or shake the nut milk before using as it does not have an emulsifier.
A nut milk bag is reusable and can be washed in the laundry. The pulp from the almond milk can be used in many recipes. There are several different ways of storing the leftover pulp if not using immediately. You can place un-dried pulp in a freezer bag, squeeze excess air and toss in the freezer until a later date, this is best used in quick breads and cookies. You can also dry on a cookie sheet on the lowest setting stirring occasionally. You must keep a close eye on it so as to not overcook it. I do not care for this method, it is far too time consuming. If you really want a dried pulp it could be done in a food dehydrator. I still prefer the freezer method.
My favorite thing to do with the almond milk is to make a pie crust. I do not have an exact recipe for this and may amend it later but for the moment here is my basic recipe.
Ingredients: Almond pulp from 1 batch of almond milk
About 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil (maybe more is your pulp is dry)
2 Tbsp of brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients directly in a pie pan using a whisk or fork. Press mixture into pan with fingers or the back of a spoon. Try and keep the thickness even on bottom as well as the edges. You can either toast the piecrust in the oven for a few minutes at about 350 or you can refrigerate it until it is firm. This crust is great for custard based pies. Leave out the sugar if you wish to use it as a quiche crust. As pumpkin season is nearly here I find myself looking forward to my no bake pumpkin pie for breakfast. I will be posting that recipe very soon. TTFN!!!!
Carrageenan is found in many products people use daily. Yogurts, cocoa mix, salad dressings, juice drinks, pudding mix and almond or other nut milks are among the products I know for a fact often contain this additive. I have also seen in on the ingredient list in candy and fruit snacks. It's not something every brand uses so you really need to read the labels.
My kids and husband all have trouble with dairy so my girls have decided they would prefer not to drink milk except on a rare occasion. Joe on the other hand is harder to sell that idea to, he loves whole milk even though it doesn't love him back. The expense of almond milk in the store is horrible. Most brands have carrageenan in it as well. I refuse to go there.
I began making home made almond milk about a year ago. I heard it was easy to make at home and way cheaper. I looked up several recipes and decided on a method that worked best for me. I buy raw almonds at Costco where it has been the cheapest place to buy so far. I have also learned that it is pretty easy to make just about any nut milk you like using basicly the same method. As of right now I will not recommend making coconut milk. I tried and what I ended up with was bizarre. Maybe some day I will get there.
Almond milk recipe:
1 cup raw almonds
filtered water
1 pinch of sea salt
sweetener of your choice (sugar, stevia, coconut sugar, date sugar)
pure vanilla extract
*1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa power if making chocolate flavor
Supplies: Blender with large cup (not a bullet blender), Nut milk bag or fine cheese cloth, pitcher
Directions: Soak almonds overnight in a bowl with water covering the top of the almonds by about a half inch. Set in fridge overnight but not longer than a day. Drain soaking water from almonds. The soaking water is great for plants. Place almonds in blender and fill blender with filtered water. Place lid on blender and blend on highest speed for about 1 minute. Let pulp settle and then repeat the process several times until the pulp the settles looks very fine. At this point you have plain unsweetened almond milk that could be strained and used. I prefer the flavor of the vanilla almond milk. Before straining add each ingredient and pulse blender a couple of times. For vanilla: add 1-2 teaspoons to taste and add whatever sweetener you enjoy a little at a time so you don't over do it. My preference is the coconut sugar or the stevia. I once tried using honey and it was a disaster. Add about a pinch of sea salt of table salt. It improves the flavor but it also seems to help it last a bit longer in the fridge. If you like the chocolate I would go ahead and puree the mixture once more making sure cocoa powder is mixed well. Place nut milk bag over pitcher and strain contents of blender into the pitcher. When most of the liquid is drained gather the bag in your hands and squeeze the heck out of it until you can no longer get liquid from the pulp. Store for up to a week in fridge. You must stir or shake the nut milk before using as it does not have an emulsifier.
A nut milk bag is reusable and can be washed in the laundry. The pulp from the almond milk can be used in many recipes. There are several different ways of storing the leftover pulp if not using immediately. You can place un-dried pulp in a freezer bag, squeeze excess air and toss in the freezer until a later date, this is best used in quick breads and cookies. You can also dry on a cookie sheet on the lowest setting stirring occasionally. You must keep a close eye on it so as to not overcook it. I do not care for this method, it is far too time consuming. If you really want a dried pulp it could be done in a food dehydrator. I still prefer the freezer method.
My favorite thing to do with the almond milk is to make a pie crust. I do not have an exact recipe for this and may amend it later but for the moment here is my basic recipe.
Ingredients: Almond pulp from 1 batch of almond milk
About 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil (maybe more is your pulp is dry)
2 Tbsp of brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients directly in a pie pan using a whisk or fork. Press mixture into pan with fingers or the back of a spoon. Try and keep the thickness even on bottom as well as the edges. You can either toast the piecrust in the oven for a few minutes at about 350 or you can refrigerate it until it is firm. This crust is great for custard based pies. Leave out the sugar if you wish to use it as a quiche crust. As pumpkin season is nearly here I find myself looking forward to my no bake pumpkin pie for breakfast. I will be posting that recipe very soon. TTFN!!!!
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Mayo That Actually Tastes GOOD?
I am always looking to try something new. I love making something I would otherwise buy at the store. I love reinventing a recipe to suit my needs. I love showing my kids where foods come from and having them participate in the process.
This spring we began our chicken adventure. I have wanted to raise chickens most of my adult life and finally after years of pestering my poor husband he gave in. He is very talented in building things. I asked for a little chicken "shack"of sorts. Nothing special just a shelter and fencing around the run to protect them from the bald eagles that fly over our house nearly every day. He built a chicken palace. The run is completely enclosed with bird netting and our girls are safe.
At first Joe was not in love with the chickens. He did not spend a lot of time out there with them and took the "yeah they're cute but someday they will be dinner so don't fall in love with them" attitude. One of our chickens was attacked by the others, hen pecked. In the attack she lost most of the skin on her head and neck. I was sad. I totally cried. Joe was angry with the other birds for hurting one of their own kind. I told him maybe we should put her out of her misery. I really didn't know what the right thing to do was. Joe insisted we give her a chance to recover. I was scared for her for a long time. We had to separate her from the others. I kept her in a make shift home under our apple tree. She seemed as if she wouldn't make it but I could tell she liked her home under the tree. She got well enough that she wanted to be near the others so I moved her home next to the run and she was happier. Recently we have been letting her roam the yard when we are out there and giving supervised time with a couple of the others at a time. Her head has healed almost entirely, she just needs to grow back her feathers. Soon she will need to go back in the coop with the others. Winter is just around the corner and she could potentially freeze. Joe goes out and sits with her and the rest of the chickens almost every day. They have become his peaceful time. He thanked me for pressing the issue because he has grown to love our urban farm.
Our girls give us 8 eggs most days! With an abundance of eggs we have been blessed to be able to share with friends. Providing for my family and sharing with those in need has always been my goal. When you have so many eggs you can be creative with what you use them for. I have never been much of a mayonnaise person. I find the smell repulsive and have even gagged at the taste. I have heard from people about how home made mayo is so delicious. I thought "yeah sure if you like that nasty stuff." I was thumbing through a recipe book that was given to me by a friend and in the very back was a recipe for mayo. It was a few simple (and cheap) ingredients. I figured I would give it a try since my hubby is a big mayo fan.
I checked out several recipes to compare ingredients and set out to make it. As always I change recipes so that they suit my needs. The results were delicious! Here is my final recipe:
Basic Mayo Ingredients:
1 whole egg
2 Tbsp lemon juice (you can use 1 tbsp. vinegar if you prefer)
1tsp mustard (the original said powder, I used regular mustard)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of cooking oil
Using a blender, I preferred my bullet type blender for this : Combine all ingredients (reserving 1/2 cup of oil) into the blender cup and turn on medium speed until ingredients are creamy looking. Add 1/4 cup of the remaining oil, blend for 30 seconds then add the remaining amount and blend until thick. That is it!
*variations: you can add herbs or spices or a sliver of onion to your mayo while blending and customize it to your tastes. Also, I noticed that they are selling sriracha flavored mayo in the store, go ahead and add sriracha to plain mayo and see what you think. You may just go head over heels.
This spring we began our chicken adventure. I have wanted to raise chickens most of my adult life and finally after years of pestering my poor husband he gave in. He is very talented in building things. I asked for a little chicken "shack"of sorts. Nothing special just a shelter and fencing around the run to protect them from the bald eagles that fly over our house nearly every day. He built a chicken palace. The run is completely enclosed with bird netting and our girls are safe.
At first Joe was not in love with the chickens. He did not spend a lot of time out there with them and took the "yeah they're cute but someday they will be dinner so don't fall in love with them" attitude. One of our chickens was attacked by the others, hen pecked. In the attack she lost most of the skin on her head and neck. I was sad. I totally cried. Joe was angry with the other birds for hurting one of their own kind. I told him maybe we should put her out of her misery. I really didn't know what the right thing to do was. Joe insisted we give her a chance to recover. I was scared for her for a long time. We had to separate her from the others. I kept her in a make shift home under our apple tree. She seemed as if she wouldn't make it but I could tell she liked her home under the tree. She got well enough that she wanted to be near the others so I moved her home next to the run and she was happier. Recently we have been letting her roam the yard when we are out there and giving supervised time with a couple of the others at a time. Her head has healed almost entirely, she just needs to grow back her feathers. Soon she will need to go back in the coop with the others. Winter is just around the corner and she could potentially freeze. Joe goes out and sits with her and the rest of the chickens almost every day. They have become his peaceful time. He thanked me for pressing the issue because he has grown to love our urban farm.
Our girls give us 8 eggs most days! With an abundance of eggs we have been blessed to be able to share with friends. Providing for my family and sharing with those in need has always been my goal. When you have so many eggs you can be creative with what you use them for. I have never been much of a mayonnaise person. I find the smell repulsive and have even gagged at the taste. I have heard from people about how home made mayo is so delicious. I thought "yeah sure if you like that nasty stuff." I was thumbing through a recipe book that was given to me by a friend and in the very back was a recipe for mayo. It was a few simple (and cheap) ingredients. I figured I would give it a try since my hubby is a big mayo fan.
I checked out several recipes to compare ingredients and set out to make it. As always I change recipes so that they suit my needs. The results were delicious! Here is my final recipe:
Basic Mayo Ingredients:
1 whole egg
2 Tbsp lemon juice (you can use 1 tbsp. vinegar if you prefer)
1tsp mustard (the original said powder, I used regular mustard)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of cooking oil
Using a blender, I preferred my bullet type blender for this : Combine all ingredients (reserving 1/2 cup of oil) into the blender cup and turn on medium speed until ingredients are creamy looking. Add 1/4 cup of the remaining oil, blend for 30 seconds then add the remaining amount and blend until thick. That is it!
*variations: you can add herbs or spices or a sliver of onion to your mayo while blending and customize it to your tastes. Also, I noticed that they are selling sriracha flavored mayo in the store, go ahead and add sriracha to plain mayo and see what you think. You may just go head over heels.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Macaroons for Kiersten
My middle daughter Kiersten recently had an awful stomach flu. She is a very thin little girl and when she doesn't eat much for a half a week it shows. I took her to the doctor and she was diagnosed with a typical stomach virus. That was good news. She was prescribed the typical BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) along with "let her drink Gatorade and sweetened tea". Well that was nothing new to me, standard good advice. Then the doctor surprised me. She said that she wasn't sure why but for some reason macaroons were found to help aid in relief of diarrhea. The key was to have "real macaroons with real coconut."
After we left the doctors office I headed to the store for some Gatorade and some macaroons. I was shocked at how much a smallish container of macaroons cost. $11, you have got to be kidding me!!!! I just couldn't do it. By reading the label I could tell they were loaded with garbage, super high in sugar and unpronounceable preservatives. I figured I could make them way cheaper and way better. I grabbed a bag of coconut and a case of Gatorade and went home. My entire purchase was less than $10.
A little digging and I rounded up 3 recipes for macaroons. Each was different in some way, one was for almond macaroons, one for chocolate macaroons and one for plain. The trouble with the last two was that they called for wheat flour. I do not eat wheat. It makes me extremely sick. I figured that by changing things a bit I could create tasty gluten free cookies. The recipe became a combination of the almond and the plain macaroon. The results were heavenly.
Here's my recipe:
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour
3 heaping cups of coconut
In a large bowl beat egg whites with and electric mixer until foamy; beat in salt, sugar, vanilla and flour. Add coconut and stir until combined.
Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a well greased cookie sheet (I used coconut oil) , spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the cookies are golden browned. Let cool a bit and then transfer to cooling rack.
The cookies were enjoyed by everyone, especially by my friend who has a profound hatred of coconut. These macaroons were said to be the best anyone of them had ever eaten. My daughter Kiersten does not like coconut in general but in desperation to feel better she nibbled a couple. She started feeling better after a couple of hours. Was it the macaroons? I have no idea for sure but she was feeling well enough to return several times to the kitchen to snag 2 or 3 each trip. I indulged her for the day happy to see her eating again.
So there you go Sara, my macaroon recipe. Happy baking!
After we left the doctors office I headed to the store for some Gatorade and some macaroons. I was shocked at how much a smallish container of macaroons cost. $11, you have got to be kidding me!!!! I just couldn't do it. By reading the label I could tell they were loaded with garbage, super high in sugar and unpronounceable preservatives. I figured I could make them way cheaper and way better. I grabbed a bag of coconut and a case of Gatorade and went home. My entire purchase was less than $10.
A little digging and I rounded up 3 recipes for macaroons. Each was different in some way, one was for almond macaroons, one for chocolate macaroons and one for plain. The trouble with the last two was that they called for wheat flour. I do not eat wheat. It makes me extremely sick. I figured that by changing things a bit I could create tasty gluten free cookies. The recipe became a combination of the almond and the plain macaroon. The results were heavenly.
Here's my recipe:
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour
3 heaping cups of coconut
In a large bowl beat egg whites with and electric mixer until foamy; beat in salt, sugar, vanilla and flour. Add coconut and stir until combined.
Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a well greased cookie sheet (I used coconut oil) , spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the cookies are golden browned. Let cool a bit and then transfer to cooling rack.
The cookies were enjoyed by everyone, especially by my friend who has a profound hatred of coconut. These macaroons were said to be the best anyone of them had ever eaten. My daughter Kiersten does not like coconut in general but in desperation to feel better she nibbled a couple. She started feeling better after a couple of hours. Was it the macaroons? I have no idea for sure but she was feeling well enough to return several times to the kitchen to snag 2 or 3 each trip. I indulged her for the day happy to see her eating again.
So there you go Sara, my macaroon recipe. Happy baking!
My Inspiration
Earlier this summer I met up for coffee with my dear friend Janessa. We hadn't seen each other in over a year. We had so much to talk about we were there for about 3 hours. She had moved out of the area to become a missionary and had so many exciting things to talk about. As usual we talked about just about any topic we could cram into our visit. One of the topics we discussed was nutrition on a budget. Being a missionary is not financially rewarding so making healthy food choices can be really challenging. I really identified with that situation because when I was just starting out with my little family we lived on ramen noodles, mac and cheese, hot dogs and even lunchmeat on a good month. I wish I knew then what I know now. There are so many more nutritious and budget friendly options out there.
After my 3rd daughter was born I decided to take charge of my health and my life. I was nearly 100 lbs over weight and miserable. I literally had to retrain my brain to think "am I hungry, thirsty or bored" every time I opened the fridge. I began eating healthier after my baby was diagnosed with a cows milk protein allergy. What that meant for me was no more dairy. Cows milk protein is passed through a woman's breast milk and goes to the baby. The first week I did okay, then my neighbor brought over a pizza for us. Totally a sweet thing to do! I had stir fry and cried. Ok, I was hormonal and I love stir fry but it was really hard to give up dairy. When I got on the scale the next week I had lost 5 lbs without trying! That gave me motivation to start paying more attention to what I was putting into my body. In about a year, between nursing a baby, watching what I ate and exercising on my gazelle I lost 60 lbs total from my post pregnancy weight.
It has been 4 years since my daughter was born and I have kept off all the weight I lost. I do keep fighting that last 5-10 lbs but for the most part I have been the same weight. I have been asked by many people about how I lost the weight and for recipes and how to get started. I am not a trained professional. I have no formal education in any of this stuff but I do read. I read everything from health magazines to books on how to heal your body nutritionally. I love that God made our bodies to be able to change, to be transformed. As a mother I have experienced having a baby, a whole other person grow from my body. I have given birth and then my body healed and became mostly normal again. I have been weak with illness and have built my immune system and body to be stronger and healthier. We were made to change.
My goal as of right now is to lead by example. I have 3 beautiful daughters whom I love more than life itself. My hope is that I can encourage not only my girls, friends and family to make healthy life choices but maybe many other people as well. All I have to offer is the knowledge I have gained through trial and error and lots of reading.
I dedicate this blog to my beloved friend Janessa and to my 3 beautiful girls. You are my inspiration for doing this in the first place. I love you guys.
After my 3rd daughter was born I decided to take charge of my health and my life. I was nearly 100 lbs over weight and miserable. I literally had to retrain my brain to think "am I hungry, thirsty or bored" every time I opened the fridge. I began eating healthier after my baby was diagnosed with a cows milk protein allergy. What that meant for me was no more dairy. Cows milk protein is passed through a woman's breast milk and goes to the baby. The first week I did okay, then my neighbor brought over a pizza for us. Totally a sweet thing to do! I had stir fry and cried. Ok, I was hormonal and I love stir fry but it was really hard to give up dairy. When I got on the scale the next week I had lost 5 lbs without trying! That gave me motivation to start paying more attention to what I was putting into my body. In about a year, between nursing a baby, watching what I ate and exercising on my gazelle I lost 60 lbs total from my post pregnancy weight.
It has been 4 years since my daughter was born and I have kept off all the weight I lost. I do keep fighting that last 5-10 lbs but for the most part I have been the same weight. I have been asked by many people about how I lost the weight and for recipes and how to get started. I am not a trained professional. I have no formal education in any of this stuff but I do read. I read everything from health magazines to books on how to heal your body nutritionally. I love that God made our bodies to be able to change, to be transformed. As a mother I have experienced having a baby, a whole other person grow from my body. I have given birth and then my body healed and became mostly normal again. I have been weak with illness and have built my immune system and body to be stronger and healthier. We were made to change.
My goal as of right now is to lead by example. I have 3 beautiful daughters whom I love more than life itself. My hope is that I can encourage not only my girls, friends and family to make healthy life choices but maybe many other people as well. All I have to offer is the knowledge I have gained through trial and error and lots of reading.
I dedicate this blog to my beloved friend Janessa and to my 3 beautiful girls. You are my inspiration for doing this in the first place. I love you guys.
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