Baked cod and 3 grain vegetable feta salad

Here's another post to prove I'm the worst food photographer ever.  This was our dinner tonight and it was quite delicious.  Or so I thought, and Kristian liked it as well.  I've really got to get better at taking the pictures because everytime I look at one, it is so unappealing.  It really was good.  I also served it with pita bread left over from last night.  
I used 3 cod filets and it was enough for my family.  More than enough if you ask the children. 


For the baked cod:
3 cod fillets (or white fish of choice)
 6 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 a lemon, juiced, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
 1 clove garlic, minced
sea salt and fresh black  pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a large baking pan with parchment paper and place fish on it.
In a medium bowl whisk together the butter, lemon, mustard, parsley, dill and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide the sauce between fish. top evenly
Bake for 15-16 minutes depending on the size of the fish, Then broil for 1-2 minutes or until top turns golden, checking every 20 seconds. Serve immediately with additional lemon.

Beware of overcooking.  Cod is very easy to overcook.  Probably any fish, but you know... be aware.

FOr the 3 grain salad:
http://naturallyella.com/2014/07/01/three-grain-grilled-vegetable-and-feta-salad/

For the grain salad, beware of overcooking the grains.  They will get mushy and that's not nearly as appetizing. 

The theme in this post seems to be don't overcook.  I totally overcooked everything in case you hadn't guessed.  Also, I went to 4 different stores today to find sorghum (which I had never before heard of but suddenly had to have).  I tried Winco, Trader Joe's (where my pronunciation was corrected.  It's Sore-gum, not sour-gum), Natural Grocers and finally found it at LifeSource where I pronounced it like a pro.  It was delicious.  The cook time on it is longer than the other grains, but it held it's shape and texture well and I liked it.  I will try it again in other things.  I don't know what, so don't ask me. 

I should have posted this as two separate posts because it's two different recipes.  Well, really a recipe and a link.  Anyway, I didn't, so...

These recipes can also be found on my healthy habits pinterest board. 

Creamy Tomato Soup

This has become a favorite in our house. I like it, because you blend it up at the end, so the kids dont know they are getting lots of good veggies in there. The hot soup plus some fresh baked bread and a salad was a perfect meal on our first chilly night. I think it would be a perfect base for the Three Cheese Tomato Soup that the soup cart on UOs campus sold, which, in case you don't know, is the most amazing soup on earth. I am now working dilligently to duplicate it but may need to wait for Danieele to be back on dairy so I have a secon set of taste buds on the project. Could Easily be made without the dairy, just would not be creamy :) 1 1/2 cup chopped carrotts 1 1/2 cup chopped celery 1-2 white onions (I really like onion so I use 2) 2 tbsp Olive oil 2-4 cloves of garlic (again depending on how much arlic you like) Cook this in a large stock pot until onion is traslucent and other veggies are aldente. Next Add: 3 cans diced tomatos with juice 1 Jar tomato juice (could substitue tomato paste and 2 C water) 4 cups of water or broth (if using water add 4 Bouillion cubes) I prefer Chicken 3 oz cream cheese 3 cups heavy cream Bring to a boil then let simmer for 20 minutes. Next blend it up. Pour and enjoy!

Spinach Tomato Orzo Pasta

I made this last night to go with our chicken. It was delightful. I used Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian for the dressing (it has no artificial gunk). This afternoon, I decided to try it with Quinoa for my lunch and after adding a bit of the dressing (say 2 tbsp?) to the quinoa after it was cooked I had a delicious one-pot lunch. http://cookingwithruthie.com/2013/08/16/spinach-tomato-orzo-pasta/

Oven baked chicken fajitas

A couple of weeks ago I asked my dear husband to get on pinterest and see if he couldn't find some wholesome dinner ideas he would be interested in eating.  He came up with some good stuff.  One of which was oven baked chicken fajitas.  It was incredibly easy and so yummy.  I'm just going to put a link here and it can also be found on my healthy habits pinterest board.  The only think I would recommend is to maybe drain the diced tomatoes some or all of the way so your fajitas aren't swimming. 

http://www.alexaeatsclean.com/2013/11/recipe-oven-baked-chicken-fajitas.html?m=1

Revised Honey Whole Wheat Bread

OK, I've been making this bread at least once a week for a while now.  It's become our staple bread.  I've made enough changes to the original recipe that I feel like I should repost a more accurate one.  Also, Genny made me.

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon yeast
2 cups warm water
1/3 cup honey
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt. 

Combine first three ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer; let sit for about five minutes or until frothy and bubbly. 

Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt. Mix until combined

Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until soft dough forms.  The dough should just barely pull away from sides and will be sticky.

Knead on low in stand mixer with dough hook attachment for 4 minutes. 

Cover and let rise until double in size, about one hour.  Punch down and knead by hand for a couple of minutes to work out the big pockets and give the dough some elasticity.  Shape into loaf and drop into greased loaf pan.  Let rise till double again (about half an hour).  Bake at 350 for about 38 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool in loaf pan on cooling rack about 10 minutes.  Remove from loaf pan and let cool completely (2-3 hours) before slicing. 

In my quest to have homemade bread that isn't crumbly and falls apart after it's cooled I've learned some things mostly from trial and error.  Don't let it cool completely in the loaf pan.  This can lead to some soggy crust.  Letting it cool completely before cutting into it ensures that the steam won't escape and dry out your loaf.  I've also noticed that if I slice the whole loaf up at once it isn't as crumbly either.  This has kept nicely on the counter top for up to a week.  I think that's the longest it's ever taken us to go through a whole loaf.  It would keep longer in the fridge obviously. 

This one is super simple and my whole family loves it.  The chickens, who will eat anything, do not like it.  I find this strange.  I wonder if it's the honey.  Do you think maybe chickens don't like the taste of honey?  I don't know, it's weird.  Seriously, those birds will eat almost anything. 

Good luck baking and post a comment if you have a question, or it's not turning out right for you and we'll figure it out. 

This week I'm trying out a Dave's Killer bread copycat recipe, though I will wait till it's perfected to post it, cause who wants to post twice?

quinoa stuffed squash

Today I was given these beautiful crookneck squash by my dear sister-in-law's grandmother.  They were the inspiration for dinner tonight (my children were not pleased).  Get ready people, you are in for a treat.  My first attempt to write my own recipe.

Things you will need (AKA stuff I had on hand):
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 bullion cube (I used chicken, but veggie would be good too)
3 crookneck squash (other squash would probably work fine too, though you'd need more than 3)
1 large onion
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup minced fresh basil (or other herbs of your choosing)
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast (or Parmesan if you prefer)
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 Italian vegetarian sausage links (or regular sausage or no sausage at all!)
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Bring 2 cups water and bullion to a boil, add quinoa, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes (or throw it all in the rice cooker, works like a charm).

While the quinoa is cooking, slice your squash in half and scrape out all the insides.  Give the seeds and stringy stuff to the chickens, or compost it, or whatever you like to do with that stuff.  Scrape out as much of the rest of the inside of the gourd as you can, reserving it to go back in the middle.  If it's excessively wet, set it on a paper towel to absorb some of that moisture. 

Set the shells of your beautiful squash plants face up on a baking sheet and drizzle them with oil and sprinkle them with a little sea salt, or kosher salt, or whatever kind of salt you have laying around. 

In a large saute pan, cook diced onion in a little olive oil over medium high heat for about  5 minutes or until it starts to brown.  While your onion is cooking dice up that scraped out squash into bite size pieces.  Take the casing off the sausage and chop it up as well. Add the squash and the tomatoes to the pan to cook with the onions.  Turn heat down to medium and cook five minutes more.  Please note that the sausage I used was vegetarian, if you are using regular sausage, make sure it is mostly cooked through. 

When your quinoa is done cooking add it to the saute pan with the nutritional yeast (or parmesan), fresh herbs and white wine vinegar.  Stir to combine.  Season to taste with salt (and anything else you might want to throw in there.  Heat through.  Scoop mixture into your hollowed out gourd shells.  Pile em high.  Mine looked like this.

I wish I had scraped those gourds a little more.  I ended up cutting out some of the squash after I cooked it to eat.  The outside was woody and not very chewable (which didn't stop me from trying to eat it), but the inside was delicious.  Also, I can't figure out how to rotate that picture. 

OK, cover those bad boys with foil and bake them for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and give em another 10 minutes in the oven. 

Here's my finish product.

Ooooh, yeeeah.  Scrumptious.
The hubs and all the kids except Solveig liked it.  The baby screamed through the whole meal, which I took to mean he really wanted some too.

whole wheat waffles and pancakes

I made these for breakfast yesterday and was pleasantly surprised.  I used whole wheat pastry flour for the first time.  Pastry flour is typically made from a softer variety of wheat.  It is more finely milled and has the added bonus of being lower in gluten.  I think the flavor of whole wheat flour can be pretty pronounced and not everyone enjoys it.  I found the pastry flour to have a much milder flavor, and thus it was not rejected out of hand by my children who grow somewhat pickier every day. Overall the waffles were a big hit.  We sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on them or topped them with strawberry jam.  They were also really good just plain.  They are pretty quick and easy to whip up and I think they will find a place in my breakfast rotation. 

Give 'em a go.  I think you will be surprised.

Here's a link, and as always the recipe can be found on my healthy habits pinterest board as well.

http://www.thenakedkitchen.com/whole-grain-waffles-and-pancakes/

 (Side note: I found my whole wheat pastry flour in the bulk foods bins at Winco)

honey whole wheat bread

I tried a new bread recipe yesterday.  I'm always on the lookout for good bread, but I haven't tried a new one in a while.  This one is a copycat of great Harvest's Honey Whole Wheat, which I love.  It turned out pretty good.  It was warm outside (and inside) yesterday and the dough rose too fast making my bread a little too crumbly, but still good.  I'm going to try it again today and use about half the yeast and let it rise longer if necessary.  I'll let you know how it goes. 

The recipe is on my healthy habits pinterest board, but here's a link.

http://www.eatcakefordinner.net/2012/02/great-harvest-honey-whole-wheat-bread.html

One of these days, time permitting I will write my own recipes.  I've got good stuff up here in my brain and I'm afraid it will all leak out before I can take the time to write it down. 

**UPDATE**
I made this one again yesterday.  I decreased the yeast from 1.5 Tablespoons to just one tablespoon.  It still rose a little too quickly leaving pockets larger than I would like in the middle of the loaf.  I think next time I try it, I will decrease it even more. 

Such good bread though.  My favorite thing is that I can knead it in the stand mixer.  I hate kneading bread by hand. 

real pitas stuffed with chicken avacado salad

I once again apologize for my less than appetizing photography.  It's just not my strong point. 

These  were so good.  I was so excited to make pita bread with flour after my gluten free attempt.  It went so well and I couldn't believe how easy it was.  Super easy.  I say that and then you will read my recipe and probably think it doesn't sound easy at all, but please try it.  It is really easy and they are so good.  I used whole wheat flour in these, though of course you could use white flour.  They are stuffed with a chicken avocado salad which was so fast and easy and also super good.  This will definitely become a regular.  I wish I had some alfalfa or lentil sprouts to shove in there for a little crunch.  Maybe some lettuce would have been good.

Experiment with these and let me know what you come up with and what you put in there.  I'm serious, make these, they are worth the effort. 

Both of these recipes can be found on my healthy habits pinterest board and I am going to attempt to attach a link as I have seen Genny do. 

avocado chicken salad - http://bakersblessings.blogspot.com/2013/07/avocado-chicken-salad-no-mayo.html

pita bread - http://bakersblessings.blogspot.com/2013/07/avocado-chicken-salad-no-mayo.html

there, I hope that works out for you.

Almond butter Protein Balls

I made these for the first time yesterday. I really liked them and so do the two younger girls. As I am not a huge meat eater I am always looking for good ways to get more protein into my diet. I would highly reccomend this recipe. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/85568461644685490/ I made a few changes, partially out of necessity and partially out of desire. Instead of doing all almond butter I substituted half with peanut butter. This was the necessity as I did not have ough almond butter The deired change came in the form of adding granola to the finished product. I really liked this because it added more texture. I think these will become a staple in our house.

You Are What You Eat

Overall I have been doing well following my clean diet. I have eliminated a lot of the sugar and nearly all the artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. I have been feeling pretty good, but did not actually take much notice of that until this past weekend. Zach and the girls went out of town Friday night so I treated myself to dinner at Panera. I had salad and soup-not bad. The next morning however, I decided to treat myself again, but this time I got hot chocolate and a croissant from Java Crew. I felt sick all morning. I have been used to things like steel cut oats, chia pudding, or in a rush a glass of milk for breakfast. Not sugar loaded drinks and baked treats! I did better the rest of the day. But then Sunday rolled around and I was not home. We visited friends and I gorged myself of pizza and birthday cake. When I got home, I was still hungry (I can't imagine why?!?) so I ate some m&m's. Yes, this was a day of one bad choice after another. When I woke up on Monday morning, I hurt all over. My lower back and legs were especially sore. My stomach hurt and I was cranky. My thoughts were completely disorganized, I had no patience and was just generally moody. I ate clean all day yesterday, hiked around silver falls and today feel about 100% better. It is sad that it took feeling awful to realize that I had been feeling good, but I was grateful for the eye opening experience.

gluten free pitas

I realize this recipe probably appeals to no one but myself, but as I'm chronicling my adventures into ingredient deprived food world, here it is anyway.  By the way, side note.  Depriving oneself of the bad stuff for long enough eventually makes the good stuff taste really good and the cravings for the not so good, lessen and eventually go away altogether (except chocolate, why won't that one go away?) 

Anyway, this recipe.  Let me tell you that originally my pitas were going to be much bigger and more delicious and I was going to stuff them with a chicken avocado salad I planned to make.  My pitas turned out considerably smaller than I thought they would (what?  I thought they would grow in the oven, it happens) and there just weren't enough to make for dinner.  So, I ended up stuffing them with the chipotle black bean hummus I made earlier this week and the lentil sprouts I've been sprouting all week.  My kids loved the pita bread itself and Laila ate two of them with hummus in them, but no one was brave enough to eat the sprouts, not even Kristian.  I loved the sprouts in there.  I thought they were so yummy.  The whole combination was a win win in my book.  My pitas didn't ever puff the way they should and I think my using home made unstrained almond milk was a little too heavy for them.   I used gluten free flour from trader Joe's.  If you are just using regular flour, you could omit the xanthan gum.  This recipe is also on my Healthy habits pinterest board.



Gluten-free Pita
MAKES 8 TO 10 PITAS, depending upon size
Ingredients
3 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour, divided
2 teaspoons xanthan gum (omit if using Better Batter all-purpose gluten-free flour)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons canola (or vegetable) oil, plus more
2 1/2 cups warm milk, about 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (low-fat is fine, non-fat is not)(nondairy is fine provided it has some fat)
Baking & Preparation Notes:
*Please pretty please read through the whole recipe before you begin. We’re all very excited, but we.must.remain.calm. Deep breath. Read on.
*These directions assume a stand mixer. If you do not have one do not despair. Use a large bowl and a spoon, and just do your best stand mixer impression. You can also use a food processor.
*You will need some sort of hole-y (not necessarily holy (but who am I to judge?), just with lots of holes) surface upon which to bake the pitas. You need lots of air circulating around them to get them to fill with steam. I use a pizza crisper. For pizza, I use a pizza stone, but it doesn’t work for pitas. It looks like this. Anything oven-safe up to about 500 degrees F that has lots of holes in it will do, though.
*You need a screaming hot oven. And NO PEEKING. It’s kinda like a souffle. It’s modest. No peekaboo. You’ll ruin everything.
*Here’s the biggest secret of all: You don’t need every single pita to puff all the way through. The essential feature is that the pita be cooked until a tiny bit crusty on the outside, and kinda fluffy on the inside. If you get that far, and it puffs on at least part, you can let the pita cool a bit, slice it in half through the center, and slide a knife (horizontally and with care) through the center to free the pocket. Free the pockets! Free all the pockets!
*Ideally, when shaping the dough, you’re going for a seamless, airless form. You have to squeeze out all the air pockets that were created by the yeast. It seems like madness, since you just let the dough rise. Seriously? Humor me on this. ;)
*No rolling pins allowed. Just alternating flour and oil, finger tips, and turn turn turn to every season turn turn turn. You’ll see.
1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place 3 cups of flour and the xanthan gum, along with the salt, and mix to combine well. Add the yeast and sugar, then the oil, mixing well to combine after each addition.
2. With the mixer on low speed, add the milk in a slow pour. The dough should begin to come together. Continue adding the milk until it’s all in there, baby.
3. Now comes the part where it would be super-helpful if I had a picture for you of the dough as it begins to take shape. But I don’t. And I feel real bad about that. So I’ll paint you a picture: Add enough additional flour so that the dough is thick and kinda creamy looking – not dry, and not really sticky, but tacky (not like it’s poorly dressed, but like if you touch it some of it sticks to your finger).
4. Dump the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turn it over a few times to coat with oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm, humid place for about an hour, or until nearly doubled in size.
5. Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 475 degrees F. Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface (if you have a silicone mat, this would be a great time to break it out). Divide the dough into 8 to 10 pieces, roll each in the flour on the mat, pick one to work with first, & let’s get the initiation over with, shall we?
6. For each ball of dough, begin to flatten it (& squeeze out the air) with the heel of your hand, staying away from the edges, taking care not to make it too thin and sprinkling flour on sticky spots. Using floured fingertips, press the dough toward the edges (without pressing down the edges). Keep the form relatively small, no more than about 6 inches. Rotate the round of dough on the floured surface, and flip it frequently. As the dough begins to resemble a round, continue pressing toward the edges with your fingertips, and press back toward the center of the round with the side of your other hand, rotating and flipping the dough as you go. If this sounds confusing, go back and read this paragraph again, keeping in mind that we’re trying to create a seamless piece of dough with integrated sides. If you have added too much flour at any point, drizzle in some canola (or vegetable) oil. And don’t be afraid to oil up a piece of dough and start again. It’s more forgiving than you think. If you see any concerning spots, try to seal them up with either flour or oil, depending upon what the issues seems to be.
7. Place only as many pita-to-be rounds on your pizza crisper as can fit without touching. Stepping lively, place the crisper in the preheated oven and shut the door right quick. Bake for between 5 and 8 minutes, taking care not to allow the pita to burn (it will be crunchy and very hard to work with). Watch in amazement.
Remember – if not every pita pops, don’t.worry.about.a.thing. Don’t get discouraged. If one pita doesn’t work, pull it out before it burns, call it Naan, and keep on keepin’ on.
Cut pitas in half, gently slice open the more reluctant ones,

Apple cinnamon quinoa bites

I finally made the apple cinnamon quinoa bites I've been trying to get around to all week.  They turned out pretty good.  You can definitely taste the quinoa, and it throws off the flavor a little bit, but I still enjoyed them.  The rest of my family, not so much.  I'm getting used to this reaction.  Soren said he liked them at first, then he ate another one and changed his mind.  Same with Laila.  Solveig said she liked them but didn't want one and Kristian said he could definitely taste the quinoa.  I think next time I make them (oh yes, I will make them again), I'm going to grate my apple up instead of chopping it.  Other than that, pretty delicious. 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 cup chopped apples (I used macintosh, but any type should work nicely)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large mixing bowl, add your cooked quinoa and quick oats. In a separate smaller mixing bowl, combine your cinnamon, nutmeg and sugars and then add the spice mixture to the quinoa and oats. Then add the maple syrup, apples and eggs and mix until just combined.

3) Spray your mini muffin pan (24 count) with non-stick cooking spray. Make sure to spray the top of the pan as well. The quinoa bites will overflow out of the cup a little bit, so you don't want the tops to stick.

4) Fill each muffin slot with 1 tablespoon of the mixture and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm!

Healthy Creamy Mexican Kale Salad

 

 

I made this salad tonight.  It was delightful.  I forgot to get a jalapeno, so it wasn't really spicy at all.  I was thinking you could also add the jalapeno to the dressing instead of chopped in the salad.  I can't really tell you what my family thought of it as we took it to burrito night and they all opted for burritos.  I also added some chopped chicken breast to make it more of a filling meal. 

 

I'd make it again.

 

The recipe is below, or also on my Healthy habits pinterest board.

 

 

Ingredients

Salad:
• 4 cups baby or full-grown kale (stalks removed & coarsely chopped), packed
• 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used my cooked beans)
• 1 cup corn (thaw if using frozen)
• 2 large bell peppers (any colour), finely chopped
• 1 + 1/2 large avocado, finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp jalapeño peppers, seeded & minced
Dressing:
• 1/2 large avocado
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 lime, juice of
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

 

Directions

1. Add Salad ingredients to a large bowl. In a food processor, blender or Magic Bullet, process Dressing ingredients until smooth. Pour over salad, toss and serve. P.S. You could prepare Salad and Dressing in advance and combine before serving. The Dressing does get brown a bit but once mixed with the Salad, it's not noticeable.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate tossed or separately for up to 24 hours.

rice crackers

I am not a brilliant food photographer.  I apologize.  I don't think I ever will be.  I just don't care that much.  If you see a photograph on this blog that looks well done, chances are I borrowed it. 

I decided I want to make rice crackers.  Right now I buy them at Costco and that's fine, but sometimes I run out and I know I won't be going to Costco for a while because one doesn't run into Costco real quick to grab something.  One spends hours and thousands of dollars on every trip to Costco.  Am I right? 

I digress, I decided to make rice crackers because....

I decided to make rice crackers, and it didn't go well.  This was my first attempt and I will try again, but I did almost break my teeth on these.  Please note that this will not stop me from eating them as they do have good flavor, it just makes them less than ideal.  I will try again. 

I would post this recipe, but I'm not going to.  I don't know what I did wrong.  I did make my own rice flour, maybe it wasn't a fine enough grain.  I used jasmine rice instead of Japanese rice, but why should that matter, they both start with "J".  Everything else I did just right.  They were beautiful, they looked so promising, then... 

My kids won't even try them, but Laila's napping.  Rest assured she will be breaking her tiny teeth on one of these as soon as she wakes up.  Try to stop her, it's not happening. 

I just wanted to share my failure and put it out there that if anyone has a great recipe or method for making rice crackers, I would love to have me some of that.

Sprouting Lentils

I've decided to give some sprouting a try.  I love sprouts but stopped buying them some time ago as they seem to have a propensity for foodborne bacteria.  I want to start adding them to my salads and wraps and sandwiches and...anything that you might like to have some sprouts in.  Alfalfa sprouts were the first thing to come to mind, and I did a little research.  It turns out you can sprout all sorts of things.  Who knew?  Many many people on the internet, but not me.   Anyway, as I didn't have any alfalfa seeds handy I decided to sprout some red lentils I bought a couple weeks ago for the lentil and sweet potato shepherds pie my family was so fond of (I jest, they hated it).  I'm also trying to sprout some yellow ones, but they seem unaware of it, as they are doing nothing.  In all my reading (20 minutes worth) everyone seemed to agree that you should soak your lentils first.  Many lentil bought specifically for the purpose of sprouting will tell you to soak your lentils in bleach water.  I plan on eating mine, so I decided a little vinegar water would do.  I soaked my lentils overnight, then drained them and put them in a jar the next morning.  Here's what they looked like.

It's got a teeny tiny little sprout on it.  Isn't it adorable?  So I soaked em, drained em and put them in a jar.  I topped the jar with a bit of old hosiery and a screwband.  In theory they can still breath because of the holes in the hosiery.  You can also use just a paper towel (I have old hosiery laying around, but no paper towels.  What are the odds?) and rubber band.  You just don't want any bugs flying in there, or other things... Place them out of direct sunlight in a not too warm place.

I put them on their side.  I was worried they would get too crowded in there. 
That was yesterday.  Here is today.
 Day 2

He's graduated from adorable to kinda creepy looking.  They are supposed to take 5-7 days to sprout to the point that you are going to want to eat them, though I'm told you can eat them at any point along the way. 

My jar of red lentils looks fuller today cause they are actually sprouting.  My jar of yellow lentils is mocking me.

Day 3

Alright, today I had to throw out my jar of yellow lentils.  It went from just mocking me to smelling funky and getting a slimy.  I think all of the yellow lentils were split and that was the problem.  I'm fine with that.  I think I was a little ambitious with 2 jars of lentil sprouts to start out.  I don't know how long they'll keep in the fridge. 

You can see the red lentils have made quite a bit of progress over the last 24 hours.  I'm hoping they will be ready to eat soon.  They look delicious.  As usual, I just rinsed them out and drained them today.  

Day 4

Today I was a little worried that my sprouts were getting slimy.  They smelled fine and they looked OK, but I thought I saw what could be a little slime in there.  I let them soak in a little vinegar water, but if the vinegar is going to inhibit the growth of bacteria will it also inhibit the growth of the sprout?  I don't know.  I only let them soak for a couple minutes then I stirred them out and rinsed them twice.  I hope I wasn't too vigorous with them.  I also ate one today.  I was surprised at just how good they were.  I'm making a creamy Mexican kale salad for dinner tonight and I think I might throw some in there.  They are really quite flavorful.  I need to start another jar. Seriously though, they are good.


Day 5

As you can see they are doing wonderfully.  I'm thinking about moving them to my fridge.  I'm not sure how long you are supposed to let them grow and I ate about 1/3 of the jar today.  So yummy.  I really want to try the alfalfa

Chipotle black bean hummus

I tried a new hummus recipe today.  I'm always trying new ones and hoping some day I will find the perfect hummus and that will be my go to from now to forever.  I have yet to find it, but that's OK because I like trying new ones.  Today's hummus was pretty good.  A word of advice, drain the chickpeas and the beans before putting them in.  Add liquid as needed. 

Chipotle Black Bean Hummus

Ingredients:

1 can Chickpeas

1 cup Black Beans

1 Tbsp Tahini

1 clove Garlic

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 tsp Harissa

Directions:

Add all ingredients in a blender and puree together until thick and creamy. Add drops of water to thin out, if necessary. Serve with pita chips and fresh cut veggies.

Steel cut oats.

I have fairly recently discovered steel cut oats.  They are a less processed form of oatmeal and thus take forever to cook.  They are so yummy and filling.  They have a chewy texture which really appeals to me.  My kids also really like them and Kristian doesn't mind them, but finds them a little too chewy.  They take a little over half an hour to cook on the stovetop.  This morning, I decided to make up batch to keep in the fridge, for a quick grab and go snack.  These are 2 pint jars (I think.  They are regular jam jars.  Half a quart.  Is that one pint?  No matter, you know what I mean) and a fairly large serving as they are super filling, but it didn't occur to me to maybe not fill them all the way until just right now.  Also, I will totally eat a full one (or more) in a sitting anyway.  I added some berries in there because everything is better with berries.  I plan to nuke em before eating them, or just have them cold.  I like them both ways, though I do prefer warm foods in the morning. 

Steel cut oats are available in the bulk foods bin at WINCO.  Also, Bob's Red Mill makes a quick cooking variety which only takes 5 minutes on the stovetop.  I haven't been able to find these, though admittedly I haven't looked very hard.  The ratio for cooking these is 4 parts water to one part oats.  Bring the water (and a little salt ) to a boil, add the oats and simmer for half an hour.  I like to stir in brown sugar, a little cinnamon and some vanilla.  Yummm.  I didn't put vanilla in this batch cause I spaced it. 

If you don't have 35 minutes in the morning to devote to your breakfast prep, you can also make them the night before by bringing the water (and a little salt) to a boil on the stovetop, add the oats, put the lid on and just let them sit overnight.  They will be fully cooked in the morning (in theory, I haven't actually tried this method).  Another way you could do it is to add all ingredients to the crockpot the night before and just turn it on "keep warm" and leave overnight and they will be ready (and warm) when you get up (again, in theory, I haven't tried this one either). 

Anyway you make them steel cut oats are a delicious and nutritious addition to the breakfast menu. 

Chia Pudding

We tried Danielle's Vanilla Chia Pudding this morning. I made it with almond milk and honey and it was amazing! I did two jars of the thinner consistency and one thicker, just to see the difference. I gave the girls the thicker jar and ended up thinning it out with some regular milk. We topped it with blueberries and it was a hit! I ate mine, just as it came from the jar and I loved it.I could not finish the whole thing it was so filling. Zach even reluctantly tried some and enjoyed it. He did not eat his jar, but said it is because he needs something solid first. So, maybe he was lying about liking it, but I am working on him! So Vanilla Chia Pudding will be on our breakfast list for a long time to come.

Vanilla Chia Pudding

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened (vanilla)
• 2 - 3 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 - 4 tbsp chia seeds*
• Nuts, berries, fruit, coconut flakes for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a Mason jar or any container with a tight lid (I prefer glass), give a good shake or stir and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. When ready to eat, stir and top with favourite toppings: nuts, berries, fruit, coconut flakes etc. Adjust the thickness of a pudding with extra milk if desired. Also the amount of sweetener is up to a personal taste.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Lemon, Peace & Calming, Thieves Essential Oils

On tuesday I finally received my much anticipated package  of Essential Oils.   The first thing I did was difuse some lemon oil, because that was the easiest and fasted to try first, and let's face it, my house could use some good smells.  It was great.  Like fresh squeezed lemons.

The second one I tried was on Wednesday, Peace & Calming.  Mom had watched the girls (with the exception of Madeline) and Harlie was clearly having a hard time when we got there and when we got back.  At dinner time  she was all over the place.  I applied a drop of the Peace & Calming to her wrist, rubbed them together and told her to inhale.  It isn't the best spelling oil, but IT WORKED!!!  Typically, when she's having a hard time anything you say or do goes right through her, you have to make sure she's looking you in the eye, and even then...  On this occasion, not only did she listen when asked to do something (like sit down, move out of the way, take your shoes off, pick up that basket, etc.) she did it instantly while also watching TV or talking to her sisters.  What?!?!  It was like...MAGIC!  Nay, A MIRACLE!!!

That evening I also  used it with Jacee who insisted it didn't work while she had instantly calmed down (also, she requested a "pink one").

Thursday evening, Harlie REQUESTED I put some on her wrist.  Also, she was having a tough time falling asleep so I diluted one drop of Peace & Calming with one drop Olive Oil and rubbed it on the bottom of her feet and the top of her shoulders.  She was asleep  within a half hour.

This evening  Issy came to me with a headache.  I put a drop of Thieves on her thumb and told her rub it on the roof of her mouth.  It has now been about 15 minutes.  When I went to check on her she said  it helped a little bit (eh...maybe).  I asked her where it hurt and she said the front of her head and down by her nose.  I think it might be closer to a sinus thing.  I'll give it a couple more minutes and possibly try something else.

I'm still pretty skeptical.  It's easy for me to use it on the kids, not so much myself, which I know is ridiculous!

Slowly but surely I'll ease into it.  This is my update for now.  I also spend a bit of time before even applying or using a new one because I feel like I have to research and make sure I'm using and applying it correctly.

Feel free at anytime to call and say you would like to try one.  I'm always up for more experiments.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

We tried this for breakfast this morning. It smells like fall which made me instantly happy. I love fall. And Pumpkin. Instead of topping with maple syrup, I just put a dash of maple extract to cut down on sugar content. I also excluded the egg this time, but may add it next. It seemed to be a hit. http://cleaneatingrecipebox.blogspot.com/2012/06/pumpkin-pie-oatmeal.html

One pan mexican quinoa

I made this for dinner tonight.  It's basically quinoa, tomatoes, corn, black beans, and some spices all thrown into a pan and cooked for 20 minutes with some veggie broth (I used water cause I didn't have any veggie broth).  It was super fast and easy and I'm on a quinoa kick.  After it's all done cooking you are supposed to mix in the juice of one lime a chopped avocado and some chopped cilantro.  I mixed in the lime juice, but decided to put the avocado and cilantro on top for the sake of presentation.  It tends to make a difference in terms of how my husband and children think of the food.  The kids were surprised to find they like it.  I was also surprised to find I like it, cause in the end it was just a big pan of mush and didn't look too appetizing.  The avocado and cilantro make a big difference. 

It was yummy, I will put it into my recipe box.  This is Kristian's.  It's still on the table cause he probably won't be home till 9:30ish.  I think it will be fine cold.  I never think to take a picture before I eat it, so his absence is the only reason there is a picture.  I'm trying to remember

Another reason I like this one is that I almost always have the ingredients for it laying around, so it's a good go to if I didn't plan anything. 

I was thinking this could also be a good one to make and freeze in individual portions to be thawed the night before for lunches.  Minus the avocado and cilantro of course.  You'd want to add those fresh.  it may also just turn into a pile of mush.  I don't know.

One Pan Mexican Quinoa

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Yield 4 servings

Wonderfully light, healthy and nutritious. And it's so easy to make - even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapenos, minced
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
• Serve immediately.

Grocery Shopping and Meal Planning

I am really excited that I went grocery shopping today. Note "went" and not "to go". It was horrible, but I now have all the stuff for this weeks meals and snacks. Breakfast: Vanilla Chia Pudding (newly discovered superfood) Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Lunch: Hummus with Popcorn and Veggies (Yes, I will eat this ALL week and LOVE it) Snacks: Protein Balls Chocolate Protein shake Dinners: SW Quinoa Salad BBQ Chicken with Avocado Salad Calzone (Trying veggie) Homemade Chili Eggs, bacon and hash browns Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Tomato, Basil Seashells with Grilled Chicken I am also going to shoot for 64 oz of water each day and to continue getting some form of mild exercise daily whether it be a walk or a bike ride.Happy Eating!

Chipotle chicken lettuce wraps.

I made chipotle chicken lettuce wraps for dinner tonight.  They were surprisingly quick and easy to make.  Partially because I made the chicken ahead of time, partially because they are just quick and easy to make.  They were delicious.  Kristian even loved them.  The recipe calls for 2-3 chipotle peppers and I just added once as I was planning on making the kids eat it.  It was still pretty spicy with just the one, so I ended up making something else for them, which was a good thing cause Kristian and I polished off all of it by ourselves and could have eaten more if there had been more.  It was super good.  Other than the pepper count, I didn't modify the recipe at all.  I forgot to add the green onions at the end even though I cut them up and set them out.  Oh well, it was amazing without them. 

This recipe comes highly recommended and it can be found on my healthy habits pinterest board.


Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
What it took for about 8 lettuce cups:
* 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 1 cup frozen corn
* 1 pound chicken breast
* 2 – 3 chipotle peppers (depending on your love of heat)
* 3 Tbs. adobo sauce (that comes from the jar)
* 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
* 1 lime
* 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
* 3 scallions, thinly sliced
* 1 head butter lettuce, rinsed and leaves separated
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Turn on the broiler. Arrange the corn on a rimmed baking sheet with a Tbs. of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Broil the corn for about 5 minutes, or until they start to slightly char and turn crispy. You can toss them a couple of times throughout. Set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear for 6 minutes on each side until cooked through and browned all over. Move to a cutting board and let sit for 5 minutes. Then dice the chicken.
In a food processor, combine the cilantro, lime juice, chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce. Process until smooth.
Add the chicken back to the pan, along with the chipotle sauce, freshly diced red bell pepper and roasted corn. Toss until combined.
Serve a couple of Tbs. (or more if you’re a freak like me) of the chicken mixture in each lettuce cup and garnish with scallions!

Blackberry crumble revisited

Tonight I made a blackberry crumble for Marky's birthday (and all the other July birthdays, but I made it because he doesn't care so much for cake) party tomorrow at North Fork.  The recipe for this little lady (yes she is a lady) can be found on my sweets and treats board on pinterest.  As is, I couldn't put it in healthy habits.

I staged it a little better than my last one.  See, I'm learning.  Anyway, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep Kristian out of it unless I made something else for him.  I have learned from past experience.  There is no stopping him.  I had used all my fresh blackberries, so I opened a can of peaches, drained it (mostly) and threw in some frozen blueberries (we also ate all the fresh blueberries).  The peaches were very sweet and so were the blueberries, so I skipped the sugar.  I did cut the peaches into more bite sized chunks.  Added a little vanilla to the mixture.  Than I put 1/3  cup old fashioned oats, 1/3 cup oat flour (just old fashioned oats taken for a spin in the blender), 1/4 cup brown sugar and a pinch of salt into the food processor.  Gave it a little pulse to mix then slowly added olive oil to the mix while pulsing in the food processor till the consistency looked right.  I would guess at probably 2 Tablespoons.  I have some single serving ramekins that are a miniature of the one pictured above.  I divided the fruit mix between two of those and topped with the topping, then popped it all in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes.  I  would advise putting them on a cookie sheet as they got a little rambunctious there in the end and started bubbling over the sides. 

 

They were delightful.  Kristian really loved them too, though he slightly ruined the nutritiousness of his by topping it with a hearty scoop (or three) of ice cream.  I won't say I didn't look on with envy.  All in all I would say this is breakfast worthy.  I don't know what I would call it.  Breakfast berry (or fruit) cobbler.  I was thinking that next time I would substitute some of the brown sugar for honey or agave, which would also cut back on how much olive oil I would need to moisten the topping, but may make it too gooey to spread evenly.  That will take some trial and error, I'll get back to you on that one.  Give this one a go.  If your making it for your family, use the blackberry crumble recipe and make the substitutions as you like.  You may not need to substitute the flour if you don't mind it in there, I just had to make it gluten free.  If you really wanted butter you could do half butter half olive oil.  The possibilities are endless.  Next time I get a fresh batch of berries, I'm making a full size one for breakfast.  It was fast and easy. 

 

P.S.  I've come to realize that I use parenthesis a lot (definitely more than the average person) in my writing.  They are so handy.

Seriously though people, make this one.  It's good. 

Blackberry Crumble

1 quart blackberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1/2 heaping cup oats

1/2 heaping cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mash slightly the blackberries, add the sugar and vanilla bean paste. Allow to mascerate while prepping the crumble topping.

In the bowl of a food processor (you can also do by hand), add oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add in 3/4 stick of butter cut into chunks and pulse food processor until small pea size crumbles form.

Butter a shallow baking dish. Add berries to the bottom and top with crumble topping. Add the remaining butter to the top cut into small chunks.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Topping will appear to still be loose, but it will firm up when cool.

Serve warm on it's own or with a scoop of ice cream.

quinoa salad with cilantro lime dressing

Tonight I made quinoa salad with a cilantro lime dressing.  I topped it with avocado, tomato and some chicken.  This is Kristian's plate.  Most of us did not have that much chicken.  It was super good.  I really loved it.  I've made this one before and you can do all sorts of add ins.  Corn would be good in here too, though, you know, very little nutritional value.  This is a protein packed meal with the quinoa, black beans, avocado and chicken pack a punch that doesn't feel super heavy when you eat it, but stays with you a long time. 

There's a trick to quinoa, I have learned.  If it is not well rinsed before you cook it, it will have a very bitter flavor.  I put mine in a bowl, fill it with water and rub it between my hands several times, drain and repeat.  If you wash it well, it will not have any bitter flavor at all.  The kids ate this one pretty well with minimal complaints, but the only meal they don't whine about is rice bowls, so....

Anyway, I can't find my original recipe.  I deleted it for some reason, but I posted a similar one on my healthy habits pinterest board.  This one is definitely a keeper. You could also just do the beans and quinoa ahead of time and add what you want later for a fast prep lunch.  Hey, I'm totally going to do that. 

Homemade granola bars

I made granola bars today.  I have pinned countless granola bar recipes and have bought ingredients for granola bars I don't know how many times and yet I have never actually followed through and made them.  Today I made them.  This is a vegan recipe so I could eat it too.  It calls for oil, I used olive oil.  I also subbed carob chips for the chocolate chips and forgot the vanilla.  I also added a TBSP or more of chia seeds and some chopped hazelnuts and subbed regular oats for quick oats for a chewier texture.  It's funny cause I would have said I followed the recipe pretty closely till I typed out all the changes I made and realized the only part of the recipe I followed was the hot ingredients... mostly.  The girls liked these (at least Laila did) and Soren said he liked them but only ate one bite of them, so I'm not sure he actually does.  I think they are pretty good.

I made the mistake of adding the carob chips before pouring the hot ingredients in, so they all melted and maybe compromised the integrity of the entire bar, they are a little crumbly.  I added more carob chips on top after I was done. 

You can't taste the chia seeds in there, but I think the carob chips may have been overkill for the kids, I kinda wish I had just done plain old chocolate chips.  You could do so many variations with the same basic recipe.  You could add some coconut, or raisins and cinnamon.  You could do craisins and sliced almonds.  Oh, the possibilities are endless.  I will make them again with some different variations for sure. 

Oh, peanut butter and chocolate chips, you could add some peanut butter.  Or do a savory sweet one with peanuts, almonds and some dried cranberries.  You get the idea. 

sweet potatoes stuffed with chipotle black bean and corn salad

Tonight I made this for dinner.  I subbed the sweet potatoes for regular potatoes as the sweet potatoes did not go over so well for dinner the other night.  As usual I loved it and everyone else tolerated it.  The kids ate it all, but needed a lot of encouragement.  Kristian ate it, but his pace indicated he didn't like it.  He suggested it would be better served cold as a potato salad of sorts.  I think that may be true, but also like it as it was.  The recipe for this one can be found on my Healthy Habits pinterest board. 

Note: The kids may have eaten this better if I left the dressing off theirs.

Ingredients

• 4 small sweet potatoes or yams, baked
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup corn*
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
For the Vinaigrette:
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. In a bowl, add the black beans, corn, onions, and cilantro. Stir to combine. In a smaller bowl, mix together the lime zest and juice, oil, honey, adobo, salt and pepper. Pour over the black bean mixture and toss to combine. Slice open the baked sweet potatoes. Stuff potatoes with the Chipotle Black Bean & Corn Salad. Serve.

Notes

*Fresh corn is best, but when out of season, frozen (thawed and cooked) or canned is fine. If using canned, be sure to rinse and drain thoroughly.

lentil and sweet potato shepherds pie

I made this for dinner tonight (the recipe can be found on my healthy habits pinterest board).  It didn't go over well.  It's pretty much what it sounds like.  A shepherds pie made with lentils (I did a combination of red, yellow, French green and regular green lentils, I don't recommend doing that as they all cook at a slightly different rate leaving you with some mushy lentils and some crunchy ones), tomatoes, basil, chopped spinach and topped with mashed sweet potatoes and baked.  I thought it was delicious.  Seriously, I loved it.  I was also starving.  Kristian felt it necessary to make a face with every bite he took, though he ate the whole thing and the kids ate it very reluctantly.  Not even Laila liked it.  A poor endorsement indeed.  I will probably not make this again, though I might consider portioning it and freezing it for lunches for me.  Oooo, I'll put that in the labels. 

kids lunches

I'm in the market for some fast and easy, but nutritional kids lunches.  Suggestions?

vanilla chai pudding

I tried a new food today.  I have heard of chai and haven't ever tried it.  I didn't really know what it was, didn't really care.  I found this recipe that was fast and easy and could be made the night before for a grab and go breakfast or a quick snack.  The main appeal to me at the time was that it was gluten, dairy, nut, chocolate, beef, egg and soy free.  Those are few and far between and that it looked fast and easy.  I did a little research on the thing, here's some interesting tidbits I found:

Unlike flax seed, chia seeds don’t need to be grinded to reap their health benefits.
Chia seeds have a nutritional resume that includes fiber, omega fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants and protein. They’re what you want if you’re stranded on a desert island, or hunkered down in the outback for an extended period of time.
Eaten raw or tossed into salads, yogurt, smoothies, omelets and baked goods, these tiny black and white seeds have a mild, nutty flavor.
They contain up to 25 percent omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA (alpha-linolenic acid.) Ounce for ounce, chia seeds have more of these fats than salmon. They’re one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 in any food. Chia also contains high amounts of omega-6.
These EFAs (essential fatty acids) build new cells and regulate various processes of the body. Chia seed is the ultimate brain food, giving new credibility to the “chia head.”
These little bitty seeds support heart health and feed the skin, hair and nails.
Just one ounce of seed contains approximately 4 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat (the good kind) and 11 grams of fiber. The seeds contains all 10 essential amino acids that are a must for your diet, so they're considered a top source of complete plant-based protein.
To avoid the “chia trot,” start out slowly when introducing this concentrated source of fiber.

And then there’s that weight-control bonus. When chia seeds are soaked, they can absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid. When ingested, chia seeds form a gel inside your stomach, which slows down sugar and carbohydrates, keeping electrolytes in balance and your belly satiated.
Trying to build muscle or conquer a triathlon? Chia to the rescue!

Interesting right.  Genny brought up the concern that chai tea is not word of wisdom approved.  I cannot find anything (in my limited research online) that says the same for the seeds.  I think we are a go. 

I made this simple concoction last night (the recipe can be found on my pinterest board "Healthy Habits) and stuck it in the fridge.  I went to pull it out this morning planning to take it with me for an after walk snack and inadvertently grabbed the jar of almond milk I made last night and looked at it and thought "this pudding didn't set up at all."  Read the label dummy, you label things for a reason, not as a hobby.  Anyway, I found it after lunch and gave it a go.  My first impression is that it's weird.  The texture is new and the taste is new.  My kids all had a few bites.  Laila loved it (no surprise there, the girl would eat pinecones if I let her), Solveig said she liked it after the first bite then changed to I kinda like it, I kinda don't.  Soren  took a bite, said it was good but that he didn't want to eat anymore.  I relate to Solveig.  It's new and going to take some getting used to, but I think I'm going to incorporate it.  I'm told you can purchase a big box at Costco for cheap (my source is a Ukrainian women whom I've never met before who's blog I happened to stumble across), so I'm going to look for it there.  I bought it in bulk at Winco yesterday (hidden in the jars of spices in case anyone goes looking) and it's a little pricey.

Has anyone else tried chai?  What is your experience?  Any recipes?  I'm you can also just throw a handful into a smoothie and can't taste it. 

P.S.  Jess, I'm coming for you.  You have to at least taste it.

Where Oh Where to Start

After three years of questions, I finally have an answer to why my body seemingly betrayed me after having Hannah. One week ago my doctor told me she thinks I have fibromyalgia. I have been living with the idea that it was an under active thyroid since my Doc suggested it around Hannah's first birthday. Many of the symptoms were there and when you hear hoofbeats, think horses. However after three years of testing and retesting and then doing a few more tests, my blood continued to say there was nothing wrong with me. So why did I hurt all over? Why could I not lose weight? Why was I suddenly suffering from depression? Why was I exhausted even after sleeping 10 hours at night? Why was my once incredible memory now barely able to remember where I left the keys? Why did I get blinding headaches that started halfway down my back? And on and on. Answer: Fibromyalgia. So what now? Education. What I know is only what I have witnessed watching my Grandma and cousin live with this illness. I have watched my grandma pace herself and care for herself and thus, be able to do nearly anything she wants. My cousin, has let her body dictate her life. I am going to be like my grandma I am naturally blessed with strength and a fairly high pain tolerance. These things will, I hope, help me tremendously. I also have the benefits of youth and time on my side. having a diagnosis does not change anything about how I feel today. I am no less able today than I was yesterday or last week before I had a name for my symptoms. What does change, is the future. And I am hoping to be able to make a strong foundation so as my body ages and symptoms worsen, I am in a better position to fight back. So far I am learning that eating and exercise are the most important tools to managing the symptoms. Thus, Healthy Habits. Like Danielle, I am going to start cutting out the bad stuff and stocking up on the good. getting the rest of my family on board is going to be a bit of a challenge but I am hoping that in time, everyone will feel the benefits and want to continue for their own sakes. I have been reading about many foods that have anti-inflamatory properties and I am going to start trying to include these in my daily meals. I am also going to try to walk each day and get into a good routine of exercise while the weather is accommodating. Come winter I will hopefully be in a good enough routine that I am able to battle the elements and continue on. If not, I have the treadmill and can walk in the comfort of the dry shop. So this is my starting point. I am really grateful to have my family behind me and look forward to seeing the changes that come into our lives.

First post - Meal planning

OK, I sat down today and made a meal plan.  It's taken me well over an hour and I'm going to catch some grief from my husband because all the meals I planned are vegan and gluten free.  I can see how that's not appealing at all and I that won't always be the case, but I'm so tired of cooking dinner that I can't eat, then trying to find something I can eat, failing and just ending up eating more hummus.  Do you have any idea how much hummus I consume?  Too much.  Anyway, I made a mealplan.  Here's what I got for dinners:

Lettuce wraps
Stuffed sweet potatoes
Quinoa salad with black beans, avocado and cilantro
Lentil and sweet potato shepherds pie
Mexican quinoa

Breakfasts:
vanilla chai pudding (I've never tried chai, but there's so much hype about it, I'm going to give it a try)
Pan seared oatmeal
cinnamon quinoa

Snacks:
Granola bars (I'm going to try introducing nuts this week and see how it goes)
roasted artichoke lemon hummus
chipotle hummus

I still really like hummus and it makes a great filling snack so I'm just going to try a couple different varieties.  There will also be plenty of fruits and veggies. 

I've had some preemptive talks with the kids about how we are going to start eating better.  Foods that are healthier for us that will make us stronger and faster and have more power.  Soren really likes the idea of being faster and more powerful, so I'm playing on that.  They really seem onboard and so far have been very good about it.  I'm surprised and pleased with their reaction.  We'll see how they react when I slap some lentil and sweet potatoes shepherds pie in front of them at the dinner table. 

I'm going to work on incorporating more whole grains into our diet as well, I'm just not sure how to do that yet.  I'm going to switch us from white rice to red, black, wild and if all else fails and I just can't put out the cash for the others, brown rice is still better than white.  I just bough a giant bag of jasmine rice, so we'll incorporate these things slowly.  I also saw a thing on pinterest quite a while back, I pinned it somewhere.  This lady would fill up her sink with water and vinegar (i'm not sure the ratio or type of vinegar, though it seems white or even apple cider would do well) and puts all her produce in there and soaks it for who knows how long.  It removes a lot of the pesticides and what not and the produce also keeps longer.  I would like to start doing that.  I also want to start grocery shopping weekly instead of every paycheck.  That's going to be hard since I'm terrible and making the money stretch and I hate grocery shopping, but I think meal planning at first is going to be easier to do for a weeks worth of meals rather than half a months.  Plus fresh ingredients and what not and I almost always run out of all produce other than carrots and apples after the first week. 

Oh, this is going to be a challenge. 

The other thing I want to do, maybe next week sometime is the weeks worth of lunches for the freezer.  I'll see what I can find for recipes and you should too.  Report back and we'll make a plan. 

What say you?