Doughnuts

On a very cold and snowy Saturday morning this past winter I made these doughnuts. They were so extremely delicious! I used my dough I told you about here. I can not tell you how easy they were. I just took out my dough from the fridge, rolled it out, cut it in circles as shown here, and cooked them! I dipped them in my homemade powdered sugar and melted carob. The sprinkles on the one doughnut are made from evaporated cane juice and are gluten free. I cooked them in coconut oil. For the complete directions go here. Have fun making your homemade healthy doughnuts, yummy!!

Fun Food Find Friday!!

These MultiGrain chips have to be my favorite! The flavor is amazing! And to top it off they are extremely good for you! They have flax, sunflower and sesame seeds, and quinoa in them to name a few of the not so many ingredients. They are a great substitute for chips in pretty much anything. In my home we love to make nachos with them. I'll post about them some other time, yummy!! They also have sweet potato chips, which are very good too.

I've found these at the Health Food stores, but they are extremely cheaper at Costco.

Strawberry Banana Buckwheat Pancakes

I love breakfast foods. Lately I have been experimenting with pancakes. These strawberry banana ones are so yummy! My kids and my husband loved them too. They are fat free and extremely healthy for you, and did I say yummy?! :] Hope you like them!

Strawberry Banana Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup spelt flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup strawberry puree (add 2 teaspoons evaporated cane juice if strawberries are a little tart)

1 1/2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/4 cup rice milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat griddle to 375*. Add all dry ingredients to a medium size bowl and mix well. Add all of wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Pour onto greased preheated griddle. Turn when bubbles begin to pop and edges begin to dry. Serve with syrup or top with pureed strawberries.

Wisdom Wednesday!!

In my home we drink Rice Milk. We don't drink Cow's Milk. When people find out that we drink Rice Milk two questions are asked; "Why do you drink Rice Milk and not Soy Milk?" and "What is wrong with Cow's milk?" Today I am going to talk about the first question. Next week I'll talk about the second. I feel that I need to address Rice Milk vs. Soy Milk first. Over the past two weeks I've talk to several people about Soy and Rice milk and I've found that people just don't know the differences and the problems that are there with both.

First I'll talk about Rice Milk. I've found that most people don't like rice milk because of it's flavor. I don't mind it. My children love it. I use it in baking, cooking, and not really for drinking, though I will allow my children to have a glass every once in a while. There really isn't much to rice milk. You can even make it at home pretty easily, so I've read. There isn't a lot of vitamins and nutrients so when it is made they fortify it, add vitamins and minerals to it. So if you do make it at home it won't have the extra nutrients in it. Also if you are switching from Cow's milk to Rice milk you need to make sure and change your diet too so you are still getting the calcium and vitamin D you need from other sources/foods. Especially when switching your children. I like the brand Rice Dream for a few of reasons, it is made with brown rice so it does have a little more nutrients than those made from white rice, I can buy it for half the price at Costco, and it is so much better for you than Soy milk.

And with that we can switch gears and talk about Soy milk.

I find more and more people are switching from Cow's milk to Soy milk. It's thicker and more creamy than Rice milk and some say it has a better flavor. It's a good thing that they are no longer drinking Cow's milk, but most people don't know enough about Soy to make a really informed decision about it. Hopefully I can help.

There are several problems with Soy milk. The first problem that I tell people about is the high amounts of estrogen that it contains. Actually in soy it is called 'isoflavones' which is a chemical similar to estrogen. There is so much of it in Soy milk that if a women consumed 2 glasses of Soy milk every day for 30 days it could alter her menstrual cycle! That to me is a ton! Research has suggested that isoflavones are linked to prevention of many cancers and heat disease and that is one reason why the media is telling everyone to drink lots of soy. But in my opinion the side affects out way the benefits. You can go here to see more studies done with this.

The soybean itself starts off with problems. It contains an anti-nutrient called "phytic acid". All beans have this but soybeans have a higher level and they are very resistant to phytic-reducing techniques. It is called the anti-nutrient because it blocks the absorption of some minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc. So right there are two reasons why you should especially not give Soy to children. But there is more. Soybeans contain enzyme inhibitors, Trypsin. They block the uptake of enzymes your body needs for protein digestion. The cooking process that they use for Soybeans does not deactivate these inhibitors which can lead to chronic deficiencies and low amino acid absorption. The list really does go on from here. Soybeans also contain "hemagglutinin" which is a clot promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Both Hemagglutinin and Trypsin are growth inhibitors. In a study on rats that were fed Soy containing these anti nutrients the rats did not grow normally. Now on the good side when they ferment the Soybean it does deactivate hemagglutinin and the enzyme inhibitors but the Soybean is not fermented before cooked when making Soy milk. Soy also contains "goitrogens" which is a substance that depresses thyroid function. Last week I talked about pesticides. Over 90% of soy is genetically modified and it has the highest percentages of pesticide contamination of any of the foods that we eat. There is more but I think you get the picture. You can do more research on your own if you would like to. Here is a list of some of the sites I've looked at.

www.healingcrow.com/soy/soy.html

www.coffeetea.about.com/od/health/a/soymilk.htm

www.answers.com/topic/soy-milk-1

www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/soy.htm

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Just looking at this picture, even if it's not the best-my camera is still in the shop, it makes my mouth water! This is a very simple but deliciously yummy recipe. When I make this not only do my kids love it but they get excited for the leftovers the next day. It also freezes very well. So most of the time I double the recipe and put half in the freezer for a quick meal on a busy day.

The original recipe comes from my mom's kitchen. I tell you she just gets better and better with her creations! I think this might be the first time that it is written down it any form. I hope you like it as much as we do!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 cup rice

1 14oz can chicken broth

1/3 cup water

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 10 oz cans green chile enchilada sauce

2 cans black beans, drained

2 lbs. Cheddar cheese, shredded

12 whole wheat or rice tortillas

Directions

Cook chicken in a little of the green chile enchilada sauce in sauce pan on stove until juices run clear. In separate sauce pan on stove mix rice, water, and chicken broth. Bring to boil. Turn temperature to low and simmer for 20 minutes. When Chicken is cooked, cube it.

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Spread green chile enchilada sauce in bottom of 9x13 inch pan, just enough to cover bottom.

To assemble: take one tortilla, spoon in rice, then spoon in some black beans (be careful not to put to much or you will not be able to roll tortilla), pour a little enchilada sauce on top, add some chicken, and top with a little cheese. Roll tortilla and place in pan. Continue the same technique with remaining tortillas or until pan is full. Use remaining enchilada sauce to cover each enchilada. Spread remaining cheese on top of sauce. Bake in oven until heated through, about 15-20 minutes.

Kid friendly version:

For my kids I don't put any sauce inside the enchiladas. It cuts down on the heat even if using a mild Enchilada sauce.

To freeze:

Use tinfoil 9x13 inch oven safe baking dish. Follow directions until the baking part. Spray the underside of tinfoil with nonstick cooking spray and cover. That way the cheese will not stick. Place in freezer. On cooking day remove from freezer and set on counter while oven preheats. Preheat oven to 300*F. Place covered Enchiladas in oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour turn oven temperature up to 375*F. When it is preheated uncover and continue baking for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

I had never had fruit salsa before. I had so many different fruits in my house and I thought that it sounded yummy. So I tried this recipe, with some changes, and it was so delicious! My kids couldn't stop eating it. And it just gets better each day, if it lasts.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Ingredients

Sauce:

2 apples, diced

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

2 kiwis, peeled and sliced

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

1/2 of a small container of blackberries

1 1/2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice

Juice from 1 key lime

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cinnamon tortilla chips:

1/2 cup melted butter (ICBINB spray)

6 10 inch whole wheat flour tortillas or rice flour tortillas

3 tablespoons evaporated cane juice

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Sauce:

In a medium blow, mix together apples, blackberries, kiwis, bananas, lime juice ,cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add strawberries and sprinkle evaporated cane juice on top. Mix well, being careful not to smash the blackberries. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes or until cinnamon chips are done. Stir before serving.

Cinnamon tortilla chips:

Preheat oven to 375*F. Mix evaporated cane juice and cinnamon in small bowl. Lightly spread a small amount of melted butter over tortillas. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture on top of butter. Place tortillas on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cut with a pizza cutter like you would cut pizza to make triangle shaped chips. Serve warm with chilled sauce and enjoy!!

Fun Food Find Friday!!

Today the fun find is Oogave. This is a great substitution for soft drinks! The taste is very yummy. They only have 5 ingredients and are caffeine free, except for the cola. The sweetener is agave nectar from the agave plant. Agave is a low glycemic index sweetener. So this treat is great for diabetics as well as the rest of us. My favorite flavors are the esteban's rootbeer, watermelon cream, and luck lime. There are others I just haven't tried them yet.

The only place I've found these is at the Health Food stores. If you see them somewhere else please let me know.

Hamp & Jean's Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is another amazing cookie recipe from my Grandma McArthur. I guess my Grandpa helped with these since his name appears in the title, but I'm not quite sure about that. Besides being very delicious, the dough of these cookies freezes very well. This picture was taken from frozen dough. I didn't let them warm up before I baked them. So that is why they look a little on the square side. What can I say I needed a cookie fix and I needed it right now!

Hamp & Jean's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

3 eggs

3/4 cup evaporated cane juice

3/4 cup organic brown sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil, solid form

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 package carob chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*F. Cream eggs, evaporated cane juice, organic brown sugar, and coconut oil together. Add salt, baking powder, vanilla and 1 cup flour. Stir in 1-2 cups more flour until dough is still wet but not sticky. Thoroughly mix in carob chips. Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Low Gluten version

Change: whole wheat flour to Low Gluten Flour mix.

Add: 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon guar gum or xanthan gum

Make sure to cool in fridge before baking.

Wisdom Wednesday!!

Pesticides

A couple of weeks ago I posted about the foods that you should be eating that are organic. I was going to leave it at that but the past few days there has been a study released that says Pesticides May Trigger ADHD. It's all over the news, radio, and Internet. The study was conducted on children ranging from age 5 to 18. They found, in urine samples, amounts of the pesticide Organophosphate. "Organophosphates are 'designed' to have toxic affects on the nervous system, says lead author of the study, Maryse Bouchard, PH.D., a researcher in the department of environmental and occupational heath at the University of Montreal. That's how they kill pests." quotes CNN health.

In the study there were several children that had higher amounts of the pesticides in their urine who also had ADHD and were taking medication for it. To me this makes since. If you are putting a chemical on our food that is supposed have toxic affects on the nervous system of the pests, then why wouldn't it have an affect on us too? It is just crazy that they are still allowing so much of the organophosphate residue on the food that they are selling to us. Click here and here for two more sources that talk more about the study.

Remember, like I said in my other post, if you can not afford to buy organic at least wash your fruit and vegetables in water with the essential oil Lemon to help completely clean it.

Another thing you can do for your own home is use organic products. Something that is good for you, for the environment, and will still get rid of the bugs. The product that I use at my house is FulvicBloom. It adds back the nutrients that are lacking in our soils today. It helps the plants be healthy enough to repeal the bugs and diseases on their own. Just like we try to do with our own bodies by eating healthy foods so we have a healthy immune system so we won't get sick.

It has been amazing! I spray it on my three fruit trees, on my lawn, and use it in my garden too. When I spray it on my lawn I don't have to make my kids leave or not allow them to play on it the rest of the day. Because it's an all natural product, they get right back to playing on it when I'm finished spraying.

Last year I did some testing with it in my garden. The nutrient value, measured using a refractometer, in my peas that I treated with FulvicBloom was significantly higher than those peas that were not treated. My dad and I are doing more testing with the product in our gardens this year. Go check them out here. The more people who know about the other natural products that are out there the better. Then maybe something will be done with the commercially grown foods.

Calzones

Oh how I love Calzones! And now they are easier than ever with your Artisan bread dough from the fridge! You really can make them in no time at all because the dough is already to go, no first raising. I will give you a different dough recipe that I grew up on from my mother's cook book of course, and her filling, both of which are so delicious. The ones I made are from the Artisan bread dough you see in the picture.

Calzones

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450*F with pizza stone and pan. Take your dough out of the fridge. With floured hands and a pre-floured surface take a golf ball size of the dough and roll out in a circle. If your dough is the low gluten dough you will need to make sure there is plenty of LG flour under the dough so it doesn't stick to your counter top/surface. Once the circle is rolled out place a scoop of cheese filling (see recipe below) just off of center. Fold over to make a half circle. Take a fork and slightly push the edges together. Place on pizza stone in oven, pour 1 cup hot water in pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes. You will need to add a little water each time. Serve with Spaghetti sauce for dipping and enjoy!

Regular Dough

1/4 cup yeast

9 cups flour

1 qt. warm water

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375* F.Mix all ingredients together to form soft dough. Let raise. Roll to 1/4" thick and 5" circles. Place scoop of cheese filling just off of center. Fold over to make half circle. Seal edges. Do not let raise a second time. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Cheese filling:

2 pounds Mozzarella cheese or Cheddar cheese, shredded

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon onion flakes

Directions

Beat eggs, then added spices and beat well. Combine with cheese.

Other fillings:

Calzones may also be filled with shredded mild cheese, ham, and a little of the spaghetti sauce. Also cooked chicken and BBQ sauce with a little cheese. Ham and pineapple with cheese and spaghetti sauce. The possibilities are endless!!

Garden Vegetable Casserole

With summer here I just can't get enough of the amazing vegetables that are coming into season. This recipe really calls for the vegetables from your garden in the fall. But I couldn't help but make it at the beginning of the summer. :] I got the original recipe last year and I can't find it anywhere. I thought I got it off Studio 5 on ksl.com. But I can't find it there. Just know that I didn't make it all up on my own, just changed it a little here and there.

Garden Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup chopped zucchini

1/3 cup whole kernel corn or chopped crookneck squash

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup diced Roma tomatoes

1 cup whole wheat pancake mix

1/2 cup rice milk

4 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400*F. Spray 8x8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese into dish covering bottom. Top with zucchini, corn or squash, tomato and onion. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. In a separate bowl, combine pancake mix, rice milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Pour batter over vegetables. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

For Low Gluten

only change out flour to:

1 1/4 cup LG flour mix

and add:

1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum

everything else is the same

Fun Food Find Friday!!

The food find today are Clif kid organic Z Bars. I was amazed at the flavor of these bars! They are so incredible! Even the chocolate is organic so it's great to eat. The sweetener is evaporated cane juice, they are basically gluten free (may contain traces of wheat), and low fat so I can eat them too! The chocolate brownie really does taste like a brownie! These are great replacements for candy bars or brownies. I put them in my purse, 72 hour kits, and in our car kit. The only problem is trying to keep the kids away from them to get them to last longer. :]

The cheapest place to buy these is at Costco, though you can find them at the Health Food stores too. I haven't looked for these at the Grocery store so if you see them there let me know.

Low Gluten Crusty Boule

I love this bread! It comes from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes A Day. It's the second book that was written. The first is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. If you haven't looked through these books, DO! The concept is amazing! I love mixing it up one day, sticking it in the fridge, and whenever I need to make something there is homemade dough ready to go! If you don't have the flours to make it or don't need to make it gluten free, they have wonderful recipes for whole wheat and white flour breads on their web site. Or you can buy their book or check it out from the library. I would do the library thing and if you like it that much you can buy it. :]

I did make their recipe once exactly how they said to. But you know me, I had to make some changes. The flours that they used didn't have a ton of flavor. I even took both mine and theirs to two different homes and most everyone like it with my changes a little better. It was too wet. I don't like to eat a lot of yeast, it's not that good for you. Just some things like that that I had to experiment with. I'm not going to give you the whole recipe. You really need to go here for that. I will however tell you what I changed. Then in later posts I'll share what I've done or used the dough for. Oh so yummy! Happy Eating!

Low Gluten Crusty Boule

My changes:

Flour: 6 cups LG flour mix

1/2 cup Sorghum flour

Substituted: 1/3 cup coconut oil

used honey, not sugar

Used only: 2 1/3 cups lukewarm water

1 tablespoon yeast (need longer rising time because of this)

Added: 1 1/2 teaspoon GF dough enhancer

After that just follow their directions and you're ready to go! If you have any questions just let me know. I have not tried their breads that are not gluten free, but my mother and sister-in-law use them all the time.

Wisdom Wednesday!!

Water!

Today our topic is water and the importance of it. Did you know the human body is composed of 70% of water? The brain alone is 85% water and bones are 10-15% water. The body uses water for almost everything. Besides the obvious of sweating and going to the bathroom, water is responsible for, digestion, absorption, circulation, and one of the most important...the transportation of nutrients thought out the body. Without water your organs and cells wouldn't get the nutrients and oxygen they need. Which is why people can survive 30 to 40 days without food, but couldn't after three to five days without water. Because of waste out of the body, sweating, and even breathing, where water is eliminated, it is very important to replace that water by drinking it. Here is a list of some of the things that can happen if you don't have enough water in your body.
Dehydration

Blood pressure falls

blood clots may form

dry skin

headaches
excess body fat
poor muscle tone
digestive problems
poor functioning of many organs including the brain
joint and muscle soreness
dizziness
water retention
Some problems can be solved simply by drinking a glass of water. Such as bowl and bladder problems and headaches. Also anxiety attacks, food intolerances, heartburn, muscle pains, colitis pain, hot flashes, and many other discomforts and disorders. Water flushes out toxins in the body. If you don't have enough water then the toxins can build up causing kidney and other problems in your body. Drinking enough water can actually slow the aging process, improve or prevent arthritis, kidney stones, constipation, obesity, cataracts, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and many other diseases. You should consume at least 10 full 8oz glasses of water a day (80 oz). If you are active then you should consume more.

Water is a very important part of your health. It isn't expensive. The hardest thing is remembering to drink water even when you are not thirsty. If you're having a hard time try using a large water bottle and then counting how many times you have to drink the whole bottle a day. For example I have a water bottle that is 30 oz, so I know that I have to drink and refill it at least 3 times a day to get all of the water my body needs. I've also heard that you can fill glasses of water and put them around the house. Every time you come to a glass, you can't pass it until you drink half or all of the water. What ever way to use to help you remember to drink, the most important thing is you keep track of your water. If you do, I promise you will feel better. You'll have more energy and you'll be more healthy. Happy Drinking!!

sources: prescription for nutritional healing 4th edition by Phyllis A. Blach, CNC, hubpages.com/hub/importance-of-water-in-the-body, chemcraft.net/wbody.html

Low Gluten Butterscotch Banana Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are sinfully yummy and very addicting without the sin because they are also healthy! The original recipe comes from my Grandma McArthur. She had a handful of truly amazing recipes. This one was by far one of my favorites and now with my changes I think they're even better! They do have the butterscotch chips in them so that makes them a little less healthy than I like. But butterscotch is my favorite so I had to leave a little in them. :]

Jean's (Gluten Free) Butterscotch Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups Low gluten flour mix

1/ 1/4 cup evaporated cane juice

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup solid coconut oil

2 eggs

2 cups mashed bananas

3 cups oats

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Cream evaporated cane juice, eggs, and coconut oil. Make sure to scrap sides and bottom of bowl. Add bananas and mix well. Add remaining ingredients except for the chips. When mixed well, stir in chips. Chill in fridge for 5 minutes. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto greased cookie sheet. Then bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are set in the middle. Cool on cooling rack.

Whole Wheat Butterscotch Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Here is the whole wheat version:

Ingredients
2 2/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup evaporated cane juice
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup solid coconut oil
2 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
3 cups oats
3/4 cups butterscotch chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 375*F.
Cream evaporated cane juice, eggs and coconut oil. Make sure to scrap the sides of the bowl. Add bananas. Mix in remaining ingredients except for the chips. When mixed well, stir in chips. Spoon onto greased cookies sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cooling rack. Enjoy!

Texas BBQ Chicken

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. When I get in a rut that is one of the websites that I like to browse though to find something different and new for my family to try. I like to mix it up some times. I really loved this recipe, after my changes of course. I will have to say that I am trying to use more of the hot spices. My husband loves hot food, and I don't. He even has his own section in our spice cupboard. Lately I'm finding my self going to his section. As long as I don't add too much it's really turning out great. Now... there are some that I just can't get myself to try. What can I say I'm a work in progress!

Texas BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 tablespoons organic brown sugar

1/2 tablespoon ground paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon dry ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 cup distilled white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 8oz can tomato sauce (salt added)

1/4 cup ketchup

1/8 cup water

2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*F. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a 9"x13" baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients for sauce. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts. Bake uncovered, for 35 minutes. Remove chicken breast, shred with a fork, and return to the sauce and stir. Bake for an additional 10 minutes so the chicken can soak up more flavor. Serve over rice, baked potato, or in bun for sandwiches (my husband really liked it in a sandwich).

Fun Food Find Friday!!

My Food Find today are Crisps. These are wonderful freeze dried fruits! And yes that is all that is in these, 100% freeze dried fruit. My kids and I love them. The flavors are great, even the banana, I don't usually like freeze dried banana's! My favorite are the pears. I just love pears and these freeze dried ones are great! These are a great chip subsitute for school lunches. I also keep them in my car kit for snacking.

You can find these at the Health Food Stores, and at Costco. They are much cheaper at Costco.

Pop-Up Pancakes

Pop-up Pancakes was a family favorite when I was growing up. My dad didn't like them so when ever he went out of town that is what we had. It was the only thing good about him leaving. :] When I went to collage I learned that they are really called German Pancakes. I just love that my mom made everything fun for us when I was little. I still have a hard time calling them German Pancakes, after all they do pop-up!

This is what they look like right when you take them out of the oven.

Then when you cut and serve them they fall like this. It's nothing you did, it's just how they work. :] Don't they look yummy?!
Pop-up Pancakes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter (ICBINB spray)

6 eggs

1 cup rice milk

1 cup whole wheat flour or Low Gluten mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 400*F. Melt butter. Pour half of butter into 9"x13" baking pan. Using your washed hands, spread butter over bottom and sides of pan. This works better than cooking spray. In a separate bowl beat eggs well. Then add four and mix well with. If you don't do this before adding the other ingredients it will not mix well! Add the remaining ingredients including the second half of the butter and mix well. Pour into the greased baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Wisdom Wednesday!!

Organic Foods: Fruits and Vegetables

To some it is a new concept. I know a lot of people look at that and wonder why organic? What is so bad about conventional fruits and veggies?And then there is the money issue. It sure doesn't make it any easier that organic foods are more expensive. Believe me I know, I buy some things organic and somethings I don't. To help me explain this a little more I want to share with you an article I came across a few weeks ago. It is by Dan Shapley entitled "The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue." I really liked his article so I am going to share some of it with you today for our wisdom to help me answer these questions.

The biggest reason to buy organic is the pesticide residue that is left on the fruits and vegetables even after they are washed. What's that, you might ask? Even if I wash my food there might still be pesticide residue on them? The answer is yes! So how can we keep that from happening? In his article Dan states, "You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by as much as 80% if you avoid the most contaminated foods in the grocery store." I know as well as anyone how tough the times are now and people don't have a lot of extra money. Especially when it comes to buying groceries. Everyone is trying to save money anywhere they can. So the idea that you can live a more healthy life by only buying some things organic sounds pretty good to me. That way you're not spending all of your money and you are able to keep your family safe too. Here is the list Dan uses for the most dangerous foods. The foods that we really need to be buying organic. If you read Dan's article he goes into detail on why these fruits and vegetables need to be bought organic and not conventional.

1. Celery

2.Peaches

3. Strawberries

4. Apples

5. Blueberries

6. Nectarines

7. Bell peppers

8. Spinach

9. Kale

10. Cherries

11.Potatoes

12. Grapes

When I first read Dan's article I couldn't believe the findings! It really is scary, and most of this list we eat in our family on a regular basis. Some of the things on his list really can be hard to find organic. So when I wash my fruits and veggies off I like to use a little bit of Lemon essential oil in the water. Besides it being anti bacterial, anti viral, a disinfectant, a germicide, and all of the other many things Lemon can do it doesn't make the food taste bad (and I'm not a big fan of the taste of lemon). Remember start a little at a time. Don't go throw all of your food away that is in the fridge. Just be more mindful when you're shopping from now on. Happy Organic hunting!

Black Bean Salsa

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

I know that's is Wisdom Wednesday, but in lu of Cinco De Mayo I wanted to post a Cinco De Mayo type of food. I got the original recipe off of Studio 5 here. Just the smells alone from the recipe will make your mouth water! I'm not one for heat so if you'd like more heat then add 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced. I don't think it needs more heat heat. The flavors are so fresh!

Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, diced fine

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/4 bunch cilantro, minced

Juice of 1/2 lime

salt and pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Add all ingredients into small bowl. Serve with Corn or Multi grain chips. And enjoy the fresh taste!

Crock pot Spaghetti Chicken

I love this recipe. Anything in the crock pot is good because it saves moms time. I got the original recipe from Heather Peterson, a woman my mother works with. I've had to change quite a bit with this recipe, so I also changed the name. I put spaghetti in it because I use the same dry ingredients from my mom's spaghetti from yesterday. It makes a lot but you wouldn't know that with my three Little's. I don't usually have left overs with this one.

Crock Pot Spaghetti Chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons butter (ICBINB spray)

1/2 cup water

1/2 tablespoon dried basil flakes

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

2 tablespoon dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground garlic

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons honey

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1-2 oz Neufchatel cream cheese

Directions

Put chicken in crock pot. Mix basil, parsley, onion, oregano, garlic, salt, and honey in water until honey is dissolved and pour over chicken (it will be thick). Cover and cook in crock pot for 3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low (if you cut up your chicken the cook time will be faster). Mix remaining ingredients and add to crock pot and continue cooking for 1 hour on high or 2 hours on low. Just before serving take chicken out and shred. Put chicken back into sauce and stir until covered. Serve over cooked quinoa.

Spaghetti

This recipe is another one of my fabulous mother's. You will come to see that I use it for many things. This sauce is the sauce that I use for my Lasagna, for pizza sauce, calzones, for anything that needs the same spices as spaghetti. I love that it is so easy and very tasty too. Also all of the ingredients are in your food storage, if you're mindful of those things. :]

Spaghetti

Ingredients

6 8oz. cans tomato sauce (with salt)

1/2 tablespoons dried basil leaves

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

2 1/2 tablespoons dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons evaporated cane juice

1 Package Rice or Whole wheat noodles.

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions. In a large saucepan add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover, Stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until desired thickness. I like my sauce to be a little more thick so I simmer a little longer. Serve over cooked noodles, top with Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!