Christmas Goodies

Merry Christmas! I hope you have a happy and healthy holiday season. I also wanted to remind you of Christmas recipes I have posted previously, should you decide to make more healthful goodies for your family this year and need some ideas. All of these recipes are very yummy--my kids love them all--and none of them uses refined white sugar:

Christmas Cranberry-Orange Bread (part of our traditional Christmas morning's breakfast)

Gingerbread Cookies (a must for this time of year)

Pumpkin Pie (I didn't make one for Thanksgiving this year, but it's still in season, right? I'll be making one soon!) Along with this, check out my post on how to make a better pie crust.

Delectable Cheesecake (seriously divine)

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (most people call it "bread," but we all know it's actually cake made in loaf pans--and scrumptious)

Cranberry-Orange Caramel Corn (yum!)

Homemade Egg Nog (a favorite at our house)

Pumpkin Bread (addictingly delicious)

The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (with no refined sugar)

I recently adapted this recipe from my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (which comes from a friend's mom), then added cinnamon and nutmeg. It turned out perfectly, so we ate way too many in one sitting. :)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Yield: About 4 dozen (scoop small because they spread!)

1 c. butter
3/8 c. honey
3/4 c. raw sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 c. oats
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. hot water
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. raisins

Cream together butter, honey, and raw sugar until smooth.
Add eggs and blend well.
Add water and blend. Add vanilla and blend.
Add oats, flour, and other dry ingredients and mix well.
Add raisins at end and mix briefly.
Drop small scoops on greased cookie sheet two or three inches apart (they spread).
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Let cool before removing from pan or they may be too crumbly.

The Value of Nothing

This idea really intrigues me and I am very interested in reading the book. So here's some food for thought:

Stuffed Mushrooms

Dishes such as this never end up looking very attractive, but for me this dish is a delicacy. If you don't like mushrooms (as my daughters don't--yet), you're missing out! This is a traditional family recipe from my mother's side that I remember eating at special family gatherings as a small child. Nowadays I still don't get them very often, but when I do make them, I relish every bite, and so does my husband. (I suppose not having to share them with our two daughters isn't such a bad thing after all...)

Stuffed Mushrooms
Yield: about 12 mushrooms

Wash 8 oz. container fresh mushrooms
Trim any problem spots and carefully pop out stems
Chop up stems
Cook and crumble sausage (I use Jimmy Dean's All Natural 16 oz. roll pork sausage. Only 1/4 of package or less is needed for this recipe, so I just save the rest of the cooked sausage in the freezer for another recipe)

Remove sausage from pan when fully cooked and cook the following in the drippings:
1/4 of small onion, chopped fine
Chopped mushroom stems
Once onion and mushroom stems are soft, add 1/4 of 8 oz. package cream cheese to pan until melted and mixed well. Add a few sprinkles of powdered sage. Add crumbled sausage back in (see sausage note above).
Stuff mushrooms with cream cheese mixture and place in small square casserole dish. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-30 min. Serve warm.

Bean Salad Wraps

Last week I got to craving this dish so bad it surprised me, but when I made it, it hit the spot like nothing had for a long time. With its few ingredients married in the perfect combination, this dish is satisfyingly delicious.

Recipe source: Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, p. 83

Bean Salad Wraps

4 8-inch whole wheat (or other variety) tortillas
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. chopped green sweet pepper
2 Tb. snipped fresh cilantro
1/3 c. mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing
1 Tb. lime juice
Leaf lettuce

In medium bowl, mash black beans slightly. Add sweet pepper and cilantro. Stir in mayo and lime juice.

To serve, spread bean mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with lettuce leaves. Roll up tortillas.

Winter Chickens

Daisy

Red

Gizmo

It seems there is always more to learn about raising chickens, and this fall and winter has been no exception for me.

The girls are still beautiful, as you can see from these photos, and we still love them, but lately I have been pretty frustrated by how dumb they are. Fellow chicken owners will chuckle as they read this because they know just what I mean!

A few weeks ago I discovered that at least two of the three were sleeping outside at night. Everything I've read says chickens naturally head home at dusk because they instinctively know how vulnerable they are in the dark and want to be out of harm's way. So I was baffled as to why mine weren't going inside the coop in the evening. What I finally figured out was that because night arrives sooner now and the inside of the coop is kind of dark, it gets dark inside the coop before it's fully dark outside. That means by the time it's dusk outside, it's fully dark inside, so they get stranded outside. I don't know how long they'd been learning this habit, but I'm trying to break it. So far, progress has been very slow.


Another thing we noticed right off when the days shortened and got colder, was the drop in egg production. Right away, I decided we needed to install a light in the coop so the chickens could continue earning their keep. Then I read this inspiring post by Anais Dervaes at UrbanHomestead.org. I really liked the idea of letting nature be and not "forcing" our chickens to lay when nature told them not to.

BUT...it was only a few days later that I discovered our chickens were staying outside all night--even the night it snowed and they were getting covered with the freezing, white layer. From that discovery grew the decision to install a light inside the coop after all, but to only turn it on in the evening as the sun starts to go down. That gives them a couple more hours of light a day but also helps them make it back inside the coop for the night, which improves their health and safety. And now we're usually still getting two eggs a day (which isn't as good as three, but much better than one or none).

The only problem with this plan is that after weeks of me "putting them to bed," so far Gizmo is the only one to have figured out (recently) that roosting inside is warmer and more comfortable. The other two still roost on the chicken door on the outside, no matter how cold it is. I still hope one day things will click for them, that they will get as tired of me coming to put them to bed as I am. Crossing my fingers...

In upcoming chicken news: Mixed breed (or "mutt") chickens and the adjustment from 3 chickens to 5.

Don't You Spend a Long Time Cooking?

This is a common question people ask me, so I thought I'd write a general response here.

In thinking about the best way to answer this question, I've decided I should ask back this question: "How long is a long time?" If you're used to spending a maximum of 30 minutes a day on food preparation, then yes, I do spend longer. On average, I spend about three times that--on those nights I cook.

But what is the nutritional content of your 30 minutes of preparation? And how important to you is your family's nutrition? It's one of my top priorities, which is why I:

• Grind my own flour (See here for details on money saved with this practice);
• Cook from scratch -This means no prepared items (or very few). In other words, no boxed or frozen dinners (I do use dried spaghetti and other pastas on occasion, but they're always wheat/whole grain pastas), and no canned soups (although I will use canned broth if I don't have any homemade broth) since they're full of MSG and/or sugars;
• Use lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, thanks to the Bountiful Baskets program, which makes them plentiful at our house and very affordable.

Something else to keep in mind is that we eat simply. Good, healthful, hearty food, but simple: 

Breakfast at least 5 days a week is either hot cracked wheat ("mush") or oatmeal, which takes a total of 5 minutes to prepare--every other day, since I make enough for two days each time and we warm it up in the microwave. 

Lunch is sandwiches made with homemade 100% whole wheat bread (which I schedule time to make every two weeks) and maybe some fruit. This takes me 15 minutes at the most, depending on the type of sandwich: grilled cheese take longer to make than peanut butter and honey.

That leaves dinner, which is the only meal I have to plan each day. Since our dinners are based on the contents of our Bountiful Baskets, all I have to do is plan what meals to make those veggies into (since the fruit gets eaten quickly and with little preparation needed). And most days I spend a total of an hour and a half (90 minutes) cooking this vegetable-based meal. Nearly every time I cook dinner, I make enough for at least one night of leftovers, which means I'm not cooking 7 dinners a week. In fact, it's more like 3 or 4.

True, too, I will often make, say, a large salad one night as the main course (see Super Salad), and then pull it out another two or three (or more) nights as a side dish. So while I usually offer a main course and two side dishes for dinner, very often one or both of those sides was made for another meal (for example, if I made breadsticks or rolls to go with a soup that we've already eaten), I still have a bread item available to serve with a different main course, perhaps along with the salad I've previously made.

As Liz Edmunds, the Food Nanny, points out, good, healthful food often takes longer than 30 minutes to make, but that's not a bad thing. Just plan for it and make the necessary adjustments. Your family will thank you!

P.S.  A bonus to the time spent in food preparation (and this keeps me going because I don't love cooking) is that while I do it I can listen to a book on CD, to my daughter read to me, or to music. And quite often, one of my daughters will ask to help me, which means quality time together talking and learning.

Gratitude and Health

Many of my friends on Facebook have expressed gratitude each day in November for a variety of blessings. I have enjoyed seeing how they recognize the good things in their lives, even on those days that aren't ideal. What a good habit to gain! Now that Thanksgiving is over and we're setting our sights on Christmas, let us not forget the importance of gratitude in our lives, continuing year round.

To me it seems intuitive that grateful people are happier, and happier people have a higher quality of life. But now studies are showing that gratitude can actually improve physical health as well. I love this quote from one study, in particular: "Those who practice grateful thinking 'reap emotional, physical and interpersonal benefits.' People who regularly keep a gratitude journal report fewer illness symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the future. ...Gratitude is a choice, one possible response to our life experiences." Isn't that wonderful?

The study lists 5 things each of us can do to increase our level of gratitude (and, therefore, of health). Please see the above link for further explanations on each of these items:

1- Keep a daily gratitude journal.
2- Use visual reminders (for example, post-it notes that remind you of your blessings).
3- Have a gratitude partner.
4- Make a public commitment.
5- Change your self-talk.

Thanksgiving Quotes

Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude. 

~E.P. Powell

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Dealing with SAD

I write this post in the hope that it will help others with SAD (seasonal affective disorder). 

HappyLight 2500 Energy Lamp Twin Pack - Light Fixtures (Google Affiliate Ad)Though I have never been officially diagnosed with this condition, I think I have actually suffered from it for many years. I always dread the fall, even though I know it brings needed rest (from gardening and other outside activities) and a good change of pace. But even knowing that the holidays (which I love) are fast approaching doesn't necessarily help my spirits. I always feel that the impending winter--which I dread, because to me it means severe cold and bleakness for months on end--brings with it a feeling of hopelessness. Not until recently did I realize that not everyone feels this way and that maybe my symptoms were more than simply a rough transition back into life indoors.

The information I've been reading shows numbers anywhere from 5-25% of the general population experiencing SAD at varying levels of severity (see one article here). Some articles talk about "winter blues" vs. SAD, and while I understand that some people have "winter depression" worse than others, I kind of resent the distinction (just as I dislike the term "baby blues", meaning less bad than "postpartum depression"). Regardless of whether you're going through "the blues" or depression, your sense of well being has been sabotaged and just getting through each day is difficult.

And difficult might be an understatement. This year, SAD muddled my thoughts so much that for many weeks I didn't even recognize how difficult things were for me, or what was going on. I felt like I was wading through mud each day, all day, as I tried to go about my daily activities. I didn't know what was wrong with me! When I finally gained enough clarity of thought to recognize this wasn't normal and started researching online, I came across a list of symptoms that I identified with all too well. (One list, provided by the Mayo Clinic, can be found here.)

If these symptoms are familiar to you, too, what can you do?

While I recognize that some people really do need medication to stabilize their systems and get their lives back again, I also feel that antidepressants are way over-prescribed and that there are many things we can do in this situation to help ourselves regain our mental and emotional health. So here are some things I have found that have helped me, and I hope they will help someone else as well:

• Prayer- If you have religious convictions (or even want to have them), put your faith into action by imagining yourself happy and functioning well, and praying to God to help you gain those blessings. Other spiritual activities, like attending church services and reading the Scriptures, can also give you peace.
• Light- While light therapy is an option that helps many people, for some of us, simply leaving more lights on wherever we are--particularly when it's gloomy or dark outside--can make a positive difference. And for days when it's not too cold, actually spending time outside where the sun's rays (and all that vitamin D) can reach you, can also be helpful.
• Music- Whenever you can, go out of your way to turn on music that lifts your mood and helps you feel happy or peaceful. Music is a very powerful tool. (By the same token, be sure to avoid music that has the opposite effect on you.)
• Essential oils- If you use essential oils, like I do, make it a point to use mood-elevating oils topically or aromatically as often as you can. Just to name two options: The citrus oils (lemon, orange, etc) are great for lifting one's mood, and lavender helps calm anxiety. It's amazing how much such a small, subtle thing like this can help. 
• Emotion Code- Something as simple as releasing your trapped emotions can improve the symptoms of SAD. (If you haven't read my post on the Emotion Code, you can find it here.)
• Exercise- Of course, we all know that exercise releases endorphins, which give us a sense of happiness and well being. But when you're feeling low and unmotivated it can be very difficult to force yourself to exercise. This is when it becomes especially important to find (or maintain) an activity you enjoy so that it becomes something you want to do. And if that still fails to motivate you, see the next bulleted item.
• A List or Schedule- I'm one of those people who gains a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment by crossing things off a list or setting a schedule for myself that I am able to follow (and thus cross items off). I realize that not everyone operates this way, but for those who do, I found that if, in my more lucid moments, I could sit down and write a list or a desired schedule for the following day or week, it helped immensely. Then, instead of feeding my lack of energy with despondency over not being able to clearly prioritize what I needed to do, I could regain some clarity and sense of direction by checking my list or my schedule and following it. This is helping me wade out of the "mud."
• Cod Liver Oil- I haven't actually tried this idea yet, but I know it could be very helpful, especially since cod liver oil is chock full of vitamins A and D. Vitamin D is the "sunshine vitamin" we all need and can't make on our own, and vitamin A is needed to assimilate it. So especially for those living in places where the sun rarely makes an appearance during the winter, cod liver oil could be particularly beneficial. By the way, not all CLOs are created equal, so do your research before purchasing. And FYI: you can actually get a flavored variety so it's more palatable. (You can read lots more about cod liver oil at the Weston A. Price Foundation.)
• Talk- We all have different levels of the need to communicate, but I think everyone can benefit from talking to at least one person about what they are going through. Often, expressing yourself in this way can help you sort out your own thoughts and feelings, not to mention receiving encouragement and empathy from the other person. Just knowing someone cares helps a lot.

If you find any of the above actions helpful in your struggle against SAD, or have found other things that help you, I would love to hear about them.

Beef Stew

We never have stewing beef, so it was a real treat last week when we did have some and I made this hearty, veggie-filled stew. I found the recipe at recipelion.com and it was perfect! What a wonderfully satisfying dish on a cold winter evening. I will definitely make this again...if I ever get lucky enough to have stewing beef again. :) The original recipe calls for 2 pounds meat but in my opinion it only needs one. Other modifications are as listed.

Beef Stew

Yield: 8 servings

1 pound stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tb. vegetable oil
2 Tb. (whole wheat) flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced into 1/4-inch square pices
2 cans beef stock (I used chicken broth)
1 can chopped tomatoes, with juice
1 c. red wine (I never have cooking wines, so instead I used a few splashes of red wine vinegar, to taste. This ingredient added the most richness and depth of taste, so don't skip it!)
1 Tb. Italian seasonings
1/2 Tb. dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
3 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 potatoes (or more), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tb. ketchup or tomato paste

Heat  oil in a large stock pot, and brown the beef on all sides.
Add flour and stir to coat.
Add a few tablespoons of the beef/chicken stock, and add onion and garlic.
Sauté until onion begins to soften.
Add remaining stock, tomatoes, red wine (or red wine vinegar), salt and pepper, and parsley.
Cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, adding more liquid if necessary.
Add carrots, potatoes and ketchup or tomato paste, and simmer an additional 15-30 minutes (until carrots and potatoes are to desired tenderness).

Lately

Lately I've been taking pictures of many things with my new camera (thanks to a good friend giving me a great deal on hers) and will soon be updating them on the blog. I've got a lot to learn about taking good pictures with my first good camera ever, so please be patient as I try to improve things to the next level. If you don't hear from me for a while, I'm still here, still busy, and still thinking about blog stuff. (Oh, and also a birthday, Halloween, and other important goings on.) It's almost that time of year when things just get busier and busier!

Anyway, hope you enjoy the updated pictures! :)

Too Busy?

A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.

-Spanish Proverb

Entrance Hand Washing

Over two years ago I wrote a post about our family's habit of removing our shoes at the door, which my husband and I agreed to adopt as a family rule when we were first married. Later, we also decided to make hand washing an entrance habit when our first child was born at the beginning of flu season. This was, I think, one of the best habits to make part of our family culture, in terms of illness prevention . These two things we do when we get home--removing our shoes and washing our hands--are now so ingrained in our children that even the baby (currently almost 18 months) runs for the bathroom after we help him take off his shoes. And when friends come over, they are subjected to these rituals as well, most with a sense of perplexity... Sorry kids, but we like to prevent illness as much as we can. :)

Perhaps we are weird, but I would rather wash school, work, and store germs down the drain than catch everything everyone is exposed to! Not to mention all the dirt and grime that you actually can see...

As the CDC states: "Handwashing is easy to do and it's one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness in all settings—from your home and workplace to child care facilities and hospitals. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community."

So let's consider the simple things and keep our families healthy this season!

Fall Reminders

For most of us, fall is definitely in the air! The days have cooled, the nights have started to freeze, and the leaves are turning colors and falling. Time for fall cleaning and retiring that garden bed. I love gardening, but I have to admit it's a relief when I get a break each winter. :)

It's time to finish those canning projects and add the finishing touches to our harvest for the winter. I brought in all the pumpkins and melons (none of which we planted--they just grew on their own) to store them indoors, and now my food storage room is about full. It's a good feeling.

It's also time for fall planting, for those of you who, like us, add a few permanent plants each year. We planted a fruit tree (to replace one from last year, that didn't make it), a grape plant, and four raspberry plants. Now is a very good time to plant any of these, as long as they are potted plants (and not bare root). Keep watering them until it freezes consistently at night and they should do fine through the winter and come back beautifully in the spring.

Oh, and for those who missed my autumn post last year with tips for staying healthy as the weather cools, click here.

Happy fall, everyone!

Cooler Yogurt

Last week I wrote about our journey to raw milk and mentioned that with all the milk we are getting I've been able to make lots of things with it I never could before. One week I made a gallon of yogurt and it was so fun to have that much all at once!

I've made yogurt many times in the past, but always with store milk and always in my yogurt maker. This time, since there was so much of it, I finally made good on my desire to try making it in a cooler, something which had been on my to-do list for quite a while. And the result was so rewarding! It turned out much thicker and better than what I'd made previously. Everyone in my family enjoyed it.

In my search for how to make yogurt in a cooler, I found many, many sites, but these were the ones I referred to most:

NourishingDays.com
FoodinJars.com
KitchenStewardship.com
EverythingHomewithCarol.blogspot.com

I also found this cool site, which discusses "more than six ways to incubate yogurt without a yogurt maker":

SaladInAJar.com

I really liked the idea of making mine in a cooler, rather than a crockpot or oven with the light on because it doesn't require the use of any more electricity. As long as the temperature stays consistent for several hours, it should work just fine, which is why a cooler works. And after a successful first attempt, I give this green option the green light!

It's really not as complicated as some of the above tutorials make it look. What I did was pasteurize my raw milk first, because I had read that the good bacteria in raw milk competes with the yogurt cultures and so has a harder time thickening--I don't know yet if this is true for the milk I use. If you want to do this (those of you with raw milk), you can either heat the milk to 145 degrees and hold it at that temperature for 30 minutes, or you can heat it to 165 degrees and hold it there for just 15 seconds (link). Then I waited for it to cool down to 115 degrees.

Once the milk was at 115 degrees, I poured a small amount of it into a smaller bowl and whisked the yogurt culture (2 Tb. per quart of milk) into it until well mixed. Then I added this yogurt mixture back into the rest of the warmed milk and mixed it some more.

The last step can be done several ways (refer to above links), but this is what I did:

Line the inside of your cooler with towels (I used a large cooler since I made a gallon of yogurt). Heat a large pot of water to boiling, turn off the heat, leave the lid on, and take the pot off the stove. Immediately put the pot into the towel-lined cooler and shut the lid. Pour the prepared milk mixture into quart and pint jars, then place them next to the pot in the cooler, without touching it, and cover everything with another towel.

Then you just leave it all in there, undisturbed for 8-24 hours. I love how flexible this last part is so that I can check it when I really have the time. I left mine about 12-14 hours (overnight) and it was all finished and a better, thicker consistency than any time I've made it in my yogurt maker.

Yay for fresh, easy, and yummy probiotics!

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

I love yams and my husband does too, but for some reason our kids take quite a bit of coaxing to eat them. I'm afraid I'll never understand that... After receiving yams in our Bountiful Basket for the second week in a row, I decided I needed to try something different, something that might be a little more appealing to little kids' tastes. I found this recipe on simplyrecipes for baked sweet potato fries and decided to try it, even though I'd made sweet potato fries with yams before (different recipe) and they weren't exuberantly received, even though they were quite good. I thought this time they might go over better sliced round like potato chips--and sliced as thin as I could make them. 

Verdict? Oh. My. Gosh! Sooo good. I suddenly understood what the author of this recipe (see link above) meant about being addicted to them. My oldest daughter and I couldn't stop eating them--even before we sat down to dinner. There definitely weren't enough of them for our whole family (though my picky 4-year-old still wasn't overly impressed, unfortunately). Now I can't wait till we get yams or sweet potatoes again!

Notes: Baking times are approximate. For best browning results bake only one sheet at a time. The addition of the raw sugar helps with caramelization and obviously intensifies the sweetness of the chips, but it can easily be eliminated.

Sweet Potato Chips

Yield: Serves 4-6 (side dish)

2 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, about 3 large ones
1/4 c. olive or canola oil
1-2 Tb. raw sugar
1 Tb. salt
1-2 Tb. spice or spice combination of your choice (optional): chipotle powder, smoked paprika, Chinese five-spice, pumpkin pie spice, garam masala, Cajun seasoning, etc. (I didn't add anything more than the oil, raw sugar, and salt, and found nothing lacking in the taste.)

Preheat oven to 450°F. (For more crispiness, preheat your oven to 500°F, then turn down when put pan in.)

Peel sweet potatoes and cut off ends. Slice potatoes into thin rounds, as uniform in thickness as possible.

Put sweet potatoes into large bowl and add oil. Mix well to combine. 

Sprinkle with salt, sugar, and spices of your choice (optional). Use hands to mix well, so all pieces are coated with oil and spices.

Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on baking sheet.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 450 degrees. After first 15 minutes, remove baking sheet from oven and turn over all chips. Return to oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until chips are well browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Urban Homesteading

Months ago, one of our neighbors took a look at our backyard and the then halfway-built chicken coop and exclaimed, "It looks like a farm back here!" He had no idea what a compliment he was bestowing with that statement, because he was surprised when I thanked him seriously and told him that was kind of what we are working toward.

Gradually, I have come to realize that what we are trying to do with the small space we have is what is now called "Urban Homesteading." Having a chic, green label like that and seeing/reading how many other people in America are also doing this, makes me feel very validated. And excited. For example, check out the video below:



I don't know how, in all my ambles through the internet I never stumbled upon the Dervaes family before. They are so inspiring! As I look through their amazing blog I am struck by what a gorgeous oasis they have made of their small city plot, and still it produces 6,000 pounds of produce annually. So that means beauty doesn't have to be sacrificed to practicality and sustainability! This is especially inspiring when I consider that my small plot of land is actually a bit bigger than theirs, so I should be able to do even more with it. But, I do have to keep reminding myself that their land got this way over a period of 20 years or more, not all at once, so my efforts year by year will eventually add up too...

And I love their slogan, Pathway to Freedom, since that's really what urban homesteading is all about!

Our Journey to Raw Milk

About three years ago I first started learning about raw milk and the incredible health differences between it and the pasteurized, homogenized milk most people buy at the store. At that time, I wrote a post with more details and included URLs to the most helpful sites I found in my quest for more information on this topic. You can find that here.

Two years ago, when we moved back west to a rural town, I happily thought, Maybe this way we can get 1) chickens and 2) a cow share! As you know, we reached goal #1 this spring and are now enjoying homegrown eggs. Goal #2 has recently been reached too, in a way... I found a generous family not far away who is getting too much milk from their cow and is willing to give us a few gallons a week. I can't tell you how excited that made me, when they first agreed to it! While this probably isn't a permanent situation (the family is trying to give up their remaining half cow share and I can't currently commit to the milking myself), it has been very fun to have this experience.

I have a cousin in Missouri who has been buying raw milk from a farmer for a few years now and here is what she has noticed about the differences in her family's health:

• Her oldest daughter's perpetual allergies are now gone.
• She and her husband both have more energy.
• Her third and fourth children never developed asthma.
• Colds went from 7 or 8 per person per year to 1 or 2. And when they do get sick they get over it faster.
• They all sleep better.

She acknowledges, "There are a lot of things that could affect all this, but I think it's safe to say that switching milk has something to do with at least some of them."

As for me, my family had never tried raw milk before these past few weeks and it took a bit of getting used to, but now I do think it tastes better than the processed stuff from the store. And I can do so much with it!

More about that in my next post...

Zucchini Brownies

As I mentioned in my two posts about my zucchini bread recipes, about the only way I can guarantee my kids will eat zucchini is by baking it into goodies. This recipe is no exception. In fact, with all the chocolate in this, we keep forgetting it even has zucchini in it! I found the recipe on allrecipes.com and modified it, as usual, to substitute whole wheat flour and honey for the white flour and sugar. (Every time I make it we eat it too quick for pictures, but I'll try to catch one next time.)

Zucchini Brownies

2 c. whole wheat flour
2 Tb. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. honey
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. shredded zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet), if desired (to sprinkle on top)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease square cake pan.
Beat butter and honey with an electric mixer in large bowl until smooth.

Beat first egg into butter until completely blended, then beat in vanilla extract with last egg. 

Gradually mix in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until just incorporated. 

Fold in shredded zucchini, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Pour mixture into prepared pan. 

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top, if desired. (In a pinch, when I didn't have chocolate chips, I made chocolate cream cheese frosting instead.)
Bake at 350 until top is dry and edges have started to pull away from sides of pan, 25 to 30 minutes.

More Surprises in the Chicken Coop

A couple weeks ago I posted about the wonderfully large, two-yolked egg one of our chickens laid. Well, last week, we got the exact opposite: a teeny, tiny egg with a yolk that looked like a little splash of yellow paint (and the membrane under the shell was so tough!). Here is a picture of how small it looked in my husband's hand.

Needless to say, it was useless--but it did provide lots of laughter.

And the hen who laid it seems to have finally figured things out in the egg laying business (knock on wood).
Hmmm... Maybe that lecture I gave her about pulling her weight and earning her keep did the trick...

Medium-sized homegrown egg (left) next to teeny egg (right)

Lavender

Lavender essential oil is one of the most versatile oils there are, which is why it is also one of the most popular. And because it is so gentle, it is very well tolerated by most people, including babies.

Speaking of babies, the other day, I tried lavender on my son's diaper rash for the first time. He has been getting bad diaper rashes lately, and while diaper rash ointments help somewhat, they don't do the job quickly enough or do as good of a job as they should.

One night, shortly before his bath, I noticed that his rash was particularly painful. So I added three drops of lavender to the bath water and then proceeded to bathe him and his sisters. He thoroughly enjoyed the water, so I let him stay in it for about 30 minutes. When I took him out and dried him off, I noticed that his diaper rash was greatly improved. In fact, the redness and soreness was so reduced I couldn't believe it! That is fast-acting stuff, and powerful too (remember, I only used three drops in all that water)!

Seeing this result, I decided to try lavender on a burn I got while cooking a few days later. Generally I'll use aloe vera on burns, but I knew lavender was great for healing burns, too, and I hadn't really tried it before. I'm so glad I did! My burn healed much faster than usual and only hurt the first day. So maybe our aloe vera plant has been demoted to decorative purpose only...

Sunshine Soup

This soup is made with yellow summer squash from our garden, and is so pretty I like to call it Sunshine Soup. It looks so cheery (hard to capture with my camera) and the taste is delectable. Plus, my girls don't even complain too much about eating it (since there really isn't anything to complain about), and it's a very simple recipe. I found it on the Taste of Home site and made very few modifications.

Sunshine Soup
Yield: 6 servings

5 small yellow summer squash, cubed
2 green onions, cut into 3-inch pieces (or half a regular onion, diced)
2 tablespoons butter
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (I just used milk)

In a large saucepan, saute squash and onions in butter until tender. 

Stir in broth, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Cool slightly. Process in batches in a blender (or use immersion blender right in pan); return all to pan. Stir in cream/milk and heat through. 

Kitchen Healthcare

While I believe there are measures governments can take to promote better health and wellness for their people, ultimately our individual health is up to us. And it starts in our own homes.

Marigolds

My husband planted marigolds in our backyard traditional garden this year as a natural pest control. We've tried this a couple times before but never gotten to them to grow very well from seed. This year they did awesome! I've never seen marigolds this huge before. It's so fun!


As you can see, they're several inches taller than my 16-month-old. With any luck, they'll seed themselves throughout the garden plot for next year.

In the gardening book, Just the Facts (p. 33), it states that marigolds are "The workhorse of the pest deterrents. Plant throughout garden to discourage Mexican bean beetles, nematodes, and other insects."

They're so pretty, too! Why wouldn't everyone want them scattered throughout their gardens?

Homegrown Eggs: The Process

Our most mature hen finally started laying a couple weeks ago. Let me tell you, that first time was an exciting day!

And so were the next few, because it took Red a while to get accustomed to it. I don't know exactly what happened or what went through her mind (do chickens think?) when she laid her first egg. But since I discovered it, broken, in the dirt of the chicken run one afternoon, I imagined Red didn't know it was coming or what to do about that feeling, that it came out unexpectedly and maybe she was even standing up (hence, the break). I was so glad to see none of the chickens had eaten it, and after that I paid close attention each morning. The next day Red made it to the nest box (smart chicken!), but either she or one of the others pecked it. So we didn't get that egg either. The next egg was also pecked, but not very deep, so I was able to salvage it. The following day, Red laid a "nude egg" (meaning it had no shell)--ugh. So we potentially had two problems: 1) Red needed to be broken of her egg-pecking tendencies, and 2) maybe she needed more calcium in her diet.

To address the first problem, I decided I needed to put golf balls in the nest box (an "old wives" remedy that often works) to train her to think eggs can't be pecked into anymore than golf balls. But I don't have any golf balls and didn't want to spend money on a pack of them when I only needed one or two. Then I spotted a couple of rocks about egg-sized that were also egg-shaped and thought it was worth a try. It worked! No more pecking.

The second potential problem I addressed by adding oyster shell to the chicken food, even though there is calcium in their feed--just to be safe. I don't know if that helped or not, but the shells are plenty tough now.

Pretty soon I noted that Red goes into the coop about the same time every morning and spends about half an hour in there. When she comes outside again, I know I can go in and collect her egg. What's funny is how the other two keep her company sometimes, while she's busy in there, as if encouraging her.

Last week, Daisy (the yellow one) started clucking so loud we could hear her from inside our house. It was pretty funny and went on and on, two mornings in a row. (My husband jokes that she was in "labor" for two days.) By the afternoon of the second day, she had laid her first egg, so we were excited all over again. Although, one day there was also a very smashed egg in the nest box (with only a bit of shell left to hint that it had really been an egg). A few days ago, Gizmo (the black and white) must have also laid an egg because we found three eggs that day. Now we just need to work on consistency!

The funnest surprise so far was the huge egg Red laid (on the right)--larger than a Large egg from the store (on the left):

Come to find out a couple days later, it was so big because it had two yolks! 

(See the egg at the top of the picture with two yolks touching?) 

I have also noticed how much yellower--sometimes even orange--the homegrown eggs are. In this picture the store bought egg is the big one on the left. 

Homegrown eggs make this whole backyard chickens journey worth it!

What I Love About Having Chickens

Besides the obvious benefit of homegrown eggs (which we've just started getting--I'll write more on that later), I love having chickens because:

1.  They eat our garden veggies that I didn't catch until they were too big to be good for people food. And they go to with gusto! Both of the cucumbers pictured here (yes, cucumbers--I still don't know what kind they are, but they're good) grew to about the size of footballs. Instead of feeling guilty for not seeing them sooner, I just happily picked and threw them to the chickens. And in no time at all the girls had gutted the lower one.

2. (To go along with #1) They have helped us cut down on the amount we throw in the compost pile (which had kind of gotten out of hand) since they eat just about everything.

3. They're pretty creatures and provide interest to our backyard. They're also entertaining to watch when they get into squabbles, decide to take a dust bath, or just scratch and peck around in the dirt.

4. They're social and need to be around each other, which is fun to see. And they come running when one of us goes out there.

5. My children love them! Especially our16-month old.

Trimming Tomato Plants

I thought this picture was an interesting illustration of how well Mel's method of growing tomatoes works. (That's Mel Bartholomew, creator of the Square Foot Garden.) Both piles were picked the same day. The one on the left has 10 tomatoes, while the one on the right has 9.

On the left are the tomatoes I picked from my neighbor's traditional backyard garden while they are out of town. On the right are those I picked from one of the square foot gardens in our backyard. Both are sun-ripened, yummy garden tomatoes. But ours, as you can see, sometimes even split from growing so large.

I know there are other factors to consider, such as soil and amount of sun and water received regularly, but I feel that my trimming of the plants has really increased the growth of my tomatoes this year.

I had never heard of trimming tomato plants until the first time I read Mel's book, All New Square Foot Gardening, several years ago.

I understood the concept but wasn't convinced of its effectiveness. On page 159, Mel writes: "The theory behind pruning to one single stem is that all the energy goes straight up the main stalk, and you will have more tomatoes per square foot than if you allow it to put energy into branching out." Makes sense, doesn't it?

The first time I did this (a few years ago), I religiously trimmed the "branches" once a week. I don't remember if our tomatoes were bigger than usual that year, but it did seem like the tomatoes were being a little overwhelmed by our Arizona sun (even in the cooler mountains, where I lived). And when I explained Mel's method to my mom, who lives in the southernmost part of Utah, where the summer sun and heat get extreme, she was doubtful that this method would work there, for the same reason. Those tomatoes needed their branches to shade and protect them, she thought.

So this year, in northeastern Utah, I put those two trains of thought together and it has worked beautifully. I don't get around to trimming branches every week, and I leave many of them on for shading and stability, but I've found that trimming out extraneous limbs gives space for air and sunlight to get down into the plants and ripen the tomatoes. And we've never grown tomatoes this big!

Kale Chips

We got a bunch of Tuscan kale in a recent Bountiful Basket and I decided to make kale chips out of it. (You can find the recipe at bonapetit.com.) I didn't hold out very high expectations that my kids would like kale this way, but I had to try. And I'm so glad I did! Surprisingly, all three of my kids loved the "chips", despite the bitter aftertaste (which I didn't mind).* Plus, the recipe is super easy.

*I have now tried this recipe with a few different kinds of kale--including the beautiful purple variety. It works on all of them--and the purple kind didn't even have an aftertaste.

Kale Chips

About 12 large Tuscan kale leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 250°F. Toss cut kale with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leaves.

Pickle Recipe, Updated

I posted this recipe last year, but as I have been canning more pickles lately (every Saturday for three Saturdays in a row, to be exact), I saw the need to update the recipe to be more understandable.

Here is my mom's pickle recipe. Use as-is for 7 quarts. For 7 pints, cut recipe in half.

HOMEMADE PICKLES
Yield: 7 quarts

2 1/4 quarts water (or 9 c.)
1 1/2 quarts vinegar (or 6 c.)
3/4 c. canning salt (make sure it's canning salt)
3 allspice in each quart bottle
1 clove garlic in each quart bottle
1 hot pepper (if desired) in each quart bottle--Shilling whole chillies (I like it without these)
1 long stem of dill in each quart bottle

Clean and boil quart bottles. Allow to cool. Clean cucumbers. Put allspice, garlic, pepper (optional), and dill in jars. Put in cucumbers (sliced or whole). Bring water and vinegar to a boil, then add salt. Fill and seal one jar at a time.

I processed them by using the boiling bath, and used these rules to determine how long to keep them in (time calculated after pot has resumed boiling): 

Altitude adjustment:

• 1000-6000 feet, pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes.
• 6000+ feet, pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes. 

Note: You can buy canning salt in a paper bag or a box and it says canning salt. It is just plain salt--nothing added. If you have trouble finding it at the store, you might try looking on the internet; I saw it there. Find the dill in the fresh produce (I once found some in a little container) or a neighbor's garden.

Garden in a Glance, III

This was my first year to grow Cosmos--and really, my first year to seriously grow flowers. I have been delighted by these cuties, as well as by how low maintenance they are. They don't require a lot of water, do better without fertilizer, and love the heat. And if I leave them to go to seed at the end of the season, they should come back next year on their own!

They started out like this:

And now they look like this:

 

My two flower gardens don't provide us food to eat, so they don't directly enhance our self-sufficiency, but there is something to be said for increasing the beauty in your world...

Whole Milk

Over a year ago I posted about a study that linked skim milk with not losing weight. If you understand the value of whole foods, you weren't surprised.

So here's another article, which explains the reasons why not just whole foods but whole milk products are better for your health. It goes right along with something a friend of mine asked me a couple years ago, which I've meant to blog about ever since: Aren't vitamins A and D fat-soluble? The answer is yes. Which means, as the article states, "This makes fortified skim milk the biggest sham of all."

Sure is nice when what tastes best is actually more healthful! :)

Garden in a Glance, II

Today's "Garden in a Glance" is tomatoes. 

I'm so excited about these because they are the best tomato plants I've ever been able to grow. I guess the combination of the early, hotter summer, the dry weather (of course, I water them regularly), the location, and the perfect soil (brand new Mel's Mix) combined to give us a beautiful tomato crop this year.

 I have 20 plants (16 shown here) and most of them have gotten huge, with amazingly thick stalks. We've just started harvesting them, since they're finally starting to ripen. I've thus reintroduced "real" tomatoes to my children, proving to them that there really is NO COMPARISON between store-bought tomatoes and the home-grown variety.

Produce in a Pic

This was my harvest on Monday morning. I think the garden is picking up speed, finally. :)

Honey Limeade

The other day I made fresh limeade with honey and realized that, while I've posted my raw sugar lemonade recipe, I haven't posted anything about making it with honey. Now, if you don't like the taste of honey in a beverage, this may not be for you, because you can taste the honey. But since we all love honey in my family, we loved this version of limeade. And, of course, it could just as easily be made with lemons instead (keeping in mind that lemons are generally about twice as big as limes).

Honey Limeade

Juice from 8 limes (about 3/4 c.)
3/4 c. honey
2 c. very warm water
more water

Pour honey into pitcher and add very warm water. Mix thoroughly so honey melts and combines with water.

Juice limes. Add juice to pitcher. Mix. Add cold water, to taste, until limeade is as tart or sweet as you like it. (Adding a drop of (CPTG) lemon essential oil might be nice, too.) Place in fridge to chill.

Chicken (or Vegetable) Divan--Without Canned Soup!

I was introduced to Chicken Divan a few years ago when a friend of ours made it for us. It was so much better than the chicken, broccoli, rice casserole I'd grown up with that I couldn't believe it.

Since then, I've tried other recipes and played around with things and finally have a Chicken Divan recipe--that doesn't use canned soup--that we really like. My latest inspiration came from this blog, which includes beautiful, step-by-step instructions. Since it's summer and we constantly have lots of squash to use, I added some to this recipe and it was delicious and added substance and color. (For vegetarians, I also believe this recipe would be good as Vegetable Divan, with the elimination of the chicken.)


Chicken Divan

4 c. cooked brown rice
3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into bite size pieces
2 c. broccoli, cooked and diced
1-2 c. squash, diced
1 onion, diced
About 4 Tb. butter
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. milk
Salt/Pepper
1 - 2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. or more of shredded cheddar

While rice, chicken, and broccoli cook (all in separate pans), heat up some oil (preferably extra virgin olive oil) in a large skillet and saute onions and squash until just softened. When broccoli is finished cooking, combine it with cooked onions and squash.

In medium saucepan, melt butter and when melted add flour. Continue to stir and cook flour for 5 - 10 minutes over medium or medium-low heat. When it starts to smell toasty, it's done. If it's too thick, add some of the milk to keep mixture from burning and to facilitate stirring.

Add all milk and stir until mixture starts to thicken again. Add salt/pepper. Add cooked vegetables and chicken. Stir until combined. If too thick, add more milk. Add curry. Taste and add more seasonings, as desired.

Remove from heat. Stir in mayo.

Pour into 9 x 12 square baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over top.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and has a touch of color, and the casserole is bubbling.

Serve over the warm rice.

Garden in a Glance

I've had so much fun with my gardens this year that I decided to start a series of garden pictures to show them to you. 

This one is my first try with wave petunias. They're in my front yard where they get tons of sun and can be enjoyed by anyone who passes by. They have been a joy to me and well worth the investment, spreading to fill my SFG box (about 4' x 4'), just as I hoped they would. They're low maintenance and bloom the entire summer! For an annual, you really can't get better than this.

(This picture was taken a couple weeks ago and by now the melon plant in the center has begun to take over, so I'm glad I took the pic when I did.)

Essential Oils for Allergies

A while back I learned of an allergy remedy using essential oils taken internally, and have been using it this summer. My allergies don't get as bad as many peoples, but they are still annoying, so I was happy to discover that this "recipe" works for me. My neti pot is also very effective in reducing my symptoms, as I have mentioned a few times before, but sometimes I need something more. So here it is:

In an empty capsule, take 2 drops each of lemon, lavender, and peppermint CPTG essential oils. After a few moments, I feel the capsule release inside my system, and a slight coolness spreads upward and opens up my sinuses and clears my head. And it lasts. Without antihistamines or side effects. --Oh, except for the side effect of amazing breath, thanks to the peppermint. :)

If you're interested in reading more about essential oil remedies for allergies, check out this site.

Or see this video of a regular mom, to learn more about the different ways essential oils can be used to help children (and adults) in your family deal with allergies.

Another Favorite Product

I'm going to sound like a commercial here, but I am seriously enamored with this new SolarLite flashlight my parents gave to my husband for his birthday. We always have a regular (big batteries) flashlight on hand in case of a power outage, but we also always keep the batteries out of the flashlight, since battery power drainage occurs even when the flashlight isn't in use. But that means if it's dark, it's kind of frustrating to get the flashlight working. (Who am I kidding? It's frustrating anyway.) But this flashlight is a totally different story:

• Only 4 Ounces
• Floats
• Waterproof to 80'
• 10 hours of Light--On one charge!
• Solar Charge Holds for 3 Years
• SuperBright 40 Lumen LED
• Recharge with any Light Source--This one amazes me!
• 7 Year Lithium-Ion Backup Battery
• No Cranking - No Shaking
• Environmentally Friendly
• Guaranteed for Life!

Honestly, anyone wanting to be prepared for emergencies (and I want to take it camping too) should have one of these!