Recipes and Tips for Healthier Living and Smarter Budgeting

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Creamy Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

W.O.W! My dad says this is the best pasta salad he's ever eaten. For me, it takes a very close second to my all-time favorite, Krissy Doodle's Noodles (man, do I need to update that pic...). This pasta salad has more of a dark, musky flavor, thanks to the bacon and avocados, but is perfectly lightened up by the lemon-dill dressing. 

I've had this salad on my to-do list all summer, ever since a friend posted it on Facebook. So when I finally had all the ingredients at one time, I took the plunge.

The credit for the amazingness of this salad goes to its inventor, foodie blogger of Life's Ambrosia. (The only modification I made was using whole wheat pasta instead of white.) This recipe will definitely be staying in my personal file!

Note: I love dill, so I thought the amount was perfect, but not everyone in my family agreed. I also would cut the amount of bacon in half next time, as it seemed a little overpowering to me, who am not used to a lot of bacon. I noticed in the comments that there are several other good ideas for modifications (such as using potatoes instead of pasta), so as with everything, modify this to your family's tastes. So many possibilities!


Creamy Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

Yield: 4 servings

6 slices bacon, chopped into one-inch pieces
1/2 pound dried rotini pasta (I used whole wheat)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
juice of 1 lemon (or about 2 Tb. lemon concentrate)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. white pepper (didn't have on hand, for some reason, but it was still excellent without it)
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1 c. halved cherry tomatoes
1 avocado, pitted and sliced

Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain. Run cold water over the top until pasta is cooled.

Whisk mayonnaise, lemon, salt, garlic powder, pepper and dill together in a bowl.

Stir cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado and reserved bacon into dressing (particularly avocados, so they don't turn brown). Toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Serve.
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Friday, July 12, 2013

The Sugar Decision

As far as diet goes, nothing seems to bring on as much controversy as giving up sugar--unless maybe it's giving up meat. I imagine vegetarians get a lot of flack from people too.

But for us, when the sugar topic comes up, we seem to get two reactions: 1) "That's great. I really should give it up too, and 2) A look of incredulity and some comment expressing pity. And then there are those who feel like our decision to go refined-sugar free is a judgment call against them. I'm not sure why giving up sugar is met with this second reaction so often. If we gave up apples or bell peppers people might think that odd, but surely they wouldn't take it personally. :)

So I wanted to set the record straight--for our family, anyway--and hopefully give a little perspective.
  • This decision to not eat refined sugar was not one we came to early or easily. (And we actually haven't given it up completely, as there are occasions when we will partake, such as at parties or when my husband takes one of our children out for ice cream, as a special treat.) It--like most of our other lifestyle changes--came about as a direct result of a need to help someone or other in our family not get sick as often, or to feel healthy again, or to stop hurting, etc. We researched, we experimented over time, we paid attention to how we felt and whether or not health was improved, and we implemented what worked.
  • A few years ago I wasn't ready to give up sugar. So I understand that feeling. One thing that really helped us make the change to honey or raw sugar was, as I've mentioned before, realizing we didn't have to be sweet-deprived. I still make goodies often and we love them. In fact, we like them so much that when we do try other, regular sweets, to our taste buds they often lack flavor and substance. So, no feelings of deprivation here!
  • However, this does not mean we are critical of anyone's cooking or judgmental of parents who let their children eat refined sugar foods on a regular basis. You make your decisions and we make ours. This is simply a diet boundary we have set for ourselves and is not meant as a judgment call against anyone else. And if my talk about it has somehow offended you, I sincerely apologize. No offense or judgment was intended.
  • The curious thing about sugar is the longer you go without it, the less you feel the need for it or even want it. It becomes easier and easier to say "no thank you" and to pass on the sugar goodies. We don't need them anymore, so it's no big deal to decline.
  • Crazy as it seems to me, there have been a few who have expressed concern that our children don't know what it's like to eat regular sugar (thereby hinting that we're depriving them of this delectable experience). This is a moot point simply because anyone with children knows that they're offered candy at many routine places you take them: the bank, the post office, even the dentist's or doctor's office. After a while, I learned how to respectfully decline most of these without my children minding, but then there's school. During many times of the year, children are given treats at school nearly every day--and that's not even counting school lunch (which my kids don't have). Our kids deal with this sugar inundation by choosing one sugar thing to eat and declining the rest, or bringing home what's portable (where we either keep it for another time or throw it away). My children are learning self-control and how to eat in moderation and I don't in any way see this as a bad thing.
I hope this clarification has helped to give some perspective into why we made this decision, how we made it, and what we do instead. And I also hope, instead of feeling bad for us, or thinking we're deprived for having given up most refined sugar, you can respect that we have chosen to take responsibility for this decision in our lives and are doing what is right for our family. We certainly respect you in yours. :)


For anyone interested in making the switch, like we have, please check out my post from 3 years ago that details how to determine what your actual refined sugar intake is (which is generally much higher than most people realize).

For more information on honey, raw sugar, or sugar (and what the differences between them are), and for recipes that substitute honey or raw sugar for refined sugar, please do a search on my blog (upper left corner) or click on the topic of your choice (right side).

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Sun Oven

About a year ago, my aunt showed my mom how useful and effective a sun oven is, and last week Mom and I got to try out her new Sun Oven for ourselves. We made stuffed peppers in it and they were delicious.

Solar cooking is such a smart way to cook for your family if you live in a place with lots of sun, like I do. Instead of heating up the house to cook dinner or bake bread (particularly in the summer), you can take the food outside and let the sun cook it for you! This is helpful to the environment and easy on your pocketbook (after the initial investment). Plus, the Sun Oven has other really cool points, as listed on their website:
  • They are ideal for everyday use in your back yard, at picnics, while camping, or in the event of a power failure.
  • Even though it is called an oven, food can be baked, boiled, and steamed at cooking temperatures of 360° F to 400° F. There is no movement of air in the oven, allowing food to stay moist and tender and flavorful. Sun-baked roasts are tastier and more succulent, and sun-baked bread has unparalleled taste and texture.
  • Temperatures in the oven rise slowly and evenly, allowing complex carbohydrates time to break down into simple sugars, emanating subtle natural flavors. The even temperatures prevent burning, so you do not need to stir your food while it is cooking.

    And one of my very favorite discoveries: a sun oven can be used like a natural crock pot!:
  • There are two ways to cook with this great tool. If you refocus the oven to follow the sun every 25 to 30 minutes, cooking times and methods will be very similar to cooking with a conventional stove or oven. Or it can be used for slow cooking, much like a crock-pot. You can prepare your dinner, put it in the oven, point it where the sun will be approximately halfway through the time you will be gone. Leave, and come home to a tasty, slow-cooked dinner. If you run late, there is no need to worry; it will keep your food warm, moist, and fresh for hours.
If you're interested, check out the above website for a demo video, prices, and more information. (Too bad they're not paying me to be a commercial, eh?)

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

Here is another Family Favorite, which has been in our family for many years.

My kids love these muffins! They're wholesome and filling, but with just enough sweetness. Note: Be sure to use unsweetened applesauce.



Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins
Yield: 1 dozen

1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/3 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. honey
3 T. vegetable oil
1 egg

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins (or use paper muffin cups).
Combine first 5 ingredients.
Add next 5 ingredients and mix just until moistened.
Fill cups until almost full.

Combine ingredients below and sprinkle over batter*:
1/2 c. rolled oats
1 T. honey
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. melted margarine

Bake 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown.
(We like these best warm and cut in half with some butter spread inside.)

*For the last few of years I haven't bothered with the topping because it makes the muffins even messier than they already are, and they're very good without it anyway.

Monday, July 1, 2013

New Possibilities in the Garden

We are now officially relocated and I'm back to blogging. While it was a difficult move in many ways, we are happy to be closer to family and I am beginning to really understand how many more garden possibilities I will have here in the southernmost corner of our state. The temperatures are so much more temperate that the growing season is extended considerably, and many plants I could never have thought of growing before can survive the mild winters here. That makes me so excited! So I wanted to pass on some of that excitement (and perhaps a couple of plant ideas) to you, via pics of my mom's beautiful garden (from whom I get my "green thumb"). :)


Pistachios!
I just think it's so cool that she can grow these here, and I can't get over what beautiful trees they are. Even if they didn't grow fruit I might still plant them because they are so lovely. Pistachio trees are one of those types that require both a male and a female tree to properly pollinate. Above is the female, below is the male.



Her pretty Rose of Sharon bush somehow still flowers during this intense summer heat.




Grapes are nothing new, but my mom's is flourishing so well it's amazing. I hope the one I planted back at our old place will spread and grow this well...



Pomegranates are a fruit I didn't grow up eating, but since then I have really learned to appreciate their sweet, nutty flavor. And they can be pretty expensive at the store! So how about just growing your own tree?! My mom loves the fact that the tree (or is it a bush...?) has all growing stages on it at once.
Hence, here we have a gorgeous flower...



Here a green fruit...


And here fruit that is developing a blush.


Lastly, here is one of my mom's legendary tomato plants--taller than my 8 y.o. so far. Some years they grow taller than my mom, so this is nothing new. And the tomatoes they produce are succulent!

Happy gardening, everyone!
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