Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

• My Low GL Cornmeal Pancakes

  Date: 2010.06.04 | Category: Baking & Cooking, Cooking, Food, Health, Homemaking, Recipes, Spunky, Vegan/Lenten, mama | Response: 2

  

  Michelle’s Low GL Cornmeal Pancakes

  • 2 cups ground cornmeal
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 tsp unrefined real salt (or 2 tsp regular salt)
  • 2 eggs (or egg substitute)
  • 1 Tbsp agave nectar (or about 2 Tbsp regular sugar)
  • 4 Tbsp margarine, melted
  • 1 cup soy/almond/rice/hemp milk (or regular milk)
  • 1 cup stoneground whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Fresh or frozen berries or fruit
  • agave nectar (or sugar)
  1. In a bowl, mix together cornmeal and salt.
  2. Add boiling water, stir together, and let stand for 10 minutes.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat together beat, sugar, margarine, and milk.
  4. Add to cornmeal mixture.
  5. Sift together flour and baking powder and add to batter, mixing lightly.
  6. Cook pancakes on a 300 degree heated griddle, spreading out the batter each time you put in on the griddle. Brown lightly on both sides.
  7. Fruit Topping: Combine frozen or fresh fruit with a little bit of agave nectar (or sugar) and heat until warm through.  Spread over pancakes.

  

  I divided the batter into separate bowls, and added some food coloring to a little bit for the kiddos.  Spunky loved these so much that she ate EIGHT pancakes!

  

• Pioneer Village

  Date: 2010.05.31 | Category: Bunky, Food, Grandma, Grandpa, Punky, Spunky, Travel, mama | Response: 5

  

  Last week, the big kids stayed with Grandma and Grandpa for a few days while the rest of us stayed home.  It was a nice, short break for me and I was able to use the time to get my homeschooling classroom somewhat ready and I sorted through the kids’ clothes.

  On Wednesday, I went to pick up the kids, but we stayed through Thursday and spent the day at a local state park.  We all had a great time, but it was very hot out.

  

  

  This village has a working grist mill.
  We watched it mill corn,
  and I bought ten pounds worth for only $6.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  I came home with a bunch of goodies: the ten pounds of corn meal, four framed victorian-ish pieces of artwork, old fashioned candy, a large heirloom tomato plant, and a purple basil plant.

  Have you ever use or grown purple basil?
  If you have, do you use it differently than regular basil?

• My New Favorite: Yogurt

  Date: 2010.05.15 | Category: Food, mama | Response: 3

  

  Up until I tried Chobani Greek Yogurt, I did not enjoy yogurt at all.  I could tolerate it in smoothies, but I could not sit down and eat a cup.

  All that has changed now that I’ve discovered Chobani.

  It is amazingly delicious!

  You should try some today… or tomorrow, but do it soon!

  And, no, Chobani has not put me up to this post.  I just really love this yogurt!

• Have You Tried A Kiwano?

  Date: 2010.04.15 | Category: Food, Hubby, Punky, Spunky, mama | Response: 3

  My hubby and I went on a double date last week with some friends.  We ended our date with a trip to the grocery store.  I just had a few things to pick up and I left my hubby behind in the exotic fruits section.  There, he became intrigued by the Horned Melon (aka the Kiwano).  We spent $2.99 on ONE Kiwano.  Not my normal type of purchase when grocery shopping, but he “had to have it.”

  We saved it for the next day so that we could experience the Kiwano with the kiddos.

  

  Punky wasn’t sure at first, but once he tried it, he liked it.

  

  Daddy gave Spunky a tiny piece and her face says it all!

  

  What to know my opinion?

  I didn’t like it very much.

  It tastes a bit like a kiwi,
  but has the consistency of an orange
  with the seeds of a cucumber.

  Strange!
  

• Recipe: Vegan Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

  Date: 2010.04.09 | Category: Cooking, Cooking With Kids, Food, Health, Punky, Recipes, Spunky, Vegan/Lenten, mama | Response: 1

  

  Delicious Vegan Gingerbread Cookies!

  Ingredients

  • ½ cup oil
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • ¼ cup plain soymilk
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon each ground nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

  Directions
  1. In a large bowl beat together oil and sugar for about 3 minutes.  Add molasses and soymilk.

  2. In a separate bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients.

  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches. Mix together with a firm spoon or spatula until well combined.
  

  4. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or up to 3 days in advance.

  5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease your cookie sheets.

  6. On a floured surface roll you dough out to a little less than 1/4 inch thick (it is a bit crumbly).
  
  7. Cut out your shapes with your cookie cutters and gently place on cookie sheets.

  8. Bake for 8 minutes.

  9. Remove from oven and let them cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet then move to a cooling rack.

  10. Wait until they are completely cool before icing.  (Icing: powdered sugar and water)

  

  These cookies are very soft and delicious.

  I was skeptical at first when I saw how crumbly the dough was, but they turned out great!

• Christ Is Risen!

  Date: 2010.04.06 | Category: Bunky, Faith, Family, Feasts, Food, Friends, Grammy, Hubby, Orthodoxy, Papa, Pascha, Punky, Spunky, mama | Response: 12

  Our Service

  

  Our Pascha Basket and Kulich

  

  Easter Outfits from Grammy & Papa

  

  The kiddos and Sarah & Jason

  

  Our Paschal Feast and Red Eggs

  

  Baskets

  

  Easter Egg Hunt

  

  Our godson and one of my favorite little girls

  

  Our swingin’ girl and our runnin’ boy

• Spend Great and Holy Friday with Us

  Date: 2010.04.02 | Category: Bunky, Cooking, Faith, Family, Food, Health, Holy Week, Hubby, Orthodoxy, Punky, Spunky, mama | Response: 12

  Our day started with our early riser (Spunky) waking up long before the sun began to peak over the horizon. I brought her into our bedroom and attempted to sleep a little bit longer. Shortly after her arrival, Punky came into our room and Bunky began to cry in his crib. So, we made our way downstairs and let Daddy sleep in.

  I made a batch of Kulich (Russian Pascha/Easter Bread), but, with my terrible luck, my bread did not rise… at all.  So I baked a small loaf to see how it would turn out.  Since it turned out fine, I decided to make braided loaves with that dough and I will try again tomorrow with the Kulich.
  (Any tips on how to make my bread rise?)

  While I was mixing up the dough, I sat the kiddos down at the table with a few coloring pages of Great and Holy Friday.  Punky even drew blood on Christ’s hands (look closely at the photo).  He is all about the small details.

  

  Later that day, we headed to church for the Entombment Vespers, where Christ is literally taken down from the cross and placed into the tomb.  It is a wonderful service for children to see what happened when Christ died.  It also made them both very excited for Sunday morning!  Spunky kept asking, “Is Jesus in the soup?” She didn’t understand the word tomb, so I had to explain that to her.

  Speaking of which, Punky and I had a really wonderful talk last night about dying:  He asked me if God was in the sun, and I told him that God made the sun, but he was in Heaven.  Then I explained how after Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended into Heaven, etc.  They he asked me how we could go and see God in Heaven. I told him that when we die, we’ll see Him.  Then he started asking questions about why people die.  It was a very insightful conversation that I had with my four year old. I am very proud of him.

  

  Later this evening, as I was carrying Bunky in his carseat, I tripped in our garage.  Rather than throwing the carseat with my baby boy in it, I tried to land without hurting him.  But, of course, I hurt myself.  I somehow managed to lose both of my shoes, scrape up my toes and some of my nail polish and…
  I broke my toe!

  

  Just my luck! My mom always jokes that I have a “little black cloud that follows me”, but it really seems true. I just can’t catch a break recently.

  Thank you for all your prayers for the sickness in our family.
  We are all feeling much better.

  Unfortunately, my husband also hurt himself this week: he was carrying a large amount of carpet down the steps at our former home, and he fell down the concrete stairs.  Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt too badly, but his knees are very sore.

  I hope everyone had a blessed Good Friday.
  We are looking forward to celebrating our Savior’s resurrection!

• Accomplishing Much and Enjoying More

  Date: 2010.03.05 | Category: Bunky, Cooking, Family, Food, Friends, Homemaking, Punky, Spunky, mama | Response: 6

  Look at all I did yesterday:

  baked one batch of banana nut muffins
  baked on batch of blueberry muffins
  cleaned all of the kids’ rooms
  vacuumed
  did two loads of laundry
  put away 1/2 of one load (I hate this task!)
  baked two loaves of bread
  make two chocolate cakes
  prepared one pasta salad
  made a big batch of chili
  cleaned the kithcen
  cleaned up the guest room
  made up guest bed
  gathered clothes for the next batch of laundy
  made dinner for the kiddos
  straightened up the house
  gave my children a bath

  And the best parts:

  read books to Spunky
  bragged about my cute kids to my sister
  spoke to my mom on the phone
  taught Punky how to write his numbers
  cuddled with Bunky before his afternoon nap
  chatted with my hubby mid-day
  showed Punky how to play a new computer game
  snuggled with Spunky before her nap
  called Trish and made plans for my trip to see her
  saw the delight in Punky’s face when I put a cherry in his juice
  enjoyed listening to the children dance together
  witnessed Spunky mothering Bunky
  tucked my sweet babies into bed
  nursed and rocked Bunky to sleep

  and I get to do this all over again…
  well, not today, but another day in the near future.

  Today, Bunky and I are off to see Trish!
  

• Last Chance to Stop Genetically-Engineered Alfalfa

  Date: 2010.03.03 | Category: Animals and Bugs, Environment, Food, Health, Natural & Green Living | Response: 1

  Stop Genetically Engineered Alfalfa and Protect Organic Food!

  GE Alfalfa “threatens the very fabric of the organic industry.”
  - George Siemon, Organic Valley cooperative CEO

  Dear Farm Friends,

  Today is critical for protecting organic agriculture!

  The USDA recently released a draft of its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Genetically Engineered “Roundup Ready” Alfalfa, and if we don’t speak up, it’s clear they intend to approve its commercial use. We can’t let this happen.

  You may not think about alfalfa much when you’re drinking organic milk, but organic alfalfa is important to organic farming, as a nourishing animal feed that’s also a nitrogen-fixing soil enhancer. Once GE alfalfa is introduced, its contamination of non-GE plants – including organic – is all but inevitable. And because alfalfa is fed to dairy cows and other livestock, contamination puts organic dairy and meat at risk, too! Learn more

  In their EIS, the USDA states “There is no evidence that consumers care about GE contamination of organic alfalfa.” We know that you do care. Let’s not be Monsanto’s guinea pigs!

  Now is your chance to be heard. Tell the USDA to protect organic food and farmers from GE contamination, and NOT TO APPROVE Monsanto’s GE Alfalfa. The comment period ends TODAY, March 3, at 5pm Eastern time.

  There’s been a lot of response already from concerned Farm Friends – thank you! – but USDA still needs to hear from as many people as possible. Tell your friends! You CAN make a difference. Tell the USDA that you care about GE contamination and your right to GMO-free organic foods.

  Learn more and get talking points on our website. Then take action at the Center for Food Safety, or submit comments online to the USDA directly. (USDA link is http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480a6b7a1)

  After you write, let us know at rootstock@organicvalley.coop.

  Thanks for all your support for family farmers and a sustainable organic future for all!

  Sincerely,
  The Farmers and Staff of Organic Valley Family of Farms

  from Organic Valley

• Staying Away From BPA- It Is In Cans, Too!

  Date: 2010.02.12 | Category: Environment, Food, Health, Natural & Green Living | Response: 6

  As before any fasting period, I purchased a load of canned beans this week.
  You might remember that I am a Lazy Bean Lady.

  

  But that was right before I read this from the article The Top 10 Toxic Products You Don’t Need at Eco Child’s Play:

  3. Canned food: It’s probably shocking to find a food item on a toxic product list, but it’s no mistake. Food cans are lined with an epoxy resin that contains bisphenol-A (BPA). Most experts believe this is our main source of exposure to BPA, which has been linked to hormone disruption, obesity, heart disease, and much more. Eden Foods is currently the only company with BPA-free canned foods (other than the canned tomatoes, which they haven’t found an adequate substitute for given the acidity of the tomatoes). Opt for fresh, frozen, dried or jarred foods.  (Click here to read the FDA’s January Update on BPA)

  Now I guess I have to stop using canned foods.  It will definitely help me to save money, but not time.  If I can just remember to soak the beans the night before, I’ll be ok.  It is going to be learning experience for me.

  I feel that if I claim to be a somewhat “green” person, then when I find out about things like this, I need to follow through. For now, I will use up what I have in the pantry, but afterwards, I will only buy frozen, jarred or fresh.  I’m going to have to keep my eye out for good deals now, too.

  I hope you can feel compelled to join me on my new path toward
  a can-free lifestyle!

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Please enter my giveaway!