on blogging break

well, my friends, I need to take another blogging break....for a lot of reasons-

1. my kitchen flooring was torn out this past few days and well, with the stove unplugged and the fridge being moved into the hallway while new flooring gets installed...I can't seem to cook...ya, I'm not THAT good!
2. I've got a lot going on right now....I'll explain more when I come back...yes, I'm coming back.
3. I want to get my "what's cooking store" up and running.
4. It's summer and I'm anxious to have a break and spend some quality time with the kiddos and husband.

Those are my main reasons, and you know me, that doesn't mean I won't post something really important if it comes up even while I'm on break but for now, the plan is to take a break. As usual, I don't know for how long...I'm thinking for the rest of the summer. I know, I know that's a longgggggg time and trust me, I'll be missing this! But I will be preparing posts for when I return and I'll probably even check in from time to time. So, feel free to pop in and say HI.

I'll be posting sporadically on our family blog through the summer.....

May you enjoy many fabulous BBQs this summer and several lazy evenings sipping iced tea on your porch, if you have one, a porch that is. =0)

Answering Questions - Dryer Sheet Spray

I don't make a recipe for the dryer sheet spray. I just fill the spray bottle with a biodegradable fabric softener and give my wash cloth (reusable dryer sheet) a few sprays (I have to saturate it at first but after that I usually only spray it about 4 or 5 times.

Currently, I'm using this brand:
Simplicity
non-toxic
biodegradable laundry fabric softener

a laundry day gift....

I made up some of my homemade laundry detergent for my sister's birthday in the spring and put together this little "laundry day" gift basket with it.

Here's the recipe:
1 pretty basket
1 package natural color shred
1 batch homemade laundry detergent
1 jar and 1/8 c scoop for laundry detergent
1 spray bottle filled with all natural biodegradable softener
1 washcloth as a reusable dryer sheet (embroidery optional - it was embroidered with the words "Dryer Sheet" with some flowers on it)
1 cute little wood sign to brighten any laundry area
1 pair of super soft and comfy lounge pants
1 stack of yankee candle tarts
2-3 clothes pins stuck on the tags
ribbon and tags








Tags read:
"Homemade Laundry Detergent" "Chemical Free" "Suds Free" "All Natural"
(I also included a tag with the detergent recipe on it so she could make more)

"Reusable Dryer Sheet"

"Dryer Sheet Spray" "Spray several times per dryer load" "non toxic biodegradable"

"Once the laundry is in....relax with some smell goods"

"Laundry Day Lounging Pants"





To Assemble:
Place shred in basket. Tie ribbons around each item attaching each tag. Place items in basket. Stick the cute sign in the basket. Clip on a few clothes pins to the cards and wrap with cellophane and a raffia bow.

Vegetarian Rice and Bean Burritos

I try to keep cooked beans and brown rice in the fridge all week so that I can make many things with them. They are both healthy food items that are filling and versatile. One of my favorite ways to eat them is wrapped up. Here they are wrapped as a burrito with no meat....just the beans and rice seasoned with garlic and salt and topped with sour cream, salsa and avocado. YUM!

Favorite Gadget Thingy- Mason Jar

One of my all-time favorite kitchen gadgets is the Mason Jar. Now, I call all canning jars "mason jars" even though not all of them are made by Mason. In fact, I'm partial to the Kerr Jar myself and others might prefer the Ball Jar. Whichever you love, the canning jar is a great kitchen tool to have. For more information and history than you ever wanted to know about a canning jar, you can read some info here and here.

I use canning jars for many more things than canning. I'm not a big canner even though I could see myself canning more in my future. In the past I've made jam which is my favorite canned good. But through the years I've used canning jars for so many things....like as candle holders, drinking jars, pen holders, utensil holders, to give gifts in, to put gifted mixes in, as vases, for sprouting as you see now, as containers for food in the fridge including yogurt, to store dry pantry goods like beans, popcorn, and seasonings. There really are a ton of things you can use a canning jar for. Read here for 18 ways you can use a canning jar.

As I'm trying to move away from plastics in our environment, I'm finding that my uses for canning jars are multiplying. They are an inexpensive container that is great for all kinds of things.

My favorite of the larger jars are the wide-mouth jars. Love those. I'm also quite taken with the itty bitty jars they have now that hold about a 1/2 cup. I still use the pint for numerous items as well. I guess I really love them all.

What do you love using canning jars for?

Ice Cream Dishes

I'm a dish collector....I admit it. I walk into antique stores and I'm totally smitten with the vintage dishes. I can't help it. I found these little cuties a few weeks ago and had to take home six of them. They were only .99 cents each so I got quite a deal. They perfectly hold one or two scoops of ice cream, perfect for little ones. But we mostly use them on mornings when we have yogurt for breakfast. They are a great serving size for children. They also make a fun and fancy individual dip dish or a great little fruit salad dish. You can serve cut up fruit in them at breakfast or use them for ice cream toppings on a tray.

I plan on sharing more of my dishes on here in the future so I'll go ahead and make a tab for "dishes".

Sprouting

I've wanted to try sprouting for several years now ever since I learned of the incredible nutritional value in sprouts. I can tell you that when I'm eating them, I have a huge amount of energy. It's really amazing. So, I researched and researched some more. Then I got brave and decided to try my hand at it. So far my favorite is lentils. I'm eager to try mung beans and broccoli seeds.

My method:
I use wide mouth mason jars and a sprouting screen but you can use cheese cloth if you want to. These pictures were taken before I switched over to the screen. The sprouting screen just makes it so easy to rinse them.

Put about 1/4 cup of beans/legumes or about 1 tbsp seeds of your choice in the mason jar, rinse and then fill about halfway with water and soak over night. In the morning drain the water and rinse.

For the next couple of days rinse several times a day, at least 2 times but preferable more often than that. I tend to rinse mine every time I come into the kitchen and think of it so about 7-10 times a day. The less often the more chance of them tasting bitter.

After you see sprouts that are your desired length then you can rinse them one last time and put the lid on them and store them in the fridge. When you are ready to use them you can steam them first if you want to (advised to do so for beans and legumes even when serving cold on salad). They will keep in the fridge for about 1 week.

I like my sprouts to be at least a 1/4 of an inch long if not longer but the desired length is up to your own preference.

Sprouts can go on about anything. You can puree them to make a spread (recommended for chick peas that you are turning into hummus dip), you can cook them and use them like you would in your established recipes, put them on sandwiches, or you can serve them cold with dressing or even on a salad. I love sprouted lentils on my green salads.

Tips:
Research is coming out that alfalfa isn't the safest seed to sprout due to the canavanine in them. I have not studied this at length but have read this a few places. If you like small sprouted seeds for sandwiches, I would suggest looking for broccoli seeds to sprout. Seeds for sprouting can be found in health food stores.

I also suggest purchasing a book about sprouting if you are wanting to learn more. I'm sure your library has some books on this as well. I like this one.

I would also suggest purchasing a sprouting screen for your mason jar. It's an inexpensive and super useful tool for sprouting. This one would do perfect.

I know a few of you have tried sprouting and I'd be interested to know your favorite sprouts to grow at home. Please share in the comments!

Macaroni Salad

13 oz macaroni pasta (whole wheat or brown rice pasta)

4-5 diced large Clauson kosher dill pickles

3 2 oz cans sliced black olives

1 to 1 1/2 cups mayo

my kiddos love this....as do I.

Amazingly Creamy (and Healthy) Mac N Cheese

I've been searching for a very long time for a healthy mac and cheese recipe that doesn't taste awful. Seems like only the unhealthy ones taste good until now. Thanks to one of my favorite blogs, Heavenly Homemaker, I can now make healthy mac and cheese. Click here for her recipes.

Only difference for me is that I use brown rice pasta and it takes longer to cook, so I cook it in water till it's about half way cooked and then I drain it and finish cooking it in the milk.

Disclaimer- when I say "healthy", some people might be thinking HUH? because of the whole milk and cheese. As I continue to research whole food nutrition and learn more about eating naturally derived foods, I consider organic whole milk healthier than lowfat milk and I use raw organic cheese instead of processed and pasteurized cheese. To learn more, read Nourishing Traditions.

Oven Bacon

My mom showed me how to cook bacon in the oven like she learned when she worked in restaurants. It's super fast, super easy, and super quick clean up. Ignor the parts that got burnt because I left it in there too long.
Cover a cookie sheet with foil. Lay bacon on the foil. Put in the oven on Broil till cooked to desired crispness. No turning over necessary. Watch carefully though, it's done very quickly compared to stove top cooking. Throw the foil away and wash the pan with some soap and water to get the extra grease off and you're done.

Corn Tortillas

My sister taught me how to make corn tortillas and now we are hooked. They taste incredible compared to store bought tortillas. It's pretty shocking. I don't even make them fully from scratch and yet the taste is so much better. So, come on into my kitchen and I'll teach you how to make them today.

I buy masa dough that is already prepared. You can buy it this way but if you can't find it, you can purchase the corn masa in a box but be sure it's the kind for making corn tortillas. It will either say so on the box or it will have recipe instructions on the back of it for making corn tortillas. You should only need to add water but some tell you to add lime. My dough comes already mixed and in a bag. I freeze it until I'm ready to use it and then I set it out on the counter all day to defrost for making tortillas right before dinner.

You'll need a tortilla press....mine is cast iron which is what I recommend. I got mine on Amazon and it's the largest size which I also recommend.

Roll the dough into golf ball sized balls numbering the amount of tortillas you want to make.



Cut two squares out of a Walmart bag and wash them with soap and water. Trust me the Walmart bag will work the best.





Place one piece of plastic on your press.

Put one dough ball on the plastic and cover it with the second piece of plastic.




Close the press, pull the arm over and press hard. You may need to turn the tortilla around to get it pressed really even.

Peel the top layer of plastic off.










Carefully peel the tortilla off of the bottom layer of plastic. You want to be sure not to tear the tortilla off of the plastic. Do this by laying the tortilla in your hand and pulling the plastic off of it.

Once in your hand you can then lay it on the griddle.

Don't flip the tortilla over onto the griddle because it will possibly stick to your hand and tear a hole. Instead, lay the edge on the griddle and slowly lay it while you sort of roll your hand out from under it.









You will know the tortilla is ready to flip when the edge of the tortilla gets a little dry. You don't want to let the whole top get dry though because it will turn white and be ruined. Flip it while the dough is still sticky. Don't worry about your tortillas being perfectly round, that's what makes them homemade, right!?

Once you have a whole stack made, make yourself some killer tacos. It will be difficult to go back to storebought after this.

You can freeze these easily!

These are super fun to make with kids. In fact, my kids make them themselves now. It takes some time to get the whole technique down but I assure you that with practice you'll get the hang of it.

Sweet Potato Fries

My kids and husband WILL eat sweet potatoes this way and no other way....I love them like this too.

Peel and slice sweet potatoes. Steam till crisp tender. Toss with olive oil, garlic, and salt. Put under broiler till browned. Serve with fry sauce.

Fry Sauce:
mayo and ketchup mixed together.

Salad Bar Wrap

When my salad bar gets low and there isn't much left, I dump it all in a skillet and grill it......throw in some spinach and then lay it on a tortilla with some cheese if you want, sprinkle with some garlic and salt and you've got yourself a salad bar wrap.

Some items that might be in my salad bar leftovers:
diced red, yellow, and orange bell pepper
diced radish
sliced olives
chopped tomatoes
chopped avocado
diced onion
sauteed in olive oil
hand full of spinach

pictured with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper

BBQ Kabobs

It's BBQ season and one of my favorite things to BBQ is kabobs. They are easier than they look. I used to make them more complicated than they had to be but with a simplified version I can whip these up for dinner in about an hour start to table and the reward is great.

For these chicken kabobs I used:
1 can chunks of pineapple
1 container baby bell mushrooms (washed and halved)
2 large bell peppers or 7 minis cut into large chunks
3 chicken breasts cut in large cubes
onion (if desired)
Maui Mountain Teriyaki Sauce (original or pineapple)

Skewer the meat, veggies, and pineapple randomly. Brush with teriyaki sauce. BBQ for a few minutes just until meat is cooked through but still tender (be careful not to over cook the small pieces of meat). Brush again after cooking or serve with individual dipping teriyaki sauce.

Serve with coconut rice.

Featured Product- Mini Peppers

These mini peppers are so sweet you can eat them right out of the bag for a snack. I haven't found these organic anywhere yet so I buy the bag at Costco. Oh, I guess this makes this a "Costco Finds" post as well...I haven't done one of those in a long time either!

Anyway, back to the peppers. They are great dipped in your favorite veggie dip or homemade dressing. My daughter loves to eat these as well and since I'm always trying to get my kids to eat veggies and fruit for snacks, this one is a winner!

Corn Dog Muffins

I saw this recipe idea on Heavenly Homemaker and had to try it. Corn dogs are one of my son's favorite food items and well, as you know they aren't the healthiest thing in the world so making them from scratch is a step in the right direction.

Couple of things:

-I use 100% beef, no nitrate hot dogs....the healthiest ones I can find minus the organic factor.

-I cut the hot dogs into small pieces and stirred them into the batter which we were really happy with.

Double this corn muffin recipe:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp honey
¼ cup melted butter
1 cup buttermilk (or about 1 1/2 cups milk)

Stir together dry ingredients. Add eggs, honey, butter and buttermilk. Stir until just mixed.

Cut up 5-6 hot dogs and add to the batter.

Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown (about 15 min.)....dough may be a little greasy around the hot dogs but as long as it's cooked you are good to go.

These are great because you can make a bunch of them and freeze them and they are a great quick lunch for hungry kids!

is my break over already?

Hi there, I'll be back to posting on this blog on Monday. I'm still not caught up on everything I need to get done but I sure do miss posting on here. So, I'll do my best to meet my M-W-F posting goal for this blog.

Food, Inc Film

I know I'm on blogging break on this blog but I wanted to post about this film that many of you may be interested in. Since I'm here, I wanted to let you know that my blogging break will be extended through the end of May unless of course, I have anything else that I just have to tell you during my break. =0)

I'm very interested in this film....I hear it will be in theaters June 12th.

blogging break....

I'm in need of a blogging break which I've debated about quite a bit lately only because I do have many more recipes to post here. But, I'm one person and can only do so much at once. I have a few other things in need of my attention right now like a trade show to get ready for, school to finish up with my kids, a yard and garden in need of some spring time attention, and recipes to get ready to sell on here. I'm not sure how long of a break I'm taking but I'm guessing a week or two. If it's longer than that, I'll check in here so that you know. I'm in no way going to stop posting here. This blog is alive and well! =0) I WILL keep posting on our family blog.

Meantime, feel free to browse through all of our recipes and enjoy cooking!

Maple Apple Spice Cake

As a pastor's wife, I'm often needing to whip something up for the church functions we go to....we try to attend them all. I keep a few easy recipes on hand that save me time and don't break the bank.

1 box spice cake mix
1-2 peeled cored diced apples
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
maple syrup

Mix cake according to package instructions. Add apple and bake in a greased and floured bundt pan. Let cool completely. Mix 1 tbsp of maple syrup at a time into the powdered sugar until desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over the cake after slicing so that it goes between the slices.